Here at The Mary Sue, we make it known that we are over JK Rowling and her BS. Yes, she is the creator of the Harry Potter series that filled our youth with joy, but it doesn’t give her a pass to spout hateful stuff online. It seems like her entire personality now is being a disgusting TERF. Even if you are a fan of Harry Potter, you don’t need to keep spending money to feed her machine or build her platform.
With the upcoming release of Hogwarts Legacy (the latest HP-themed video game) looming ever closer, it seems like some are still not sure if they should buy the game or not. Luckily we already published a splendid piece on what other items you can spend your money on. It isn’t like the game is going to let you poop all over Hogwarts or anything. But if you still have are having doubts, I’m here to debunk many of the lies fans are telling themselves to justify buying the game.
The game isn’t transphobic!
Sure, the game itself probably isn’t transphobic. Yet, we know antisemitism and racism will be present. They centered the entire plot of the game on a Goblin uprising because they don’t want to live under the thumb of wizards. Goblins have long been used as antisemitic caricatures. As the keepers of the money in Rowling’s series, she seemed to double down on that racist goblin stereotype. It also feels odd that the game developers wanted to make an oppressed group the bad guys of the game. I guess Hermione and the house elves could be the evil force in the sequel game.
What about the developers?
Do you buy every game ever made to “support the developers?” No, I didn’t think you did. So maybe don’t use that as an excuse to buy this one. Here’s the thing: video game developers get paid before the game’s launch. Whether or not the game is successful doesn’t affect their paychecks. The people who do benefit from game sales are CEOs, shareholders, and creators who make royalties (like Rowling). So if you really want to shore these folks how displeased you are with Rowling’s behavior, not buying the game would stick it to her and make companies still trying to use HP as a cash cow rethink future partnerships. The Fantastic Beasts movies ended due in part to low ticket sales, so it’s worth a shot.
J. K. Rowling doesn’t benefit from this?
Rowling did not write the script for this game, nor is it directly adapted from any of her books. However, anything with the Harry Potter trademark on it generates royalties for Rowling. If you buy one of the movies/books, go to the Harry Potter theme park, or purchase Hogwarts Legacy, Rowling gets a piece of the action. She already has Scrooge McDuck piles of money, so why do you need to add anything else to it?
Separating the art from the artists!
Sadly, it is hard to enjoy things the same way when you know the person who created them is awful. For me, it is hard to get lost in the Wizarding World knowing that the sense of acceptance and equality espoused among wizards is not upheld by its creator. When asked, point blank, on Twitter how she slept at night knowing how many fans she hurt with her continuous hateful rhetoric, Rowling responded “I read my most recent royalty cheques and find the pain goes away pretty quickly.” There you have it. This woman who pushed the message of love above all things in her books doesn’t give a crap about her fans or hurting them as long as she gets paid. Why would you want to give this person more money?!
This Trans/Jewish person I know said it was okay.
Please don’t use other people as scapegoats for not making good choices. Maybe it really is okay with them, for whatever reason. But maybe it should bother you to support Rowling who is awful (see above answer) towards people you care about. Let’s not build up her influence even more. Isn’t that how she said the wizards would get rid of Voldemort? Come to think of it, can a Twitter account be a Horcrux?
It’s a part of my childhood!
Polio was part of many people’s childhoods. Should we revisit that too? Listen, I was a HUGE fan of Harry Potter in my younger days so I understand feeling butthurt about all of this (I’ve cosplayed and have a couple of HP-inspired tattoos). I am mad at Rowling for spewing hate on the internet and ruining something I enjoyed. However, I will not give her any more of my money no matter how nostalgic I may be feeling.
When was the last time you actually revisited this series? Just because you enjoyed it as a kid doesn’t mean it is still good. When I originally read the books as a young teen, I thought she was a poor writer. So much of the Harry Potter series is a mash-up of other people’s work (and has racist undertones). Harry and Ron are jerks, especially to Hermione. Any fat characters in the story are either evil (Aunt Marge, two of the Dursleys) or inept/stupid (Neville Longbottom).
The real magic of Harry Potter isn’t even anything Rowling created. It was the fandom that sprung out of the series. Being a nerdy kid who loved to read, it was amazing finding so many people who had read (and loved) the same thing I did on and off the internet. It created a sense of community for many. Honestly, I loved reading Harry Potter fanfiction (especially Marauders-era Sirius Black/Remus Lupin) more than the actual books and it helped me connect with others who shared my passion. Before you put Rowling and her creations on such a high pedestal, maybe think about what made the Harry Potter series special to you and find a non-hateful thing that sparks those same feelings instead. There are plenty of ongoing communities, podcasts, and forums that discuss the franchise while distancing themselves from the author.
(featured image: Warner Brothers)
Published: Jan 26, 2023 08:40 am