"If we turn our heads and look away and hope that it will all disappear then they will - all of them, an entire generation of people. And we will have only history left to judge us."
Do you remember the countdown to the release of Prisoner of Azkaban? Did the anticipation drive you mad as you marked off each day on your calendar, aiming for the PoA release date? Do you remember buying your ticket weeks before? Well, you weren't the only one. There are millions of Harry Potter fans all over the world. Could you imagine if your government told you that the PoA premiere would be delayed until school resumed? Yes, that's right, until summer has come and gone. This was the reality for the Potter fans of China. As part of a new ethics- intensification act, the Chinese government has banned PoA for the students' school break. The government has also banned the display of dyed hair and revealing clothing. Government officials hope to diminish the rising trend of untraditional clothing.. They also hope to lessen the negative behavioral influences the media expresses to youth. They've also delayed the releases of "Spiderman 2" and "Shrek 2."
So, what does Harry Potter have to do with any of this? The government bureau responsible for the ban has not explained exactly what negatively influential material is found in Prisoner of Azkaban. China's government seems to be fighting the natural modernization that takes place as each generation expresses new views. Some parents worry that with new music and fashion, today's generation will reject traditions like academic superiority and devoutness.
Newspapers in China have been reporting adolescent crimes more and more frequently. There have been reports of teens robbing a taxi driver, then casually blamed their actions on a television show. Another incident involved some students assaulting a person, and then telling police they were acting out stunts they had witnessed on a video game. The government finds that there is a connection between the rise in youth violence and the media's influence. No country can be completely crime-free by banning foreign movies. In America, people are free to view movies, but they are responsible for their actions. If they claim that a movie drove them to commit a crime, the U.S. government would not ban the movie; they would make that individual pay for his actions. Why should a few criminals too afraid to take responsibility for their choices ruin things for those who make the right decisions? It's human nature to try to blame a problem on someone or something, so as not to get in trouble. How easy is it to say "Well, I was watching the Power Rangers fighting, so I figured I'd test some of the moves on my teacher," or "I was watching Pokemon, but since I didn't have any magical animals, I decided to beat up my friend without the assistance of a Picachu." As bizarre as this sounds, is it any different than the cases in China mentioned above?
Elementary school students in China grew confused and anxious by the suggestion that Harry Potter might be a negative impact on their maturity. Some students argued that Harry teaches bravery and helps them solve conflicts.
Personally, I find the charges against PoA absurd. I don't see how Harry could influence a person to commit a crime. I also find it pointless to postpone the release until school starts. How will this keep fans from seeing the movie, and how will this delay prevent crime? I asked a native Chinese friend of mine, what she thought about this new government ban. I asked, "Do you think that Harry Potter could interfere with Chinese traditions?" She responded, "Well, no I don't think it could."
I then continued, "With every generation comes modernization; clothes change, music changes, technology changes, just to name a few things. In your opinion, will this new ban prevent the loss of Chinese tradition and reduce crime?" She said, "I think that if it does reduce crime it wouldn't be much and people might want to act out because they are being restricted and everyone knows that things change…the more things change the more they stay the same."
I next asked, "Will the delay of Prisoner of Azkaban make a significant difference in the way Chinese adolescents behave and conduct their choices?" She answered, "I don't think so really because you know it's eventually gonna come out and the delayed reaction from there might actually be greater because they have had to wait."
I finally said, "It's always fair to think about both sides of a situation and keep an open mind. In what ways do you think the Chinese government could possibly feel offended or threatened by Harry Potter?" She replied, "The fact that it's a relatively new thing…I mean, you think of Chinese students as very restricted and studious because mostly that's the truth. The schools are very hard and the Chinese government is having to deal with this new popularity of magic and witchcraft and all sorts of things that they probably just don't want to think about."
That's the view of only one Chinese person. Many would agree or disagree with these opinions. I personally find it ridiculous and pointless to delay the release of a heavily-anticipated movie. This action could cause rebellions and angry reactions towards the government. I find that the media plays only a small role in the decision-making process of teens. Teens have minds of their own, and are quite capable of making their own informed decisions, and differentiating between right and wrong. People of all ages have their own morals and values, and Hogwarts doesn't much affect those values. If someone believes it's wrong to rob a bank, they most likely will not exit a showing of Prisoner of Azkaban convinced it's the right thing to do.
Disclaimer: Veritaserum is run by fans and is for the fans. We are in no way official and are not affiliated with J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., EA Games, Scholastic, or Bloomsbury. We do not own any of the characters in the books, movies, or games.
