Comic Strips

I read the books, but I was 14 and it was 2000. Haven't consumed any of it since.

But HP isn’t even good

The first movie was ok at best

I WAS that Harry Potter fan. The overly obsessed nerd who was waaaaaay to into it. But now I'm over it because fuck Rowling.

The Sorting Hat really sells it.
Kudos Erin🥂

A better alternative.

My parents moved a few months ago, and that meant I had to come over and decide what to do with some of the stuff I owned that was still at their house. I sorted things into "keep" and "throw away" piles.

One of the things I had to decide on was my Harry Potter books. My parents were surprised I put them in the "throw away" pile. It was hard for a moment, not because of what they were, but because I remember the day my dad came home and surprised me with books 2 and 3. I had read the first book for school, but the first 4 books had already been published by the time I got into it, so my friends were well ahead of me. I was so happy when my dad spontaneously did that. I hadn't asked for the books, but he knew I wanted them and went out of his way to get them just to surprise me. I felt so loved.

As I held those same books in my hands, 25 years since first receiving them, I took in that loved feeling, but it was twinged with disgust for JK Rowling. Although it pained me, I knew I wouldn't be reading them again. In my internal monologue, I told myself, "These books served their purpose long ago. It's okay to let them go and move on."

So into the "throw away" pile they went. The only things worth keeping anymore are the memories and experiences that those books originally opened up to me, and those can't be tossed out even if I wanted to. Putting the books into that pile felt like visiting a wake - the series is dead to me now, and with this final viewing, I could have closure over it and finally say goodbye.

I have the same one talk over and over with my wife. No other author gets that much slack from their fanbase.

"But its such great storytelling"

its not. Its mediocre and needs time travel to work.

It might work better if you recommend them an alternative. "Don't do this" is bad instruction. "You can do this instead" is better.

I've heard good things about Discworld, for one.

I'll confess to keeping one item of HP merch. It's a cup that we use for scooping car litter.

I would say it's fine to pirate Harry Potter media.

So if you are really that into it, just pirate it.

I get there are workarounds like piracy and buying second-hand, but also boycotting a book-series and some merch shouldn't be that hard surely?

I am going to admit I enjoyed the series a lot 20 years ago, can't say I've read ger stuff since the series ended and haven't done anything to support her since the whole TERF thing came out and she started showing what sort of person she was. I recently picked up my old books to see if they held up and by god is it filled with bigoted stereotypes, Cho Chang (two last names) for the Chinese girl, Goblins being the obvious stereotype/alehory of Jews from a European who was "open minded" about Jews pre ww2 but still wanted to make sure that they deserved some of the bad shit that happened to them because they're vicious even if unfair wizard laws were passed, the black auror being called Shackelbolt, the wezeleys being very much catholics for being poor with too many kids, the french being snobbish bafoons but classy, the Centaurs being either polytheists or gypsies, the list just goes on and Harry being the hero just gets rid of the head Nazi while leaving the institutions and culture in place, doesn't even think about the slavery aspect except for Dobby, and he and Ron make fun of Hermione for her pushing for their freedom. I guess the reason why people enjoy the series is because the world feels somewhat real and magical because she put her imagination and bigotry into the story and never thought of trying to have the protagonists actually solve a major issue and will let it fester.