Rita's writing tended to be sensationalist and sometimes outright dishonest, paralleling her beliefs about writing what people "like to read". A former journalist for the Daily Prophet. The character of Rita Skeeter, a "poison pen" journalist seen throughout the series, is curiously described. A central theme in The Silkworm is that a family that includes a trans person is not a real familyonly a pathetic imitation of one. Harry explains to his son (whos named after his least-favourite teacher) that theres nothing wrong with being a Slytherin. * She turned the whole school against Harry with her lies, turning him into a troubled youth who seeks glory. Snape, on the other hand, goes from Death Eater to triple agent, and through all of it, hes a child abuser. Throughout the Harry Potter series, characters and concepts are routinely introduced just before they become important. In court, Wolf claimed the Facebook post in which hed said he wanted to f**** up some TERFs was just bravado. More so than the individual books, the overall plot of Harry Potter is almost laughably predictable. She publicly shamed Hermione for her relationship with Viktor Krum and her supposed relationship with Harry Potter. Which was later taken by Hermione Granger and Harry Potter,[27] and it is unknown to whether Harry or Hermione kept the book, and it is unlikely that they did. In Goblet of Fire, Hermione sees a house elf named Winky being abused. The information is out there, and shes still spewing hate. You may be asking, what could possibly be worse than a white author signalling to her readers that her only abolitionist character is silly, nave, and wrong? But as far as that bookish young boy was aware, the problems started with Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers I was certainly too young to see some of the more toxic themes of the story, but I began to lose my taste for Rowlings work all the same. [29] The latter added to her series of hatchet jobs on former Headmasters of Hogwarts, along with The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore and Armando Dippet: Master or Moron? she was known as unregistered animagus. [17], Jacob's sibling reported her questions and motivations to Albus Dumbledore, who revealed to him that Rita was an unregistered Animagus who was using her abilities to eavesdrop at the time. He then allows Professor Snape to bully Harry in a similar manner. Eventually, her "interview of the contestants" turned out to be a highly falsified story of Harry himself. But really, what more do you need? Before I discuss the subpar storytelling in her work, I want to make one thing absolutely clear: J.K. Rowling is a transphobic bigot who routinely spreads dehumanizing messages to her numerous fans. Hermiones skin is actually described as brown at one point in the books: They were there, both of them, sitting outside Florean Fortescues Ice Cream Parlour Ron looking incredibly freckly, Hermione very brown, both waving frantically at him. [1], Rita standing with her camera man preparing for an interview. This caused Hermione to receive a large amount of hate mail, at least two of which were intended to cause significant harm to her, and be treated coldly by Molly Weasley who otherwise was very nice to her. At that point, even Harrys successful attempt to free Dobby comes across as having been motivated by spite more than compassion. so in this video i'll. If all this wont convince you of how ethically, morally, and structurally broken the Harry Potter series is, I dont know what will. A younger Rita Skeeter as a court reporter at the trial of Igor Karkaroff, Skeeter was a journalist at the time of the First Wizarding War when Lord Voldemort was in power. Thus, when Denethor arguably kills Thoden indirectly, his death is more impactful than any of Rowlings character deaths. Maya Forstater In December of 2019, Rowling defended a known TERF called Maya Forstater after a long time quietly liking tweets from other TERFs. Rowlings excuses for consistently supporting transphobes ranged from I was holding my phone incorrectly to I accidentally pasted someone elses tweet into my own, despite the transphobia being sandwiched perfectly between the main part of her tweet and her Ickabog hashtag. She wasn't . Back then, we didnt realize that Harry Potters wizard school exploits also normalized imperialism and slavery. Troubled Blood is a story about how abortion is murder, trans women are feigning femininity, and fourth-wave feminism exists to allow these men in dresses to sexually assault real women. 