Harry Potter is a beloved series all over the world, and whether you’ve seen it or not, everyone has heard of it. While the author J.K. Rowling has come into some heavy fire from the media for her transphobia and racial stereotyping over the past few years, the Harry Potter franchise still stands in our hearts. Can art be separated from the creator? Do benefits for transgender and racialized youth outweigh the original intentions of the author? What are the connotations of new creations set in the universe J.K. Rowling imagined? Should they be supported?
I believe that a really constructive way to bridge this topic is to provide different forms of media and or people that also face the difficulty of separation from creator and product. This could be things like the creator of Attack on Titan and the show itself, or Marilyn Manson and his music. While not relevant to the topic of Harry Potter or J.K. Rowling, this idea could be something worth noting in order to create critical thinking for readers. – bluestarshine1 year ago
One point I often see raised is that JK is quite literally still benefitting from people talking about, reading, and buying content in the Harry Potter franchise. So even if you can separate it in your mind, it's not really separated in the real world. Even if you acknowledge her wrongs and have your opinions, each time you buy a new copy of one of her books you do imply support for her, and directly fund her and her cause. You can even argue just talking about the franchise implies support and aids her, though this is a little tenuous. This is in contrast to older creators where it is possible to have more separation. If you read HP Lovecraft's work, for example, he isn't going to use that public support or the money you spend to further racist causes because he's dead. You of course don't have to agree with this take on the topic, it's just one I've seen around in discussions of it, and I think it makes an interesting point. – AnnieEM1 year ago
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