Thursday, April 10, 2014

I am Harry Potter

After reading the Jenkins pieces I felt the need of becoming a fandom writer of the Harry Potter series. Being a Harry Potter fan myself, of both the books and the movies, I find it very disappointing that legal issues about intellectual property would become an obstacle for kids (and not so kids) to develop their imagination.

Every Harry Potter reader, I'm sure, at some point imagined attending a school like Hogwarts, having magic lessons and studying with different magical creatures. Fandom representations only give that project more attention, a solid base of consumer clients, and extends the longevity of the project, giving it the opportunity to extend the sale revenues. Warner Bros' reaction trying to control the fandom gets harder as the consumers of media are no longer simply consumers. They have become an organized group of participants networked through the Internet. They share experiences and works, and the lapse of response is immediate. On the other hand, they are also the consumers of products made by Warner. They will try to visit the Harry Potter land in Orlando, buy the audiobooks, the collectible paraphernalia, and every piece of extra media that comes out. They are the most avid consumers. Fandom allows these stories to continue being a revenue source for the big media companies. Interactivity and participation is an important factor that develops in the fandom culture.

The Harry Potter Wars also deal with the religious interpretation of the novel. I understand and respect the cultural differences, and the importance religious life has in so many across the globe. The idea that J.K. Rowling's novels have pagan stories is a very personal thought, and although I don't share it, I do believe it is important to respect it. That being said, the idea of removing the novels from public libraries and school libraries seems to be disrespectful. Why deprive other from the freedom of reading such? I believe here the idea of tolerance should be put in practice. After all, just like the reading shows, the novels have brought together a multicultural audience through a fictional stories in which fans, despite cultural backgrounds, seem to find similarities.

This article really just makes me want to read the whole series again.

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