[quote]The Lancaster newspaper reports that young vandals caused more than £50,000 worth of damage to the Hogwarts Express train carriages in the railway depot where they are stored. The police in the town of Carnforth say that the vandals, thought to be as young as ten, smashed the train’s windows with its own emergency hammers. "It will take at least a month to repair, because so much damage was caused."[quote]

http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/#article:9638

How can kids as young as TEN cause 50 000 pounds ($98 090) worth of damage?!?! i'm not exactly old, as i'm in my late teens, and i don't want to sound like an old granny, but what kind of people do this?!

I say set the Dementors on them!!!

What do you all think about it?

Why am I not surprised that these kids were so young? In every town there are kids who, for want of a better word, are almost feral. They are allowed to do exactly what they want, without parental supervision or guidance. It makes me sad. Ten years olds should be indoors playing Go Fish and in bed at a reasonable hour like my 10 year old is. Unfortunately this is the real world an stuff like this happens. I hope they manage tp catch the culprits and teach them a lesson.

I am sure that the train was insured, so getting the repairs done won't be too much of an issue. The mere fact that this mindless destruction of property has occured though is an issue.

Feral Kids? Thats a good one. I have never heard it put that way but it is perfect. We sadly have the same problems here on the other side of the pond. I see kids that age and some even younger out roaming the streets late at night. I just wonder where in the heck are the parents. Besides the mischief they cause, it is not safe for kids that age to be roaming around at night on their own.

I see it from time to time where the kids (some as young as elementary age) go to their schools and trash the place at night or weekends. If memory serves me right (I know questionable at my age) recently somewhere here in Florida a group of pre-teens vandalized their school causing several hundred thousand in damages. The library was trashed as well as a lot of computers and other electronics.

Unfortunately too many parents these days miss that along with the joy of parenting comes the responsibility of parenting.

I agree with etphonehome about catching the culprits and teaching them a lesson. That's what they should do! I mean for kids about ten years old! That's just bad . But I do hope that they fix it in time before they start filming the next movie.



*Sirius*

I was a little shocked to read that the Hogwarts Express was damaged. Where have I been??? Maybe they can repair it well enough before the next movie. I have to admit it does tend to look a little like Thomas the Tank Engine in the movie. So hopefully they can do it up a little.

Now as for *sparkle* , a little less of the 'granny' comments please!
Even the young have difficulty in remember ....... what was I talking about?

Gaburdette I have to agree with you about the problem with kids wandering the streets late at night and getting in mischief (oldies phrase). I live in a small mining town in Australia and any time I have had to catch a bus early in the morning, I have seen kids as young as 8 years old, wandering the street at 4am in the morning. However, on the other side of the discussion, I have also seen adults wandering the streets at 4am in the morning, doing their best to smash in windows of shop fronts and glass windows of the phone booths. I guess vanderlism is a every country problem. And while parents are not being responsible, property will not be respected, no matter what it is.

Ok, lecture over.
mrs hagrid

I actually found that quite amusing. It's funny how everyone's all shocked and bothered by this news. But you know what would have been worse? If someone was hurt. If these kids had attacked a watchman, guard or whatever then that would have been much worse then a few thousand dollars in repairs. And it's a prop. Big deal. It's not like it plays a massive part in the books anyway. We see how much of it? An outside view, the main corridor and a compartment. Wow. I can guarantee that if it were just some random train used to take commuters to work no-one would bat an eyelid, but because it's a HP prop everyones up in arms. As for these kids. What will happen to them? A slap on the wrist and no pocket money. Big deal. Charge the parents. Charging them for their kids crimes might inspire them to take control of their feral children before their dragged off to juvi.

Who would do such a thing! I cant believe it. I wont. That train was a beacon of hope to all aspiring witches and wizards everywhere who one day hoped to ride that train to hogwarts (hypothetically of course!)

Hmmm... I don't see the point in vandalising the train AFTER the movie was made. I mean, if they'd have done it while they were filming then it would have had a bigger effect, wouldn't it. Well, that's youngsters for you. No common sense

Anyway... I think it's out of order that someone can just walk in and vandalise it. You'd have thought that the station would have had more protection, especially with a world famous train in there.

