Harry Potter and the New Snobbery

I have to admit that I'm not a fan of J.R.R. Tolkein, Commander James Kirk, Luke Skywalker or any of the other comic book heroes who have invaded the cultural marketplace in the last few decades. Does that make me a snob? 

So how come I love Glee?

Don’t confuse good taste with snobbery, folks. A mayvin doesn’t prejudge any book, movie or TV show; he gives them all an equal opportunity to bore him. Even if it’s only for five minutes—my Harry Potter limit.

I forced myself to sit through the first Harry Potter flick, but it wasn’t until this summer, when I found it sitting on my grandson's bookshelf, that I read the first few chapters of the novel. And discovered that it isn’t Bill Marantz who’s the snob but J.K. Rowling.

Unlike her life story, former welfare recipient Joanne Rowling’s blockbuster isn’t a rags-to-riches saga. It’s a gender-bending fairy tale with a spoiled stepbrother standing in for Cinderfella’s ugly stepsisters. Harry Potter doesn’t have to marry a prince; he is a prince. The thing that distinguishes the young Harry from the middle class multitude is his birthmark. The sign of the “wizard” (i.e. artist) is branded on his forehead.

The invisible mark of the “Muggles” (people who work for a living) is branded even more deeply on every member of his adoptive family. Lest any young reader be labouring under the illusion that there’s nothing wrong with being a productive member of society, the author paints them as crude, stupid, greedy, mean-spirited and obese. (In Ms. Rowling’s fairy tale world it’s apparently still politically correct to make fat people objects of derision.) 

In addition to making Harry’s uncle physically and morally repulsive Rowling sneers at him for taking pride in his work.

If she had made him a stockbroker, or moneylender, it might be easier to share her contempt But what’s so shameful about selling drills? In terms of usefulness, the drill is right up there with the wheel and the screw. Without drills modern industry would grind to a halt. Children’s books might have to be hand written by monks, and Ms. Rowling would have to walk to the bookstore to sign both copies. Her gifted brainchild might even have to give up wizardry and get an honest job—sweeping out stables—to support her.

Ironically J.K. Rowling is as much businesswoman as artist. Artists don’t use their gift to beat rival “wizards” to the pot of gold. A true artist doesn't think of his calling as a competition. Even an egomaniac like Pablo Picasso didn’t think he had to paint better pictures than Henri Mattisse. As much as he enjoyed his wealth and fame Picasso didn’t build a “cubist franchise” and milk it dry. He was constantly pushing the envelope of his craft.

The anonymous creator of the drill was more of a wizard/artist than Harry Potter, or his female alter ego, who keeps selling the same product in a different package. Like most snobs, Ms. Rowling would do well to stop looking down her nose and look in the mirror.