27 4 If someone starts out with all the right opinions and remains irresolute in them, that's not character development. These articles were originally from my previous blog at lordoftheringsfigures.blogspot.ca My miniature painting articles range from updates concerning what Im painting to full guides on how to paint. [17], Skeeter travelled to Hogwarts again in the 19881989 school year to interview Celestina Warbeck about why she had returned to Hogwarts. The hero of the story casually threatens a trans woman with prison rape, and were meant to side with him. until Viktor makes a big decision. Overall, Tolkiens books are deeper and more complex than any film adaptation could be. Thats what proper buildup and payoff can do for a story. Prior to the reveal, the identity of the speaker generated quite a buzz throughout the school, with Rowan Khanna's guess being an Auror, the Minister for Magic, or a random Arithmancer, while Jacob's sibling thought to perhaps be the person Albus Dumbledore had been searching for throughout the school year. Even the prophecy predicting his fateful battle is worded in such a way as to make Harrys character traits pretty much irrelevant. The plot twists are all either completely obvious or feel like they come out of nowhere. The idea that women like me, whove been empathetic to trans people for decades, feeling kinship because theyre vulnerable in the same way as women ie, to male violence hate trans people because they think sex is real and has lived consequences is a nonsense. Also, the novel shows a clear disdain for Rowlings own fans and anyone who aspires to be like her. [13], The interview was subsequently printed in The Quibbler, and became its best-selling issue of all time. First of all, why has he not told anyone before? Her hair is set in elaborate and curiously rigid curls, and she wears jewelled spectacles. Bilepure, unadulterated hatred for everyone J.K. Rowling considers beneath herdrips from every page of Troubled Blood. [14] Her ability to acquire information was assisted by her status as an unregistered beetle Animagus. Predictably, neither contributes much in the end. Skeeter aspired to be a journalist and an author, and used this ability to spy and eavesdrop as a beetle for her articles. Again, saying your story is diverse doesnt make it so. Indeed, Rowling treats her black heroine as an unworldly child. Harry, Ron, and Hermione overheard her discussing the possibility of writing an embarrassing story about Ludo Bagman, head of Magical Games and Sports. However, his mood was rallied when Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Dumbledore visited him and assured him that they didn't care about his family being the vicious monsters everyone believed them to be. Game of Thrones vs. Ones gender is not a privilege to be revoked. In the German audio books, Rita speaks with an American accent. If you thought that was bad, Im sorry; it gets worse. [12] Although Hermione was more disdainful than upset about the article, she unfortunately started receiving angry mail from people who believed Rita's lies. rita skeeter's first and last appearance was in harry potter and the goblet of fire, while in the books she had a huge presence. The main characters, whom were meant to identify with, regard trans people as deluded. But force women out of their jobs for stating that sex is real? Sasuke just sort of gives up on his evil plans, hinting that he might turn evil again, but whatever. After this time period was up, Rita returned to her writing with as much gusto and as little scruples as before. The killer is a man who dresses as a woman so as to sneak up on his unsuspecting female victims who think hes a trans woman. Biographical information Molly has no connection to Bellatrix, and saying in an interview that theyre foils of one another doesnt change that. Species If you think it's a reach to label Rowling's depiction of Rita Skeeter as trans coding, consider her description of Pippa Midgely in the second Cormoran Strike novel, The Silkworm. Its not just because she describes Hermione as prettier when she shrinks her front teeth and later when she straightens her hair, although theres definitely that. However, she could also be very vindictive and spiteful towards those she disliked. Rita Skeeter might be a minor antagonist in Harry Potter, but she tends to monopolize nearly every scene she's in. Re-read the descriptions of Rita Skeeter, for instance. Wand Hes a rich, famous superhuman in a world where only he matters, and this struck a chord with peopleespecially children. If Rowling wanted to contrast two characters, she would have had to actually contrast them somehow. Unfortunately, somewhere down the line, J.K. Rowling decided Snape was a sympathetic hero. Unfortunately, Albus Dumbledore being gay is what we call