A suggestion for discussion

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In the last decade or two, the United Kingdom has produced two tremendous cultural phenomena that have gone around the world: the Harry Potter series and the Wallace and Gromit animated movies. SUBJECT FOR DISCUSSION: Do they have anything in common, and do they have anything in common with other British successes such as the Dr.Who franchise or Alan Moore's comics?

Comments

[3secondfish.livejournal.com]

while the humour is not primary in Harry Potter, it is essential
It seemed moreso in the first couple of books, when Rowling seemed to be writing for a younger audience. She was trying harder to be silly, then.

But this kind of funny different from what Americans think of humor, though. I would call it whimsy, an altogether more subtle beast. It floats through, tweaks your nose, and zips away again, and then when it looks back and winks at you, you're so surprised you can't help but laugh. American humor flings a pie in your face, and then conks you with the can of whipped cream if you don't laugh quickly enough. :P

And I would say that the way these two things, danger and humour, fit together so seamlessly in both masterpieces is that both fit the idea of a slightly crazed, unpredictable world.
That's the cleverness of Rowling's world. It has a lovely rosy gloss to it, and we delight along with Harry at each discovery, such as the mysterious silvery instruments in Dumbledore's office. Nothing need be difficult because magic is means anything is possible. However, the flip side of it is that magic is deadly dangerous, judging from Harry's injuries alone; and that those capable but not competent, such as Dumbledore's sister, are dangerous to everyone. Can you imagine how the Hogwarts teachers would feel if they stopped to think about being under the same roof as over 200 hormone-crazed teenagers feeling bulletproof and capable of who-knows-what? Makes one want to take an antacid in sympathy. Anyway, my point was that a lot of stuff seems cool and fun in Rowling's world until you find yourself with unexpected tentacles from looking at it the wrong way. Yay tension!