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Is Harry Potter a drunk? Columnist wonders if the ‘Boy Who Lived” is a bad influence
All the butterbeer being chugged in the latest Harry Potter movie has one New York Times writer wondering if Harry Potter is a spell-casting lush.
Maybe this Lord Voldemort being evil thing is a really bad haze.
Tara Parker-Pope calls images of good ole Harry and his teenage friends tossing back cold ones in “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” “jarring.”
At one point, tipsy Hermione ends up with froth on her face in the movie set in England.
“As the mother of a 10-year-old Harry Potter fan, I was taken aback by the reaction of the young people in the theater. They snickered at Hermione’s goofy grin and, later, guffawed when an inebriated Hagrid passed out. While I don’t think my daughter fully understood what was going on, I wondered how other parents, educators and addiction experts would react,” Parker-Pope writes.
Parker Pope makes valid points. Teen drinking is a serious matter that should be taken seriously by parents.
Still, if any kid deserves a beer - I am not saying any kid does - it would be Harry.
He’s been fighting ‘He Who Must Not Be Named’ for six movies now.
Besides everyone knows that drinking standards are different in Europe- a 16-year-old can order a pint in a pub in England. To top it off, we are talking about witches and wizards here.
So did you find the whole thing “jarring?”
What do you think?
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Permalink | Comments (20) | Post your comment | Categories: talk
Comments
By Tragedy
July 29, 2009 11:12 AM | Link to this
How horrible, people of legal drinking age enjoying an alcoholic beverage. And wizards and witches being depicted with human qualities? The world has truly hit its nadir, what could possibly be worse?By Plymouth
July 29, 2009 11:40 AM | Link to this
How unfortunate that some folks think everything needs to cater to American standards and values. I’m more personally concerned for Harry…I know lots of blokes who’ve gotten into trouble when using their wands after a few pints.By Mom of 4 HP fans
July 29, 2009 2:15 PM | Link to this
Has anyone ever heard of root beer, or ginger beer, or apple beer, all of which are non-alcoholic (normally)? Butterbeer is never stated to contain alcohol, and the fun recipes for it online we found, are non-alcoholic as well. Now, firewhiskey, as mentioned in the HP books, is definitely alcoholic, and there are occasions it is drunk by the Harry Potter characters in Book 7. Not ok with me, but the butterbeer issue is a non-issue with me and my kids. For the record, I have never tasted alcohol and will not in my life, but I know that it is out there and a temptation to kids and grown-ups everywhere. So lets just stick to warm and comforting, non-alcoholic butterbeer and enjoy Harry Potter for what it is (and it’s not real :).By My voice
July 29, 2009 2:18 PM | Link to this
I wondered too how long it was going to be before someone screamed about this part of the film. I took my 11 year old and I don’t think he got it either. I understood the drinking age is very different than in the US. I found the scenes amusing. I can’t wait to the the final films.By Nan of 4 HP fans
July 29, 2009 2:50 PM | Link to this
Hey Mom of 4 HP fans, butterbeer is an alcoholic drink. For what it is worth, here is what Wikipedia says: “Butterbeer is a sweet alcoholic Tudor English beverage made from ale and butter amongst sugar and many other ingredients. It is popularised by J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series novels.”By flipper
July 29, 2009 3:12 PM | Link to this
I’ve had butterale but it has a more raspy flavour.By Jen
July 29, 2009 3:15 PM | Link to this
Yes, butterbeer is alcoholic in the books, but not enough to make any witch or wizard drunk. House elves are another story.By mw
July 29, 2009 3:44 PM | Link to this
Does it really matter? The drinking age and “mystique” surrounding alcohol are very different in England. Why not use it as a teachable moment instead of getting all in a tizzy.By UrbanDweller
July 29, 2009 3:57 PM | Link to this
When will Americans come to the realization that the world does not revolve around us? The Harry Potter movies are shown world-wide, not just here in America where we still have a legal drinking age of 21, the highest, with the exception of some states in India (check wikipedia ‘legal drinking age’). If parents here are that concerned about it, do something! Now’s your chance to be a parent and have a nice open and frank discussion with your children about alcohol.By Harrymomma....what?!
July 29, 2009 4:25 PM | Link to this
Where can I get butterbeer and does it taste good on toast? I like toast. I like beer…..mmmm beer.By Grypie
July 29, 2009 5:24 PM | Link to this
U-h hellooo this goes in hand with , THIS IS JUST A MOVIE, find heroes that live a real LIFE!!!By grumpy
July 29, 2009 5:46 PM | Link to this
Oh, Please….some people need to lighten up. Imagine, teen agers experimenting with beer, who would have imagined………By charlieboy
July 29, 2009 5:52 PM | Link to this
PULEEEEZ!!! If you find something offensive in the movies, then DONT WATCH EM! There are no strict age-limiting guidelines overseas when it comes to drinking! Get over it and go watch something else!By katie
July 29, 2009 7:37 PM | Link to this
Wow…get a life, folks.By Lily
July 29, 2009 8:29 PM | Link to this
I can’t believe people are making something of this. Again, is your life that pathetic that you have to create something to whine about?By derwood
July 29, 2009 11:18 PM | Link to this
Get a life folks. Hasn’t Harry killed people somewhere in this series? I must be the only person on the planet that hasn’t seen the movies or read the books. But I do recall that HP has killed in the past. Dont you think that would rate higher on the scale than drinking 3% ale?By reality check
July 30, 2009 9:47 AM | Link to this
Whoever told you that Wikipedia was the most reliable source in the world must have been drinking some of that butterbeer you speak of. People just like you and me create those pages. If you want a true definition, visit a library or cite a reliable source.By Alise
July 31, 2009 10:31 AM | Link to this
What is the world coming to? People get this worked up about a drink in a fictional book series? That’s ridiculous. There are bigger things in the world to worry about than a silly drink.By Emily
July 31, 2009 12:39 PM | Link to this
This article makes no sense condsidering that butterbeer is non-alcoholic. It is simply a mix of cream soda, butterscotch syrup (ice cream topping), and butter. Just like root beer, it is only called beer because it appears to be real beer. Potter and his friends drank butterbeer since their first year at Hogwarts in the books.By watch harry potter online
August 24, 2009 2:53 PM | Link to this
thanks for sharing these ideas