~Cormac

sorry about that ... i didnt mean to offend any elderly people. i apologise.

*sparkle*, I think she was joking with you...if anyone should have found offence in your comment it would have been the more mature members, and I'm not bothered at all. Now back on taopic.

Triad, as usual, you crack me up, but you are right, at least no-one was injured in any way. It is annoying that the area seems to have a problem with vadals patrolling the area causing havoc. Police are trying to pinpoint the areas being targeted but if police patrols are anything like they are in my area, they are pretty thin on the ground.

I'm sure that the train will be ready by the next film, but it's sad that people could lose their jobs because of the delays this vandalism causes.

Ok the news paper article I read stated that the Hogwarts Express has been vandalized before this incident, nothing major but still....How rude and how disrespectful! I am absolutely disgusted! If the poor Hogwarts Express had been a victim to vandals once before why di the railroad not put the train under tighter security? As far as the punks that did this only getting a slap on the wrist...This sounds alot like here in the United States, when juveniles commit crimes like this, they too get a "slap on the wrist" and alot of times the parents are not even held responsible...what rubbish! I think that the punks that committed this act should be punished as well as their parents..
Such disrespect that todays youth has towards material things..I hope that the express can be fixed before the filming of the next movie, it would be such a shame if the damage was so bad that Ole' Girl had to go off to the scrap yard *sigh*

Marcey

When I found out about the train being vandalised I first thought 'who would do such a thing?' and then 'what is the point?' I am so glad to hear that the people who vandalised the train have been arrested, thanks for that information shrimper. I can never understand (and never will) the mind of someone who vandalises exspeicaly people who vandalise something so vanuable like the train. Surley they know that is will cost money to fix and there are always chances of them being found out. . .

Yeah i asked myself who the hell would do that. It's just stupid. I really on't get what kind of people wake up in the morning and think oh lets go vandalise stuff today shall we? I hate it! Well it's good news to me that the people have been arrested they should get life! After all it is the Hogwarts express!

I'm glad to read that the vandals who caused the damage to the Hogwarts Express have been arrested. They need a slap. I know they are just kids but still, they should have been indoors doing homework not out and about at all hours causing havoc and destroying private property.

I expect they will get some kind of community service sentence...litter picking or cleaning graffiti off the walls in public conveniences!

Wow seriously. What do you gain by vandalising a train? People can be so crazy. And it's kind of disturbing that it was done by people as young as ten. I mean, what reason could anyone possibly have for doing that! "Hey, let's go smash some windows in a famous train tonight!" Uggh... what is the world coming to? But it's good that they were caught.

Why would anyone in there right mind vandalize that train?? They knew that they would get caught... I'm personally glad they are in jail and I think that they should pay for the train to be repaired...
I hope it doesn't happen again...

Seems the IMAX poster we saw recently has been 'enhanced' to give Hermione blonder hair and a bigger bust--fans around the world are incensed that publicity people felt she needed 'improvement.'

Harry Potter & the Mystery of Hermione's Curves

This reminds me very much of when Kate Winslet raised cain over having pictures showing her very real curves 'thinned out!' When can it just be OK to be the women we are, without being airbrushed until we look like some PR guy's idea of perfection? As far as I'm concerned, Emma Watson is a lovely girl in her own right and doesn't require 'improvements' made by some over-zealous Photoshopist. Not to mention she was 16 when she made this film!

I don't know what the person that did that was thinking of. I think it was dumb to believe that Emma would be made more beautiful it they added extra curves to her bust. I think the person that did that should be fired. She is a great person and should just be left alone until she does mature on herself. Women need to be valued for who they are and not for what TV sells as the "perfect body".

Why anyone has done that is abit alarming to me. Emma Watson is only 17/16!! Shes only a teenager and theyve made her look like shes had a boob job in that picture!! The harry potter films are primarily for kids and it is supposed to be played by kids, so why do they feel the need in doing that to her! Shes beautiful anyway, anyone could see that. She has perfect hair, and a nice figure so maybe the people who did that to her picture should just give her a break, because shes a nice looking girl.