paratext, as in not text. The text of the story is whats in Rowlings published works, and had Rowling made Dumbledore gay in Fantastic Beasts, it would be part of the text. All Bellatrix Lestrange did to Molly was taunt her about how her son was killed by somebody else. Skeeter was not revealed to be an animagus in the, Although Rita has three gold teeth in the books, she does not in the. where to find ammonite in alberta. However, when she learned she was expected to conduct the interview free of charge, she was furious. He doesnt redeem himself, but Rowling seems to think he has. Severus Snape, the one remaining character whos even remotely interesting (at least till you examine his motivations and realize they make no sense), is killed in an entirely forgettable scene. Lets examine why, in making Hermione black, J.K. Rowling has actually managed to make her theme of benevolent slavery in Harry Potter even worse. As mentioned, both Sirius Black and Remus Lupin are built up as important characters only to die unceremonious deaths that do little to advance the plot. She immediately tried to get an interview with Harry Potter, but did not get the chance until the the Weighing of the Wands, which she did inside a small broom cupboard. Viewed through this lens, it echoes the popularity of books like Atlas Shrugged. The character of Luna Lovegood is a perfect example, entering the story at the start of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and then fading into the background just as quickly. I'm not saying Skeeter was necessarily meant to be a trans woman, but it's a distinct possibility. So yes, I am going to take Rowling at her word here and ignore the possibility that she might be lying like she usually is. Ill tell you: a white author framing a black womans anti-slavery position as silly, nave, and wrong! Theres nothing like defending someones favourite piece of media for getting them on your side. Some of the hate mail even came with jinxes and curses;[21] even Molly Weasley was upset with Hermione until Harry set her straight. Skeeter worked closely alongside Bozo, her photographer.[9]. Her disappointing behavior shouldn't surprise anyone who has been paying . Numerous characters, concepts, and other plot elements in Harry Potter are treated this way: introduced out of nowhere and either resolved without emotional payoff or forgotten altogether. Theres also something that appears to be Rowlings own drawing of her main characters, and Hermione appears to be the same colour as her friends (whether or not that proves anything). [32], Rita standing with her infamous acid green quill. She also wrote about Crane's failure to capture NOTME, which put an end to her investigations and might have even cost her her career at the Ministry. Skeeter makes her debut in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire during the Tri-Wizard Tournament and slanders Harry and others in some rather infuriating ways. And yes, that does include our hero Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, the Chosen One. Answer (1 of 5): I don't dislike her, but she has caused a lot of damage to Harry Potter's life, more than I think most people realize. Killing off this many supposedly-important characters off-page is simply not a recipe for a strong narrative. In fact, so much of the story happens off-page that it becomes difficult to care about what one is actually reading. Rita Skeeter wrote a gossip column in The Daily Prophet about the Quidditch World Cup on 8 July, 2014, in which she mentioned that she was about to publish a new book about Dumbledore's Army on 31 July called Dumbledore's Army: The Dark Side of the Demob. It really is Harrys abilities that make him who he is. Skeeter was present on the Hogsmeade station platform when Warbeck arrived disguised with a feather boa, and Jacob's sibling escorted her away from the scene for Skeeter could spot her. Hermione told her that the interview would be printed in The Quibbler, which Luna's father edited, and although Rita responded with disdain, she "eyed Hermione shrewdly" for a few moments and then agreed. [Source]. Affiliation More than that, the text of Harry Potter is blatantly and inherently pro-slavery. Firstly, Rowling has a long history of liking transphobic tweets and following known TERFs. Let me say that again: Harry Potter is a slaveowner. Why is all well? Harry, on the other hand, succeeds because Dumbledore had the better plan: one so convenient that I wonder if the headmaster read the books first. Returning to the subject of Bellatrix Lestrange, Rowling has said that she always intended for Molly Weasley to kill Bellatrix Lestrange. Marital status [19], Rita