[HPforGrownups] Re: What is Canon?

[Katy Cartee]

No: HPFGUIDX 55850

Maria wrote: 

> Because JKR does not have complete control over the merchandise and 
> the movies. For example, she may "guide" Kloves, but ultimately, 
> Kloves himself, and Columbus as well, will insert whatever subtext 
> they wish into the movie. 

Hmm...good point.

> The same goes for spells. My CoS computer game, for example, has a 
> spell called "Mimblewimble." Should we consider it canon, then? I 
> don't think so. JKR didn't invent it.

Ok, ya'll are starting to convince me...

> Another good example is robes. Honestly, did you have the Movie!Robes 
> in mind when you first read the books?

I saw the first movie before i read any of the books, so i had no chance to fix another image into my mind. But what's wrong with how they are depicted in the movie? They look good to me.

> It would thrill me to find out more of the facts from Rowling. If she 
> doesn't write anything else after Book 7, I'll be content with what I 
> have, but I won't regard other sources as canon. But that's just me, 
> you're, of course, entitled to your own opinion.

I think the "block" i'm having here is stemming from my experience with "canon" in the Rainbow Brite fandom. We only got 13 episodes and one movie as "canon." That's it. And there were new characters thrown into the series that were never even introduced/explained. So there are MILLIONS of holes we've had to try and fill in. So we're 'forced' to look to other sources to fill in those holes. I keep forgetting, that when the HP series is finished, there really won't be any holes left to fill. I'm sure that JKR will do a wonderful job of answering all of the important questions and wrapping things together nicely. We will have a beginning, middle and end...all written by ONE author...something i'm not used to. 

Amy Z wrote:

> It may be thrilling, and go ahead and accept it as part of your HP 
> world if it gives you pleasure, but it's not Rowling canon.  Canon 
> means "the works of an author that have been accepted as authentic" 
> (that's the American Heritage's opinion, anyway).  I've enjoyed non-
> canonical works such as Sherlock Holmes mysteries by someone other 
> than Arthur Conan Doyle, but they still aren't part of his canon.

I do see what you're saying. I'm getting there ;)

Annemehr wrote:

> This is why I will never accept licensed articles as any part of 
> canon: because JKR is never going to be *personally* designing them.  
> We have two possibilities.  On the one hand, the licensed merchandise 
> could be created with *absolute* faithfulness to what's in the books, 
> in which case it would add nothing to canon (and, IMO, be impossible 
> anyway).  On the other hand, the creator of the merchandise uses his 
> or her imagination to fill in certain details, in which case the item 
> is no more canon than posts of people's opinions on this list or 
> fanfic that tries to remain true to the books (i.e. non-AU fic).

True...

> I, too, feel that I will not be learning all that I want to about 
> Harry Potter's world in seven books.  However, I personally would not 
> feel that taking in other people's ideas about this world would be the 
> same as learning new *facts* about it.  Just as I will enjoy reading 
> opinions here, if I see some merchandise I like I may buy it, but I 
> will not take any of it as canon.  Furthermore, two pieces of 
> merchandise may contradict one another; which one would you then 
> believe?

A very good point indeed. Ok, ya'll have convinced me...i've been converted :P

Petra Pan wrote:

> Ah but the series is NOT complete yet.  
> Info gleaned from merchandising may 
> very well be contradicted by future 
> canon.  The very fact that such info 
> DO fill in the blanks left by current 
> canon is why they are attractive...but
> ...it's also a weakness: such blanks 
> may be filled by canon later.  

If you go back and read my posts, you will see that i was, in fact, talking about including them as canon AFTER the series is complete, not now. But after reading these wonderful points, i will no longer consider any HP merchandise as canon.

But i STILL DO believe that JKR's interviews/comments SHOULD be considered canon AFTER the series is complete. Is there anyone that would like to contest that?

~Katy~
..who will certainly admit when she's wrong.. ;)

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