Yeah, Right, Whatever

I'm not a big Harry Potter fan. I'll admit it. I admire the fact that J.K. Rowlings has made a cubic ton of cash creating a series of books that kids actually want to read. Woohoo! Kids reading books! Always a good thing. But... I'm just not into magic and wizards and all that stuff. Not my style.

That being said, I'm going to share a few observations about Harry (and yes, you're not going to agree with me... I've talked to several people about some of this, and... well... me thinks I'm almost a lone wolf on some of this... )

• As for as the religious arguments that pop up every time a new HP book comes out, I'm not sure that I would go as far as Pope Benedict XVI did (back when he was still a cardinal).

  "It is good that you enlighten people about Harry Potter because these are subtle seductions which act unnoticed and by this deeply distort Christianity in the soul before it can grow properly," Benedict XVI wrote.

  If read on its own, the Pope may have a point. If a child (or anyone) reads those books without guidance or discussion, it can provide a positive spin on what the Bible says is wrong. (If you want to look it up, start with Deuteronomy 18 and go on from there.) That being said... used as a teaching tool, the Harry Potter series can be a great help. A parent, reading the books with their child, can use it as an opportunity to talk about good versus evil, doing the right thing (even if it is dangerous), their personal religious beliefs, fact versus fiction, reality versus fantasy.
  
• On the day the book was released, I was listening to the top-of-the-hour news on the radio. They interviewed a girl (she sounded like a teenager, but I have NO idea) who said that "Harry Potter is the greatest epic ever." Huh? She's joking, right? What about The Illiad and The Odysssey? Beowulf? Lord of the Rings? The Chronicles of Narnia? The Belgariad and The Mallorian? (OK, that one's obscure.) This does not give me much confidence in the public school system. Granted, I was reminded that this is one girl's (wrong) opinion, and she is entitled to her (wrong) opinion. While true, I can't help but cringe at the thought. Greatest? Nah...
  
• One final tidbit. There's an audio clip floating around that is pretty childish. ( DO NOT click on the link unless you want to hear a major spoiler from the new book!) This clip is of some jerk walking down the line at a bookstore (while all the faithful are waiting to get the book) yelling the big spoiler. (oh, yeah... mild language warning on the clip, too.) This is just plain wrong. Why would someone stoop so low as to yell out the surprise ending like that?
  

What was all of this about? Well, I hate to admit it, but I think I'm beginning to dislike the 24 hour news cycle. They need to fill all of the time, thus turning mundane things that would barely register on the radar into major international incidents. Kids like Harry... and that's ok... there's just need to make that big of a deal out of it.