Episode Synopsis "Harry Potter and J.K. Rowling Controversies"
In our first episode, we talk about the social impacts of the Harry Potter series such as creating a fandom that brought diverse people together and changing the landscape in which children's books can be a major cultural force. However, we also point out the problematic points of the artist, J.K. Rowling such as her trans-phobic tweets and controversial behavior of changing the identities of characters. We also discuss her influence on the series such as painting the main female characters as more masculine such as only having friends who are boys and making fun of the traditional feminine girls. We go on to explain why the behavior of J.K. Rowling shouldn't be supported and how we feel about separating the art from the artist.