My presentation in class this past week centred on participatory culture and fan activism. Perhaps the most notable example of this is the Harry Potter Alliance (HPA) and their blending of social justice causes with the themes of the popular books and films of J.K. Rowling. Among other things, the HPA has mobilized fans around a variety of issues such as human rights in Africa, equal marriage rights, workers' rights, media concentration and net neutrality. Currently, one of the HPA's biggest campaigns is tied into the hottest topic on most nightly newscasts, the U.S. election.
Despite the American public bemoaning the lack of good choices, and the HPA spoofing the election by putting forward their own candidates in the form of Harry Potter characters Hermoine Granger and Luna Lovegood, the Alliance is actually working for civic responsibility. Their message, as seen in the video below, is that no matter how unpalatable the choices are, each vote matters and everyone has a moral and democratic duty to cast a ballot. Or as they put it on their Indiegogo fundraising campaign, "the Harry Potter Alliance (HPA) endeavors to transform this year’s election into a magical celebration of civic duty, complete with voter howlers, wizard parties, and organizer trainings led by beloved fandom creators" (Indiegogo, 2016)
The goal of the campaign is to register new voters and encourage other Potter fans to get the vote as well to stem the tide of voter disenfranchisement and the "ever-increasing influence of money in politics" (HPA, 2016). As with most of the HPA's work, they use metaphors from the Potter universe to illustrate the problems they see in the real world. In this case, they equate political corruption and voter apathy with "horcruxes," the dark, magical objects that the evil Lord Voldemort uses to hide pieces of his soul. And just like in the movies, the Alliance is hoping their real world version of Dumbledore's Army will take on the evildoers who would harm democracy.
Despite the American public bemoaning the lack of good choices, and the HPA spoofing the election by putting forward their own candidates in the form of Harry Potter characters Hermoine Granger and Luna Lovegood, the Alliance is actually working for civic responsibility. Their message, as seen in the video below, is that no matter how unpalatable the choices are, each vote matters and everyone has a moral and democratic duty to cast a ballot. Or as they put it on their Indiegogo fundraising campaign, "the Harry Potter Alliance (HPA) endeavors to transform this year’s election into a magical celebration of civic duty, complete with voter howlers, wizard parties, and organizer trainings led by beloved fandom creators" (Indiegogo, 2016)
The goal of the campaign is to register new voters and encourage other Potter fans to get the vote as well to stem the tide of voter disenfranchisement and the "ever-increasing influence of money in politics" (HPA, 2016). As with most of the HPA's work, they use metaphors from the Potter universe to illustrate the problems they see in the real world. In this case, they equate political corruption and voter apathy with "horcruxes," the dark, magical objects that the evil Lord Voldemort uses to hide pieces of his soul. And just like in the movies, the Alliance is hoping their real world version of Dumbledore's Army will take on the evildoers who would harm democracy.