Friday, September 23, 2005
harry potter and the inconvenient circumstance
Now that you've all probably purchased/read the new harry potter book and collectively creamed/shit your pants, I can finally announce my opinion on the series. While you may or may not actually agree with me, I do ask for you to just hear me out. As biased as I seem sometimes, I usually have some justification for my words.
First and foremost, the loudest reaction I hear from you harry fans is "You need to read the book, and then you'll understand. It's for adults." To that I say rubbish! From the beginning the appeal of harry potter lies in your typical fantasy to escape reality realm. That's dandy an all, but these are and always will be children's books. Other fantasy books/movies that are not considered for children usually revolve around something that is inherently adult more. Usually it's a war or the threat of global destruction, or something much bigger than some whiney kids at a school. In response, you harry fans say "They are so not children's books! They have very adult themes!" Do I need to remind you once again, that the series is a children series? Designed for children? It will always be a story about a wizard who goes to school and has to deal with the fact that he's important somehow. "OK, but the newer books have gotten so much darker, thus they are geared more towards adults." Darker? I hate that terminology. Just because one person or two dies, doesn't mean that the series has become darker. It just means the author did the smart thing to make money: she took advantage of the readers.
Why is it popular then? It just so happened that a couple of losers still living with their parents caught on to it, because the word witch/wizard/magic gives them hard ons/moistness. If these things weren't marketed as children's books and were sold specifically to adults, the immediate reaction would be that only geeks read harry. Don't you think if Dungeons and Dragons was marketed as a children's game, more people would find a novelty in it? And that's exactly what harry potter is: just a novelty. Just because everyone else is reading it that puts it on the radar as something you need to do too. Seriously do you think half the people reading harry show a genuine interest in the story? They say it’s a good read, but that's only because a 7 year old can understand it. So not only are they staying hip with pop culture, they actually think they are getting smarter by reading it. I think if I picked up "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish" and read it, I'd feel like it was a good read too because it didn't take very long to finish.
This leads me to the actual content. We've already determined that I have not ever once picked up a book of harry. I have had the unfortunate luck to see the movies for one reason or another, mostly due to boredom or essential boyfriendery duties. And the people rant and rave about the movies. "Oh, so true to the book," or "Oh, that's not like the books at all!" What have I determined from my experiences? The story is actually quite silly. My biggest beef comes with harry and the predicaments that only he gets into. When telling the story of a hero, the first thing that needs to work is the believability of the story. And what is a story but a sequence of events put together. Unfortunately harry doesn't understand this formula. Let me sum up how a harry story plays out: one giant inconvenient circumstance. Everything that happens to harry is just a wicked chance of circumstance, an inconvenience for a boy who’s just trying to go to wizard school. And it always happens that he's alone, and the other characters have something else to do for no good reason. So he's either walking a dark hallway at night, or is walking a hallway in the day, or returning a crystal ball to a teacher, while the chick has to go study or something and the dude has to go work on his "magic." Of course, then classmates/teachers/cg beasts come around and discovers harry in this "inconvenient circumstance" and they're all like "Harry?! What did you do?" Finally in the end he inadvertently saves the day with the help of classmates/teachers/cg beasts, and all is forgiven. It's so fucking contrived. When the author of a story makes a convenient loop hole for themselves, you realize that had they continued along the original theme and plot, the story would have just dead ended. Look, I can understand if harry is "the chosen one," or some other happy horse shit like that. But I've seen and read plenty of other chosen one plots, and the stories are a lot more believable and less contrived then this bullshit.
QUICK NOTE: CNN needs to stop putting the moving satellite image of the hurricane in the corner of the screen. It's a hurricane on a loop. It's not going to do anything worthwhile on a time-lapse image. What more, it's not going to do anything visible from a satellite period. What, are they going to be in a middle of a broadcast and say "Wait, I'm getting word. It looks like the hurricane has something to say. Let's take a listen. (20 seconds later) Nope, looks like a false alarm. But, if the hurricane does have anything to say you know you can hear it here first." Assholes. Oh, and you know CNN really doesn't have enough to do when you see stories like this. And can someone explain how you can be "too sick to wear regular clothes?" Fucking idiots.
Now that you've all probably purchased/read the new harry potter book and collectively creamed/shit your pants, I can finally announce my opinion on the series. While you may or may not actually agree with me, I do ask for you to just hear me out. As biased as I seem sometimes, I usually have some justification for my words.
