A known TERF is catching more fire from TV/podcast host and comedian Jon Stewart. A new episode of “The Problem with Jon Stewart” podcast is making headlines for the host’s takedown of J.K. Rowling’s depiction of goblins in the author’s “Harry Potter” franchise. In the “Harry Potter” universe, goblins work at and run the Gringotts Bank.
Stewart drew a comparison between the goblins depicted on screen in the “Harry Potter” films and the anti-Semitic illustrations featured in the 1903 book “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion.”
“Here’s how you know Jews are still where they are,” Stewart said on the podcast episode. “Talking to people, here’s what I say: Have you ever seen a ‘Harry Potter’ movie? Have you ever seen the scenes in Gringotts Bank? Do you know what those folks who run the bank are? Jews! And they’re like, ‘Oh, [that illustration is] from ‘Harry Potter!’” And you’re like, ‘No, that’s a caricature of a Jew from an anti-Semitic piece of literature.’ J.K. Rowling was like, ‘Can we get these guys to run our bank?’ It’s a wizarding world…we can ride dragons, you can have a pet owl… but who should run the bank? Jews. But what if the teeth were sharper?”
“It was one of those things where I saw it on the screen and I was expecting the crowd to be like, ‘Holy shit, [Rowling] did not, in a wizarding world, just throw Jews in there to run the fucking underground bank,” Stewart added. “And everybody was just like, ‘Wizards.’ It was so weird.”
Not surprising that there might be underlying symbolism from a writer who is so vocally against treating other humans with basic respect, but disappointing nonetheless! Rowling’s anti-trans views have been condemned by “Harry Potter” actors such as Daniel Radcliffe. Find Jon’s full episode of the podcast after the jump!
So damn stupid. She is not involved with special effects for the movies. They’re written as goblins in the books. If someone thinks those things in the movies look like Jewish people that’s on then.
ok but she is an author not a filmmaker, she didnt create their appearance on screen. this is a non-issue.
Come on now, these kind of headlines gives fuel to the people who truly believe trans people shouldn’t exist. On top of this, what she said (which I don’t believe was really earth shattering “cry my tears out” hateful) doesn’t cancel out a series that changed lives of so many people. I grew up as a child during the HP craze and SO many people grew up as independent readers thanks to her and her series.
Stewart has already refuted this story and has trashed Newsweek.
This whole narrative is suuuuuuch a reach. Woke culture is a mental illness, I swear lol
Just another political invention to keep us divided and self-hating
This has actually been taken back by John Stewart and he said that he does not think JK / HP is anti Semitic and it is a story the press have run with, not him.
Unfortunately the misogynistic campaign to malign JK has continued….
RIDICULOUS!!!
Seriously?
An expanded discussion of this podcast in Yahoo argued that J.K. Rowling was probably drawing upon centuries of mythological stories — from as far away as Japan, and ancient European cultures — that painted evil creatures in ways similar to how Rowling described the goblins in Harry Potter. Look no farther than Tolkien’s Orcs and to Rumpelstiltskin. Even in Japanese mythology, evil folk are described using similar terms. What is more, even the Time of Israel is now rushing to Rowling’s defense forcing Stewart to backtrack, if not add more nuance, to his podcast.
Lots of people vehemently disapprove of Rowling’s arguments that trans-women are not women or that, at the very least, they should not have legal protections similar to those that have been afforded to cis-women. But quickly written click-bait articles like this one and even Stewart’s ill-informed podcast do little to counter her. If anything, they give credence to people who argue that Rowling is being unfairly maligned.
Jk Rowling is not a TERF.
and why do you say that
Agreed. She believes that biological sex and sexual identity are two separate things.
It is just as valid opinion and the other.
hi — I’ve got a real question — since JK Rowling “is so vocally against treating other humans with basic respect,” can someone/ anyone please provide a link to any kind of quote or text or statement from her that shows she’s against treating other humans with basic respect? — I can’t really find anything online — help?
Absolutely! https://www.advocate.com/transgender/2021/12/13/jk-rowling-casts-transphobic-tweets-again
Hmm… all I see is her condemning rapists and male rapists that after being caught identify as women and get placed in women’s prisons… and rape more women… which has happened…numerous times… Not sure why a trans person would find that offensive / objectionable. Unless we all want to start siding with rapists?
thanks so much for sharing! — I read thru the article & the links within the article, and I still didn’t see anything that JK Rowling has said or wrote or texted/tweeted showing that she is against treating other humans with basic respect –people say/write that she is, but where are the quotes or statements or texts/tweets?