I read a lot of kid lit as a child and JKR is, no contest, the most hateful writer when it came to fat characters. I can’t think of a single other book that was so vile towards fat characters. Even Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, a book about greedy children in a candy factory, only had one fat villain. Harry Potter has at least 4. Even characters who you aren’t supposed to hate get this treatment. I don’t think anyone is meant to hate the portrait of the fat lady, but she gets the same detestable treatment as Dudley (fuck you Jo, a child being obese isn’t a character flaw, and fat children being put on diets isn’t an ironic punishment for their sins), Vernon, Umbridge, and Slughorn.
A while back I made a post discussing how in JKR shorthand fat = stupid = evil. Unfortunately, tumblr ate the post and I was too annoyed to write it over again so it doesn’t exist.
I haven’t seen the Fantastic Beasts movies and I was genuinely shocked when I heard that a fat muggle character played by Dan Fogler wasn’t a disgustingly stupid and evil caricature. What do you mean he’s just a nice, funny guy?! JKR must not have had any say in the casting, because anyone who has read her books knows that good and smart characters are thin, and stupid evil characters are fat, with few (if any) exceptions.
I don’t think JKR actually cares that her writing has made so many people hate their bodies and compare themselves poorly to her evil, stupid fat characters. I think she would blame the fat kids who were hurt by her books. And I have evidence, actually.
The story of Luna Lovegood’s actress Evanna Lynch’s eating disorder has been greatly myhtologized in fandom…. People say that Lynch was promised the role by JKR if she could beat her anorexia. That it’s an uplifting tale of JKR saving a fan from herself.
This is entirely false. What actually happened is that years before Luna appeared in the films, Lynch had written to JKR and said that she had an eating disorder and was asking her idol for advice/support.
JK Rowling, demonstrating a profound lack of empathy for children struggling with their weight, replied by scolding Lynch (a child she did not personally know) for being “destructive” and “uncreative” by restricting her food intake.
Lynch being cast as Luna years later was a coincidence. JKR didn’t even remember writing to her until Lynch reminded her.
It’s worth noting that getting a reply to a fan letter was kind of unheard of at the time. I also wrote to JKR around the same time as Lynch, and like most fans, all I got in response was a form letter from her publisher explaining that she appreciates the fan mail but is too busy writing to read it.
So Lynch getting a rare response from JKR that scolds her for not being ~~creative~~ enough to not be mentally ill???
This coming from a writer who is well known for using fat bodies as shorthand for stupidity, malice, and lack of morality??
I don’t care if Lynch was inspired to seek treatment because of this. I don’t care if Lynch doesn’t hate JKR for this. An adult woman who has made her fortune off of demonizing fat bodies went out of her way to criticize a mentally ill child who was probably influenced to hate her body by the Harry Potter books. That is cruel and JKR should be criticized for it, not praised.
And that’s why I’m pretty sure that she doesn’t give two fucks if her describing the portrait of the fat lady as “a pile of pudding” caused lasting harm to the children who read her books. Her opinion is that you’re at fault for being fat in the first place.
Don’t be JK Rowling. Write with compassion and empathy, not hate and laziness.
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