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There's Buffey, and there's Harry Potter

Do Buffey and Harry Potter pose a potential for real harm to young minds?

  • No, but they should be carefully vetted first

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • No, they're simply harmless entertainment

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Yes, they encourage dark interests. They should be banned altogether

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Yes, the potential effects have not been properly evaluated

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    0
intaglio said:
Both women were from *lower class* backgrounds
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OMG! Could it be that there is a connection between malnutrition, hard labour and the development of paranormal/psychic/magical abilities?

Someone should no some serious research and now!

Niles ":):D:madeyes:" Calder
 
I've sometimes wondered this myself Niles.

Most of the best (whatever this means), fortune tellers & witches that I've met, seem to be bog end working class.

Over the years, I've flipped between the idea that: "As they ain't going no where academically, they need to start a bit of alternative culture" or, that they have natural aptitude inherent in their background!!!!

I still don't know, BUT, there are quite a few that I know & respect!!!
 
On the subject of Harry Potter, has anyone been down to Kings Cross-urban, recently!!!

For those that don't know. That's, the little station tacked onto the West side of the main inter-city terminus.

Platforms 8a & 8b, have now gained banners which anounce that they are platform 8 3/4, with probations about flying owls & parking broomsticks!!!!!!!
 
Niles Calder said:
OMG! Could it be that there is a connection between malnutrition, hard labour and the development of paranormal/psychic/magical abilities?

Someone should no some serious research and now!

Niles ":):D:madeyes:" Calder
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Or possibly in-breeding...sorry, but have you seen some of the things you get going around these days?:rolleyes:
This magic(k) stuff...does it work? Why the weird spelling?
Magic: of, or pertaining to, a mage...yes?
 
Re; lower class

They had no opportunity or interest in reading Crowley or joining OTO or similar middle and upper class frivolities. I was merely trying to point out there was a wise woman tradition that survived in rural areas. Sorry to sound snitty but class differences did matter at that time so perhaps there is a wiccan tradition that owes nothing to the Victorian and later revivals.
 
I'd agree that certain forms of witchcraft, especially the wise woman or man, have been around for ages, I mean, that's the point - it's just that the form of witchcraft known as Wicca is a separate religion from whatever the wise folk were up to.

Wicca isn't the same as witchcraft. It's like saying all cats are tigers! Which would admittedly be cool.
 
David said:
On the subject of Harry Potter, has anyone been down to Kings Cross-urban, recently!!!

For those that don't know. That's, the little station tacked onto the West side of the main inter-city terminus.

Platforms 8a & 8b, have now gained banners which anounce that they are platform 8 3/4, with probations about flying owls & parking broomsticks!!!!!!!
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I haven't seen that, should check it out. I get the tube to Kings Cross everyday and have been wondering that they weren't making more of the Harry Potter connection.

On the HP subject, when I read the Prisoner of Azkhaban to my neices, I think I was more scared by the Dementors than they were:D
 
The Perils of Buffy...

I had never really watched "BTVS" until very recently [I had bad associative memories of a friend who watched it religiously, and was somewhat of a silly twat.] I haven't checked out the other thread dealing with that show, but I have to say that, after a couple of viewings I was hooked! I think it was the comment that Buffy's 'sister' makes to her friend Willow after a meal at a burger joint that had me sold. When asked how her meal was, she replied "Great! It was like a meat party, in my mouth."

Needless to say, I think the show IS for older teens to adults, not because of any reference to matters "dark" or otherwise, but more for it's use of strong sexual imagery. NOT THAT I"M CRITISIZING! I'm not saying they should tone it down, or have censors eyeballing their every move, just that parents should maybe restrict younger kids from watching it, unless they are ready for their kids to make comments most innappropriate.

Worst case scenario, they subconsciously take in the show, and are then able to supply much more vivid details to their stories of satanic ritual abuse! Then the bogus social workers come in and take them away from you!
 
Re: The Perils of Buffy...

wulfloki said:
.... memories of a friend who watched it religiously, and was somewhat of a silly twat ....
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Careful what you say! I can see that being misquoted by some zealot ("Ah heard of how the weak minded are deceived by this show treating it as some sort of revelation").
I agree fully about the show, one of the finer shows on TV
 
Both are overrated crap...but they will introduce youngsters to the paranormal if they wish to become interested. I recently visited my local High Street and there were three speakers in the street damning Harry Potter for its bad influence...
Personally, i would rather watch 'real' documentaries rather than pulp like Buffy.
 
My family, although working class of late, are descended from Irish royalty. The ones to watch in my family are the small, dark haired, very pale lot. The taller, brownish haired and healthier complexioned ones tend to be 'normal'. The smaller ones, like me and my mom, are known for 'knowing' things, seeing things, hearing things. It's just accepted. I block it out - I can't deal with it any other way. My mom just accepts that she sees people no-one else can etc.

