death to capslock

Wed, 07 Dec 2016 15:30:00 GMT

Posted by: merrymelody.livejournal.com

( Fantastic Beasts review )

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More People Need(ed) to Read Harry Potter

Wed, 23 Nov 2016 14:24:00 GMT

Posted by: annoni-no.livejournal.com

I know, a provocative title in this community, but we have concrete evidence that reading Harry Potter leads to a small, but significant, increase in antipathy toward Donald Trump and his policies.

https://www.asc.upenn.edu/news-events/news/new-study-shows-reading-harry-potter-lowers-americans%E2%80%99-opinions-donald-trump ; (Link through to the actual study in article.)

A while back I posted about a study that found that identifying with Harry Potter led to decreased bias toward stigmatized minorities. At the time, I wondered how reading the series led people to feel about how to deal with their enemies given the vindictiveness the series shows in a close reading. As it turns out, the more Harry Potter books someone has read, even controlling for "party identification, gender, education level, age, evangelical self-identification, and social dominance orientation," the more opposed they were to violence and punitive policies (like torturing their enemies as advocated by Trump) and authoritarianism. This is in addition to confirmation of the decreased bias against outgroups.

You don't have to like Harry Potter, and I completely agree that the books have a lot of problems. But let's not loose sight of the fact that the world is entering a dangerous, if not outright fascistic period. There's too much hatred and divisiveness driving our politics; hate crimes have risen by several hundred percent since Trump's election. If reading Harry Potter does help lead people to greater tolerance and mercy, we shouldn't let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

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Harry Potter Abridged! DH Chapter 33

Fri, 28 Aug 2015 00:01:00 GMT

Posted by: sweettalkeress.livejournal.com

The moment we've all been waiting for--the story of SNAPE!

( Snape, Snape, Severus Snape... )

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Harry Potter Abridged! DH Chapter 26

Sun, 16 Aug 2015 10:46:00 GMT

Posted by: sweettalkeress.livejournal.com

[For the attempted break-in of Gringotts, they decide Hermione will be Polyjuiced to look like Bellatrix]

Hermione: I really hate that I have to go as the woman who tortured me.

Harry: Well, look on the bright side—it’s only for one chapter.

Hermione: I can already tell it’s going to be a long chapter.

( Read Chapter 26 )

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Harry Potter Abridged! DH Chapter 25

Sat, 15 Aug 2015 20:06:00 GMT

Posted by: sweettalkeress.livejournal.com

[Harry and co. spend the next few days at Shell Cottage with Bill and Fleur]

( Read Chapter 25 )

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Harry Potter Abridged! DH Chapter 15

Sun, 12 Jul 2015 18:35:00 GMT

Posted by: sweettalkeress.livejournal.com

[The next morning, Harry buries Mad-Eye Moody’s magical eye]

Harry: Better there than in the clutches of that evil Umbridge, after all.

( Read Chapter 15 )

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Harry Potter Abridged! DH Chapter 13

Tue, 07 Jul 2015 22:57:00 GMT

Posted by: sweettalkeress.livejournal.com

Umbridge: What are you two looking so surprised about? This is where my office is—of course I would be up here!

( Read Chapter 13 )

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Harry Potter Abridged! DH Chapter 10

Thu, 02 Jul 2015 23:18:00 GMT

Posted by: sweettalkeress.livejournal.com

[Harry wakes up the next morning in a sleeping bag on the floor]

( Kreacher is back!! )

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Harry Potter Abridged! DH Chapter 8

Tue, 30 Jun 2015 20:39:00 GMT

Posted by: sweettalkeress.livejournal.com

[On the day of the wedding, Harry is disguised as a long-lost Weasley relative via Polyjuice potion]

Harry: It might be fun to be a lesser being for the day.

( Read Chapter 8 )

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Harry Potter Abridged! DH Chapter 3

Wed, 24 Jun 2015 22:29:00 GMT

Posted by: sweettalkeress.livejournal.com

( Read Chapter 3 )

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Harry Potter Abridged! DH Chapter 1

Mon, 22 Jun 2015 14:17:00 GMT

Posted by: sweettalkeress.livejournal.com

OMG, I’ve reached the final book!

It’s been more than four years since I started this series, but finally I see the end!!

Anyway, let’s get it on!

( Read Chapter 1 )

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Harry Potter Abridged! HBP Chapter 22

Fri, 12 Jun 2015 23:33:00 GMT

Posted by: sweettalkeress.livejournal.com

( Read Chapter 22 )

( Bonus Scene )

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Harry Potter Abridged! HBP Chapter 10

Sat, 30 May 2015 11:07:00 GMT

Posted by: sweettalkeress.livejournal.com

( Some mention of incest in this one )

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Harry Potter Abridged! HBP Chapter 6

Tue, 26 May 2015 14:35:00 GMT

Posted by: sweettalkeress.livejournal.com

[Life goes on at the Burrow. Lupin shows up on Harry’s birthday to report mysterious deaths]

( Read Chapter 6 )
*A/N: I think the following quote by Film Brain about sums up this scene:

“Remember, when confronted with ignorance, just descend to its level and beat them up for it! You may be assaulting someone but at least you’re morally right!” XD

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Harry Potter Abridged! HBP Chapter 5

Sun, 24 May 2015 11:02:00 GMT

Posted by: sweettalkeress.livejournal.com

( See the main cast be rude about French people )
A/N: Okay, is it me or is this chapter rather pointless. Seriously, all that happens in it is, Harry reunites with his friends (and Fleur), and then they're all rude about Fleur for no good reason.

