Wednesday, October 24, 2007

J. K. Rowling's Rita Skeeter Moment

With Rowling's revelation last week that Dumbledore is gay, she seems less like a beloved author of the most popular book series, among a lot of adults as well as children, and more like her infamous character Rita Skeeter. Rita, who fashioned herself an investigative reporter, but who came across as more of a gossip columnist, came out with a biography of Albus Dumbledore entitled The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore that trashed the beloved headmaster of Hogwart's. She did this knowing full well the attitude of the Ministry of Magic at the time due to the return of Lord Voldemort, and seemed to be playing right along with those seeking to further his takeover.
While a lot of what Rita's book contained may have been factual, it was sensationalized all out of context. Rowling's recent "Dumbledore is gay" comment would seem to belong in Rita's book, quoted in the last Harry Potter book, where she talks about Dumbledore and Grindelwald's relationship. The book gave the innocuous impression that it was a friendship borne of youthful idealism, perceived kindred intellect, and mutual admiration. Now, it has been exclusively revealed by Rita Rowling that a whole other admiration lied beneath it all; and all this to an innocent question from a fan.
Given this revelation, shouldn't Ian McKellan have played Dumbledore?  He actually is gay, and is known for having portrayed another well-known wizard, Gandalf.  He said fans had come up to him and called him Dumbledore, so I guess it worked out that way after a fashion.
Call it good marketing I guess, since book and movie sales would have suffered if parents had gotten wind of this earlier. She had the perfect character in Rita to posthumously tarnish Dumbledore's name, as she was clearly wont to do. Unlike Rita however, Rowling it seems doesn't have the same boldness underlying her convictions.

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