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J.K. Rowling and the many Potter fans--don't get me wrong, I
enjoy the stories to a certain extent--even though
most Harry Potter fans are fucking infuriating. What's my beef with
Rowling? She really is just a rip-off artist and unlike most writers
who take inspiration from elsewhere, she gave no credit to anyone
but herself. My proof? First, Neil Gaiman, one of the best writers
alive. Many Many moons ago, long before Mr. Potter came into being,
he created and wrote a comic series titled "The Books of Magic"
(1994-2000). This series featured a
teenager named Tim Hunter who is basically destined to be the
most powerful wizard ever. He's skinny, has messy brown,
large glasses and a pet owl. He is accepted in to a school of magic,
he has to confront an evil dark magician, he has hints of becoming a
magician which he's hiding. Secondly, there is the cult classic
movie, "Troll" (1986), a movie about a troll trying to revive faerie
creatures in an apartment building. What does this have to do with
Mr. Potter? Mr. Potter actually--the main character--is a 12-13 year
old kid--named... Harry Potter. Not only that, but he wants to be a
wizard. This movie (circa 1986) is from my childhood so it sure as
hell didn't rip Rowling off.
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Third, stale plotlines. Zomg! Snape! He killed someone! Fuck off,
this is so damned lame. Wow, the evil guy finally killed a main
character. Shocker. R-i-i-i-ght. The character she chose to off was
so damned stereotypical of these stories, too. Fail, Ms. Rowling.
Fail hard. What's even more upsetting to me is the endless drones
whom now claim only Rowling's versions of fantasy creatures to be
the true depictions! You people need to be shot on sight. Even "Lord
of the Rings" enthusiasts aren't as bad as these "Potheads".
Rowling, has brought down the fantasy genre. Her writing has made
for some rather horrible copycats that are following in this new and
freshly stale dumbed down writing ability, as if to say it's ok to
not be more original.
I am a writer, even though I'm not a
published author, yet I still struggle to make sure I'm not ripping
off another writer's
work. Piggybacking on real talent is truly heinous shit. But, I'm
not saying we should hang Rowling or burn her at the stake. The
"Potheads", yes, but not the writer. We just need to remind her that
originality and creativity are far more
important than book sales and merchandising deals. So, in closing I
will speak my final word on this subject:
Read the books if you want, but please
make sure to read something better later, and don't mimic Rowling.
Adhmor. |
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FELIX'S
TAKE:
Yes, along with special contributor Brian Pittman, I am truly sick
of the suck called Harry Potter. Granted, the movies are enjoyable,
and the lore is interesting, but is the bombardment of endless
sequels ever going to stop? Not to mention the kids that were once
the core Potter characters are starting to look older and older by
every passing film. Are they planning on filming these sequels until
they're thirty considering that time in written form is much slower
than time in film form, or are they going to re-cast these roles
once the cast reaches their age peak? But, the most irritating
aspect of the Potter spectacle are the "fans" whom are not
only very militant and quick to snap at anyone who speaks ill of
these books, but attempt to rationalize the fact that they are
spending time on books targeted towards children with lame-brained
excuses such as "Harry Potter are
not kids books, they're murder mysteries", or the truly
pathetic attempt at justification of their love for these books: "They have a truly
adult element to them". With excuses like that, they are kidding themselves to a
dismal extent.
I'm a hardcore Star Wars fan, and I never try to make that series
more than it is. It's space/fantasy melodrama, that's all it is.
It's not an existential look at society and civilization. And Harry
Potter is a series of children's books that tells a children's story
that have scary characters and are a basic amalgamate of mythology
and folklore that Rowling uses to tell her story, and that's all they are. If you
like them, perfect, good on you, but denying they're anything but
children's fodder makes you a pathetic Pothead.
Those who worship a
series and delve in to it are harmless and fun, especially those of
the science fiction interest, but Potter fans are the most
infuriating. I've read a couple of the books before, and they're
just not impressive. They're written in simple storytelling and
effortless dialogue which is often crude,
and bland. People so dense as to call these simple books the height
of fantasy story-telling have never immersed themselves beyond this
children's books. We're not seeking to tear down the series, but the
admiration for this mediocre fantasy series is often hyperbolous and
excrutiatingly irritating to the point where I couldn't take it
anymore. When even Trekkies begin to laugh at you,
it's best you re-consider your obsession for a book about kids for
kids. Thanks to
Brian K. Pittman for his contribution! |