As a young child, I was more than capable of scaring myself without anyone else's help. Believe me, nothing on tv can compare to what my fertile imagination can brew up. Or maybe it's not imagination:eek!!!!:

I notice the LOTR film is considered unsuitable for under 8s. I read it when I was 7-8, and while it is pretty scary (at that age, and with aforesaid imagination) I don't feel mentally scared by it. The Beast with Five Fingers on the other hand, scared me rigid for about 3 years!
 
Helen said:
My family, although working class of late, are descended from Irish royalty. The ones to watch in my family are the small, dark haired, very pale lot. The taller, brownish haired and healthier complexioned ones tend to be 'normal'. The smaller ones, like me and my mom, are known for 'knowing' things, seeing things, hearing things. ...
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Ah you have some Fir Bolg blood then. I wonder what the religious would make of a film of the Tain, there's enough blood gore and dark magic in that to ruin anyones sleep
 
Actually the only reason i like Harry Potter is because Alan Rickman is so gorgeous as Snape, isaw him in the trailer and so of course i had to read the book to find out more...
Buffy is to my mind boring same thing every week it seems. But please don't start aguing about his this i'm just exprssing my opinion and i don't want to hurt any Buffy-Nut's feelings.
 
I actually like Buffy, and Angel, but that doesn't mean I don't recognise it for the brain candy it is. Still, I find it rather amusing. And as for Spike...well.. nuff said really, this being a family board and all:D It's the Billy Idol thing, I reckon. He can be my Big Bad any day. Or night.

Gordon Bennett, I need a cold shower now!

I haven't read any Harry Potter actually. I thought it was kid's stuff. I've seen bits of the film, which looks quite entertaining. I don't see anything 'new' about it though. Reminds me of the Dianne Wynne Jones Charmed Life Chrestomanci stuff, Magicians of Caprona etc. I loved those books when I was a kidlet. Don't see any harm in it, really. Just imagination, after all. Anyway, Hansel and Gretel has a witch in it; Cinderella has a fairy godmother; even Arthur had Merlin. There's plenty of stories with witchcraft in them, without being a bad influence.

Oh yes, and the Worst Witch books. Seems pretty similar to Hogwarts, I reckon.

But then, what do I know? I read books on serial killers....now there's light bedtime reading!
 
Why isn't there an option 'they should be banned 'cos I'm sick to the back teeth of them'?
 
I agree with Jones (and I was a Buffy nut!).

Helen this in deed is a family board so why not post what you think about Spike on Bizarre (he has a few fans on Bizarre already).
 
Cor, I've just had a quick butchers at bizarre. Blimey! I feel quite tame!:D

Nah, I reckon I need to have a look around a bit earlier in the evening. If I look at that lot before going to bed, I'll be tossing and turning all night.:D
 
Helen said:
Cor, I've just had a quick butchers at bizarre. Blimey! I feel quite tame!:D

Nah, I reckon I need to have a look around a bit earlier in the evening. If I look at that lot before going to bed, I'll be tossing and turning all night.:D
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You did go to bizarremag and not bizarre didn't you??
 
Ah HA! THAT was my mistake!

Still it was rather an eye-opener.
 
I agree with Helen
here are my parallels
Hogwarts -Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches
Dumbledore- Miss Cackle
Draco Malfoy-Ethel Hallow
Neville/Harry-Mildred Hubble
Snape-Miss Hardbroom
Hermione-Maud ?
Ron- Enid Nightshade
Crikey Jill Murphy should sue!
I used to to love the Worst Witch Stories
Still at lest there are some differences and the Potters yarns are quite good especially 3&4
I have also read a book called the Secret of Platform 13, where alondon train station takes you to another world, their wasa character like Hagrid in that as well.
 
The thing that surprised me about HP (when I finally got round to reading them last Xmas) was the number of occult references in them gleaned from elsewhere. Take the Philosopher's Stone for example: Nicholas Flamel's name crops up as the alchemist who created the 'Stone -and Flamel was the name of an alchemist alluded to in Dennis Wheatley's 'The Devil Rides Out' as one who had found the secret of the philosopher's stone. Whether the literary Flamel is based on a historical counterpart or not I couldn't say, but it does seem to indicate that Rowling has done a massive amount of research for the HP series, whatever she says. There were a couple of other references than rang bells as well, but my mind seems to have gone blank about 'em for the mo'.
 
I'm reading the Harry Potter books at the moment and I think they're fantastic! I'm part way through the Prisoner of Azkaban.
As far as harming kids goes, I don't see any harm at all, aprta from the fact that its getting kids I know to read who would never have touched a abook before. One boy who is a struggling reader now has The Philosophers's Stone under his pillow and has a good go at reading it every night. :)
I don't see any harm in the film either, kids love a bit of magic, its what fairy tales are made of! My 4 year old nephew loves it.
Buffy on the other hand, is more for teens and should be screened at a later hour. There are a lot of sexual overtones which I don't deem appropriate for a younger audience, not that there is any harm in the prog itself.
 
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