2008 Woodie Awards
Hockey fans shame flag
Benjamin Billman
Issue date: 11/15/07 Section: Opinions
- Page 1 of 1
For anyone who doesn't know, at a news conference not too long ago, JK Rowling, author of...well, if you don't know, you should be deported to somewhere far away from current culture. Or Alabama.
Anyway, she "outed" Dumbledore, revealing that he was gay and had a crush on his rival, Gellert Grindelwald.
Fine. This revelation is being treated as a great step for the GLBT rights movement, and certainly brings some interesting questions into light on Harry and Dumbledore's relationship (as Rowling says in an interview, "think of the fan fiction"). But this announcement bothers me greatly for one huge reason.
What is that?
She is done with the series. I'm sure she had this in her head the entire time, and was just looking for a way to explain it, but the books are done. No more books. Need I repeat that?
Looking beyond her surface motives, this is just another way for her ballooning net worth to gain another decimal place. I'm glad she has made it in the financial columns. I really am. As an aspiring writer myself, I am encouraged by her story.
Granted, she has some incredible writing skills and a wonderful ability to set up a story with characters who take so well to other growth (such as fan fiction), but good lord.
When you consider she wrote her first book in an unheated apartment, and now is listed by Forbes as the 746th richest person in the world, it makes for a good story. But I really have to question why she would mention this.
I suppose I should mention that I have nothing against the GLBT community. This isn't a hate message against Dumbledore for being gay. I had always thought it odd there wasn't a homosexual character in the series.
Not to be crass, but they have every other social group represented there (try to prove me wrong, I dare you). It's just this seems to be another attempt by an important person I respect to make a few extra dollars and keep the hype going. Another good example would be George Lucas and his constant promising of a new Indiana Jones movie.
Anyway, she "outed" Dumbledore, revealing that he was gay and had a crush on his rival, Gellert Grindelwald.
Fine. This revelation is being treated as a great step for the GLBT rights movement, and certainly brings some interesting questions into light on Harry and Dumbledore's relationship (as Rowling says in an interview, "think of the fan fiction"). But this announcement bothers me greatly for one huge reason.
What is that?
She is done with the series. I'm sure she had this in her head the entire time, and was just looking for a way to explain it, but the books are done. No more books. Need I repeat that?
Looking beyond her surface motives, this is just another way for her ballooning net worth to gain another decimal place. I'm glad she has made it in the financial columns. I really am. As an aspiring writer myself, I am encouraged by her story.
Granted, she has some incredible writing skills and a wonderful ability to set up a story with characters who take so well to other growth (such as fan fiction), but good lord.
When you consider she wrote her first book in an unheated apartment, and now is listed by Forbes as the 746th richest person in the world, it makes for a good story. But I really have to question why she would mention this.
I suppose I should mention that I have nothing against the GLBT community. This isn't a hate message against Dumbledore for being gay. I had always thought it odd there wasn't a homosexual character in the series.
Not to be crass, but they have every other social group represented there (try to prove me wrong, I dare you). It's just this seems to be another attempt by an important person I respect to make a few extra dollars and keep the hype going. Another good example would be George Lucas and his constant promising of a new Indiana Jones movie.