Jim Dale, Stupid Americans, Hagrid's worth as a teacher

[darrin_burnett]

No: HPFGUIDX 40246


> Rowen said:
> 
> "Actually, I quite like the Jim Dale American book-on-CD's. I think 
he 
> does quite a good job."

I write: 

Jim Dale also does the narration for the special extras on the 
Sorcerer's Stone DVD. Quite amusing, listening him make regurgitation 
noises after eating a vomit-flavored Every Flavor Bean.

> 
> And Rowen wrote:
> "I am extremely insulted by it. Everything over here gets "idiot 
> proofed" when it's imported. You should see the mangled versions of 
> Japanese anime we get. It's doubly bad since it's a "children's 
book" 
> since apparently American kids are only slightly more intelligent 
> than slugs."
> 
> Ah - I'm glad to see the American public fighting back :). 
> 

I write:

This is not the first example of something being dumbed-down for us 
Yanks. The James Bond movie "Licence to Kill" was originally called 
(and may have been called in the UK) "Licence Revoked" but the studio 
feared that not enough people would know what "revoked" meant.

And they didn't even notice that "License" was spelled wrong ;) Hah, 
little humor for my teddy cousins. :)


OK, onto the Hagrid's worth as a teacher discussion. Might I plop 
myself firmly on the fence between the parties, whose names I am 
afraid I have not been able to keep very good track of.

There seem to be three main arguments -- not put forth by the same 
posters -- against Hagrid being a worthy teacher. I disagree 
vehemently with one, find another quibbling and do agree with the 
third.

1) He endangered the students by bringing a Hippogriff to class.

Bull! Hagrid gave very clear instructions on how to deal with a 
hippogriff. Draco chose to disregard them. As I have said before, 
blaming Hagrid for Draco's idiocy is exactly what creates little 
jerks like Draco in the first place.

"My child couldn't have done that," you can hear Lucius Malfoy (and 
sadly, too many RL parents) saying. "It must be the teacher's fault."

Students 13-years-old (and younger) are able to take equestrian 
classes, and there are certain safety issues necessary with horses, 
are there not? 13 years old is well above the age of reason. Malfoy 
should have taken responsibility for his actions, but with parents 
who spoil him rotten, that will never happen.

I cover education issues for a newspaper, and I hear teachers telling 
me stuff like this all the time. In Kansas City, a teacher resigned 
after parents protested her flunking their children because they 
plagiarized.

Buckbeak seemed perfectly tame IF he was respected and not insulted. 
Draco instead did the ONE thing to set him off, and that one thing 
was adequately covered by Hagrid.

2) Hagrid's reaction to this was unbecoming a teacher.

There is a solid defense for Hagrid in this case. His entire 
curriculum, except for grubworms, would probably have SOME danger. 
Even the unicorns the girls later became so fond of disliked boys to 
the point where there could have been a danger. So, he obviously was 
trying to eliminate any danger.

And since we are talking about magical creatures, there are obviously 
few choices that are completely harmless.

BUT... I do agree that to overreact to the point of doing nothing but 
grubworms was a mistake as a teacher. Do I think it's a firing 
offense? No, I do not. 

But my vehement defense of Hagrid in argument 1 only makes this 
offense worse. Say you are an industrial arts teacher in RL. Some 
student, careless with the power saw, slices off a finger. The 
student completely disregarded safety precautions and violated the 
teacher's instructions. The teacher is cleared of wrongdoing (as 
Hagrid was).

To basically restrict the class to the learning equivalent of sanding 
wood is wrong.

3) He's too buddy-buddy with the Trio.

I find this a quibble for one main reason. I have yet to see any 
evidence that Harry, Ron or Hermione are being treated any 
differently IN CLASS from other students or that Hagrid is being 
unprofessional with them IN CLASS. They are indeed friends, but I 
don't see any favoritism in the course.

And I don't see any evidence of the Trio blowing off the lessons -- 
except the grubworms, which everyone blew off -- because of the 
informality of the relationship.

I emphasize "in class" because yes, Hagrid helped Harry with the 
dragons. And McGonagall, the pillar of integrity, has overlooked at 
least one transgression for the good of the Quidditch Cup.  And Snape 
goes out of his way to help Slytherin.

For sheer classroom integrity, it is Snape who is the worst teacher 
in school. Blatantly favoring the Slytherins is ridiculous. Hagrid 
doesn't openly do this with the Trio.

Is it a perfect situation, being so buddy-buddy? Certainly not. But I 
do not see how it has harmed class.

Darrin 
-- Did a lot of sanding wood in school