Should adult Harry Potter fans ‘grow up’ and ‘outgrow’ the franchise? | Pop & Art

I visited platform 9 ¾ at Kings Cross station in London when I was a child. Obsessed with Harry Potter, I was convinced that if I walked through the wall, I would find myself arm in arm with Ron and Hermione, boarding the Hogwarts Express, on my way to becoming a full-fledged witch.

Of course, I would have to leave my ‘Muggle’ parents behind, but at 10 years old it was a sacrifice I was prepared to make.

However, my attempt to break through the brick wall only resulted in a head injury and the magic was literally ripped from me.

Although this abruptly ended my dream of going to Hogwarts, for some fans of the Harry Potter franchise the fantasy lives on well into adulthood.

It’s no wonder many went into a frenzied meltdown on social media after Miriam Margolyes, the actress who played Professor Pomona Sprout in the film series, told her adult fans to “grow up” and “get over it.”

In two recent interviews in New Zealand and Australia, the 82-year-old actress said she worries about adult fans of the book and film series, as “they should be over it by now.”

“This was 25 years ago and I think it’s for kids,” Margolyes told New Zealand broadcaster TZNZ.

“I do cameos [mensagens de vídeo personalizadas] and people say they’re having a Harry Potter-themed wedding, and I think, ‘Oh my God, what’s their first night of fun going to be like?’”

The actress, who recently posed nude behind a stack of iced buns for a Vogue magazine photo shoot, later told ABC News Australia that when teenagers go through puberty, “it’s time to forget about it and move on to other things.” ”.

But after all, should adult fans really put down their wands, forget about the magical world and accept that Harry Potter “is for children”, as Margolyes says?

For many millennials, history is part of their identity. The books, written by JK Rowling, were released between 1997 and 2007, and the eight films between 2001 and 2011.

Most of us might occasionally rewatch the films on a Sunday afternoon and would do relatively well on a trivia quiz about the franchise, but for some people the interest goes far beyond that.

Jennifer Peiro and Hector Garcia are two content creators in their 30s who run accounts dedicated to Harry Potter on Instagram.

Peiro, whose account has more than 120,000 followers, says it’s difficult to make friends as an adult. But her social media account helps her “connect with like-minded people.”

For Garcia, creating Hogwarts content “has been one of the most rewarding and healing parts of my adult life.”

Both say the wizarding world offers a form of escapism and community for them. “I regularly receive comments from people all over the world saying how history has saved them in dark times, what a safe space and comfort it is,” explains Peiro.

Garcia adds that her story “evolved into something I can use to forget about life in a healthy and therapeutic way.”

It’s hard to blame these fans for wanting to swap the mundanity of everyday life for a universe where potions classes and Quidditch matches reign supreme.

A potterhead (nickname given to fans of the franchise) who is part of the fandom is Rachel Parker, a 32-year-old wedding planner specializing in “nerd-themed” ceremonies.

As an adult, she became heavily involved in the online community, which she says is Harry Potter’s most lasting legacy.

From online forums and fan fiction sites to real meetups and book clubs, the community has “almost surpassed the books themselves and created so much more,” explains Parker.

Of course, Harry Potter isn’t the only fantasy world that some adults, like Rachel, are obsessed with. You’ll likely find people of all ages visiting Disney theme parks for the hundredth time or reenacting Lord of the Rings battle scenes in their free time.

In fact, the number of people participating in Comic-Cons, entertainment conventions held annually in several countries and where people dress up as fictional characters, has increased dramatically – in 2023, more than 285 thousand visitors attended CCXP – Comic Con Experience in São Paulo.

Even more impressive is that the tour offered by Warner Bros at its London studios, where several of the Harry Potter films were produced, has received more than 16 million visitors since it opened in 2012.

How did these die-hard fans react when Margolyes told them to put away the robes and brooms in favor of more adult interests?

Maddi Harwood, 32, who runs an Instagram account dedicated to fantasy books, said she is “used to bullies making fun of me for loving Harry Potter.”

“The worst kind of bully is the one who mocks another person for something they absolutely love and adore,” she adds.

“It’s unnecessary to shame people for liking something, especially when it profits from Harry Potter,” explains Peiro.

Critics and commentators have expressed differing opinions on Margolyes’ comments.

City AM film critic Victoria Luxford told the BBC: “This isn’t a conversation we have about music or sport, you don’t grow up and stop supporting a football team or listening to your favorite artist, so why should it be different for films?”

She said Margolyes made the comment because she “didn’t understand.”

“It’s a generational thing,” suggests Victoria. “The idea of ​​keeping things from childhood that you like is relatively recent.”

Film critic Siobhan Synnot called Margolyes’ comments “snobbish”, adding: “Classic children’s films can speak to adults too, it’s about ambition, sophistication and quality, not age group.”

However, Lindsey Fraser, who was one of the first book critics to review Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in 1997 for The Scotsman, said: “The books are definitely children’s books.

“But it was a smart move for Bloomsbury to publish ‘adult’ editions – the only difference is the design.”

Not only are some critics who agree with Margolyes, but some adults who loved Harry Potter as children also think it’s time for people to get over it.

“It’s cute if you’re a parent enjoying it with your kids or watching it occasionally, but complete fandom is a mega red flag,” 26-year-old Ellie Piggott told the BBC.

In addition to the escapism and comfort, some fans argue that the books are actually more geared toward adults.

“There are a lot of real-world issues behind all the magic that one wouldn’t normally think to direct at children – topics like the true cost of war, depression, racism, sacrifice, and corruption in government,” says Kelly Komar, 34, who is an avid Harry Potter collector.

Ioannis Karellis goes one step further. “At a high level, the story is about an evil racist tyrant and his band of followers who regularly torture and murder the opposition and seize political power by force to impose their own worldview on people – clearly this isn’t really a children’s story .”

The 26-year-old who re-reads the books regularly said he recently discovered a new interpretation.

“The Ministry’s denial of Voldemort’s existence until it was absolutely irrefutable because of fear of what it would mean draws parallels with how governments have responded to Covid-19.”

It certainly seems like adults remain very interested in the franchise.

In 2018, quiz show Mastermind asked candidates to change their specialist topics after the quiz show received 262 applications to answer questions about Harry Potter.

Matthew Cortland, who founded a chain of bars that offer immersive witchcraft and magic experiences, says people are “fascinated by fantasy because it provides an alternative reality for people to exist in.”

“Everyone wants to find a place where they belong and when society rejects you, you seek comfort elsewhere,” he adds.

In the series, Dumbledore once says that “happiness can be found, even in the darkest times, if we just remember to turn on the light.”

For many adults, no matter what Margolyes says, that light comes in the form of Harry Potter.