[HPforGrownups] FAT

[Jamieson Wolf Villeneuve]

No: HPFGUIDX 20264

Hello All!!!!

Schlobin at aol.com wrote:

> One of my friends, Rich, who is a professor at the University of Michigan
> School of Social Work gave me permission to post these comments to this list
>
> "I love the Harry Potter books too.
> But anyway, something that really bugs me about the books is her depiction
> of obesity and her equating it with sloth, greed, and narrow-mindedness
> (her depiction of Harry's cousin).

I don't think that's it, exactly. I don't think she means to promote sloth as evil, just that the meaner characters, such as Dudley, are portrayed as being as unsavory as possible.

> I think that continues to promote
> intolerance and mistreatment based on weight. I feel these wildly popular
> books will not do much for kids who are bullied and ostracized based on
> weight.

I'm a fairly big guy, and I never felt any anger at the way the fat people were portrayed in the books. I don't think she's portraying anything bad for bigger children, actually. And if so, she's not doing it intentionally. IMHO of course.

>
> On the who's who in Harry Potter website, notice the description of Dudley:
> "Dudley Dursley: Harry's chubby, spoiled and bratty cousin, also a Muggle."
> I bet nine of out ten kids would start with a description of Dudley's
> weight as his defining characteristic."
>

Well, he is chubby, spoiled and bratty. I don't think she's being unfair to anyone, except to portray that there are bigger children in Britan (and all over) and that meaner people are unsavory in as well as out.

>
> I brought up Hagrid and Molly and noted that Mrs. Malfoy is thin, but still
> think
> that this is an issue worth discussing...
>

Hagrid and Molly are good points. As is Madame Maxime and Madame Hooch, who both stuck me as being rather plump. It doesn't matter the size of you, but what's inside that counts. (oh, dear! My mother just came out of my mouth. eeww)

Hugs
Jamieson

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