• Belief in Traditional Families. The series repeatedly stresses the importance of the traditional family. Harry’s mother and father died to protect him, and in so doing, put a charm on him, which protects him so long as he has family, even nasty family like his uncle and aunt. The happiest people in the series are the Weasley family, who impart invaluable lessons about love, responsibility and all the other things conservatives want parents to teach their kids. By comparison, the messed up kids, from Neville Longbottom to Luna Lovegood, come from single parent homes (though they rise above their problems — another conservative theme). Similarly, Malfoy and Dudley, who have complete families, are taught the wrong lessons. Malfoy’s family is loveless and spiteful. Dudley’s family is over- indulgent and selfish. Consequently, Dudley and Malfoy became really messed up. The implication is clear throughout the book: a strong family is the best foundation. Love your parents, love your kids, and teach the right values. Indeed, the greatest moments in the book involve self-sacrifice to save family members.That's right, the traditional family is best except when it's not and the non-traditional family is worst except that good children come out of them. Conservatism triumphs again!
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Harry Potter: Conservative
Of course he is! Everything good is conservative, unless some filthy hippie has it - or maybe an Iranian - in which case it is bad. Apart from the usual heroes-are-good-villains-are-bad-means-it's-conservative nonsense, look here:
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And he has a deep bond with a gay parent-substitute, just like conservatives want.
you just can't argue with logic like that.
A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.
And here lies the greatest similarity between conservatives and the Harry Potter books: they're all about making things up.
(This comment 100% pre-stolen.)
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Malfoy’s family is loveless and spiteful.
You know, what saved Harry Potter at the last was Frau Malfoy's love for her son. Yes, the series is about how important families are, but Rowling clearly considers the Mr Lovegood and Longbottom's granny to be just as good and valid.
(This comment 100% pre-stolen.)
Oh geez, I must have seen that yesterday too and everything. On to the next thing!
the traditional family is best except when it's not and the non-traditional family is worst except that good children come out of them. Conservatism triumphs again!
this is laugh out loud funny
Agreed, Kathleen. That author is sneaky--it's almost like conservatives can't lose!
"Weasley family, who impart invaluable lessons about love, responsibility and all the other things conservatives want parents to teach their kids."
Totally. Liberals never loving or responsible.
Are.
This iPhone will be the death of me.
Liberals never loving or responsible.
Good point: Weasleys = liberals: poor government worker interested in helping others rather than making money, interested in multiculturalism, considerate and protective of the powerless, compassionate
Malfoys = conservatives: wealthy, bigoted and judgmental, interested only in conservation of privilege and power, tribal
The author seems strangely unambitious. I mean, once you have smuggled in your intended conclusions ("begged the question," as the kids say) that love, responsibility and rising above difficulties are all Conservative virtues, they seem wasted on some pop-trivia fiction when they could be used to claim the entirety of human culture for the conservative cause.
It's using a sledgehammer to break a butterfly, or something like that.
Rowling clearly considers the Mr Lovegood and Longbottom's granny to be just as good and valid.
I understand that Rowling has first-hand experience about single-parent families. Therefore she is biassed and unreliable and the columnist is correct to focus on what she should have written (i.e. those kids being messed up) rather than her actual characters.
A foolish consistency
Future cookery column!
Snoopy, a true Conservative or running dog liberal? I think we all know the answer to that.
we all know the answer to that.
LOWER TAXES.
Snoopy, a true Conservative or running dog liberal? I think we all know the answer to that.
Since he was in the RAF, he was both a Marmite-Eating socialist, and a government employee!
It's funny to see them twist themselves into knots to give up the Harry Potter hate they all felt because of SATAN! SATAN! SATAN!
I also think it is funny that she considers a widower with a child to be a "broken home". Yes parents conservatives demand you immediately remarry upon the death of your spouse. In fact, from now on you must have a back-up spouse at all times.
This also applies to widowed grannies whose adult children may be brutally attacked at any time and rendered unable to care for their children thus transferring care to Granny.
the greatest moments in the book involve self-sacrifice to save family members.
It helps if you ignore the parts of the books that involve self-sacrifice to save NON-family, non-tribe. Also if you leave them out the series becomes much shorter, so it's win-win.
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