WHY HP is so popular

[prefectmarcus at yahoo.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 23577

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., Rita Winston <catlady at w...> wrote:
> Which sends me off on a digression about STAR WARS, which IIRC also
> swept the world, and George Lucas SAID that he had deliberately
> constructed it according to the archetypal Hero's Journey according 
to
> Joseph Campbell. But anyone can write a book that puts Jungian or
> Campbellian archetypes through their well-rehearsed paces in a
> mechanical and boring kind of way. STAR WARS needed those fabulous
> visuals that were lovingly copied from previous movies, and whatever
> psychology those visuals were plugged into. HP needed -- what? The
> clichés of magic? Charm? Humor? Believable characters whom we care
> about, even love?

Hmmm, you might be on to something.

I am old enough to remember the coming of Star Wars.  I was a Junior 
in College.  I am also remember the dismal state of the cinema then.  
It was the era of the anti-hero.  Shows such as "A Clockwork Orange" 
and "One flew over the Cuckoo's Nest" to name just two, sought to 
protray life as a misery.  Even fun movies had criminals as the 
heros, "The Sting" and "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid", are 
representive.  Movie companies had forgotten the basics and were 
putting out message films.  

Then along came "Star Wars".  The good guys were good.  The bad guys 
were bad.  It wasn't because their mommies have been mean to them, 
or "society" had dealt them a raw deal.  They were bad because they 
wanted to be bad.  The good guys struggled against impossible odds to 
win against unassailable evil.  Besides that, the movie was FUN!!!

I remember so well the Time review of "Star Wars".  It ended with 
this quote, "Thank-you, George Lucas, for making movies fun again."  
Here it is, 25 years later and I still remember that nearly word for 
word.

Flash forward those 25 years.  What is the state of Adult literature 
today? Where are the plots, the characters, the FUN?  Where are the 
pure, unadulterated stories? 

What is the state of Children's literature.  Everything is dumbed 
down, sanitized, and shortened.  The Adults aren't real in the 
books.  Neither are the kids, for that matter.  

Everything is formula.  Everything is cookie-cutter, stamp out the 
same plots with a bit of a twist to make things different.  If it's 
supposed to be for adults, throw in some sex and/or violence.  Some 
anger is nice too.  Sprinkle that around.     

Then along comes Harry.  (Sounds like a song, doesn't it? :) )  
Suddenly good old fashioned story-telling is back in style.  It has 
been missing for so long, we lap it up.  

Is this why?

Marcus