It is no secret that the Harry Potter franchise is well loved amongst society. The Harry Potter experience is often nostalgic to those who have engaged with it and, at the very least, notable to those who have not. The creation of this whimsical, magic-filled universe is a critical part of fantasy media and fan culture. So where do we go when world-famous author, J.K. Rowling, has viewpoints that are not as well received as her writing? Some people believe that we should cancel the entire franchise. Others believe that we can remove J.K. Rowling and her ideologies from her writing.
But as a society, can we actually separate the book from the author? Well, no. It’s not that simple.
We cannot ignore J.K. Rowling’s role in creating the Harry Potter franchise for a few core reasons: profitability, accountability, and transgender perspectives.
Let’s be clear: J.K. Rowling’s world views suck. This post isn’t intended to debate if Rowling’s perspectives are warranted. They are not. Her history of transphobic comments and dedication to trans-exclusionary radical feminism is concerning and rightfully receives backlash from the general public.
Her recent behavior has been the highlight of many video essays and internet rants.
She is, however, the creator of this extremely successful franchise. There is a trending idea that if someone is interested in reading or watching Harry Potter, it is best to buy the books on thrift sites or pirate the films. While this may clear the conscience, this does not do much to stop J.K. Rowling’s ever increasing income. The Harry Potter franchise has been ingrained in our culture in many different ways: books, films, spin-offs, merchandise, games, entire amusement parks, the list goes on. J.K. Rowling will always benefit from someone indulging in her content whether that is a fraction of a cent from a mug of Butterbeer or her next million dollar brand deal.
An author’s personality and viewpoints contribute to their work. We have to hold them accountable for the way their bias influences their narratives. This cannot be ignored even when reading media that regarded as “escapism” such as Harry Potter. Although some internet users believe J.K. Rowling’s viewpoints may have been altered after writing the series, there are problematic elements in the Harry Potter series itself. Fans often comment on the lack of representation for people of color (more here ) and being mislead into thinking there will be canonically LGBT+ characters (here). Specifically, fans comment on Cho Chang and the racist undertones in the writing of this character. The series is admired by many yet features controversial elements. For better or for worse, Rowling’s prejudices and beliefs directly influenced the narrative.
J.K. Rowling will continue to benefit from Harry Potter while continuing to make statements dehumanize trans individuals. Although this piece of media may not explicitly include transphobia and Rowling’s statements came years after the release of Harry Potter, the statements have left trans individuals in a complicated relationship with the series. On social media, some transgender people have had to completely remove themselves from the Harry Potter universe due to discontent with Rowling’s statements. While others mention that they will continue to hold Harry Potter as a beloved piece of media whilst being extremely critical of J.K. Rowling’s personal views (ex. Alex Rose on YouTube). The removal of an author from their work does not provide an answer for trans peoples, especially those who felt a strong emotional connection to the series and characters.
Of course, a person can have an individualized separation from the creator. Many users on social media such as YouTube and Twitter have expressed their love for the series and opposition to Rowling’s transphobic nonsense. This is done by enjoying books and movies that are pre-owned and engaging with like-minded fans instead of Rowling herself. This is much more feasible than attempting to ‘cancel’ Harry Potter in its entirety.
Some say that society can be effective in removing the artist from their art. People on social media will still engage with the content saying things like “I love Harry Potter, but I’m not sure who wrote it” or “It’s amazing that no one wrote Harry Potter” and other facetious comments. In The Atlantic’s article entitled “How J. K. Rowling Became Voldemort”, there is said to be a common fan name for Rowling: “She Who Must Not Be Named”. This mimics the phrase used for the series villain, Voldemort. Some even go as far as to say that Harry Potter was ghostwritten by a secret team of writers, although these arguments have no sufficient proof and are usually just products of Reddit conspiracy threads. It is clear that people will go to great lengths to remove her from the narrative, so that they can enjoy the content in peace.
There are companies that clarify their attempt to distance themselves from Rowling. For instance, Warner Bros. made a statement revealing that an upcoming game, entitled “Hogwarts Legacy”, will not feature any direct influence from Rowling.
I definitely see the appeal for feigning ignorance, but I think that would be disregarding an opportunity to hold media and their creators accountable. A better approach is acknowledging the inappropriate actions and viewpoints from the author and recognizing that you can still appreciate the narrative.
McGregor, in an article from The Star, says: “We shouldn’t, as critical readers, cancel books or just throw books in the garbage. We just have to think about how to read those books critically.”
As much as I wish we could, I do not think it will ever be possible to separate J.K. Rowling from her all-famous creation, Harry Potter. She will continue to benefit from the franchise regardless of a societal effort to remove her from this media. Additionally, the importance of author accountability and marginalized perspectives contribute to the impractical idea that we can remove an author from their work. Unfortunately, creators of great talent, writing or otherwise, can be problematic in nature. J.K. Rowling is not the first of these kind and will not be the last.
I recommend that people view the content they consume with a critical eye and allow creators to take accountability for their perspectives. If those with large platforms have harmful views, public criticism should counter this without ignoring the influence these people have on society. Most importantly, listen to those who are the targets of J.K. Rowling’s dehumanizing opinions. Specifically, trans peoples and others who feel that Rowling has slighted them in either her writing or posts to social media.
There is a way to enjoy cozying up by the fire and cracking open page 679 of a Harry Potter book while acknowledging J.K. Rowling’s not-so-great point of views.
Sources:
https://www.insider.com/fantastic-beasts-jk-rowling-dumbledore-lgbt-backlash-2018-2
https://www.instyle.com/celebrity/jk-rowling/harry-potter-fansites-no-longer-support-jk-rowling