A better episode from the same series with a Quidditch reference (embed function disabled, alas) can be found here and here’s the actress who plays Penny talking about her love of Harry Potter. H/T to Lynn!
Thoughts for the Serious Reader of Harry Potter
Hogwarts Professor Pillar Posts
Keys to Understanding J. K. Rowling’s Novels and Screenplays
Recent Conversation
- Nick D on Strike-Potter PSI: Silkworm and Chamber
- David Llewellyn Dodds on Substack HogwartsProfessor First Post: First Principles and First Menu
- David Llewellyn Dodds on Substack HogwartsProfessor First Post: First Principles and First Menu
- Sandy on Weblog HogwartsProfessor is Dead; Long Live Substack HogwartsProfessor
- Marilynn Hornsby on Jim Kay to Pass On Illustration Baton
We were at the wedding this weekend of a young friend of ours, and at the post-reception dinner, we ended up seated with the groom’s delightful Christian family, whom we’d not met before. I learned that the groom’s mother played the harp and was considering doing music therapy at nursing homes and neonatal hospital units, because it’s “soothing.” Taking a chance, I said, “Like the harp soothing Fluffy to sleep.” To my delight she and her husband got it and laughingly agreed. That’s a pretty obscure reference to make. Shared text indeed!
Harry Potter references abound in our pop culture! Just take “The Office” for example: During a murder-mystery dinner party, Angela explains “her character’s dalliance with the Dark Arts” by saying she was exposed to Harry Potter. When Jim and Pam stay the night at Dwight’s bed and breakfast, he reads them a chapter from Harry Potter before they go to sleep. When Jim is mockingly explaining the plot of “Battlestar Galactica,” he says the main character is named “Dumbledore Calrissian.” Harry is everywhere!
I confess to laughing about and loving the Cal Tech geek calling the folks in the back seat “Muggles” with disdain because it is so much like the scientist perspective on the unenlightened man-in-the-street who benefits in ignorance from their wizardry…
Love these examples of the Shared Text phenomenon, Henry and Arabella! Keep ’em coming!
I had a wonderful conversation with one of our older, local sports announcers last week over a cup of vegetable soup. The subject matter? Family movies benefited by modern technology and books that transcend age! LotR, Narnia, and Harry Potter were the Big Three series…and I couldn’t pass up opportunity to share this site and your books, Professor!
By the way, my conversation partner was the one who first brought up HP. He said there was just “something about the way the author developed the story”! Needless to say, my mind was awhirl with all kinds of explanation. I hope I didn’t confuse him with my feeble, albeit exuberant, nutshell presentation of Literary Alchemy, Ring Composition, and Christian Symbolism!!!!!!
“Buffy the Vampire Slayer” made references to Dumbledore, Hogwarts (twice), and Voldemort. At least one of the Hogwarts references was from 2000, before the first Potter movie was released. In fact, when Buffy herself didn’t get the reference, Dawn said something like, “Why don’t you crack a book every once in a while?”
I love Buffy!
On this week’s episode of “Parks and Rec” (NBC) a flu-disoriented Lesile talks about needing to go to a meeting with the Chamber of Secrets instead of Chamber of Commerce. A thanks Henry – forgot about The Office ones which are so funny!