Harry Potter makes girls violent
A prominent US psychologist says popular fictional characters such as Hermione Granger could be contributing to an increase in violence among girls.

We'll add this to the list of other things Harry Potter has been held responsible for possibly causing: headaches from causing kids to read for extended lengths of time, back problems for forcing kids to lug around the monstrous fifth book, chauvinism, devil-worshiping, fatism (discrimination against obese people), "postPotter depression" (how we feel after we finish a book and settle down for the multi-year wait for the next installment), forced abortions in China, and global warming.

Okay, I made the last one up, but you get the idea - Harry is a popular scapegoat. Don't get your knickers in a twist over this one.
Posted by Emerson on May 29th | 708 Comments
Visitor Comments
Posted by snuffles101 May 30th 2006

lol i wouldn't doubt the postPotter depression. i know i'll be sad. and emerson, i'm sure some day some how harry potter will lead to global warming *sarcasm, such a wonderful invention, but yeah i know he was j/k*


Posted by Piper_Lu May 30th 2006

Well that was a wonderful way to start off my day. I'll be laughing about that one for a while. And if liking HP and JKR is somehow worshiping Satan, I must say, Satan's Bible is very creative... Good thing it's not Satanic, huh? Or half the population planet would be creating shrines in their closets.


Posted by ntbok May 30th 2006

its comments like that that make people voilent, not Harry Potter. errrrrg i feel like kicking something....


Posted by MmaRamotswe May 30th 2006

Oh my god, is all that true about stuff they've blamed HP for???? I can hardly believe it. Wow this latest stunt sure wins in the crazy stakes tho, Hermione promoting violence!!!! Sorry almost can't type for laughing. Talk about media attention seeking! This b****** psychologist is just trying to force his chauvinist policies on a wider group of people by relating them to Harry Potter. End of message. Just going off to do a bit of mass murder now, I was inspired by Harry telling Malfoy to 'Eat Dung!'


Posted by wandaXmaximoff May 30th 2006

What? Doe these people even read the books? I think not? If anything, I think the Harry Potter books portray very good rolemodles (both male and female) for people to follow. And what's all the rubish about the books premoting abortions in China? Did I miss something?


Posted by Siriusly_in_Love May 30th 2006

hahaha this it the funniest thing i have ever read hahaha, you know hermione is such a violent character, i have become emotionally scarred from reading the book. i dont know if i can live without hurting someone... hahahaha NOT DEAD!


Posted by dumbledoresarmy May 30th 2006

that is such bs. I read the article and it picks out one line of the entire 2 and 1/2 hour long movie when hermione hits someone that deserves it and the media changes it into london gangs that beat barmans because obvi to me hermione and london gang girls totally relate idiot


Posted by Ruth May 30th 2006

grrr they're just saying that to get us angry so they can say that it makes us violent, if that makes sense?


Posted by Tabuler May 30th 2006

Wow, I know that Emerson said not to get upset about this one... but WOW!!! It makes sense though, instead of parents taking the blame for not teaching their children proper moral conduct or for not paying enough attention to notice that they have joined a gang, lets blame JK Rowling and female sports. Because Hermione punching Malfoy (who has tortured her for three years at that point) and girls learning to hit a ball with a bat is comparable to some girls killing a cab driver or beating a barman to death. I guess that I should quit all sports and stop reading and watching television and listening to music and playing games and lock myself in my house, put on my poodle skirt and make an apple pie, would that make everyone feel safer? Because seriously, I may attack. Be afraid, be very afraid :p


Posted by MissKaye May 30th 2006

Haha Tabuler that was funny. Ok so ive already said my side like in the 1st two pages or whatever. but i just cant help still feeling annoyed about this article. & if there's one thing thats worse than annoying people, is stupid people. & this psychologist just tops em all. I mean one thing is acting stupid (which is fine, and everyone can be silly and whatnot) and another thing is BEING stupid. There's just that line you draw, and if you go over it well there's no hope. Ive been reading alot of the comments & i completely agree once again with what everyone is saying. I just hope this is a lesson to be learned for all psychologists and whoever else wants to bash Hp or anything else for that matter without actual proof or logic. I hope they read what they write and analyze their predictions before posting them for everyone to see. Because if over 500ppl have signed on to comment on here, not to mention anywhere else then there's something wrong. Basically all in all, he's an idiot, and i just cant tolerate it lol.