That's awful!
I'm a few months younger than Emma so we are of similar age and to think of a fully grown "professional" adult thinking it is suitable to alter her picture in that way disgusts me.

Is she not beautiful enough? I think she is, I think she's very attractive. But either way, it isn't as though the character of Hermione is required to be pretty, or beautiful, or even attractive! She's playing a young witch, not an adult model!

And as a 16 year old I know how conscious teenage girls are about looking 'perfect' and so for a picture of her seemingly needing to be "enhanced" before it is deemed "right" to go onto the internet is dreadful. It would damage my self-esteem no end.

x.x.x

I think that's what makes me so angry! Emma is a lovely girl, a thinking girl, too. I've read interviews she's given where she can be very hard on herself over her acting abilities--it's not like she's this Paris Hilton type who thinks she's all that for nothing but her looks. Emma is a very smart and sweet young lady who also happens to be beautiful just the way nature made her--as are we all! I can't help but think that she would be mortified by this.

I just did a paper on this subject. I cant believe they would do this to her. Emma is beautiful the way she is and didnt need any type of change. The media is horrible, changing her so she will more attractive on a poster? She should be admired for her acting ablilities and her intelligence not her bust size.

They Did?!?! Ew!!! Emma is really pretty, and NO-ONE is perfect. I H8 it when models are so perfect looking from the stupid Airbrush thing. That just disgusts me. Emma is supposed to be playing somebody who is kinda a bookworm, And None of the bookworms I know (including myself) R perfect!!!! I just can't believe they did that to her. (Did I use the word Perfect too much??)

Well I read an article on my country's newspaper that talked about WB giving Emma an official apology for the airbrush thing. I think it does her justice because she is such a lovely person and WB received so many hate mail about doing that to poor Emma. I am sure she must have felt terrible about it but with that International apology it will help for her to recover.

How dare they alter Emma Watson! Emma Watson is perfect, you don't tamper with perfection!

Yes a little far thank you lol. Well you know.

I remember they did this to Keira Knightly and she kicked up a storm about it, so they changed it back. Emma isn't flat-chested like Keira though, so I dunno what they were thinking, she looks absolutely great as she is. In fact, what the heck are they doing changing a 17 year old girls bust anyway?!

Speaking as a guy, Emma has always came off as very conservative and a very respecful girl comfortable in herself enough not to be a look-at-me celeb. I wish more girls knew how attractive that is. Sure, girls who "put it out there" will get more attention, but it's cheap attention, and guys only talk about them in one light. Girls with class get so much more respect amoung guys.

I hate to say this, but being from Oxford as well, Emma's home city, people are just brought up to be respectful of their bodies and have some class, more-so than some other areas. It's in Emma's natural to be the way she is, and not some cheap attention you-know-what.

Emma is an Oxford girl, and I don't think she'll like this!!

they did the same thing to kiera knightly in america, that is what causes people to become depressed ect, especially girls

Emma Watson is a very beautiful young lady. anyone who even thinks of changing one thing about her is insane. it's that simple

How could they do this to her!? she is as perfect[i] as she can be!her bust was just fine..why would they do that?i remember about the keira knightly incident...yes, her bust was kinda flat but she was good like that!so is emma's bust..perfect for her..that photgrapher should definitely get FIRED![i]

i heard that WB reduced her boobs and that the imax one is really her!

Okay, when i first saw the IMAX poster, i thought it looked the same as the normal poster. It's the same picture of Hermione just that her ummm...boobs are bigger. It's true though! She's been given a cup size increasement. Have at look for your self:
Differing posters

Now, when i first heard of this, i thought that it was ridiculous! How could they do that? No Harry Potter fans care about Hermione's curves - and she's only 15!

What do all you think?

I think that it's ridiculous for them to alter her.

