Posted in: Audio Dramas, Preview, streaming, TV | Tagged: harry potter, j k rowling, podcast, the free press

J.K. Rowling in New Podcast: "I Never Set Out to Upset Anyone"

The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling podcast finds the author and "Harry Potter" creator addressing her comments about the trans community.

Well, it looks like bestselling author & "Harry Potter" creator J.K. Rowling has more to say. As the furor over her past comments that were seen by many as anti-transgender rages on, Rowling and The Free Press announced that the author has a podcast coming out on February 21st. Hosted by Megan Phelps-Roper, The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling has released a trailer previewing what listeners can expect. "What has interested me in recent years, particularly on social media [is when fans say], 'You've ruined your legacy. Oh, you could have been beloved forever, but you chose to say this.' And I think: 'You could not have misunderstood me more profoundly," Rowling states in the podcast. And in the clip below, Rowling offers some additional words that should definitely arch some eyebrows: "I never set out to upset anyone. However, I was not uncomfortable with getting off my pedestal."

The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling: An Overview:

The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling is an audio documentary that examines some of the most contentious conflicts of our time through the life and career of the world's most successful author. In conversation with host Megan Phelps-Roper, J.K. Rowling speaks with unprecedented candor and depth about the controversies surrounding her—from book bans to debates on gender and sex. The series also examines the forces propelling this moment in history through interviews with Rowling's supporters and critics, journalists, historians, clinicians, and more.

The author drove a wedge between herself and the "Harry Potter" community after posting a series of tweets about transgender people in June 2020. "If sex isn't real, there's no same-sex attraction. If sex isn't real, the lived reality of women globally is erased. I know and love trans people, but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives. It isn't hate to speak the truth," Rowling wrote.

Not long after, Rowling would pen an essay on the issue with an accompanying tweet that read, "TERF wars" (trans-exclusionary radical feminist) that included the bestselling author addressing her support of Maya Fostater, whose employment was terminated (as Rowling writes) "for what were deemed 'transphobic' tweets" and calling out trans activism for what Rowling sees as a move to punish those who have different viewpoints. For the millions of franchise fans who felt betrayed by her words, they see Rowling as treating the trans community as second-class citizens while still willing to profit from the community's love of "Harry Potter." When it comes to the live-action side of the "Harry Potter" universe, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, and Eddie Redmayne have all spoken out in support of the trans community and against Rowling's comments.

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