Forty Kittens Later, 'Harry Potter' Movie Franchise Calls It a Wrap
Claire Berlinski, Ed. ·
Jul 11, 2011 at 6:09am
I was curious to know what was making the headlines in America--not in The New York Times, but in regional newspapers. I checked the Seattle Times, and saw that the most-read story of the day is something about Harry Potter and kittens. It wasn't the top headline--this isn't something the paper's editors put up front--it's just what readers in the city I grew up in found most interesting.
It's hard not to feel demoralized upon seeing that. I don't have a problem with kittens, Harry Potter, gossip, or diverting one's mind on occasion from the tragedies of the world. I'm one of the most pro-kitten women on the planet, actually. I think that's pretty obvious.
But the most-read story?
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May '10
Re: Forty Kittens Later, 'Harry Potter' Movie Franchise Calls It a Wrap
Uh-oh. Don't make me come over there.
You have to consider that this is the final week of movies that started a decade ago, and the books even longer than that. It's obviously affected a lot of people. Like, a whole lot. I mean, A Very Potter Musical has over 3 million hits on youtube, and it's an amateur, unauthorized stage production using the characters.
Also, perversely, there are a lot of people who like cats, so if you combine the two in one headline this week, people are going to click. You'd quite enjoy Dolores Umbridge's plate collection; the kittens move. Don't sneak into her office, because they'll spy on you.
Speaking of cats, there's a suspicious resemblance between Hermione's pet Crookshanks, and a certain Ricocheteer. I note that they've never been seen in the same room together.
Re: Forty Kittens Later, 'Harry Potter' Movie Franchise Calls It a Wrap
Don't worry, Claire. It's just like how publishers point out that books about Abraham Lincoln, doctors and dogs are all really popular and how a book about Abraham Lincoln's doctor's dog would be the most popular.
Kittens. Harry Potter. The Venn Diagram of popularity that represents is just unstoppable. Just be thankful they didn't tie in Casey Anthony in there.
May '10
Re: Forty Kittens Later, 'Harry Potter' Movie Franchise Calls It a Wrap
Claire, Claire, Claire... Do you honestly expect Americans to be knowledgeable about things like budget deficits and terrorists coming across open borders when there's an outbreak of Pottermania to deal with?
May '10
Re: Forty Kittens Later, 'Harry Potter' Movie Franchise Calls It a Wrap
Considering Vivid Entertainment withdrew their offer because porn fans everywhere were disgusted by the very idea of Casey Anthony, I'm not sure what her box office draw is these days. This speaks well for the nation.
Nov '10
Re: Forty Kittens Later, 'Harry Potter' Movie Franchise Calls It a Wrap
It's linked on a bunch of social media, including Ricochet, which is going to throw the article lots of traffic outside the normal readership of the Seattle Times.
Jul '10
Re: Forty Kittens Later, 'Harry Potter' Movie Franchise Calls It a Wrap
Harry who?
Apr '11
Re: Forty Kittens Later, 'Harry Potter' Movie Franchise Calls It a Wrap
Some how I'm not surprised...and haven't even been here that long.
I personally think it would be a sad thing if people didn't care about their favorite movies/books and animals.
Jun '10
Re: Forty Kittens Later, 'Harry Potter' Movie Franchise Calls It a Wrap
Speaking of cats and getting attention...
The British humorist Alan Coren once entitled a book of essays, "Golfing for Cats" and had the publisher put a large Nazi swastika on the front cover of the book because he reasoned at the time that books on golf, cats and anything to do with Nazis and WWII sold quite well.