Harry Potter, leftist intellectual?

Harry Potter -- left-wing hero of the intellectual aristocracy against the materialist middle classes? Well, yes, according to the French daily Liberation...

[French philosopher Jean-Claude Milner] identified a reaction to the free-market revolution instigated in Britain by Margaret Thatcher's governments.

"Reading it, one has the feeling that J.K. Rowling feels, like many cultivated English people, that there was a real, catastrophic Thatcherite revolution [I’m going to add Reaganomics here for us Americans], and that the only chance for culture now is to survive as an occult science," he wrote.

Milner identified the "Muggles" -- inhabitants of the ordinary, non-magical world -- as the uncultured bourgeoisie who did well materially out of the Thatcher years and later under Tony Blair.

"In the world described by J.K. Rowling, there are the Muggles, who represent the Thatchero-Blairite middle class (going from the lower middle class to the upper middle class), and then the others: the people, cultivated people and the penniless aristocracy, people whom you would expect to find in public schools or at Cambridge," he said.

Milner said the disinterested world of culture upheld by Harry Potter and his friends at the elite Hogwarts Academy represented a form of opposition to the values of the profit-seeking market economy.

"As such, Harry Potter is a war machine against the Thatcherite-Blairist world and the 'American Way of Life'."

Ouch! I was all excited to hear that Harry Potter was one of us, a left-leaning intellectual, but come on British people! “Cultivated penniless aristocracy,” really? You look down on the Muggles for not being born to privilege? For being Middle-Class? Even I can’t be that snobby. We hate the Thatcher-Reagan political era too, but being born an aristocrat rather than working hard for what you have is not a virtue that we share.

Al Gore-geous does it again!

Today it was announced that Al Gore, former vice president of these fine United States, two-time Democratic candidate for presidency, and inventor of the internet, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change.

He joins the pantheon of Nelson Mandela, the Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu, Mother Teresa, and Martin Luther King Jr.

Mr. Gore, congratulations! We on the left have faith in you. Run baby, RUN!

Dita von PETA - Updated

PETA has chosen the fur-loving burlesque queen herself, Dita von Teese, as their latest spokesmodel. Didn't they do their homework? I have never agreed with PETA's tactics or points of view but where is their integrity? To call them hypocritical would be inane.

From PETA's website: "Dita Von Teese is the definition of sexy. She is a spokesmodel for the MAC Cosmetics Viva Glam campaign and the face of the holiday catalog for Frederick's of Hollywood, performs live burlesque shows, and has graced the cover of magazines around the world, including Playboy, Elle, and Harper's Bazaar. Now Dita is combining her sex appeal with her compassion for animals to launch PETA's new ABC campaign."

From Dita's recent book: "Who wouldn't love an opportunity to don a cuff of mink given them as a gift, or to wrap a luscious stole of fox around her shoulders on a chilly day? (I guess there are some people out there that wouldn't want to, but I am definitely not one of them!) Silks, satins, furs--I have crowded rooms of such sumptuous materials--are decadent. I've always loved these materials for their softness, their beauty, and the added luster of femininity they bestow upon me when I wear them." (Dita Von Teese, Fetish and the Art of the Teese, p. 77)

One of our faithful readers (just so happens to be my sister) e-mailed PETA about this glaring error today and got this really, really long form letter back, excerpts of which I've included below:

"First, please know that, as an organization staffed and run largely by women, we would not do something that we felt contributed to the serious problems that women face. However, we feel that there is nothing shameful or “wrong” about being naked, and we believe that women—and men—should have the choice to use their own bodies as political statements...

Our purpose is to stop animal suffering like this, and we use all available opportunities to reach millions of people with powerful messages...

If you are concerned that a particular celebrity with whom we have worked may not yet be 100 percent vegan or in total agreement with PETA’s views on all animal issues, we can certainly understand your feelings. But we believe that by taking a stand against even one form of animal abuse or exploitation—and by helping us to educate the public about these issues—celebrity supporters can make a big difference...

Thank you for providing us with this opportunity to explain our position on this important topic and for all that you do to help animals.

Sincerely,

The PETA Staff

Uhhh... ok, not really what we asked but thanks anyway.

And thanks Maria for the tip!

UPDATE 10/08/07 (from People.com):

"PETA's totally aware of me," Von Teese told PEOPLE before performing – in fox fur – her signature striptease at the Macy's Passport AIDS benefit last week. "I'm not working with PETA to tell people to be vegetarians or to stop wearing fur. I am there to strictly speak about spaying and neutering your pets."

The animal-rights organization says it was aware of Von Teese's fur affections before approaching her to star in its campaign.

This is why PETA is a sham and why all it's members are, in my opinion, ditzes who can't grasp larger, more important social issues so they cling to something simple like saving kittens and puppies. Let's not forget PETA's number one gal Pamela Anderson, who sported sheep-skin UGGS for years and then claimed she had no idea they were made of SKIN. That soft supple feeling is a dead animal around your feets Pammy.

How can PETA collaborate with a known fur-advocate? Is this not the same organization that throws paint at women wearing fur, destroying their very expensive personal property??