Warner Bros.
J.K. Rowling, huh? What a fucking idiot. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a cultural icon dismantle their own legacy in this sort of extraordinarily needless fashion. This woman is literally going out of her way to spew her bigotry and make everyone hate her. Why do bigots do that? You want to be an asshole? Do so in private. J.K. Rowling inspired an entire generation of children and her words wield serious weight. She needs to be more considerate of that, straight up.
Predictably, everyone else involved with Harry Potter other than its creator has since come out with the opposite sort of statement, instead choosing the side of inclusivity rather than Rowling’s outdated model of exclusivity.
Not only did franchise-leading actors Daniel Radcliffe and Eddie Redmayne release personal statements, but Warner Bros., the movie studio behind both the Harry Potter and the Fantastic Beasts franchises, released a statement — albeit one that’s as soft as baby shit (the word “trans” does not appear) — in regards to Rowling’s comments.
The events in the last several weeks have firmed our resolve as a company to confront difficult societal issues. Warner Bros.’ position on inclusiveness is well established, and fostering a diverse and inclusive culture has never been more important to our company and to our audiences around the world. We deeply value the work of our storytellers who give so much of themselves in sharing their creations with us all. We recognize our responsibility to foster empathy and advocate understanding of all communities and all people, particularly those we work with and those we reach through our content.
As someone who has said plenty of dumb shit in his life, trust me when I say that saying the right thing is always easier.
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Eric is a New York City-based writer who still isn’t quite sure how he’s allowed to have this much fun for a living and will tell anyone who listens that Gotham City is canonically in New Jersey. Follow him on Twitter @eric_ital for movie and soccer takes or contact him eric@brobible.com