I know they do it to almost all of the Hollywood stars, or whoever, but Emma is naturally a really gorgeous girl. I don't think she needs any alterations whatsoever, and that's that!

did the people thet airbrushed this picture even stop to think about what this could do to emma? Obviously not! I really hope that emmas self confidence or assurance isnt effected by this stupid marketing ploy. i dont think that they realized how protective the fans are over the actors and actresses. If they ever do this again i say that we burst into the companys building as a mob and demand them to give us the airbrusher so he can be hurt like he hurt emma! ok maybe nothing that dramatic. maybe hords of angry letters would do. Keep your head up high emma! your perfect the way you are!

What makes you think she'd be angry about it? From what I've seen of her in interviews she's a happy go-lucky girl who would laugh it off. I understand that your all annoyed by this but you've got to remember, it's Hollywood. And it's a marketing ploy to get more people in to see it. Especially teens, who the film is directed at.

WB apologised so that's the end of it. No need to get all huffy over it. They wanted to generate interest and get people's attention and they succeeded didn't they? Everyone is up in arms and now everyone is going to want to have a look at this so called 'disaster' to see what the fuss is about. So all this has done is increased interest in HP for a little while so they can maximise the viewing of the movie. A clever marketing ploy I must say.

Let me ask you this - If Emma wasn't in the HP movies would any of you care if they airbrushed her? Be honest. I know everyone says they would care but really? How many stars out there have it done to them all the time? I don't see people screaming for blood because of it. If she wasn't Hermione no-one would care.

Well, to each his (or her) own--if I want to get huffy about it, I will. I would really prefer to decide for myself whether an issue is important enough to 'get huffy' about, thanks very much--just as you can decide for yourself. Sorry if that's blunt, but I've had a lifetime of people telling me what I should think is important as opposed to what I do think is important, and how I should feel about issues--it does tend to make me bristle.

It isn't just that it's Emma, but this is, after all, a HP news forum, which is why I posted this article here. And yes, because I'm a HP fan, it bothers me. I can't see why the fact that it's Emma matters, or should be something I have to prove is viable to my chagrin in some way, simply because it is her. However, it's more that they feel the need to do this at all, in any instance. Enhancing photos of actresses and models creates unrealistic standards that many young girls try to reach. Emma's airbrushing, while mild in comparison to what was done to Kate Winslet, is simply another example that the PR machine really thrives on making people feel bad about what nature gave them.

Sex sells, we all know that. But I think that doing this to a 16-year-old girl is just plain uncalled for. As a mom, it angers me. And considering J.K. Rowling's stance on the issue of young girls and their self-esteem, it's just insensitive to her as well--the woman whose imagination is making WB all this money. And as for Emma, I suppose it is presumptuous for any of us to think we know how she feels about it. All I can vouch for is how I feel about it.

Clever PR plot to create controversy? I don't agree. Perhaps I'm not world-wise enough to see it that way, so kudos to you if you're right...but it lowers my estimation of WB. Sometimes such things can backfire. Seems a bit ridiculous to pull such a cheap stunt for a film that's going to be a success no matter what they do. I don't find it clever at all--it's tedious and overdone and I'm sick of seeing movie posters full of plastic people with backlit hair. The beauty of Emma, and the fictional character she plays, is that they look real.

I don't mind the changing of her hair color; I'd be surprised if her haircolor (IRL) is natural. That's not a slam at Miss Watson, it's just a reality of the business. One of my closest friends from elementary/high school is a NYC working actress. We didn't grow up in NYC, though. We grew up in Pennsylvania. She began "aiding" her natural haircolor well before we turned 15, and this was for local stage-work and for her headshots, not for national movie campaigns.

In the US, at least, most middle class girls have had their hair colored by the time they're 15. So, adding some blonde to her hair for contrast in the posters is fine by me. That's not necessarily "sexing" it up.

