Female dogs in PoA and other innocent words WAS Re: Spoilers - my POA review

[Theresa]

--- In HPFGU-Movie at yahoogroups.com, "Haggridd" <jkusalavagemd at y...> 
wrote:
> --- In HPFGU-Movie at yahoogroups.com, "sophiamcl" <sophiamcl at h...> 
> wrote:
> > --- In HPFGU-Movie at yahoogroups.com, "Haggridd" 
> <jkusalavagemd at y...> 
> > wrote:
> > s
> > p
> > o
> > i
> > l
> > e
> > r
> > s
> > p
> > a
> > c
> > e
> > > > from the mother comparing it to dogs. I think it was 
something 
> > > > like "if there is something wrong with the b*#%h then there 
is 
> > > > something wrong with the pup" and that is when Harry 
> shouts "shut 
> > > Thank you, Theresa, for a fine review of the new HP movie.  I 
> would 
> > > like to talk about Aunt Marge's comment about dog breeding for 
a 
> > > moment.  I am sad for you that you were shocked by the word "b--
-
> > 
> > I hope this helps you feel better about JKR's language, which is 
> > > perfectly innocent-- except for Dumbledore's brother Aberforth, 
> > > perhaps!  :)
> > > 
> > > Haggridd
> > 
> > I don't know that it's entirely innocent. I agree of course that 
> > Marge is using "bitch" in the dog-breeding sense, but what makes 
> it 
> > so particularly offensive nevertheless,(and I rather think she 
> knows 
> > it) is that she's using it to make a direct parallel to Lily and 
> > Harry!
> > 
> > Sophia
> 
> Sophia, you are entirely correct that Aunt Marge is being very 
> insulting and is implying poor breeding to Lily and Harry.  My 
point 
> is that the word "bitch" is not used as a curseword, but only to 
the 
> extent that it means to cheapen the Potter-Evans bloodline.  She 
> might just as easily said "dam" and "colt", but Aunt Marge is a dog 
> breeder, not a horse breeder.
> 
> 
> Haggridd

Oh my! I stand humbly before all of you. I picked up my copy of POA 
today and reread that section. I am so ashamed, I forgot when 
watching the film that JK had actually had that line in the book. I 
must have read POA at least a dozen times as it is my favorite but I 
guess I always ignored the word. Either that or seeing it written and 
reading it doesn't have the impact that hearing Pam Ferris say it out 
loud did. I wanted to blow her up myself hearing it. I think there 
are 2 reasons I was so surprised, first Petunia just sits there not 
saying a word and golly this is her bloodline too but of course she 
hated her "freak sister" and two I had just read somewhere that 
Alfonso's contract said not to curse in front of the cast so when I 
heard that word, it was like wait a minute. Of course as someone said 
bloody hell is not a word for proper conversation either. At least 
they aren't saying Hugh Grant's seemingly favorite b word, starts 
with bug. I have a British friend who cringes whenever she hears 
that. Apparently, she spent a few hours in detention when she was 14 
for saying that word and getting caught by her headmistress. Anyway, 
I do love the books and all three of the films so this was just a 
minor thing. And you are quite right Marge is a dog breeder so that 
is not a curse word to her but it is still quite an insult to Lily. 
Too bad the ministry deflats her and modifies her memory. It would be 
funny to leave her floating around the sky like a balloon.

Theresa