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Harry Potter Abridged! HBP Chapter 3

Wed, 20 May 2015 14:47:00 GMT

Posted by: sweettalkeress.livejournal.com

( Read Chapter 3 )

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Harry Potter Abridged! HBP Chapter 1

Tue, 05 May 2015 10:50:00 GMT

Posted by: sweettalkeress.livejournal.com

A new book begins!!!

( And now for something completely different!! )
*A/N: Sadly, this is pretty much the attitude of the last few books. At least.

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Harry Potter Abridged! OotP Chapter 33

Sat, 28 Feb 2015 14:30:00 GMT

Posted by: sweettalkeress.livejournal.com

( Short this time! )

*A/N: I’m exaggerating this slightly, but only slightly. Our loving hero who respects the rights of all creatures, ladies and gentlemen!

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Harry Potter Abridged! OotP Chapter 30

Thu, 12 Feb 2015 22:39:00 GMT

Posted by: sweettalkeress.livejournal.com

[Following the departure of Fred and George, all the other students start thinking up new ways to make Umbridge miserable]

( Warning: abuse )

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Harry Potter Abridged! OotP Chapter 28

Fri, 30 Jan 2015 11:40:00 GMT

Posted by: sweettalkeress.livejournal.com

The chapter we’ve all been waiting for—the first glimpse of Snape’s worst memory!!

( This chapter contains bullying )

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Harry Potter Abridged! OotP Chapter 27

Wed, 14 Jan 2015 18:16:00 GMT

Posted by: sweettalkeress.livejournal.com

Wow—there is so much WTFery in this chapter. So much.

( Read Chapter 27 )

*A/N: Seriously, how in the hell is that NOT offensive? Why does the book treat it like it isn’t a big deal?!

**A/N: I’m sorry—it’s wrong of Umbridge to hate Firenze because he’s part human…but it’s perfectly okay for HERMIONE to compare him (unironically) to a FARM ANIMAL?!

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Harry Potter Abridged! OotP Chapter 21

Thu, 20 Nov 2014 18:26:00 GMT

Posted by: sweettalkeress.livejournal.com

( Read Chapter 21 )

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Harry Potter Abridged! OotP Chapter 20

Sun, 16 Nov 2014 07:05:00 GMT

Posted by: sweettalkeress.livejournal.com

( I had fun with this one! >:D )

*A/N: You know, for someone who's half-giant Hagrid is remarkably contemptuous of that part of his heritage. I get that internalized prejudice is a thing, but we're never meant to see him as being WRONG for thinking this way!

**A/N: I exaggerate but only slightly--this too was in the text!

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J. K. Rowling presents Umbrigde's backstory

Fri, 31 Oct 2014 19:51:00 GMT

Posted by: t0ra-chan.livejournal.com

In time for Halloween JKR gave us another short story (more background info to be honest, it's not like it has a plot). You can read it at Pottermore (if you have an account and can actually remember your user name and password) or you can read it here: J.K. Rowling writes Harry Potter Halloween tale profiling 'malicious' Dolores Umbridge

My personal take on this little story is that it's wholly pointless. It just repeats that Umbridge was always a nasty person with no depth to her and she's worse than blood purists. Nothing really new or insightful is revealed, nor do I believe did anybody care to know this sort of stuff about Umbridge. I also found it very unbelievable that anybody would buy her claims of being a pureblood, considering how small the wizarding community is. And of course she was a Slytherin, because where else could an evil person in HP have come from.

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It Seems Sometimes a Surface Reading is Sufficient

Sat, 02 Aug 2014 02:06:00 GMT

Posted by: annoni-no.livejournal.com

A recent paper published in Journal of Applied Social Psychology found that reader identification with with the main character of Harry Potter (and disidentification with Voldemort) positively correlated with reduced bias toward stigmatized minorities in real life. Researchers found this Harry Potter effect was significant even after controlling for the general amount of books read, which by itself is strongly associated with reduced bigotry and prejudice. So, it seems unfair to say the books are nothing but toxic.

What I want to know is the correlation between reading Harry Potter and how people think their ENEMIES should be treated. And what criteria determine what makes someone "bad" and how badly they deserve to be punished.

http://www.psmag.com/navigation/books-and-culture/harry-potter-battle-bigotry-87002/

*Update

The linked article is correct in its general summation of the findings, but is sloppily written. I'm not entirely comfortable reproducing the entire paper, but if there are particular sections people would like to see I'll try to either excerpt or summarize them more accurately. The paper itself is hardly groundbreaking - it's been shown before that reading about foreign perspectives helps increase tolerance. This mostly showed that the same effect extended to fantasy fiction. The studies were also extremely narrow in focus (only looking at identification with Harry or Voldemort). Mostly I thought people would be relieved that SOME good came from such a widely selling series, despite its numerous flaws.

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