Dumbledore kerfluffle
Oct. 25th, 2007 05:06 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sparkindarknessDumbledore’s gay. It amuses me muchly, especially since I imagine there are many ultra-religious righties who were already burning the books for witchcraft have now just spontaneously combusted with outrage (and that’s always funny, you have to agree).
Is it a big step forward for gays everywhere? Well, millions of people are apparently reading books with a central gay character, but wouldn’t know about it unless the hear of Rowling’s revelation. Still, it’s a lot of exposure there. Personally, I think it can only be a good thing and certainly does no harm :) When it comes down to it, it's a character. he happens to be gay, there's no need to read anything more into it than that
People have bitched about why he didn’t reveal this in the books. Well, let’s take a step back and look at the books shall we. They’re about Harry Potter (hence the titles) a boy from the age of, what, 10-18? And his battle against Voldemort. The books are written nearly entirely from Harry’s point of view to my memory, less than, what, 5% of the book isn’t from his view point and they usually involve death eaters.
Right, now remember when you were between the ages of 11-18 and your relationship with your teachers. At which point did your headmaster avow his love for cock or pussy to you? What? You mean you headmaster didn’t discuss his love life with you? Damn, how heartless!
I didn’t know if any of my teachers were gay, straight, bi, single, coupled or in happy polygamous groups. The only clue I ever had was some of the women had “mrs” in front of the names. I didn’t even know the first names of some of my teachers. They could have been gay. They could have been straight. They could have been bi. They could have been sexing up their neighbour’s Rotweiler. I don’t think I’m unusual on that score, teachers are usually rather reticent in discussing their sex lives with their pupils, well, except for in one or two rather sensational cases.
So at which point in teaching Harry, advising Harry, guiding Harry and otherwise fighting the evil of Voldemort should Dumbledore have turned round and said “Did I ever mention how much I love hawt mansex?” At which exact point in the books would it have been appropriate, believable or realistic for Albus Dumbledore to explain his sexuality to his student?
(And to everyone saying she just added this after the series finished... well, point 1: You did read Deathly Hollows, right? Because, y'know Dumbledore/Grindelwald? Written in pretty LARGE print, really. Point 2: she said she had to tell a screenwriter that when he had dumbledore mention a past female love - don't you think he'd come forwards and sday "bitch please, that never happened?")
ETA:
Oh and can we have a big WTF to all those who are saying this is some kind of political statement? Hello, various studies have concluded that homosexuals make up between 3%-10% of the population (depending on study - the closet makes it hide to track us) yet the mere EXISTANCE of a gay character is a political statement? That's ridiculous! That's like saying the ethnic diversity shown throughout the Harry Potter novels was a political statement. Acknowledging people exist isn't political correctness or agenda driven or any other stupid clap trap they're spouting. It's simpel acknowledgement of the diversity of the human race.
Is it a big step forward for gays everywhere? Well, millions of people are apparently reading books with a central gay character, but wouldn’t know about it unless the hear of Rowling’s revelation. Still, it’s a lot of exposure there. Personally, I think it can only be a good thing and certainly does no harm :) When it comes down to it, it's a character. he happens to be gay, there's no need to read anything more into it than that
People have bitched about why he didn’t reveal this in the books. Well, let’s take a step back and look at the books shall we. They’re about Harry Potter (hence the titles) a boy from the age of, what, 10-18? And his battle against Voldemort. The books are written nearly entirely from Harry’s point of view to my memory, less than, what, 5% of the book isn’t from his view point and they usually involve death eaters.
Right, now remember when you were between the ages of 11-18 and your relationship with your teachers. At which point did your headmaster avow his love for cock or pussy to you? What? You mean you headmaster didn’t discuss his love life with you? Damn, how heartless!
I didn’t know if any of my teachers were gay, straight, bi, single, coupled or in happy polygamous groups. The only clue I ever had was some of the women had “mrs” in front of the names. I didn’t even know the first names of some of my teachers. They could have been gay. They could have been straight. They could have been bi. They could have been sexing up their neighbour’s Rotweiler. I don’t think I’m unusual on that score, teachers are usually rather reticent in discussing their sex lives with their pupils, well, except for in one or two rather sensational cases.
So at which point in teaching Harry, advising Harry, guiding Harry and otherwise fighting the evil of Voldemort should Dumbledore have turned round and said “Did I ever mention how much I love hawt mansex?” At which exact point in the books would it have been appropriate, believable or realistic for Albus Dumbledore to explain his sexuality to his student?
(And to everyone saying she just added this after the series finished... well, point 1: You did read Deathly Hollows, right? Because, y'know Dumbledore/Grindelwald? Written in pretty LARGE print, really. Point 2: she said she had to tell a screenwriter that when he had dumbledore mention a past female love - don't you think he'd come forwards and sday "bitch please, that never happened?")
ETA:
Oh and can we have a big WTF to all those who are saying this is some kind of political statement? Hello, various studies have concluded that homosexuals make up between 3%-10% of the population (depending on study - the closet makes it hide to track us) yet the mere EXISTANCE of a gay character is a political statement? That's ridiculous! That's like saying the ethnic diversity shown throughout the Harry Potter novels was a political statement. Acknowledging people exist isn't political correctness or agenda driven or any other stupid clap trap they're spouting. It's simpel acknowledgement of the diversity of the human race.
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(no subject)
Date: 2007-10-25 10:18 pm (UTC)Everyone who's interested in the books has already bought them. Are there any Harry Potter fans that haven't bought Deathly Hallows yet? So who's gonna buy the books now?
Tons of religious righties will end up buying the books to look for the gay agenda. Picture some preachers reading the books on a Saturday night while writing their sermons. Amusing, no? Think of the chick tracts they'll come up with! Homosexuality and witchcraft covered in one little book!
Others will buy the books because they see buying books that have a gay character as being supportive. Or just trendy. Sorry to say so, but a lot of people think supporting alternate lifestyles (is being gay still considered that?) is a trendy thing to do.
JK is a marketing genius.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-10-26 12:47 am (UTC)Sorry to say so, but a lot of people think supporting alternate lifestyles (is being gay still considered that?) is a trendy thing to do.
sure, for adults, but the vast majority in this country are still pretty damn flaky about homosexuality when it comes to their kid's reading material. basically it came down to some kid in a q&a session asking about dumbledore's love life, and her explaining who it was, and explaining that she did at one point have to correct the movie director. i don't think she had any ulterior motives here--it was the news media that picked it up and ran, because omg, a gay character in a children's series! how shocking! of course they're going to take advantage of the free press, but as a marketing ploy, this would have been VERY risky one.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-10-26 12:48 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-10-27 12:25 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-10-26 05:21 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-10-27 12:08 pm (UTC)The Potter books are already wildly popular and are still major best sellers - there's no need to resoprt to shock marketing yet to get them back in the public eye. We're not before a book or film release that would justify more attention seeking and it's not close enough to Christmas. Some of the fil;ms have let to be released ensuring continued potter mania for the foreseeable future
To my mind such marketing would be useful in about 2 years when the last film has passed and people are moving away from Potter.
If it's marketing i think it's been done highly poorly