Here’s the quote, courtesy of imdb:
I agree; “tidy to the point of cliche” was meant as a bad thing. Didn’t stop them from doing it in the film though, I see.
Upon further consideration we do see the budding relationship between Hagrid (who is technically a teacher) and Madame Maxime, and ISTR suggestions that Argus Filch and Madam Pince were a couple, so staff relationships were not verboten, at least in practice.
Dumbledore mentions how much he loves knitting patterns in The Half-Blood Prince. I don’t know if it happens in the Movie only, or if it is in the books too.
It’s not exactly Dumbledore opining on the hot ass of Sirius Black or anything like that, but Dumbledore’s eccentricity has a bit of a gayish tint there.
Yeah, by the last book, Ron was dispensable.
Real men don’t knit??? Maybe in macho Yank culture, but in the real world, liking to knit (or cook or whatever) doesn’t automatically make you gay, or even campy. When back in the 80s, leftover 68ers and citizen’s movement groups founded the Green Party, one of the iconic things that TV loved to pick up were men with beards down to their belts knitting scarves and sweaters (they were from sheeps communes). (Other iconic things were feminists wearing purple jump-jeans).
In case of Dumbledore it’s maybe his eccentricty, maybe something else (in GF, Dumbledore tells Harry that he reads Muggle newspapers for additional information).
After all, Hagrid is not only interested in knitting patterns, but actually does knit (something that looks like a canary-yellow circus tent) right in book 1. Hagrid also doesn’t mind crying when Buckbeak is about to be executed. Does that make him less of a man or gay?
Please, people.
Who said Dumbledore was less of a man?
Who said knitting makes Dumbledore (or anyone) less macho?
Are you saying that because I think gay men enjoy knitting that makes me think of gay men as less macho?
Are you aware that you are talking to a homosexual?
I’m certainly not one to think that being gay (or knitting) makes someone less than. Why would you think so?
You are so out of line.
All I said was that Dumbledore’s interest in knitting is a non-zero indicator of possible gayness. All the shit about macho man crap is in your head, not mine.
And Hagrid is kind of gay too; and I love him for that. Seriously, he refers to himself as “mummy” in regards to Norbert. That’s wonderfully gay.
That came out a bit more angry than I intended.
No, I’m saying that normal people don’t think that a man who knits is automatically gay. That’s what I’m calling bullshit on.
No, I didn’t know that. I would have expected a gay man to know better than to perpetrate stupid American culture stereotypes, that Dumbledore liking knitting means he’s gay, when it doesn’t. The only reason we know Dumbledore is gay because Rowling said so, not because he likes knitting patterns.
Even the crush young Dumbledore had on Grindelwald, as told in the book, is not conclusive evidence - many young boys experience feelings towards a good friend and aren’t gay.
You seem to be working from the American-cultural definition of gay= sissy or feminine.
I was using the definition of gay= homosexual= being attracted to men.
So feeling motherly towards a dragon has got nothing to do with sexual orientation, it’s part of Hagrids personality of liking monsters/ unusual animals (not sexually liking, but caring for them).
Liking knitting has got nothing to with sexual orientation. Wearing a purple suit has nothing do with sexual orientation. Talking with a lisp has nothing … etc.
TV loved to pick it up, because perhaps of the seeming incongruity of the juxtaposition of men with beards down to their belts with knitting?
Who said it automatically made him gay? I said it was “gayish.” I even said it wasn’t conclusive evidence like commenting on some guy’s hot ass. But it is some evidence.
Are you saying that statistically a straight man is just as likely to knit as a gay one? You know, gays love the crafting. Seriously, we do. You seem to think that orientation equality means we have to be exactly like straight men and the only thing different about us is we are attracted to men. While in a specific case, this is true, in general it is not. Gay culture exists, and it is decidedly different than Straight Culture.
If I see a guy knitting, you bet I’m going to think the probability of him being gay is higher than general population. Is it proof? No. But it is an indicator.
Has an undying love for Madonna? Sure, that’s an indicator too. Not proof, but something to go on.
Does any of this make him less than a man? Of course not.
Correct. Upthread someone asked if there were any indicators of Dumbledore being gay prior to Book 7. I posted about Book 6.
Do you even know what gaydar is?
I see you are missing the point. We aren’t talking about conclusive evidence. Simply hints.
doubtful. You seem to be working from the I-don’t-know-what cultural definition that knitting = sissy, which I never said. Nor do I think.
And who doesn’t?
Just so you know, we often refer to others or ourselves with female pronouns/nouns just for kicks. Would it make you happier if I said “Hagrid acts in a way that would make him comfortable within gay culture?”
Sigh.
While I agree it isn’t the be all-end-all of orientation. I would not go so far as to say “nothing.” Far more gays would be willing to rock the purple suit than straight guys.
Not that this is proof or anything, but I had a lisp.
While I certainly don’t think there’s anything effeminate about men doing needlework or fiber arts of any kind, and while a straight male needlework nerd may leave his handcrafted merino wool slippers under my bed any time he cares to, I have to agree that IME the average needlework nerd is significantly more likely to be gay than straight.
However, I never interpreted Dumbledore’s taste for knitting patterns as evidence of homosexuality; I just thought it was another mark of his serene eccentricity and nonconformism. What did make me feel unsurprised about Dumbledore’s eventually revealed gayness was just his evident lack of reaction to women. From fielding emotionally overwrought compliments by Professor McGonagall at the start of the first book to dancing with Madame Maxime in the fourth book, and beyond, Dumbledore was always a “perfect gentleman” with women; friendly but completely calm and matter-of-fact. I think a guy as honest as Dumbledore, if he actually found women attractive at all, would at least have flirted with them a little bit.
Yes, that was my interpretation, too.
I attributed that far more to his generation (he’s over 100 years, either 120 or 150 years old): Sherlock Holmes, or Professor Higgins from My fair lady, are also long-time bachelors who don’t flirt with women, because when they were brought up, any contact between men and women was suspect, but two guys were just good friends.
You may recall that Hagrid had some serious mother issues; playing a nurturing “mummy” to Norbert fits right in with someone who never had a doting mother of his own. Not that I think Rowling thought it through that much - mostly I suspect it was all just for comedic effect.
But I agree that needlework is something that only effeminate gay men do, men with girly names like, say, Rosey.
[Hagrid voice]
I tried getting with men, it just didn’t work. I kept splitting them in two.
[/Hagrid voice]