The Author isn't dead

A few days ago, the teaser trailer for the Harry Potter reboot on HBO dropped. And quite predictably, the internet is buzzing with all the hype. Despite the best efforts by JKR, the popularity of the Harry Potter franchise remains unbroken. Now, if you do not agree with me that JKR is objectively an unapologetic hater of trans-people, and is therefore a horrible human being, you can stop reading here. I'm not bothering explaining that to anybody. Go and do your own research about what she regularily says and who she associates with these days. This short blurb is for people, who acknowledge those facts, but who also love Harry Potter and keep engaging with it.

I get it. I love Harry Potter, too. It's part of a collective coming-of-age experience of us millenials. Before we discovered how problematic the author and also in parts her work is, that is. We want to keep enjoying the books or films that meant so much to us. The "death of the author" is one of the many coping mechanisms I have heard in that context. In short, it says readers have to separate the work from the author, and as soon as the work is published, the author loses any authority over the interpretation of the work. In the same vein, similar statements exist that one must separate the art from the artist etc. You've heard them all. However, in the case of Harry Potter, the author isn't dead. She's refusing to die - to relinquish creative control of her works, that is. And that is a problem.

The Problem

Most obviously, JKR continues to receive millions of royalties from all the Wizarding World themed products out there. That's money she will directly put towards advancing transphobic policies. I do not want my money to end up in some trans-hate campaign war-chest. Secondly, any publicity for her works means additional publicity for herself. More interviews, more speaking engagements, all meaning a bigger platform for her to spout her hate and promote her views. And most importantly: she does interpret any support of Harry Potter as direct support of her political views. Sadly, it isn't your sophisticated opinion about the author being dead that counts in this instance. It is her opinion of herself being linked to her works in such a way that support for either means support for both. And she will hear that message until people are supporting neither.

What to do about it?

Do with the previous information what you personally want, I can't police you. But I will think less of people, who are consciously choosing to put their attachment to a fantasy book series over preventing actual human suffering. I have long decided that JKR will not see a single cent of my money if I can help it in any way. That doesn't mean I hate Harry Potter now. I have the movies on Blu-ray and I watch them quite often. I'm also still displaying my wand collection in my living room. No point in throwing away things I have already paid for. It does mean I won't be engaging with HBO's reboot in any way, however. In the age of streaming, views mean money and hype, even if it is just for the teaser. So I will not be contributing to that. No talking about it without putting it in the context of JKR's views. No hyping it up. No hate-watching either. Any attention is monetized in one way or another. You decide yourself what's a workable model for you. I just hope I could make you think about what message you want to send JKR, who is very much alive and active alongside her works.