(no subject)

[mamadeb]

A couple things.

One is that our bedroom cable box died last night. When I called the company (it was 11PM! We were missing Jon Stewart!), they said that was because the area had switched over to digital and we needed new boxes - even though the living room one was working, it would only be a matter of time.

So now we we have several hundred channels. But still no Food Network or F/X. *Rolls eyes*. But I did get to see "In and Out" today, and it was much fun.

Other thing:

\

Harry Potter gets away with murder. Harry Potter gets all these free things. Harry Potter is a pampered brat.

I see that a lot, and. Um. Right. Sure.

Other than birthday and Christmas gifts (and the kid gets excited over candy - someone please tell this iggorant Jewish girl - is candy a normal Christmas present? I mean, Jews give out Chanukah gelt (gold-foil covered chocolate coins) but it's not considered a gift. It just *is*.), the only thing that Harry's been given was his first broom. And we don't know how that was paid for - perhaps McGonagall paid for it herself, perhaps she accessed Harry's account. The Firebolt was a Christmas present. It was the godfather of all Christmas presents - I mean, Sirius gave him a *car* - but it was a Christmas gift.

As for getting away with things - was Draco punished after the Remembrall incident? If he wasn't, then why should Harry have been? Yes, Harry was made Seeker for his House as a First Year, and that's amazing.

And if it had been Dean or Lavendar who'd done what Harry had done, they'd have gotten the Nimbus 2000. He wasn't privileged because he was Harry Potter; he was privileged because he A. did a good thing and tried to help Neville and B. was very talented.

Harry has been repeatedly shown to have been punished for disobeying the rules - he suffered detentions and essays in all five books. The only time he tries to get out of it is when Angelina asks to him to. He did get away with blowing up Aunt Marge. I will stipulate that. And it was because of who he was that he did so - if he weren't Harry Potter, the Ministry wouldn't have been worried about him while Sirius Black was loose. They'd rather he were safe and unpunished than expelled and wandering around.

On the other hand, it was completely unintentional. He didn't deliberately hurt Aunt Marge. That should speak for something.

He does break school rules. Most of the time, he isn't caught. The times he is, he's usually punished. The other times - well, he manages to be a hero and defeat Voldemort and/or save lives. He and the others earned those house points. If students from other houses had done the same instead, or if Harry had been sorted into Slytherin (does Slytherin take half-bloods? I guess so, given Harry and Tom Riddle), the same probably would have happened.

I don't see Harry as especially overprivileged or pampered, frankly. I see him as dealing with a rather nightmarish life and not getting more than a party and some points in return - or asking for more.

Comments

[isiscolo.livejournal.com]

Well, I don't think the fanon characterization is of him being overprivileged and pampered, as much as it is of other characters believing him to be so. And then Snape finds out about the cupboard under the stairs, and he realizes his error, and they have hot sex.

[mamadeb.livejournal.com]

Yea, but I've read essays on the subject, or comments on other essays.

With the writers apparently taking Snape's side of things. Because, you know. He's so unbiased.

[indigocat.livejournal.com]

Because, you know. He's so unbiased.

Evil thought for the day: Snape on Dr. Phil. I'd hope they have the sense to take the wand away and check him over for anything that harm the doc, the crew or the audience.

[ailsaek.livejournal.com]

Yes, candy is a normal Christmas present. Stockings always contain a candy cane or two, plus some chocolate or Christmas cut rock candy (or both), and I always got a box of chocolate covered cherries or chocolate covered mints as a wrapped present as well.

[mamadeb.livejournal.com]

Okay.

I was wondering.

[azurelunatic]

I wouldn't generally count stocking-candy or random other candy as a present per se. Unless it's wrapped up with a tag on it's more a seasonal dessert, like jellybeans at Easter. You can give candy for Christmas, and it's a normal enough present, but there are enough free-floating sugary treats to give Atkins a heart attack and nightmares for a month to a diabetic.

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

Candy is not usually a separate gift for children. It comes in their stockings along with other small things or is part of the holiday decorations that they may eat (candy canes on the tree) or is out in a common bowl for everyone. It's not usually wrapped.

Adults may get speciality candy or other food gifts from acquaintences or non-close relatives. It's generally considered tacky to give close relatives home-made food gifts.

The fact the Weasleys give candy as a gift is one more flag of their poverty.

[mamadeb.livejournal.com]

But Hermione gives candy, too, and so does Harry. I'm thinking that this is possibly a Brit thing?

Have to ask on hp_britglish but will wait until after Shabbat.

[ginamariewade.livejournal.com]

Candy as a gift to itself is what people give when they don't know someone well and feel obligated to give a present. The sort of thing you'd give coworkers who aren't your best buds that you still don't want to insult.
For kids at Christmas, candy is part of the package, but not a separate gift. At least it wasn't in my family. My parents told me & my brother about their Depression-era Christmases when they got a couple of oranges and a Hershey bar for Christmas, and we were appalled.

[otherdeb.livejournal.com]

You are on Cablevision, right?

And, yeah, they do suck rocks. And I don't believe that they can't give us Food Network, since they do give it to customers on Long Island and (I believe) in Westchester.

[ataniell93.livejournal.com]

Slytherin takes half-bloods. Bad Tommy was one :)

[indigocat.livejournal.com]

I remember Santa Claus leaving a box of Whitman Samplers under the tree.