Considering our discussion of Harry Potter's lack of diversity, I wanted to show some fan created things that added diversity to the story.
The blogger also did some illustrations of these interpretations:
Something else I found were these really cool make up and hijab looks for each of the four houses. Personally, I like the Slytherin best but that might come from House bias.
These can be found here.
I then found the tumblr amusliminhogwarts, which seems to be a story in blog format about--you guessed it--two muslim girls who go to Hogwarts. There isn't a lot so far, but you can read it easily in chronological order here. You can see how the original idea started and a lot of discussion about it on one of the authors blog here.
I also found a few tumblrs dedicated to discussing types of students that were ignored in Harry Potter. There are a few specifically about LGBTQ+ students (magicqueers or queerhpheadcanons) as well as some that are about all kinds of diversity (hiddenhogwarts.) Remembering our conversation in class last week, I think you guys would be interested in looking at the disabled headcanons that people have. There's a lot of really great ideas about how the castle changes to accommodate disabled students and how professors and other students help disabled students using magic. Maybe there's something in there about deaf students, like we were discussing last week.
I think these things are really really cool and I wish this diversity could have been in Harry Potter. But since it wasn't, I'm glad the fans are taking things into their own hands.
I'm so glad you posted links to these fics. That discussion in class was really interesting and a lot of the topics were things I had never really thought of. I'm excited to read these!
ReplyDeleteReading Harry Potter (admittedly several times) I never really focused on the lack of diversity until this class. Probably because I fit the stereotype of the popular demographic. This class had me consider the popularity of Harry Potter if it had instead been Harriet Potter. Sadly, I do feel if the main character had been female boys would not have been interested…or rather their parents would not have encouraged or supported their sons reading about a lead female character. I do feel our society has come a long way in diversity, but the sad truth is we still have a long way to go.
ReplyDeleteWe still have a very long way to go, but I'm glad that at least the fan community is there to pick up some of the slack. Maybe, with time, we'll really get there.
ReplyDeleteAll you need to do is drop it in like it's no big deal. Don't be stereotypical, and don't make them token. A passing reference to Joseph asking Stephen to the Winter Ball might not be "enough" for some people, but it's certainly a start.
If the character is functional to the plot, let them be a full character for the audience. If not, don't spend too much time on them. Not because "eww diversity", but because narrative space. It's more important to have a full and complete world that isn't so completely white-washed as to, say, have one black guy in the entire galaxy (*COUGH* LANDO *COUGH* STAR WARS ) and doesn't leave anyone out and treats everyone as wonderful and valid human beings than it is to have absolutely everyone get a page of dialog explaining themselves when we'll never see them again. They don't need to explain themselves to us. They don't need us to validate them.
Don't let Lando be the only black man in the galaxy. Don't let Cho be the single, most racially diverse person memorable from the Harry Potter cast.
Don't let people feel excluded, don't -make- people feel excluded, and make something wonderful for everyone. Ethnicity, nationality, socio-economic status, geographic location, biological sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religious beliefs, political ideology... All of it be damned. Make something wonderful for everyone. Every single human.
And if someone has a problem with you for trying? They ARE the problem.
Thank you for sharing the art and the tumblrs. I'll need to read them.
I think that there is a lot of trepidation when it comes to all forms of media. And, to a stupidly tiny extent, it makes since. I mean, people foam at the mouth at an Interracial cheerios commercial for crying out load.
ReplyDeleteHere's my idea. I think that people should just do it. I get that the trickle down method can work, a sprinkling of queerness here, a dab of color every once and a while and you're safe but 'helping'. I have not expertise in media or how to sell things (P.S. the word you're looking for is 'marketing', you stupid-idiot Iris) but I say that it should just be in there and damn the consequences.
Make Spiderman bisexual. Just do it. Don't give a damn about what people might do or think. Ms. Marvel is a Pakistani American woman and many fans fucking love her.
I think people need to be pushed, especially if they are holding onto sexist, racial, homophobic ideals. Make Wonder Woman black and if there is backlash do it again with the same actress. It might sound kinda' dictator-y but if people don't see it then they're going to run with the stupid assumptions they've formed in their minds.
Mantra of the forever: "Representation MATTERS"