So, we were chatting about the Harry Potter anthology in the family text thread last week, weighing the appropriateness of the books for a young family member who was intent on reading them. No sooner than we’d determined that “Yes, these were magical stories,” and “Yes, they should read them,” did someone chime in, “And then there’s the author’s anti trans and homophobic ideologies to consider. Not to be THAT person.”
Another expressed a similar thought they didn’t initially share because, “I didn’t want to be THAT person either.”
I get it. JK Rowling hasn’t exactly been quiet about her beliefs and is prone to showing a stunning lack of self awareness on social media. She stirs the pot in the comments on X (formerly known as Twitter) whenever she gets the chance.
Frankly, this makes me sad. My kids loved Harry Potter once upon a time. My oldest couldn’t wait to get her acceptance letter to Hogwarts when she turned 11. I read the first book in its entirety, out loud and with voices, when the kids were too young to read it themselves. They eventually read the books themselves, watched the movies, bought the LEGOs and even attended “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” on Broadway. It’s always held a special place in my heart because of how it brought us all together.
After that text thread, though, I wasn’t sure what to do. I asked myself if this was a hill I was willing to die on. Should I abandon this memory, the books, the movies — all of the joy and magic of the stories — because my idea of what was right and just didn’t align with the likes of JK Rowling? Could I forgive myself if I turned a blind eye to here treatment of the LGBTQ community and still be an ally?
As much as I hate the term, cancel culture isn’t going anywhere, in fact, I’d argue it’s only getting worse. Wikipedia agrees, noting that the term “cancel culture” is “a phrase contemporary to the late 2010s and early 2020s used to refer to a culture in which those who are deemed to have acted or spoken in an unacceptable manner are ostracized, boycotted, or shunned.” Haven’t we all seen some example of this lately? Here are just a few of some recent cancellations:
Former Green Bay Packer and current benched New York Jets player, Aaron Rodgers, has spent the last few years peddling anti-vaccination, anti-science nonsense to whomever would listen. Just last week, Rodgers challenged Taylor Swift arm candy (and Chiefs tight end) Travis Kelce to a vaccination debate after Kelce starred in a commercial touting the benefits of the COVID and flu vaccines. While he’s currently out of commission due a torn ACL, it hasn’t stopped him from screaming about his victimhood.
Dilbert creator, Scott Adams, has a long history of making offensive comments that were often overlooked until earlier this year. On a February podcast, Adams called Black people a “hate group” and warned white people to “stay the hell away from them.” His award-winning comic strip was dropped by every newspaper in the country shortly after.
Iowa boy Ashton Kutcher and his wife, Mila Kunis, found themselves in hot water recently after the couple defended friend and fellow “That 70’s Show” actor Danny Masterson in court calling him a "dedicated and loyal" husband, an "excellent" role model" and an "outstanding older brother figure.” Masterson was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for sexually assaulting two women. Kutcher stepped down from the anti-child sex abuse organization he founded just days later after the backlash.
Many brands are getting the same treatment. Big names like Starbucks and Target made headlines for caving to the right when they decided to pull Pride products and Pride-related decorations from their stores. Anheuser-Busch suffered a 3% drop in stock prices after they partnered with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney on a campaign for Bud Light. Some beer guzzlers were so irate about the whole thing that they flat our refused to consume a Bud Light.
In its description of cancel culture, Wikipedia pointed out that cancel culture is considered free speech by some but censorship by others. The term “call out culture” is a more positive reframing and means calling out bad behavior where you see it.
Karma is like a rubber band. You can only stretch it so far before it comes back and smacks you in the face.”
Whatever you call it — cancel or call out culture — is it really doing anything to address immoral behavior? To shine a light on a growing lack of empathy, integrity and ethics? Take a look at public figures like Donald Trump, Jeff Bezos, Brad Pitt, John Edwards, Bill Gates, Justin Timberlake and Bill Clinton. They all had very public affairs, leaving devastated wives and children in their wake, but still found great success after with few repercussions.
And it’s not just public figures, either. There are plenty of people you know who have gotten away with bad behavior — that lady down the block who still drives on a suspended license, the guy from college who was accused of sexual assault but claimed it was consensual or the relative whole stole money from their employer but resigned instead of getting fired. None of these people have suffered the true consequences of their actions.
Cancel culture is really about accountability. Some people are inherently good, demonstrating ethically and morally sound behavior, others are not. But while we openly complain, boycott products and services or stop following them on social media, these things do nothing to actually hold them accountable for what they did. And that’s really what we want. We can’t control what they do, only how we react.
So, if your neighbor cheats on his wife or that Instagram influencer gets caught beating her children, you can be vocal about your disgust, but the reality is that they may not get what’s coming to them for a while. That’s karma for you, “the relationship between a person's mental or physical action and the consequences following that action.” In other words, “Karma is like a rubber band. You can only stretch it so far before it comes back and smacks you in the face.”
What Inspires Me?
I’m a huge fan of Steve Hartman and his “On the Road” feature on CBS Evening News. Last week, Hartman shared a story about John Amalfitano’s collection of odds and ends that includes an egg from 1951 written on by none other than Mary Foss of Forest City, Iowa. This story is about connections and I love that John and Mary connected over such an unusual item.
The Iowa Writers’ Collaborative
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Recently read “Monsters: A Fan’s dilemma” by Claire Dederer for Book Club. JKR was one of the artists, but also more “unforgivables” like Woody Allen and Roman Polanski. Can you enjoy the art while not accepting behavior from the artist? Does it matter if the artist is dead (Michael Jackson) and doesn’t financially benefit from your consumption? It’s interesting and I don’t begrudge anyone else their choices. I had to do some soul searching to determine why it doesn’t bother me to listen to Kanye or MJ but it does bother me to read Potter. And I have a Harry Potter tattoo. I am a huge super fan. And I already OWN all of that so there is no benefit to the artist if I re-read Potter. So why does it bother me? I think it’s because it feels like a betrayal. I believe JKR is dangerous (a lack of self-awareness, you called it, rightfully). The universe she created is potently against Neo-fascism and literally includes a required class called Transfiguration. I don’t consume it anymore because it absolutely makes me sad. Her views seem antithetical to her work. Also; high recommend the podcast “The Witch Trials of JK Rowling” produced by Megan Phelps-Roper.