Heated Mockery
Feb. 16th, 2026 08:27 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
nevannaEven if JK Rowling hadn't turned out to be a tar pit, I would still think SNL's "Heated Wizardry" sketch was a misfire.
"What if the characters in this children's book were queer and horny for each other?" is not a new joke. "Women who enjoy queer and horny media - who are also sometimes Girls With Tails - are weird and we should mock them" is also not a new joke, and wasn't funny the first time (or any of the times after that), either. I realize that I'm straying dangerously close to Fetishization Discourse by saying that, but a lot of those arguments seem to suggest that it's ridiculous or even harmful for audiences to derive pleasure (sexual or otherwise) from stories about fictional characters who aren't like them, and I do not agree with that. And that video wasn't examining the nuances of desire and objectification, which make some of said Discourse worth exploring. It was just highlighting a specific Type Of Girl as an acceptable target for mockery.
I said that JKR's politics are irrelevant to my reaction, but I think that if the SNL writers had "quoted" her as having championed queer readings of her characters from the beginning as long as they fell within her narrow range of acceptability, then at least those writers would be inviting viewers to roll their eyes at her - and her increasingly desperate and flimsy attempts to appear progressive - instead of at fans.
You can find the sketch itself on YouTube if you're desperately curious, but you should decide for yourself if you want to give clicks to a video that references the Harry Potter franchise (particularly new or yet-to-be-released content in that franchise). And it ought to go without saying that I hope the planned HBO adaptation of the series flops spectacularly.
I will, however, be watching the second season of Heated Rivalry. My housemate and I have already talked about sending "come to our cottage" invitations to a watch party.
"What if the characters in this children's book were queer and horny for each other?" is not a new joke. "Women who enjoy queer and horny media - who are also sometimes Girls With Tails - are weird and we should mock them" is also not a new joke, and wasn't funny the first time (or any of the times after that), either. I realize that I'm straying dangerously close to Fetishization Discourse by saying that, but a lot of those arguments seem to suggest that it's ridiculous or even harmful for audiences to derive pleasure (sexual or otherwise) from stories about fictional characters who aren't like them, and I do not agree with that. And that video wasn't examining the nuances of desire and objectification, which make some of said Discourse worth exploring. It was just highlighting a specific Type Of Girl as an acceptable target for mockery.
I said that JKR's politics are irrelevant to my reaction, but I think that if the SNL writers had "quoted" her as having championed queer readings of her characters from the beginning as long as they fell within her narrow range of acceptability, then at least those writers would be inviting viewers to roll their eyes at her - and her increasingly desperate and flimsy attempts to appear progressive - instead of at fans.
You can find the sketch itself on YouTube if you're desperately curious, but you should decide for yourself if you want to give clicks to a video that references the Harry Potter franchise (particularly new or yet-to-be-released content in that franchise). And it ought to go without saying that I hope the planned HBO adaptation of the series flops spectacularly.
I will, however, be watching the second season of Heated Rivalry. My housemate and I have already talked about sending "come to our cottage" invitations to a watch party.
no subject
Date: 2026-02-17 03:08 am (UTC)Wait wait wait, back up, they're remaking Harry Potter but as a SHOW this time?
I will, however, be watching the second season of Heated Rivalry. My housemate and I have already talked about sending "come to our cottage" invitations to a watch party.
Rogan: Some of our friends are super into this show and at least two said we should watch it. I'm still not sure it's my thing, but hey, I'm willing to give it a shot (especially if I am with friends and popcorn)!
no subject
Date: 2026-02-17 11:55 am (UTC)That is currently the plan. I think it's a dreadful idea for many reasons, besides the obvious one. I have complicated feelings about the cultural impact of Harry Potter, and whether it can truly ever be "undone," but I believe - and hope - that we can send some kind of message by refusing to engage with any new additions to the franchise.
I'm still not sure it's my thing, but hey, I'm willing to give it a shot
There's nothing in the show, other than the fact that it is unabashedly queer, that makes me think it's definitely your thing. Then again, I wasn't sure that it would be mine, either, but the characters and performances won me over. And it's definitely more fun to watch with company!
no subject
Date: 2026-02-17 06:16 pm (UTC)