First and foremost, the loudest reaction I hear from you harry fans is "You need to read the book, and then you'll understand. It's for adults." To that I say rubbish! From the beginning the appeal of harry potter lies in your typical fantasy to escape reality realm. That's dandy an all, but these are and always will be children's books. Other fantasy books/movies that are not considered for children usually revolve around something that is inherently adult more. Usually it's a war or the threat of global destruction, or something much bigger than some whiney kids at a school. In response, you harry fans say "They are so not children's books! They have very adult themes!" Do I need to remind you once again, that the series is a children series? Designed for children? It will always be a story about a wizard who goes to school and has to deal with the fact that he's important somehow. "OK, but the newer books have gotten so much darker, thus they are geared more towards adults." Darker? I hate that terminology. Just because one person or two dies, doesn't mean that the series has become darker. It just means the author did the smart thing to make money: she took advantage of the readers.
Why is it popular then? It just so happened that a couple of losers still living with their parents caught on to it, because the word witch/wizard/magic gives them hard ons/moistness. If these things weren't marketed as children's books and were sold specifically to adults, the immediate reaction would be that only geeks read harry. Don't you think if Dungeons and Dragons was marketed as a children's game, more people would find a novelty in it? And that's exactly what harry potter is: just a novelty. Just because everyone else is reading it that puts it on the radar as something you need to do too. Seriously do you think half the people reading harry show a genuine interest in the story? They say it’s a good read, but that's only because a 7 year old can understand it. So not only are they staying hip with pop culture, they actually think they are getting smarter by reading it. I think if I picked up "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish" and read it, I'd feel like it was a good read too because it didn't take very long to finish.
This leads me to the actual content. We've already determined that I have not ever once picked up a book of harry. I have had the unfortunate luck to see the movies for one reason or another, mostly due to boredom or essential boyfriendery duties. And the people rant and rave about the movies. "Oh, so true to the book," or "Oh, that's not like the books at all!" What have I determined from my experiences? The story is actually quite silly. My biggest beef comes with harry and the predicaments that only he gets into. When telling the story of a hero, the first thing that needs to work is the believability of the story. And what is a story but a sequence of events put together. Unfortunately harry doesn't understand this formula. Let me sum up how a harry story plays out: one giant inconvenient circumstance. Everything that happens to harry is just a wicked chance of circumstance, an inconvenience for a boy who’s just trying to go to wizard school. And it always happens that he's alone, and the other characters have something else to do for no good reason. So he's either walking a dark hallway at night, or is walking a hallway in the day, or returning a crystal ball to a teacher, while the chick has to go study or something and the dude has to go work on his "magic." Of course, then classmates/teachers/cg beasts come around and discovers harry in this "inconvenient circumstance" and they're all like "Harry?! What did you do?" Finally in the end he inadvertently saves the day with the help of classmates/teachers/cg beasts, and all is forgiven. It's so fucking contrived. When the author of a story makes a convenient loop hole for themselves, you realize that had they continued along the original theme and plot, the story would have just dead ended. Look, I can understand if harry is "the chosen one," or some other happy horse shit like that. But I've seen and read plenty of other chosen one plots, and the stories are a lot more believable and less contrived then this bullshit.
QUICK NOTE: CNN needs to stop putting the moving satellite image of the hurricane in the corner of the screen. It's a hurricane on a loop. It's not going to do anything worthwhile on a time-lapse image. What more, it's not going to do anything visible from a satellite period. What, are they going to be in a middle of a broadcast and say "Wait, I'm getting word. It looks like the hurricane has something to say. Let's take a listen. (20 seconds later) Nope, looks like a false alarm. But, if the hurricane does have anything to say you know you can hear it here first." Assholes. Oh, and you know CNN really doesn't have enough to do when you see stories like this. And can someone explain how you can be "too sick to wear regular clothes?" Fucking idiots.
// posted by Chester @ 9:23 AM 
Comments:
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If you'd read the books, I might be able to accept your comments. But as you yourself have admitted that you have never read a Harry Potter book, how can you be in any position to judge people who like it? Survey says: you can't. Just because you don't like something does not give you the right to judge those who do. I'm not saying you shouldn't have your opinion... on something you admittedly know nothing about... but why try to belittle those who do enjoy it? There's no reason for this at all. Come back to me when you've read a page of the book and we'll talk.
