The Washington Post has a feature these days called ‘Internet Culture’ in which they explore trends or ‘memes’ springing up on the world wide web with a special focus on twitter fads. This week the Post story under this rubric was ‘How J. K. Rowling’s Endless Updates to Harry Potter Became a Meme.’ In said article readers learn that Potter philes around the world have tired of The Presence’s additions to canon via PotterMore or tweets, e.g. that Hogwarts didn’t always have indoor plumbing so wizards of old used to just vanish away their excretions and that Ron’s Patronus was a Jack Russell, not to mention the back story of Nagini. Their response? Create their own Rowling-esque revelations, things-we-weren’t-told-about-our-favorite-characters, in the form of unsolicited tweets to an incredulous fandom.
Some of them, forgive me, are quite funny. Many involve sexual acts. Some gently chastize Rowling for being too political, politically correct, or for trending conservative in her posts and stories.
You get the idea. For more tweets along these lines not in the Post article, including many ‘not safe for work,’ see stories on this subject here, here, and here. I’m wondering if this sign that Rowling has somehow “jumped the shark” by being much too available and forthcoming with her fans has led to this backlash — and that she prudently has decided to take some time away from tweeting to give the meme a chance to die a natural death.
Just sayin’! Let me know what you think in the comment boxes below — and please keep any memes you might want to share PG 13…
Haha, maybe she is lying low until this blows over. I also got a chuckle from the beginning of the article that stated her that political and social insights were Always appreciated. I guess they’re lock- step with her politically while lampooning trivia tidbits. (Although if the toilet one wasn’t a joke, she may have gone round the bend.)