Standing with J.K. Rowling
18th April 2022
When Roland Barthes wrote his 1967 essay “The Death of the Author,” he probably didn’t intend that, fifty-five years later, a major American news outlet would be provocatively suggesting that the world’s bestselling author should be de-personed, de-platformed or de-materialized from history. And yet that is exactly what has happened with the New York Times. They recently ran a series of advertisements on the subway featuring a reader named “Lianna” who is, as much of their subscriber base now are, “breaking the binary,” experiencing “queer love in color” and meditating on “heritage in rich cues.”
So far, so predictable. But the ads took a grimmer turn when one suggested that Lianna was “imagining Harry Potter without its creator.” This example of what the Times calls “independent journalism for an independent life” has taken up one of the most disquieting contemporary developments in the culture wars, as the newspaper has shamelessly monetized it for promotional purposes. Ever since J.K. Rowling wrote a long, thoughtful essay in June 2020 to explain her views on gender-identity issues, she has been a hate figure of almost comical proportions to the woke. And now, the Times’s advertisement has given succor, even encouragement, to those who despise her opinions.
Under the Narrative, either you are on board with the totality of Wokeness, or you are one of the enemy. There is no grey area, no nuance, no middle ground.