( continues...) very accurately portrays obviously a religion. And it is being read aloud in our classrooms across America, when other religious books have been banned from the classroom.
SCARBOROUGH: OK.
MATRISCIANA: So that's my issue and that is my concern.
SCARBOROUGH: So, you are saying you can't read the Bible, which promotes Christianity, but you can read “Harry Potter,” which you say pushes witchcraft?
MATRISCIANA: Well, it's a very, very accurate portrayal of witchcraft. It also encourages the children to go into Wiccan Web sites in the classroom. The teaching aids that come along with it do encourage children to learn more about witchcraft. And, certainly, if they are allowed to do that, in all fairness, on all religions, then let's have that in the classroom. But are all religious...
SCARBOROUGH: Well, Steve—what do you say to that, Steve? If this book promotes the occult, if it promotes witchcraft, then why are we letting our kids read it in school?
ZEITCHIK: Well, there's a couple of issues here. First of all, I am not convinced that it promotes witchcraft. If there's elements of witchcraft in it, you know, there are elements of religions and of—I mean, you read—you read “To Kill a Mockingbird,” you want to talk about something unsavory, “To Kill a Mockingbird” has racism in it.
And “Night” by Elie Wiesel has brutality and anti-Semitism in it. Certainly, there are unsavory things in the world. And we still read them in our classroom. In fact, we encourage our children to read them, because I think it will ultimately help them understand the world better. If the message—look, if the underlying message of this book is not one that any person or parent or principal agrees with, then they should not assign it, the same way they should not assign other books. But the idea that somehow this “Harry Potter” phenomenon, because of its very success, is indicative of an anti-religious crusade or that it somehow connects to a separation of—or a violation of church and state to me just seems totally absurd.
I liked his earlier ones Days Between Stations and Rubicon Beach.
I agree with Hec's assessment of Steve Erickson. Very cool writer. Days Between Stations is a bizarre and wonderful book.
No. I think the issue, what I take issue with is that this book very accurately portrays obviously a religion. And it is being read aloud in our classrooms across America, when other religious books have been banned from the classroom.
"very accurately portrays"? The weird candy and magic items "very accurately portray" wicca? Huh.
Hey, Warner Brothers SAID SO. So there. Accurate.
Yeah, I see those witches and wizards apparating everywhere, flying on broomsticks, and being educated on how to transfigure mice into pincushions. Very accurate, indeed.
Dude, Fox is like Bizzaro Daily Show.
Basically, I wouldn't worry about the opinion of someone who has wet dreams about being Dave Barry.
I have a policy whereby, if you're not funny on E!, then you're probably not going to be funny in print. Joel Stein was my source for this theory. At least Mo Rocca can pull of deadpan, one time in five.
Well, it's a very, very accurate portrayal of witchcraft.
If Jessica (and other wiccans) can fly on brooms, and hasn't demonstrated this for people like me, I will be very,
very
disappointed in her. That goes double if there really is a secret war going on against a haughty rock-star-persona villain who goes by one name. Prince, if only you'd told us!! We would have forgiven you!
Yeah, I see those witches and wizards apparating everywhere, flying on broomsticks, and being educated on how to transfigure mice into pincushions. Very accurate, indeed.
Dude, Wiccans can do all that? Jess's been holding out on us.
Yeah, I see those witches and wizards apparating everywhere, flying on broomsticks, and being educated on how to transfigure mice into pincushions. Very accurate, indeed.
Hey, just because some of us are
really good
at casting Obliviate ...
"very accurately portrays"? The weird candy and magic items "very accurately portray" wicca? Huh.
Not to mention EXPECTO PATRONUS!!!
