The uncancelling of JK Rowling (author of Harry Potter series)
#1

Matt Oliver
Sat, 15 April 2023 at 3:00 pm SGT


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In an announcement this week, Warner Bros Discovery, the entertainment titan that first brought the series to cinemas, said it is developing a new, decade-long television show – with Rowling taking the key role of executive producer.

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A few years ago, Rowling’s involvement in the project would hardly have come as a shock.

But the decision to involve the British author – and so publicly – marks a significant shift in tone.

Amid a backlash against her views on women’s rights and transgenderism, even mentioning Rowling’s name next to her works has been taboo in recent years.

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The decision to work with Rowling again generated instant outrage from trans activists, with some vowing to boycott the show before it has even begun filming.

But it may be a sign that the tide is turning for Rowling and others who have been ostracised by the media establishment for their views on women’s rights and gender.

Brands are facing a growing backlash for wading into trans issues, with the US beer maker Budweiser embroiled in a row over adverts featuring transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney and Disney locked in a feud with the US Republican Party for its opposition to “don’t say gay” laws in Florida.

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“If you look at what JK Rowling has actually said and done, this is a woman who herself was a victim of domestic violence, who was a single mother, and has now devoted herself to women’s rights and helping other women who have suffered,” the source adds.

“Yet because she took a position, out of concern about those issues, she was just completely thrown under a bus.

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she has been vilified by transgender activists and parts of the media for her comments on gender and women’s rights, including her calls for women-only spaces to be reserved for biological women only.

Her forthright views have put her at odds with Harry Potter film stars Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson – who argue “trans women are women” – and triggered a bitter backlash from people who were previously adoring fans.

By her own account, Rowling has faced a barrage of abuse while critics have gleefully boasted of burning her books and sent the author threats of violence.

In a 2020 essay, Rowling said she was motivated by concern about a new wave of misogyny, fueled by a “porn-saturated” culture and a backlash against feminism. She warned that arguments being made to support a faster legal process for people changing gender were diminishing the importance of female “biological realities” and were “deeply misogynistic and regressive”.

She also raised concerns that young people who are gay may be choosing to change gender because of homophobia.

In response, two Harry Potter fan websites announced they would boycott the author for causing “harm” to transgender people with her comments.

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Ralph Fiennes, who played the villain Lord Voldemort, also came to Rowling’s aid, telling The New York Times that the author had faced “disgusting” abuse.

“It’s not some obscene, uber right-wing fascist,” he told the New York Times. “It’s just a woman saying, ‘I’m a woman and I feel I’m a woman and I want to be able to say that I’m a woman.’”


Much more at: https://sg.style.yahoo.com/uncancelling-...00240.html
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#2

Good ....
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