Harry Potter and the Goblet of Mead

Friday, July 31, 2009
Responsibility Teenagers

harrypottershtBecause no movie with witches, warlocks and hexes should go unpunished, no matter how beloved, the latest Harry Potter movie is under fire for–teenage drinking.

Here’s the scoop. There is a scene in the Hogsmead pub where the three young friends order butter beers. Hermoine, apparently, acts “tipsy” later (did NOT notice that when I saw it. I thought she was just enjoying the day).

Neville crashes a party as a waiter, serving alcoholic drinks to the adults.

And, after a particularly nasty love potion goes awry, the potions master tries to cheer up Harry and Ron a glass of sherry. Which turns out to be poisoned.

This has the anti-alcohol lobby fuming.

And it has me shaking my head in disbelief. The puritannical American values rise again.

These are quintissentially British movies. We all had to look up the word, “snog.” Characters wear wellies, avoid lorries, ride double-decker buses, and go to school in castles. We aren’t in Kansas, anymore.

In Britain, the legal drinking age is 18, although it has rarely been enforced until fairly recently. Kids grow up drinking (generally stout) with their meals. And these characters? They are 17 this year. They are growing up. If their trusted potions master wants to cheer them up with a glass of sherry, that’s pretty normal in Britain. And fine by me.

And as the Goth pointed out, it was poisoned. Mayhaps a negative to anyone considering imbibing, eh?

These 17 year olds can brew deadly potions, hide particularly nasty love charms in chocolates, and hurl forbidden spells that tear an enemy’s skin apart. Considering what they can do, legally, having a wee draught seems a little tame.

They’ve been swilling butter beer since they were 11. Sounds more like a root beer kind of concoction to me. And waiting tables? Texas law allows kids to serve alcoholic beverages at 18, even though they can’t drink until 21. That’s three years of underage mead pouring, not just one.

(Explain how an 18 year old is legally an adult in any and all matters, civil and criminal, can be drafted and sent off to kill people, and can vote–but can’t be trusted to have a pint. Go ahead. I dare you. Oh, and in Texas, it’s 21 and ONE DAY, because kids might go out and get blasted on their 21st birthday. ‘Cause a day makes a HUGE difference.)

Oh, but young kids are going to see these movies. They might get bad ideas. Horrors.

My oldest was the same age as Harry Potter when the first movie came out. He is now 21. The actors are ADULTS (19-20). The characters are nearly adults. We have watched them grow up.

The actors are now doing adult like things–often with a lot of hand-wringing and fanfare. Emma Watson (Hermoine) has been taking some steamy roles and doing some modeling, in (HORRORS) leather.

David Radcliffe (Harry) starred nude as the troubled teen in Equus on the London Stage. A few months ago he announced he’s an atheist and a big Richard Dawkins fan.

Lock up your children. We can’t possibly let them see the process of maturing first hand. We need to keep them in a cave, bags over their heads, completely in the dark about how young folks (GASP) GROW UP.

Send this to the person bothering you today!
[del.icio.us] [Digg] [Facebook] [kirtsy] [MySpace] [StumbleUpon] [Technorati] [Twitter] [Email] More »
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Related posts:

  1. Modeling Vegas
  2. Saturday Night Rules
  3. The Time Machine
  4. Alcohol Awareness, The Mother Style
  5. Growing out of the Kids

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Add to Technorati Favorites

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

16 Comments

Dr. Dad

Friday, 31st July 2009 at 5:26 pm
 

The fact remains that teenage drinking leads to all kinds of undesirable outcomes:

1. Lack of excitement at getting blasted the first time you sleep over at a friends house when the parents aren't looking
2. Knowing the difference between Cabernet, Bordeaux and Syrah
3. Enjoying a beer with your dad after a long, hot day fishing

We should be much more concerned about our little ones being exposed to all this devil worship and satanic rituals in these movies.

Kidding!! Not worried about either.

I may be mistaken, but I believe the countries that allow drinking at a younger age actually have less problems later on.

[Reply]

Hazel Replies:
August 1st, 2009 at 12:23 am

Hmmm. Does Texas have a major problem with young people drinking? Cos in the UK, we do. It's horrendous. Leads to tremendous problems with violence and hospital overload – docs and nurses in the NHS say that the night shift used to be mostly dealing with those problems which are not self-inflicted, but now they see many many young people coming in every single night having drunk too mich, or people that have been hit over the head with bottles by those who have drunk too much, or victims of drunk drivers. Mostly young people. Mostly women having drunk too much, actually, because women try to handle alcohol in the same quantities men do and end up in hospital because they can't. Every night the police have to arrest young people for being drunk and incapable, or drunk and disorderly. That's usually only in the big cities though – maybe you have similar problems in your cities?

