I guess it’s time for me to do this. Are you one of the millions of Harry Potter fans outraged at comments by J.K. Rowling or aspects of the universe? If so, sit down because I have something to share with you. Even though I know absolutely nothing about Harry Potter, you’ll be happy to know that I solved Harry Potter in one move. Too crazy to be true? Hear me out; there’s an easy way to solve all of this nonsense.
Full disclosure: I don’t read Harry Potter, and I’ve never seen one of the films. Never interested me. But I do know what it’s like to be an invested, disappointed fan. You can see the outrage in Twitter trending Jon Stewart for calling out J.K. Rowling for ‘antisemitic depictions of goblins.’ You can see it in the several months years of outrage toward J.K. Rowling for her personal opinion on social issues. However you fall on these discussions, we can all agree that Harry Potter outrage has reached an unhealthy stage of fan possessiveness.
See, fantasy and scifi fans are alike in many ways. Like you, scifi franchises often create ‘a devoted fandom that often seems to be willing to go to great , in some cases even questionable, lengths to express their love for their beloved stories.’ As this article points out, ‘Reading science fiction and fantasy can help readers make sense of the world … the critical thinking and agile habits of mind prompted by this type of literature may actually produce resilience and creativity that everyday life and reality typically do not.’
For us, it’s not just a franchise. It’s not just a story. It’s a safe place for us to escape, gather ourselves, process our troubles, and regroup to face reality again. If reality is a horrible, oppressive machine that chews people like us up, then fiction is the lubricant that keeps us moving safely inside. We need that option if we’re going to survive. Large media companies like Warner Bros. (the owners of Harry Potter) and Disney (the owners of Star Wars) know this. That’s where they get us.
Large media companies see our important stories, not as ‘escape hatches from reality’ but as cash cows. Our interest in the stories becomes a powerful tool to drive new sales, gin up support for sequels and spin-offs, and monetize it for corporate revenue. That’s right, they’re using you; the Harry Potter universe owners’ interest in your interest is whether it generates bank interest for them. You already know this, and this is where I’m going to solve Harry Potter for you in one move:
Stop Being Possessive
Oh yeah, that’s where you are now, Potter fans. Fan possessiveness. They (Warner Brothers) skillfully created the illusion that you were in charge of that universe. Now you’re suffering the possessiveness that comes from the fear of loss of that sense of control.
I know what that feels like. I used to rail on Star Wars, years ago. I used to watch Star Wars nerds and their rapacious fan drama. Like you, I argued for changes in my franchise out of a sense of attachment. I saw things that could be better and I wanted Star Wars to make the right choices. They never did. In fact, if anything, Star Wars as a franchise has become even more craven than ever. It took me years to see the truth, so I’m sharing it with you so you don’t have to suffer like I did.
Your favorite franchise was never yours to control; it was used by others to control you. That realization hurts, and you have my sympathy and empathy for your pain. Any type of possessive relationship is unhealthy – just ask your friend with the psycho ex. Possessiveness is fundamentally a fear of loss. Just as some possessive people fear that their partners will leave, possessive fans fear the loss of control over their favorite fiction franchise. It’s a relationship they don’t want to give up, and media companies like Warner Brothers and Disney know this.
The good news is that letting go of this possessiveness is a healthy act. It opens up your life to form the close, healthy friendships you’re supposed to have. Living your own life, writing your own stories, creating a universe you’re happy to live in makes you a more interesting person to your partner, your friends, and the rest of the world. It will give you different things to share and talk about when you’re together. Stay grounded, be open about your insecurities, view your independence as a positive, and move forward with your life.
“I wasn’t upset about the Jon Stewart thing anyway,” some might reply and you might be one of them. That may be true, but recent upticks in Harry Potter-based ‘outrage marketing’ indicates that they (the big corporate media types) see you as possessive. That alone is reason to step back, check in with yourself, and establish distance between you and the box they’re trying to squeeze you into.
My dream is to create science fiction worlds that don’t rely on obsessed fans or corporate manipulation to succeed. I welcome you to look for ways to make your own life successful, and perhaps we can do so together.
