Hey Harry Potter! Shove your Sorcerer's Stone up yer secret passage.

[Diane]

Just thought this work of art needed to be repeated.

I’m sure you’re a lovely lady, Ms Rowling-in-millions, but would you mind terribly if I plunged my Mary Poppins umbrella deep into your Chamber of Secrets, actually your Goblet of Fire would do, and fanned that cauldron of creative juices with impassioned vigour until you were as dry as witch’s snatch.

As far as fairytales, I’ll stick to Ann Rice’s Sleeping Beauty series.

[Duck_Duck_Goose]

Miller, you need to watch more Pokemon.

On the subject of Warner Bros. merchandising the bejeezus out of the franchise: They actually seem to think they’re being terribly, terribly restrained. Happened across this in the Tribune yesterday.

http://chicagotribune.com/business/chi-0111060046nov06.story

Warner Bros. execs careful not to dilute Potter’s magic

By Claudia Eller.
Published November 6, 2001

It’s the potential windfall and strong desire to protect both the integrity of the brand and preserve its desired long-term relationship with Rowling that prompted Warner executives to adopt a “less is more” strategy.

“When a brand originates from a literary property like this, there’s a whole other level of protection you have to add because consumers are protective of being true to that property and not exploiting it,” said Diane Nelson, Warner’s senior vice president of family entertainment.

To guard against overexposure, Warner chose one global promotional partner, Coca-Cola, rather than linking up with a half-dozen, which is often the case on big family movies.

And to give the Coke promotional campaign more credence, Warner demanded that the advertiser establish a literacy program.

They are so noble… [admiring sigh] But wait, there’s more.

Warner also limited its domestic products licensees to 87, compared with more than 150 for its 1989 blockbuster “Batman.”

Geez. Is the Nobel Committee listening? However, evidently they’re still “only human” over at Warner.

Despite the studio’s somewhat subdued yearlong efforts, Taubin readily acknowledges that there is a major marketing campaign under way, which industry estimates peg at more than $40 million domestically.

Well, I suppose we must allow the Robin Hoods of Hollywood their little quirks.

BTW, am I the only one who is obsessed with who does the laundry at Hogwarts? I’ve read all four books, and so far JK has covered the kitchens and the bathroom facilities, but no word so far on who’s washing the wizard robes for all those sweaty, stinky adolescents.

[sub]do you suppose they have spells for skid marks? “POOPIOUTUS!”[/sub]

[hazel-rah]

I don’t like to be a spoilsport but I’ve had enough already: A month from theatrical release and I’m ready to theatrically release my teevee out the window and onto an un-expectant public. This media hype is bollocks!

You don’t like media hype, yet you watch television… tell me, after you posted this did you go to the doctor and complain that your thumb hurts every time you hit it with a hammer?

-fh

[rjung]

*Originally posted by emarkp *
Oh, and rjung, some people don’t like Terry Pratchett, and it’s not really quite the same genre.

Oh, I know, but to me, preferring Harry Potter over Discworld is like eating at McDonalds instead of having prime steak. There’s always vegetarians.

[Diane]

You don’t like media hype, yet you watch television… tell me, after you posted this did you go to the doctor and complain that your thumb hurts every time you hit it with a hammer?

Yeah, cause after all everyone knows that once you choose to watch TV, go to movies, read books, look at art, you lose all rights to make criticisms and should just sit back grinning mindlessly and pretend to enjoy it all. :rolleyes:

Now unless you are being forced to participate on this message board you aren’t going to complain about this response to you because it would be like going to the doctor and complaining that your thumb hurts every time you hit it with a hammer.

[hazel-rah]

Now unless you are being forced to participate on this message board you aren’t going to complain about this response to you because it would be like going to the doctor and complaining that your thumb hurts every time you hit it with a hammer.

I don’t understand what you mean. It might be because that analogy is so unbelievably tortured its pitiful screams are drowning out everything else in your post.

-fh

[Diane]

It might be because that analogy is so unbelievably tortured its pitiful screams are drowning out everything else. . .

Well at least you caught my drift.

[London_Calling]

hazel-rah - I think Diane hit the nail on the head when she thumbed her nose in the first paragraph. Mixed meta hey ?

Maybe we have different expectations from our small screen media. The majority of what I see is non-commercial and has a strict mandate to provide quality, unbiased reporting. The huge furore surrounding the ‘World Premiere’ of this film over the past week has been exceptional and not, IMHO, 'quality reporting.

I guess part of the hype was because of the need to make sure it got off to a flying start - this ones being done in reverse order (UK first) so perhaps it is more commonplace over yonder.

Anyway, it’s coming at you like a tsunami and will hit the US shores sometime in the next two-three weeks. Make you own judgements then.

[Diane]

Anyway, it’s coming at you like a tsunami and will hit the US shores sometime in the next two-three weeks. Make you own judgements then.

It’s already started and I couldn’t agree with your OP any more! Please tell me it isn’t going to get worse that it already is!

[leander]

London- the tsunami has hit! Even though the premiere was over there, opening day is the same for the U.S. (and Canada and Taiwan(?)). So we are been inundated with Harry Potter shit everywhere.

I think the books were actually a good thing for kids - getting them to read and all, even if the books themselves aren’t the greatest fiction around (nowhere near as good as Tolkien or CS Lewis). Since most kids seem to be stuck in front of a TV or playing video games, any reading seems to be a good thing.

But, of course, since AOL/TIME/WARNER runs half the world, we’ll be seeing Harry Potter everywhere except literature from now own. Who needs to read? Just wait for the damn flick.

[BoBettie]

London, you are in such deep trouble.

So, I’ve had that damned thread title in my brain for a few days now, giggling every time I see it and thinking DAMN that is funny.

I open up the paper at work this morning and splashed all over the Living section is massive Harry Potter media hype. Immediately your thread title jumped into my brain, and no amount of pushing would make it go away. I got into one of those crying hysterical laughing fits that just won’t stop and I never could tell anyone why.

Now everyone KNOWS I’m nuts.

(It’s the “up your secret passage” part that gets me, I think)

Zette

[rjung]

Random thought – maybe if we got the Harry Potter hype tsunami and the Windows XP hype tsunami together, they’ll cancel each other out?

[Baldwin]

as dry as witch’s snatch.

My experience would indicate that this is not a useful comparison.

I just recently read all four books, and if I look at them simply as books, they’re very enjoyable, and I’m impressed by how well Ms. Rowlings has woven together numerous details from the earlier books, so that they have new meaning in the fourth. It’s really more of a multi-volume novel than separate novels.

But why can’t people just like something without going nuts about it?

[rjung]

*Originally posted by Baldwin *
But why can’t people just like something without going nuts about it?

Then what would the soccer hooligans do on the weekends?

[Tricia_Valentine]

In one of the books, I forgot which, Hermione (God I hope y’all can pronounce that!) Has a sort of “save the house elves” campaign- they’re kinda like voluntary slaves. But the house elves do the laundry and cook the food and etc. But punishments during detention often include these kinds of tedious things (polishing an entire awards room by hand!)

Just in case you weren’t sure.

~C~