Pottermania, Beatlemania – Patato, Potato?
Is the world’s fascination with Harry Potter and the resulting Pottermania, this generations Beatlemania?
Both phenomena are British, both at one time were associated with yellow submarines (except in Potter it’s wands), and both were destroyed by Yoko (except in Potter it’s Voldemort) — You be the Judge…
Deathly Hallows part 1, loved it…. can’t wait for the finale. If you read the last book, and seen this movie, then you know that basically this first part was getting everything out-of-the-way… all the exposition, all the chit-chat, the things you need to know to carry on… this one ends and pretty much all that’s left for the final movie is non-stop action… the final magical war…. can’t wait.
Since taking the kids to the first movie, we’ve been pretty big fans. I found the stories interesting, engaging and thoroughly engrossing. Speaking on behalf of Muggles everywhere… we are amused.
The story is a harmless, escapist fantasy… riddled with benefits for kids, Harry Potter embodies values that are worth emulating. It’s a coming of age story, and being true to life, Harry is not perfect and never claims to be. Yet, as the books progress he learns several virtues including self-control, self-sacrifice, the value of friendship, loyalty, and resisting temptation.
Kids today are inundated with negative influences, from gangs to movies, TV and video games. A positive role model, albeit realistically flawed is terrific.
Our world often seems mediocre, mushy, a steady trudging along of little excitements, minor annoyances, and depressing news stories. It hardly seems like a place to occasionally consider intangible, fantastical ideas and concepts – to believe in what you can’t see rather than what you can. Because of modernity, truth needs to be proved analytically or empirically. We believe in what we can see, and even when we do believe in an unseen world, our actions would often lead an observer to believe that we think this world is where the real action happens.
This fantasy, creates a world that looks at life in black & white, good vs. evil, life vs. death – simple, clearer decisions and the difference between what right and what’s wrong. It also shows us repeatedly that good is not always the easier decision – as in life.
It also makes good attractive—not an easy feat. Evil is often far more tantalizing, attractive, exciting, and intriguing. There’s plenty of books out there that either make good seem mediocre and weak while making evil seem fascinating and powerful. One of the things I like about Harry Potter is that they make good look fascinating and delicious and evil look twisted and cruel.
J.K. Rowling is able to make virtues like loyalty, friendship, and sacrifice attractive, and that’s something worth blogging about!
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Like I said… we are fans.
Have a Great Day