Posted by marmaladegirlgrace May 30th 2006

YAY!!! Emerson Posted!!! HUZZAH!!!


Posted by The_Marching_Band_Of_Manhattan May 30th 2006

I actually love it. ABSOLUTLEY HILARIOUS!! rofl. also can mugglenet delete 4th post : Posted by Zoe 1 day ago OMG I AM THIRD.... hey this is zoe!! yer HEY KATE love ya... from Zobey VAUGHAN australia'' cos it's unrelated and annoys me.


Posted by jens May 30th 2006

alright.. i actually took time out of my busy schedule to read the article so that i could make an informed comment on it. this man is unbelievable in so many ways. if we teach our girls to be the way he thinks they should, then we are setting them up to be abused and to not be able to protect themselves. i dont think that hitting is a good thing, but its not just that girls shouldnt do it.. BOYS SHOULDNT EITHER! this UNBELIEVABLE man is trying to blame girls violence on the wrong thing. for gods sake why wont someone just admit that it is shotty parenting. people teach their boys that to be a man means being violent.. I KNOW PEOPLE WHO HAVE DONE THIS! girls arent stupid.. they see that it seems acceptable for boys to hit and be rough- so why cant girls be rough and tough. it all boils down to how parents differ in raising boys from girls. you cant raise one one way and raise the other another way. it doesnt work. one will rebell. so please stop trying to blame books for everything!


Posted by carrot_top May 30th 2006

harry potter has forced abortions in China.....uh.....ok......who comes up with this stuff?!i cant imagine a girl reading a harry potter book and then suddenly have an urge to hurt or kill somebody.its just soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ridiculous!


Posted by fantasiize May 30th 2006

Why would they blame Hermione for causing violence? She's the one who's against breaking rules; this just doesn't make sense. *shakes head in confusement* And devil worshipping? Oh please *rolls eyes* Blaming HP for the faults of human beings is stupid.


Posted by alipotter May 30th 2006

Jeepers!!!This so called "Professional" US "Psychologist" is telling us children, teenagers etc that HERMIONE (of all characters) is causing violence 'HA!!!' i would like to see how he came up with that idea because he certainly hasn't read the Harry Potter books because if he had he would see how magnificant they are and that they are actually making children READ more...isn't that what every adult keeps complaining about! (except for the mugglenet people, they're smart!!!)lol!


Posted by stststSTETTO May 30th 2006

lmfao. this is why i love mugglenet.


Posted by Mrs_Victorkrum May 30th 2006

BLOODY HELL!!!!!!!!!!! I can't belive that! That is TOTALLY rediculas!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!! I am going to fall of my chair I am laughing sooo much!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! *wipe away a tear of laughter*


Posted by AnyaMarcos May 30th 2006

I am NOT violent. I ought to beat the crap out of that quack psychologist for saying that.


Posted by MissKaye May 30th 2006

& your not violent haha ^


Posted by rivendellroseOSU May 30th 2006

*tears up* Oh, the Emerson sarcasm...how I've missed you! Haha. As for the "news"...um...okay? I'm not going to bother pointing out everything wrong with that (though it seems everyone else has beaten me to it anyway!) Harry Potter rocks...and in the words of our dear Emerson (from the Wall of Shame): I suppose actually READING the books would be out of the question...


Posted by lacewings May 30th 2006

I guess the book serves two purposes for us girls, not only does it make us violent but we are able to use the books to workout our arms so that we can pack a bigger punch. It is just rediculous. I have never, not once, felt violent after reading an HP book.


Posted by KateCarter May 30th 2006

Whatever...yes, I've noticed a huge increase in my little sister's violent behavior ever since she saw POA...*rolls eyes* Although I will agree with the headaches...I tend to get a headache because of eyestrain because I can't put the books down and I keep reading them until my vision blurs, and then I squint trying to keep them in enough focus to continue reading...and yes, post-Potter depression (I was very depressed after reading HBP, mainly because I knew it would be a couple years before I found out what happened).


