When it comes to the Harry Potter
phenomenon, anything seems to be possible
The Potter, the Witch and the
Druglord
by Ba Kiwanuka
As the Harry Potter
juggernaut bulldozes merrily along, just about everybody has stepped
into the cauldron of hot, churning action. And that includes drug
dealers no less! Heck, they know a good thing when they see it!
Not to be left out of the
Harry Potter phenomenon, New York drug dealers have started peddling
ecstasy pills engraved with Harry Potter book and movie images. One
can only assume their thinking must be that the success of the
Potter behemoth would surely rub off on their products, even if in
only some small way; after all, in Harry Potter Universe, small
magically translates into a respectable sum in Muggleworld. That
said, it is evident that these guys aren't too savvy when it comes
to demographics. Even if utilizing super-elastic mind-stretch, it's
hard to picture the average Harry Potter fan cavorting and gyrating
wildly in some hip nightclub, as the image of their idol slowly
fizzles to nothing deep inside of them.
Still, anything is possible,
especially when it comes to the Potter phenomenon. Some people feel
it is their divine entitlement to have a slice of that not-so-free
Potter pie. Take the case of the 20-yr old bodybuilder from the UK.
I think that he took the saying "Ask and ye shall be given" a wee
bit too literally. In June of 2005 Bodybuilder X somehow helped
himself to two copies of The Half-Blood Prince before its
official release and tried to sell them to a newspaper reporter from
The Sun using a rather persuasive argument--the business end of an
imitation gun. As you can probably guess our erstwhile bodybuilder
didn't get too far in his marketing and leverage scheme, despite
ambitiously expanding the campaign to include threatening and
blackmailing Harry Potter UK publisher, Bloomsbury.
At his trial in spite of an
impassioned defense argument that included gems such as--"There was
a marked change in Bodybuilder X's personality as he pursued his
body building interests. He was taking steroids to an almost
unsupportable level" -- Bodybuilder X was sentenced to four years as
a guest at one of her majesty's less luxurious retreats, where he
will have ample time to ponder on future business ventures while
furthering the pursuit of bodily perfection, but this time without
the unsupportable support of steroids.
So what's the moral of this
affair? Your guess is as good as mine. But one thing is certain,
it's getting harder and harder to discern what's fiction and what's
truth in this magical realm. There're many who claim that this whole
Harry Potter saga is a diabolical plot of the devil and an insidious
campaign manufactured by those with a leaning towards the dark side.
Nothing new there of course,
but it would appear the legions of those who view Potter and his
pals as lesser demons is growing. Their movement gained considerable
momentum following claims by sources (anonymous of course) who
reported seeing scores of bug-eyed, traumatized kids after a
screening of The Goblet of Fire (well what do you expect when
little 6-yr old Timmy is taken to a dark PG 13 movie). There're also
several unsubstantiated claims of teens converting en masse to Wicca
(religion of witchcraft) and generally accepting Harry Potter as the
new messiah (or devil).
My particular favorite is
the claim that Harry Potter does drugs (Aahh, clarity at last! That
whole drug dealer connection makes a lot more sense now. They've
really got the pulse of this Potter dude!).
Some of the proponents of
Harry Potter as the raving junkie offer the following as evidence to
support their claims:
"I don't expect you will
really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with
its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep
through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses...I
can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory...." (This is an
excerpt from a speech given by the Potions Master in Harry Potter
and the Sorcerer's Stone.)
Well I retort, it cannot be
poor Harry's fault that he got enchanted by the delicate power of
liquids creeping through his veins. It's the school's fault of
course. What did Hogwarts expect, tempting minors with images of
bottled fame and teaching the basics of Meth-lab 101? That's for
College. Shame on them!
But seriously! Anybody can
read something in nothing if they really want to. If you so wish,
fantasy fiction becomes an evil plot to convert unsuspecting
innocents by the cauldron-full to the ways of the dark side.
Beautifully imaginative prose somehow manifests into a blueprint for
witchcraft and drug manufacture...it goes on and on, and there is no
limit, but only that of your fevered imagination.
There will always be
decriers of anything and everything. It is a well-established and
much practiced tradition that gives meaning and purpose to a perhaps
less-than-meaningful existence.
I say, it all boils down to
common sense and good parental guidance. I remember when I first
read Interview with the Vampire (by Anne Rice) as a kid--it
just blew me away! It transported me into a mythical, colorful
magical world that mesmerized...which alas I can never revisit again
because I'm no longer a kid. My mind of today is hardened and little
receptive to the invisible, magical world of fantasy that shimmers
all around us.
Contrastingly my childhood
brain was pliant and supple--disbelieving yet believing--the best
state to appreciate fantasy... is it really true or isn't it?
I really liked the vampires
(well some of them) and I often had dreams where I'd soar high in
the night sky, my pearly white fangs sparkling with leashed menace.
But I can honestly claim to have never had the slightest inclination
or desire to suck blood, human or otherwise.
So folks, let's allow the
kids (and others) to enjoy a good read for what it is, and be done
with it!
But that doesn't mean I
don't intend to get my grubby fingers on a slice of that potter's
pie. All this Potter talk and rhetoric has rooted the germ of an
idea...a budding business venture--my new film...
Coming soon to a theatre
near you, "The Potter, the Witch and the Druglord!"
Find Harry Potter wands and other Potter items here.
Visit Ba Kiwanuka's website at
http://www.potterhub.com
Free Motivation
Software
Change
life-long habits in days.
Click HERE and learn more.
Angel Talisman Coin
Legendary
good luck coin
guaranteed to improve life.
Control Your Dreams
Lucid Dreaming Kit
Gives You
Results in 7-Days Guaranteed.
|
