Viral Video Of The Day

J.K. Rowling On Dumbledore Being Gay

Harry Potter Vs Star Wars

3.5M views in one day.

OSU Marching Band Does It Again

One week after they became a YouTube sensation with their moonwalking Michael Jackson, the Ohio State University marching band has again gone viral with a performance that includes Superman saving a toppling building, Harry Potter catching the golden snitch, and a striding T-rex. 7M views already.

NYC World Cup: Playing Quidditch On Non-Flying Brooms Looks Rilly Silly

Gothamist has lots of photos of the Quidditch World Cup, which is taking place this weekend on Randall's Island. Tagline: "100 Teams, 2000 Athletes, One World Cup." OK!

Anti-Christian Witches Are Plotting To Take Over The World Through Harry Potter

So sez this "seventh-generation witch" turned evangelical.

Harry Potter Grosses $476M

Whoa. The final episode of Harry Potter broke all kinds of box office records over the weekend.

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2" conjured an unprecedented $168.6 million in the U.S. and Canada in just three days, whizzing past the $158.4-million record set by 2008's "The Dark Knight," according to an estimate by distributor Warner Bros. The movie also had the biggest international debut ever, grossing a magical $307 million overseas in 59 foreign countries. The last installment in the massively popular franchise began breaking domestic box-office records only hours after it opened Friday — selling more tickets during post-midnight screenings than any other movie in history and then passing the milestone for highest single-day-gross with $92.1 million. The movie went on to gross far more than any "Harry Potter" film has on its first weekend in theaters. "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 1," released last November, previously held that record with $125 million in ticket sales upon its debut.

Part one of the Deathly Hallows grossed almost $1B worldwide.

The Final Harry Potter Trailer

The Formula

(Source)

Harry Potter Is Satan In Disguise

TRAILER: Deathly Hallows 2

Salvation Army Trashes Harry Potter Toys

Saying that the toys violate the organization's Christian beliefs, the Salvation Army is throwing all donated Harry Potter items in the garbage. Anything related to the Twilight movies goes in the trash too.

"I asked if these toys went to another charitable organizations but was told no, that by passing these toys on to another agency for distribution would be supporting these toys," said the man, who wouldn't give his name due to his occupation. The man called himself an admirer of the Salvation Army and was impressed by the massive quantity of toys collected in city malls, schools and police stations through the Toy Mountain campaign. But he questioned why the charity would be sifting out Harry Potter and Twilight toys, which involve sorcery and vampire themes, respectively. "I was told to withhold a six-inch Harry Potter figure, but when I picked up a plastic M-16, I was told, 'That's for the 10-year-olds,'" he said. "I was shocked...war-themed toys and toys from TV shows and movies with far more violence than Harry Potter and these were considered appropriate toys?"

J.K. Rowling Wants To Pay Her Share

Unlike many of Britain's uber-wealthy, Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling isn't dodging her taxes by setting up a home in another country.

I chose to remain a domiciled taxpayer for a couple of reasons. The main one was that I wanted my children to grow up where I grew up, to have proper roots in a culture as old and magnificent as Britain’s. A second reason, however, was that I am indebted to the British welfare state; the very one that Mr Cameron would like to replace with charity handouts. When my life hit rock bottom, that safety net, threadbare though it had become under John Major’s Government, was there to break the fall. I cannot help feeling, therefore, that it would have been contemptible to scarper for the West Indies at the first sniff of a seven-figure royalty cheque. This, if you like, is my notion of patriotism.

Yes, that IS a notion of patriotism that we like.

Dubya: No Medals For Witches

Think Progress reports that Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling was removed from consideration for receiving a Presidential Medal Of Freedom because Dubya administration officials believed her book "encouraged" the practice of witchcraft.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the nation’s highest civil award, and is given to individuals who have contributed to: 1) the security or national interests of the United States, 2) world peace, or 3) cultural or other significant public or private endeavors. In his new book, Speechless: Tales of a White House Survivor, former Bush speechwriter Matt Latimer reveals how politicized the revered Presidential Medal of Freedom became during the Bush administration. Latimer writes that administration officials objected to giving author J.K. Rowling the Presidential Medal of Freedom because her writing “encouraged witchcraft” (p. 201).