Why do you have to make me angry so early in the morning, Gelo? Damn.
Why do you have to make me angry so early in the morning, Gelo? Damn.
# posted by 
: 9:22 AM
: 9:22 AM
OK, let me clarify. I did take some knocks at the readers, not many though. I only did that to strengthen my point against the material itself. Now Jen, you happen to be the exception to the rule. You do genuinely enjoy these books and the genre. But you have to agree with me that the material is for children and that the series evolved, on a small level, only after the author realized what kind of niche it was gaining within the adult population. Any good business person would do the same.
On that point then, if it were truly adult material, then why didn't something like Lord of the Rings cut through the same ranks? Fans of LOTR are just that: real people who like the material for what it is. How come the young female twenty something crowd, one of the strongest reader bases of harry, haven't embraced LOTR? It has wizardry, creatures, and magic just the same. It's because they aren't reading it for that reason. It's too long and too difficult for them to understand, so they immediately dismiss it as boring and for geeks. They're obviously reading it for the reasons I spelt out in my article.
Finally, I have read a page and some more. I just couldn't enjoy it. Sure, it was an easy read. But that doesn't make it good. I feel that the true basis of its popularity is only because it's popular.
On that point then, if it were truly adult material, then why didn't something like Lord of the Rings cut through the same ranks? Fans of LOTR are just that: real people who like the material for what it is. How come the young female twenty something crowd, one of the strongest reader bases of harry, haven't embraced LOTR? It has wizardry, creatures, and magic just the same. It's because they aren't reading it for that reason. It's too long and too difficult for them to understand, so they immediately dismiss it as boring and for geeks. They're obviously reading it for the reasons I spelt out in my article.
Finally, I have read a page and some more. I just couldn't enjoy it. Sure, it was an easy read. But that doesn't make it good. I feel that the true basis of its popularity is only because it's popular.
Okay, I'll agree with your statement that a lot of people read it because it's easy to read and those same people do not read LOTR because it is too difficult. Brilliant but difficult. But this does not mean everyone. You can't generalize because that's when people get mad. I am sure for every ten people who like Harry Potter, eight of them like it because it's popular and the ninth is holed up in her room writing Harry/Draco slash fan fiction. But that tenth person really thinks the story is interesting, enjoys reading about the characters and genuinely thinks the book is good.
They may have started as children's books but what Rowling has said (I think) is that the reading level rises as Harry ages. So this past novel would be based around a sixteen-year-old's reading level. Which admittedly, is not the average age of the fanbase but it's not "The Cat in the Hat" either.
They may have started as children's books but what Rowling has said (I think) is that the reading level rises as Harry ages. So this past novel would be based around a sixteen-year-old's reading level. Which admittedly, is not the average age of the fanbase but it's not "The Cat in the Hat" either.
# posted by : 3:07 PM
: 3:07 PM
I never said everyone. I said half the people. By your count, you're giving the readers even less of a benefit; only one or two out of ten.
And of course I can generalize. I can say that people on Staten Island are idiots. While I know that intelligent people do exist, when I look at things as a whole, the less intelligent stick out more. Thus my generalization. I feel the same way about the reader base. It ended up becoming far more diverse then first intended, and when that heads into pop culture, it usually means the innocence and quality of the material get pushed aside in lieu of the popularity.
And of course I can generalize. I can say that people on Staten Island are idiots. While I know that intelligent people do exist, when I look at things as a whole, the less intelligent stick out more. Thus my generalization. I feel the same way about the reader base. It ended up becoming far more diverse then first intended, and when that heads into pop culture, it usually means the innocence and quality of the material get pushed aside in lieu of the popularity.
Finally someone that sees Harry Potter as stupid boring dogshit. I unfortunately read some Harry Potter, just so I can knock and say well I read it. After the first chapter I realized I ran out of toilet paper and the absorbancy of the Harry Potter pages worked just fine. To be honest, those old quilting ladies from Charmin are more interesting than Harry Potter bullshit. If adults are into this shit they need to seriously need to re-evaluate themselves and take some time off at Bellevue Hospital. Now if they changed the name Harry Potter to Ragnar and instead of going to some shitty wizard school he went to pillage coastal English towns, then it might be an enjoyable read. Or anything from 1939-1945.
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# posted by : 8:23 AM
: 8:23 AM << Home
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