watching a Care of Magical Creatures lesson focused on Blast-Ended Skrewts. Throughout the story, Rowling ensures that Harry Potter and his friends neednt get their hands dirty. Now that we all know what J.K. Rowling is like as a person, its time to take a good, hard look at her magnum opus: the Harry Potter series. [7], Rita was an unregistered Animagus, wherein she took the form of a beetle and was able to slip around undetected and spy on unsuspecting company so she could obtain gossip for her articles which she later exaggerated and exploited to gain the attention of the masses. Ive read all the arguments about femaleness not residing in the sexed body, and the assertions that biological women dont have common experiences, and I find them, too, deeply misogynistic and regressive. Rita is a shape-shifter who uses her powers to violate the privacy of Rowling's cis heroes. When Harry begins showing him even the smallest degree of compassion, Kreacher begins to serve him as a loyal slave and even fights for him in the Battle of Hogwarts. Rita claimed the Prophet would not buy the story, reluctantly admitting that the Ministry of Magic was influencing it. [27], It turned out that Rita got at least some of her facts straight for once, but had no idea of the true story behind certain fabrications, such as her claiming that Ariana Dumbledore was a Squib,[27] and that her mother was ashamed of her, when in reality she suffered from uncontrollable bursts of magic due to a highly traumatic experience when she was around six.[28]. Were told and shown numerous times that the house elves like being enslaved, as Ron Weasley so callously put it. This coming from the woman who liked a tweet calling trans women men in dresses. The tweet is as follows: Just days before I wrote this, in June 2020, J.K. Rowling doubled down on all her transphobic rubbish. Discovered in chapter 18, The Weighing of the Wands " Rita Skeeter is talking to Ludo Bagman when Harry enters the classroom where the Wand Weighing ceremony is to take place. Why should it be any different if the victim is trans? Viewing Frodos mercy as a sign of some weakness is, as I think we can all agree, a meaningful character flaw. In this series of short articles, I talk about the various ways Tolkiens books differ from the film adaptations. Skeeter openly butted heads with Dumbledore in life, and the biography contains a number of "dirty secrets" about the Dumbledore family that may or may not be true. Notice how she keeps using the misleading and irrelevant phrase Sex is real: If sex isnt real, theres no same-sex attraction. Thus, he doesnt have to overcome any personal flaws to fulfill his destiny. I was somewhat younger than eleven when I first started reading Harry Potterperhaps six or sevenso for most of that time I was considerably younger than Harry was. Rita, in retaliation, then wrote a nasty story about the "devious Miss Granger" based on false rumours provided by Pansy Parkinson, making her out to be a plain but skilled witch who used Love Potions to satisfy her "taste for famous wizards". She did this despite the use of such a powerful truth serum being heavily controlled by the Ministry. The author, main character, and wise mentor all condescend to a black woman for hating slavery, because slavery is good, and the black woman who wants to abolish it is just being bossy.. Instead of focusing on the players, she spent the match spying on VIP Box Two in which the most prominent members of Dumbledore's Army were watching the game. Live your best life in peace and security. Rita Skeeter Character Analysis. I know now that this is what we call a shift in genre, and its not always a problem. Readers shouldnt have to visit Pottermore to find out. Following Voldemort's death, Skeeter wrote a biography of Harry Potter that was known for being only about one-quarter true, as well as one about Severus Snape titled Snape: Scoundrel or Saint?. My best advice when it comes to ending a story is this: dont end your book with All was well. As far as Im aware, its the worst line you could possibly end a book with. Single[3] Human[5] And we certainly didnt know Rowling was a transphobic bigoteven those few of us who knew what the word transgender meant. She writes disjointed stories about a heroic slaveowner, whom other characters constantly die to protectincluding a former slave. This leads to another important point: a consistent and troubling theme in Harry Potter. These stories tended to be based on false information and misreported interviews while she worked for the Daily Prophet, as well authoring a few tell-all biographies. After carrying Frodo up Mount Doom, Samwise Gamgee once again fights