[HPforGrownups] HP and the democratic equilibrium(Re: Umbridge, brooms and DEs)

[Shaun Hately]

No: HPFGUIDX 87227

On 16 Dec 2003 at 11:16, Samantha Hilsenrod wrote:

> Just curious-
> Why DOESN'T Hogwarts have cheerleaders.
> 
> Lions are better than snakes.
> Snakes are bald and lions have hair.
> So come on beat those bears!
> Beat those bear!
> 
> Okay, not a very good cheer but why doesn't Hogwarts
> have cheerleaders (you did say most Americans wouldnt
> understand why and I'm American so your explaining
> would be appreciated.)

It's just a cultural difference.

Cheerleaders are *not* part of British school culture the way they 
are in some American high schools. There's no tradition of 
provocatively clad girls dancing around doing organised cheers at 
school sporting events.

My point in mentioning it was just to illustrate how different 
countries have rather different educational traditions - so if 
something about Hogwarts seems weird to an American reader, they 
should bear in mind that it may not be because Hogwarts is a Wizard 
school - it may just be because Hogwarts is a British school.

One prime example - prefects. I've encountered a significant number 
of American Harry Potter fans who believe 'Prefects' are something 
JKR made up. Same with the House system - they think that's 
something she created for the books.

They don't realise that these are fairly normal (though certainly 
not universal) features of British schooling - many schools have 
prefects. Many schools have a house system.

It's not that Americans are especially ignorant - it's just that 
the educational culture is a different one. And other English 
speaking countries (such as Australia, Canada, and New Zealand) 
tend to be members of the Commonwealth and to have closer 
educational traditions to British schools - so it's mostly 
Americans who are generally being asked to deal with something 
quite 'alien' to their experiences in the Harry Potter books.

Of course, all fans have to deal with some differences between 
their schooling and what's seen at Hogwarts - it's just that the 
learning curve for Americans tends to be greater than other English 
speaking populations.



Yours Without Wax, Dreadnought
Shaun Hately | www.alphalink.com.au/~drednort/thelab.html
(ISTJ)       | drednort at alphalink.com.au | ICQ: 6898200 
"You know the very powerful and the very stupid have one
thing in common. They don't alter their views to fit the 
facts. They alter the facts to fit the views. Which can be 
uncomfortable if you happen to be one of the facts that 
need altering." The Doctor - Doctor Who: The Face of Evil
Where am I: Frankston, Victoria, Australia