Harry Potter's Wizardry Still Drawing Right-Wing Wrath
The Harry Potter book and movie series may have concluded last week, but a new American survey reveals that for some respondents, at least one attitude toward the Potter legacy remains constant: That boy wizard is up to no good with all that conjurin'.
A poll released Monday by YouGov quantifies Potter-mania through a variety of different metrics: 25 percent of respondents have seen all eight installments of the blockbuster film franchise, while 18 percent of respondents acknowledged reading all seven of J.K. Rowling's epic source novels. (The numbers jump to 61 percent and 31 percent, respectively, when it comes to folks who've seen or read at least one.) But the scope of Potter's reach seems less surprising than the number of people still grappling with the stories' thematic implications:
* 15% said that the series was a bad influence on children because it portrayed witchcraft
- 45% said it was entertaining but no important life lessons
- 39% thought that it was a good influence and had positive lessons to teach.
These responses skewed across political ideologies--32% of those who identified themselves as Conservative condemned the Harry Potter books for portraying witchcraft, while 57% of those who identified themselves as Liberal considered the books a positive influence.
Thirty-two percent! That is nearly a third of American conservatives decrying the sorcery undercurrents of the most successful film franchise ever. Is this somehow overstated? It must be, no? And if not, how extreme is the fringe here? Is this, say, Marcus Bachmann's true pet cause -- reparative Muggle therapy for young witches and wizards? Is Marcus Bachmann secretly in the wizard closet? The mind reels.
· 18% of Americans veritable Potter-maniacs, 61% seen at least one movie [YouGov]
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Comments
I think the 32% figure is low. Any Bible-loving conservative knows that the Harry Potter series encourages children to read fantasy collections other than the Bible.
Yes, the Bible has wizards (Leviticus 20:6, 27; Deuteronomy 18:11; First Samuel 28:3, 9; Second Kings 21:6, 23:24; Second Chronicles 33:6; Isaiah 8:19, 19:3), dragons (Deuteronomy 32:33; Nehemiah: 2:13; Job 30:29; Psalms 44:19, 74:13, 91:13, 148:7; Isaiah 13:22, 27:1, 34:13, 35:7, 43:20, 51:9; Jeremiah 9:11, 10:22, 14:6, 49:33, 51:34, 37; Ezekiel 29:3; Micah: 1:8; Malachi 1:3; Revelations 12:3, 4, 7, 9, 13, 16, 17; 13:2, 4, 11, 16:13, 20:2), talking snakes (Genesis 3:1, 4, 5), giants (Genesis 6:4, Numbers 13:33, Deuteronomy 2:11, 20, 3:11, 13; Joshua 12:4, 13:12, 15:8, 17:15, 18:16; Second Samuel 21:16, 18, 20, 22; First Chronicles 20:4, 6, 8; Job: 16:14), cockatrice(11:8, 14:29, 59:5; Jeremiah 8:17), and even satyrs (Isaiah 13:21, 34:14) and unicorns (Numbers 23:22, 24:8; Deuteronomy 33:17; Job 39:9, 10; Psalms 22:21, 29:6, 92:10; Isaiah 34:7), but Harry isn't a demigod who makes wine and walks on the water with his friend, so that doesn't count.
No one should ever encourage children to think or ask questions, or Christianity will die out as quickly as it began. Bad Harry Potter, bad!!!
I went to a conservative Christian grade school. Jurassic Park came out when I was 12. My band teacher overhead us talking about it and said that, while JP is a fun adventure, we have to acknowledge that what it teaches (evolution) is wrong. And let me reiterate: my band teacher said this.
So, 32% of conservatives thinking HP is all about witchcraft feels a little low for me.
Romney/Voldemort 2012!
That's the real reason right winders dislike HP. Voldemort and the death eaters are conservatives, and as dense as wingnuts are, they are aware of this.