Posted by Pinball_Ghost May 30th 2006

AAAAARGH!!!11!1 IM SO GONNA KILL TEH PEOPLEZ TAHT CAME UP WITH THAT!1!!! I READ HARRY POTTER AND IF U THINK IT MAKES US VIOLENT TEHN THIK AGAIN OR ELSE!!11!1 Haha... just kidding. But that's so chauvinistic. It doesn't cause violence in boys then?


Posted by MrsViktorKrum May 30th 2006

Wow, if he were a GOOD psychologist he would realize that people are pushed by other people. You see, someone can only take so much, and when they are pushed, they snap. Like Hermione did. And I was tickled to death that she did it myself. I would have. Movies, books, video games, etc DO NOT CAUSE VIOLENCE. Some people are just mean and some people just have the wrong idea and influences. I.E. Bad family life, or bad friends with bad family lives, etc etc. NOT movies, books and video games. It's a classic "survival of the fittest". Eat, or be eaten. That's how they are brought up, that is how they learn. Maybe if they had hobbies such as reading and watching Harry Potter, they wouldn't be out killing people and being in gangs. So basically that guy is a blooming freaking idiot. ;-) Thanks and have a nice day.


Posted by Hermyone May 30th 2006

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL


Posted by Hermyone May 30th 2006

I live in Portugal and in here there's a STUPID soup opera that recently had a "virus" in the school and some kids wanted to do like the soap opera and some schools had to close their doors for a day because the kids were HISTERIC!! if that little man saw tha...What would he say? Some kids don't understand the history or are so kids that try to do the things the charaters are doing! the parents of those kids are the guilties


Posted by belletrix7 May 30th 2006

Wait, I think he is on to something! After reading HBP I Did feel like killing people for the death of Dumbledore! (sarcastic)


Posted by Vivian May 30th 2006

Well I really think that's almost laughably silly. Hermione is NOT a violent character, just because she slaps Draco's face once, following years of provocation. Sure, there's some violence in HP, but not as much as on so many popular TV shows. It seems like people just like to trash what's popular.


Posted by Thalii May 30th 2006

Hahah. Yeah, the books are gruesome x)


Posted by kelazma May 30th 2006

*cough*xena*cough* *cough*buffy*cough* And by violence do they mean shouting "YOU'RE DOING IT ALL WRONG" at other kids? or yelling "BOMBARDA" at random objects?


Posted by lunaisthebest May 30th 2006

What has abortions got to do with Harry Potter? I read the editorial but i still dont get it!


Posted by trag May 30th 2006

Because of Harry Pooter, I have had sudden and violent urges to kill. They are absolutely right. If I believed in Satan, I'd blame it on him. ... this is dumb, jk. I think scientists are running out of things to study.


Posted by arther7 May 30th 2006

Guys, the psycologist from the article is a MAN!!!!! I doubt that some of you have even read the article, considering how some people are saying she, when talking about the psychologist. I don't think that the psycholigist can blame anything on HP because that has been increasing since the 70's


Posted by Werewolfhunter May 30th 2006

Ha, of course! Hermione Granger, after punching Malfoy once has caused it to be more common for "women to participate in armed robbery." There's a direct link there. I mean, puh-leese. Show me one girl who has never been violent towards someone in any way, shape, or form. I believe it would be very difficult, if not impossible to find one. I also seriously doubt that most female gnag members have ever actually bothered to read the books, as they are quite long. If they have seen the film, then they're hardly going to say "Oh my goodness, Hermione punched Malfoy, I want to be like her!" I read this in my newspaper, a different kind of version, but still the same message. What idiots -laughs-


Posted by Lydia_13 May 30th 2006

BREAKING NEWS! : Professor Albus Dumbledore has decided to put Hermione Granger in Slytherin, becuase she is so violent and is a bad influence to the Gryffindors.! LMAO this is ****** :P


Posted by tobycat13 May 30th 2006

Just because someone sees something done on tv doesn't mean they'll do it in real life! That was a ton of sh**. Hermione ROX!


Posted by Fire May 30th 2006

OMGSH!!!WHAT THE BLPPDY HELL IS WRONG WITH THEM?? But....you know what? We should find a way to make HP books cause global warming...do you know how stupid that would look as a headline?! "HARRY POTTER BOOKS CAUSE GLOBAL WARMING!"


