Is Harry Potter merely entertainment?

BP News ^ | 6-3-04 | Phil Boatwright

[Xenalyte]

For finding any good at all in the Harry Potter books, you are hereby banished! Get thee behind me, evil one!

[Sloth]

'Alohomora' has worked a couple of times for me.

[malakhi]

Harry was given the power to be evil, and CHOSE to be good.

Maybe that's the problem. A lot of people don't believe we can choose to be good.

[BlueLancer]

"Playing Led Zep backwards was the "evidence" in my day."

"Stairway to Heaven"? And didn't you find that that tended to ruin your phonograph needles?

[GottaLuvAkitas1]

"I heard it was going to be done by Disney which causes me concern."

Me too. I hope they don't make it too "Little" kid friendly. The story was really for adults.

[Sloth]

Screw Xena's Guy. Marry me.

I am curious to see what cripple's response will be, if he has to do them in that order.

[retrokitten]

As long as you banish me to the theater tomorrow, I'll be happy to go. (9 of us so-called adults going tomorrow night at 9:40...)

I think I win the huge HP nerd of the day award- unless someone admits to going to a midnight show tonight and drawing a lightening bolt on their forehead. I took the day off of work (any excuse to take a day off. LOL) and made my husband take the day off, too. We're going at 11:15 am (bought my tickets on Fandango.com).

[malakhi]

There is no sovereign person or principle governing the use of the supernatural. Magical power is gained through inheritance and learning.

How is this different from science?

[Xenalyte]

I didn't intend to issue two commands! See, I knew I shoulda had that other Diet Coke. :)

[Politicalmom]

Scourgify doesn't work either... : (

[Sloth]

You can be religious and not be discerning. When I grew up, I thought things like ouija boards and tarot cards were just innocnet fun and no worse than believeing in Santa Claus.

Well, you were right as far as you were concerned, weren't you? I mean, were you harmed by them?

And why does that warlock Santa get off scott free?

[krb]

wishing I was the good witch Windy of the Wizard of Oz

I thought that was Glinda...

[Xenalyte]

My first fiance was a huge Zep-head. When "Stairway" ended, I had to observe five seconds of respectful silence. He had the same stupid rule for "Free Bird," a song which I loathed even before I met the loathable first fiance.

[Frank_Discussion]

Your first paragraph is enough:

"One difference between Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings is in HP power for good and evil emanate from the same source and there is no real good and evil, its all moral relativism."

"In TLOTR good and evil are distinct."

How more so than HP? Galadriel, a magicaly elf, was tempted by the ring, Saruman (a wizard) had formerly been good, but was corrupted, Boromir went off his nut for a bit, but was a good guy, etc. Evil and Good get blurred aplenty in TLOTR. The point of both series is to show how evil is to be fought, not embraced.

"Also while TLOTR has magic and wizards it is not the main focus, in fact those that try to use the magic of the rings are consumed by the evil and become wraiths and servants of the ultimate evil..."

HP: Upon a magical background of Hogwarts School and Voldemort's assaults upon it, watch the heros do good against harrowing odds.

TLOTR: Upon a magical background of Middle Earth and Sauron's assaults upon it, watch the heros do good against harrowing odds.

The two are undoubtedly different stories, but your assumptions are wrong.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

I thought that was Glinda...

Awww...you beat me to it.

[jaime1959]

Not a geek, Pappy, just appreciate a good story with complex plot lines and excellent character development, which I can share with my kids. Too bad the nutbars who see.............SATAN! behind every tree and under every bed don't bother to actually read the books.

[AppyPappy]

Nope. If all Christians who don't like Potter are nuts, then everyone who reads Potter is a geek.

You can't have it both ways.

[Junior]

Don't you loonies ever learn?

Well, you gotta admit they have something there -- what with all those millions of kids casting curses and conjuring demons out there ... Oh wait. None of that's occured, has it?

[GraniteStateConservative]

How many of those young kids want to be fairy princesses, too? How many want to be Superman? It's all harmless fantasy.

[Tijeras_Slim]

My first fiance was a huge Zep-head. When "Stairway" ended, I had to observe five seconds of respectful silence. He had the same stupid rule for "Free Bird," a song which I loathed even before I met the loathable first fiance.

Talk about dodging a bullet! YIKES!