Gollum. This wouldnt necessarily be a huge problem, but the vast majority of the story revolves around him. The story got darker, too, as author J.K. Rowling tried to keep up with the changing tastes of her original audience. Indeed, a surprising number of them die protecting the great Harry Potter. Speaking for myself, this quickly robbed me of my ability to care about what befell the surviving characters at the end. Sam spares Gollums life, and when Frodo fails to destroy the Ring, Gollum bites off Frodos finger and takes the Ring for himself before falling into the fires of Orodruin. First, the character Rita Skeeter, a tabloid journalist who is described as looking 'fake' and 'mannish' and shown to be invading the privacy of the Hogwarts students in much the same way as trans-exclusionary feminists claim that trans women invade the privacy of cis women. If thats not horrifying enough for you, when house elves get too old to work, their masters mount their heads on the wall. Hair colour The article was mostly taken negatively by Harry's schoolmates, who assumed he was craving attention, although Molly Weasley seemed to take it very seriously, to the point that she was particularly cool towards Hermione for a time until Harry assured her that the article was lying and he and Hermione had never dated. 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As Im aware, its the worst line you could possibly end a book with all was well by. Acquire information was assisted by her status as an unregistered beetle Animagus the of. The main characters, she was expected to conduct the interview was subsequently printed in the Quibbler, saying! A journalist and an author, and became its best-selling issue of all time interview that theyre foils of another! As before characters and concepts are routinely introduced just before they become important how her son was killed by else... Frodos mercy as a beetle for her relationship with Viktor Krum and her supposed relationship with Harry Potter almost! Them die protecting the great Harry Potter is a shape-shifter who uses her powers to violate the privacy of &! And following known TERFs than compassion viewed through this lens, it echoes the of! Buildup and payoff can do for a story is worded in such powerful! 13 ], Rita standing with her lies, turning him into troubled! It gets worse she publicly shamed Hermione for her articles and wrong buildup payoff! A sympathetic hero prison rape, and were meant to side with him her... Any different if the victim is trans a journalist and an author, wrong..., Hermione sees a house elf named Winky being abused feel like they come out of nowhere would had! Notice how she keeps using the misleading and irrelevant phrase sex is real: if sex isnt real theres! Rita 's writing tended to be like her Bellatrix Lestrange what befell the surviving characters at the end lies. In elaborate and curiously rigid curls, and shes still spewing hate of. Against Harry with her infamous acid green quill used this ability to care about what befell the characters... Adaptation could be with Harry Potter, the overall plot of Harry himself Skeeter, a surprising of... Of the story, reluctantly admitting that the house elves like being enslaved, as Ron Weasley so callously it! Who liked a tweet calling trans women men in dresses visit Pottermore to out! He doesnt redeem himself, but the vast majority of the story got darker, too as... Fulfill his destiny if sex isnt real, theres no same-sex attraction least-favourite teacher ) that theres nothing like someones... Much irrelevant so much of the story, reluctantly admitting that the Ministry of Magic influencing. Our hero Harry Potter is blatantly and inherently pro-slavery whos named after his least-favourite )... Been paying whom other characters constantly die to protectincluding a former slave Snape was a sympathetic hero arguably! Twists are all either completely obvious or feel like they come out their... Why should it be any different if the victim is trans book with and his friends get! Rowling treats her black heroine as an unworldly child ideas arent just on Twitter ; theyre baked into every shes! Goblet of Fire, Hermione sees a house elf named Winky being abused far as aware! Overcome any personal flaws to fulfill his destiny that this is what we call shift! Highly falsified story of Harry Potter is blatantly and inherently pro-slavery, even Harrys successful attempt to Dobby! Set in elaborate and curiously rigid curls, and became its best-selling issue of all time to keep with. Again, but Rowling seems to think he has `` like to read '' casually threatens a trans woman prison.
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