Posted by iceskater355 May 30th 2006

Thats a load of dung and everyone in the Wizarding World knows it. Next Harry`s going to be blamed for kids changing their teachers hair blue! o.0


Posted by Fire May 30th 2006

or worse........MWAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!LETS SET THE REPORTER DUDE ON FIRE!!!!!!!!((IM A PYROMANIAC XP))


Posted by harrypotter_rox May 30th 2006

That's silly! If their worried about their kids they can just tell them not to read the books......I've read all the book so far and im fine.....


Posted by GrodziskGoblins119 May 30th 2006

that is just downright fowl and obnoxious. how can someone do that just because they want attention? i mean, how could you say that after millions of kids across the globe have been inspired to read and write because of those books?


Posted by Rivendell May 30th 2006

Personally I'm glad someone finally enunciated what we have all known anyway: Hermione Granger is a cruel, violent girl who causes considerable damage to our society, not to mention the fact that she has by now lead a great deal of poor, innocent girls astray. Don't tell me you haven't seen the signs - there are way too many of them!!! 1.) First Year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft of Wizardry: Hermione sets Professor Snape's robes on fire (Imagine that! A teacher! Completely defenseless. How dare you, Hermione?!) Furthermore she ambushes an unarmed and innocent student (Neville Longbottom), attacking him with a Body-Bind-Curse (Petrificus Totalus) and leaving him behind in Gryffindor Tower afterwards. Besides she helps smuggling a dragon egg out of the castle. 2.) Second Year: Hermione makes her fellow students Ronald Weasley and Harry Potter break about fifty school rules by involving them into brewing an advanced and highly dangerous potion without permission. She also steals several ingredients from her teacher's office and traps to unaware students with cakes filled with a powerful sleeping draught. 3.) I really don't think I have to repeat that one again. 4.) Hermione captures Rita Skeeter after she had transformed into a beetle and keeps her in a jar for an unknown amount of time until she is back in London. Additionally she forces her to stop writing by threatening Rita with revealing her secret. This does most certainly count as blackmail. 5.) Hermione is deeply involved in forming an illegal group with her fellow students in which a number of seriously dangerous spells are performed. What is more, she leads her Teacher and Headmistress Dolores Umbridge into the Forbidden(!) Forest where named person is almost stamped into the ground by a bunch of uncontrolled zentaurs. As you can see, Hermione Granger is a danger to our world and we would all do well to have a little more faith in what an accomplished psychologist told us in concern.


Posted by bogart May 30th 2006

I've got one word for you......delusional.


Posted by Fire May 30th 2006

I know!!!Ive read the forth book over twenty times ((im serious)) and im only a LITTLE twisted XP


Posted by orangepuppy713 May 30th 2006

That is absurd, idiotic, stupid, moronic (if that's a word) and pointless. It was clearly expressed in the third book that Hermione was very mad and Malfoy was a git. The third book wasn't exactly published last year. Why blame recent events on it? I wish to know what idiot said this about the books!!!!


Posted by unforgivablycursed May 30th 2006

where's this dudes e-mail??!! i want to write to him and flick him off for suggesting that, nooooo.... violence on movies and tv and real life don't cause violence in girls... hermione granger a fictional non-exsistant witch who punches someone once because they were being an ass-hole is the cause of 1,000's of criminals!!


Posted by Fire May 30th 2006

HOW COULD YOU SAY SHE IS VIOLENT?!?!?!? SHE HIT ONE PERSON, ONE TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!AND THE RON THING WAS HER EMOTIONS!!!!!!!!OMGSH, HONESTLY PEOPLE!!how can you honestly write a paragraph on how violent she is ANYWAY that shows me something *cough*no life*cough*sorry, i have a bad cold....


Posted by Muse_d69 May 30th 2006

LOL @ the stupidity of that article. Guys! WATCH OUT FOR ANY GIRL WHO HAS READ HARRY POTTER. THEY ARE MORE LIKELY TO CAUSE YOU INJURY........ No.


Posted by Fire May 30th 2006

Ha, they can only hurt us cause we cant hurt em back XP




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