As documented at the above link, Dubya and pals had no problem bestowing the Medal of Freedom on numerous pro-Iraq war allies. Medals for oil, not for art!

Friendly Voices - Daniel Radcliffe

"I just loathe homophobia. It’s just disgusting and animal and stupid and it’s just thick people who can’t get their heads around it and are just scared. I grew up around gay people entirely. I was the only child in my class who had any experience of homosexuality or anything like that." - Daniel Radcliffe, speaking to Attitude Magazine.

Harry Potter Promotes Voodoo!

Fox News! Geraldo! Transgender voodoo! Harry Potter!

CCA Calls For Potter Ban

The "nation's largest" conservative organization, the Christian Coalition of America, has called for a ban of Harry Potter books and movies after author J.K. Rowling's revelation last week that Hogwarts head wizard Albus Dumbledore is gay. CCA chairman Roberta Combs: "It's not a good example for our children, who really like the books and the movies. I think it encourages homosexuality. I would never allow my own children or grandchildren to read the books or watch the movies, and other parents should do so too."

Claiming 1.2M members, CCA trumpets themselves as the nation's largest conservative group, although others place their active membership at around 30,000. They are currently over $2M in debt and are being sued by numerous creditors. They no longer have any lobbyists in Washington, DC.

Dumbledore Pride

Inevitable, eh? Get yours here.

Dumbledore Alley

Christianist websites are going ballistic this weekend with Harry Potter author J.K.Rowling's revelation that Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore is gay

NEW YORK — Harry Potter fans, the rumors are true: Albus Dumbledore, master wizard and Headmaster of Hogwarts, is gay. J.K. Rowling, author of the mega-selling fantasy series that ended last summer, outed the beloved character Friday night while appearing before a full house at Carnegie Hall.

After reading briefly from the final book, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," she took questions from audience members. She was asked by one young fan whether Dumbledore finds "true love."

"Dumbledore is gay," the author responded to gasps and applause.

She then explained that Dumbledore was smitten with rival Gellert Grindelwald, whom he defeated long ago in a battle between good and bad wizards. "Falling in love can blind us to an extent," Rowling said of Dumbledore's feelings, adding that Dumbledore was "horribly, terribly let down." Dumbledore's love, she observed, was his "great tragedy."

In 2005, Pope Benedict Evilictus said that the Harry Potter series contains "subtle seductions which act unnoticed and by this deeply distort Christianity in the soul before it can grow properly." Some Christianists have long complained that Rowling's books encourage children to dabble in the occult and embrace Satanism. And now Dumbledore is to be counted among The Men Who Know Colors. Hopefully the next movie will incorporate another trans-(heh)-figuration scene. "Poof! You're a poof!"

A Hotter Potter

Tonight my buddy Captain Steve plus-one'd me for a screening of Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix at the Time-Warner screening room above Columbus Circle. The movie was much less gory than the last installment in the series, but it was also darker, more brooding, with much less humor than has been evident in the last four films. Harry Potter's writhing in mental agony seems to consume at least a reel's worth of screen time - flashbacks, nightmares, daydreams.

Most of the major and minor characters from the series make an appearance, a few of which I don't think we've seen since the first film. Imelda Staunton as Dolores Umbridge, a new teacher at Hogwarts, almost steals the movie. Still, with no quidditch and few laughs, this Potter has a strange feel. It will probably grow on me with repeated viewings, as the Potter films tended to do. Harry is quite rebellious in this one, he mouths off to teachers, breaks the rules right and left. Daniel Radcliffe is turning into quite the hottie. Is it OK to say that? He turns 18 this month.

Anyway, I still just can't believe that they killed Hermione.
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