A lot of people just seem to be hideously irresponsible here. Especially chavs, which is the name we tend to give to people of low income and low intelligence. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chav

[Reply]

TheMother Replies:
August 1st, 2009 at 5:19 pm

There are always going to be low-life idiots who go out and get smashed regularly. Your "chavs" sound like our "red-necks." Do you think that raising the drinking age to 21 makes a difference in their behavior? Do you really think that watching a few kids in a movie drink responsibly is going to make everyone run out and get drunk? 'Cause I don't. Teach responsibility at home–FOR EVERYTHING, not just drinking–and kids learn to act responsibly.

[Reply]

Hazel Replies:
August 1st, 2009 at 7:09 pm

"Do you really think that watching a few kids in a movie drink responsibly is going to make everyone run out and get drunk? "

Nope, absolutely not. Sorry, I should have made it clear my post wasn't at all about Harry Potter! I was just wondering if we in the UK, who have a lower drinking age, have more of a problem with it than you or not.

[Reply]

Petra

Friday, 31st July 2009 at 5:49 pm
 

How silly! Really, don't we have more important things to worry about our kids being exposed to?

[Reply]

Stephanie Barr

Friday, 31st July 2009 at 7:01 pm
 

Because kids never watch shows with beer commercials (or wear beer logos or watch their parents drink themselves silly)

*slaps head*

As for the age thing, I'm with you, the Mother. Either you're an adult and responsible for your actions (shooting someone) and can be drafted to kill on command or you can't be trusted to make your own decisions for a few more years. If it's the former, and drinking is legal for adults, you should be able to do anything an adult can do. If it's the latter, no drafting or enlisting or convicting or getting married or… until you're 21. You're either old enough to know what you're doing or you're not.

[Reply]

stepiphany

Saturday, 1st August 2009 at 12:20 am
 

This is the first I've heard of the hubbub. All of the overanalyzation of every.single.little.thing has just gotten tiresome. It is nice to hear someone brave enough to admit without apology that they've taught their kids to drink responsibly. BTW, I thought she was just enjoying the day also.

[Reply]

Momisodes

Saturday, 1st August 2009 at 3:11 am
 

Wow, I had no idea it caused such a stir. That's pretty sad. I mean, do we not glorify celebrity teens here who drink and get sloshed all the time?

[Reply]

Becca

Saturday, 1st August 2009 at 3:46 am
 

Yes, can't we just go watch a movie? Why does everything have to have the joy overanalyzed out of it?

[Reply]

The Independent Mom

Saturday, 1st August 2009 at 2:33 pm
 

WHY does every single thing have to be over analyzed and ripped apart piece by piece until it is no longer enjoyable? Everything is a debate these days! Arrrggghhh!

For once I'd like to just enjoy a movie or a good book! ;)

[Reply]

Mrsbear

Saturday, 1st August 2009 at 4:59 pm
 

This is the first I've heard of this controversy, but I have trouble with any group that is ready to shift blame to the entertainment industry for an issues that are ultimately a parent's responsibility. Teach your kids to make good decisions and hopefully they will, but if he doesn't and gets wasted on tequila the last thing he's going to say is Harry Potter made me do it.

[Reply]

Rings

Sunday, 2nd August 2009 at 4:40 pm
 

Thank you very much for that astonishing article

[Reply]

-Ez-

Monday, 3rd August 2009 at 2:44 am
 

Then they should also keep the cuffs on Twilight for ahmm Bestiality ;) . Maybe fine the producers of Transformers because Megan Fox is just too hot.

That Mead/Alcohol thing, was tolerable. Not exactly something ideal but tolerable just the same. Besides, they were Wizards. If there's one thing these wizards could do, it's conjure Adult Identification Cards with a whip of their wands. :)

[Reply]

babafisa

Monday, 3rd August 2009 at 7:51 am
 

i loved the article added to my favourites

[Reply]

Margaret

Tuesday, 4th August 2009 at 1:36 am
 

Ridiculously protective parents should have already done their homework and needn't waste their energy condemning a "foreign movie", if their children aren't going to be "allowed" to see it anyway. Thanks for getting my ire up! Now I have to go punch a kitten, or something.

[Reply]

the mayor

Tuesday, 4th August 2009 at 3:49 am
 

Oh pooh. When are we going to quit fretting about moehills and worry about government overreaching into ever more of our personal business? Raise your kids in a way that helps them develop good judgment. Keeping something forbidden until some magical age isn't helpful.

[Reply]

Leave a Comment