The New Harry Potter Book

[JonSetanta]

Still can't believe the Waese thinks Miss Watson isn't hot.

Scottish girls FTW. Although, her choice in alcohol has much to be improved.



shirak: Totally agree.

[Fuzzy_logic]

I'd like to point out, for the record, that there are approximately a kajillion Bad Gryffindors.

See: Gilderoy Lockhart, Sirius Black, Fred & George Weasley, etc.

[JonSetanta]

I'd probably be Slytherin, unless I'm more like Sirius then I realize and just kidding myself.

[Count Arioch the 28th]

1191295320[/unixtime]]I'd like to point out, for the record, that there are approximately a kajillion Bad Gryffindors.

See: Gilderoy Lockhart, Sirius Black, Fred & George Weasley, etc.

I always thought Fred and George weren't bad people, just chaotic (Giant frog!)

[Fuzzy_logic]

Fred and George are complicated. It all depends on how you value big picture vs. small picture choices, and philosophy vs. personality.

They get major, major brownie points for their frequent, heroic opposition to evil. They fought, repeatedly, agaisnt Voldemort, and that probably pushes them up to CN.

Without that opportunity for atonement through heroism, though they're pretty clearly the bad guys. They are generally perceived as chaotic, but that's wrong. They aren't just disorganized, spontaneous, mirthful, or happy-go-lucky. Even calling them disorganized, imprudent and unreliable is too kind.

What they are is bigoted, cruel, and dangerous.

Seriously, their hearts are NOT in the right place. Besides appearing to find violence funny, they are the source of Ron's misogyny.

And those endearing "pranks" all too often cause their victims permanenet damage.

Seriously, if Voldemort were a Gryffindor, they'd have been first to sign up.

[Count Arioch the 28th]

You're going to have to explain yourself to me a bit better on a few points.

How are Fred and George bigoted, and how was Ron misogynist?

And when did their pranks cause permanent damage?

[technomancer]

Well, it would be permanat damage if magic wern't such a cure-all. And their sometimes cruel humor definatly played a role in Rons insecurities, which he did take out on Hermione and Ginny (and pretty much everyone else he hung out with), which is probably where fuzzy is getting misogynism.

[Fuzzy_logic]

Off the top of my head, they gave Ron a permanent fear of spiders (incidentally, not only do they not regret this, they deliberately taunt him about it later-- IIRC), and caused some kind of brain damage to Montague.

There's more, but I'm not remembering...

And Ron says something dumb about girls, like, every time he opens his mouth.

[Count Arioch the 28th]

1191373350[/unixtime]]Off the top of my head, they gave Ron a permanent fear of spiders (incidentally, not only do they not regret this, they deliberately taunt him about it later-- IIRC), and caused some kind of brain damage to Montague.

There's more, but I'm not remembering...

And Ron says something dumb about girls, like, every time he opens his mouth.

I don't remember who Montague is, I'm afraid.

And to be perfectly honest, if saying dumb things about girls is misogynist, then every boy between the ages of 2 and 15 are misogynist too.

Hell, I STILL say dumb things about girls on occasion, mostly because I don't know what the hell they want exactly.

[shirak]

1191373350[/unixtime]]And Ron says something dumb about girls, like, every time he opens his mouth.

Except in the last book where the twins give him

a book called Twelve Sure-Fire Ways to Charm Girls.

And then he gives it to Harry for his birthday. It's even stupider than it sounds.

[Fuzzy_logic]

"Everybody does it" isn't much of a defense. especially when it isn't true. I never fell for the more obvious forms of sexism, so I manged to get to 15 without saying really anything dumb about girls as a group.

Plus, the wizarding world is much more egalitarian than ours. Women are pretty common in positions of authority, and they have the full range of magical powers, and more importantly NOBODY FINDS THIS ODD.

Seriously, even Draco, who in real life would be a big-time misogynist, never goes after Hermione for being a girl. Only a mudblood.

Similarly, Neville doesn't go around complaining about how confusing girls are.

Seriously, in the entire series there are six people who buy into this macho bullshit. Morfin and what's-his-face Gaunt are all about the oppressing women. But they're clearly anachronistic. Harry moans about not understanding women, but that's because he doesn't understand ANYBODY. He was raised in a freaking cupboard under the stairs.

And then there's the Weasleys.

[Count Arioch the 28th]

1191420442[/unixtime]]"Everybody does it" isn't much of a defense. especially when it isn't true.

Alright, let me say this again.

You are going to have to explain what Ron said that was so sexist, because I do not see it. You need to give specific examples of sexist things he said, or else I'm not inclined to beleive you.

[Bigode]

Also, please explain why Draco would be sexist only if in real life.

[technomancer]

Probably because he is extremely elitist, and hates everybody who isn't him. Not rich? Not pureblood? Not Slytherin? You're Crap. It's not that much of a stretch to add "Not male? You're crap."