But slimming her down and adding about half a cup size? For no real good reason? That's shameful. At first I wanted to say it was just a result of the color correction, but it's really not. There is absolutely no reason to airbrush her. First, she's 16 Second, the movie is geared at teenagers, and while romance and romantic entanglements are part of the story, they're not the majority of the story, and there is absolutely no reason to "up the sexpot" factor of that particular ad. It's not as if she's wearing an evening gown and they "adjusted" to make the body suit the shape of the dress. She's wearing a long-sleeved tee shirt for Cripes sake. Third, she's slender enough and her figure is proportionate. Do we really want to turn a perfectly beautiful 16-year-old girl into yet one more "even more perfect and unattainable" ideal of beauty?

Sorry, the eating disorder epidemic in the US is sickening. And anything geared to young teens that encourages it is shameful (to me) and gets me all worked up.

[Edited to correct Emma Watson's age from 6 to 16. ]

I wasn't telling you what to do. I was just saying that there's no point getting huffy for something that didn't happen to you. But whatever, read it how you will. I'm used to people taking offence at what I write. I just don't get why everyone needs to chuck a fit at something that happens every single day to many other actors and actresses. Like I said in my other post - No-one who give a hoot if she wasn't in the HP movies.

That's a good point about the hair, Arabella. I don't think that was the main problem, either. From what I've read, Emma's hair does tend more toward blonde in real life, she colors it for the movies.

Hmmm..I actually get worked up about quite a lot of things that haven't happened directly to me. I think most people do, so...?

I feel that what has happened to Emma is just another example of the degrading of respect for women. Maybe it's because I'm older, but I remember the '70s. I was a girl then. I was in the first generation of women who grew up thinking they could do anything, be anything they wanted! And yet, my son's generation seems to have only airbrushed airheads and boob-jobbed bimbos like Britney and Paris for female role models. What happened? People accept this airbrushing thing as normal, because 'it happens everyday,' to all female celebs. Once again in our culture, women are only as worthy as their good looks. This makes me sad.

Did anyone know that a woman's rate of pay compared to a man's for doing the same job used to be 75 cents to their dollar? Now it's even less. It's 74 cents. We are going backward, ladies. And young women like Paris Hilton, who act like being beautiful is all a girl should want or need to make herself important, is a symptom of that. Or is it a cause?

Emma is an example of how not to be a bimbo. That is why what they did to that poster is especially irritating to me. She's a natural beauty, with no plastic surgery--no nose job, no boob job, no liposuction...she is as she is. And despite what Hollywood thinks, most guys are just fine with girls who are real!

So, fat, naturally thin, short, tall, freckled...why is it not OK to be those things, without alteration, even if you're famous?

I am with you Darcy. Looks do seem to come above and beyond anything else. Back when we were growing up or supposed to be growing up I don't ever rememeber seeing pictures of celebrities looking particularly perfect as they would do if photographed now.

Donny Osmonds teeth didn't get whitened, Dolly Partons boobs didn't need enlarging and Twiggy's thighs didn't need slimming down OK so I've deliberatly used bad examples, rediculous examples in fact. My reason for this is simple, the whole exercise of airbrushing anyone young and beautiful is a complete waste of time. It doesn't endear us to the celeb, all it does in my mind is make the plastic surgery industry more money under false pretences.

I'm pretty sure Emma thinks she looks OK 'au natralle'. If I were her now, at her age I'd be furious...trying to turn her into something she's not or should never aspire to be. She's lovely as she is.

Now, if it was me...........

It has been brought to my attention that my comments have been less then friendly. Ok a lot less then friendly. I never meant to annoy or hurt anyone. I would like to apologise to Darcy most of all. I never intended my words to create a hostile environment and I really didn't intend for you to feel like I was slamming you down. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and even though I don't quite understand some of the reactions in here I'll try to be more open-minded and try and see things from your points of view, not just my own.

Now, let's see if I can live up to my promise.

I agree that women seem to have gone backwards and this airbrushing of celebrities is only the tip of the iceberg. They don't only do it to posters. They do it in television ads, movies, tv shows, everywhere, all the time. It's sad to think that the next generation will be shown how women won the right to be equal only to have it knocked down a notch by mans image of the perfect woman. If men, and I'm not saying all men, just those who run the studios and whatnot, would accept woman as they naturally are then there would be no problem. Of course some woman would still starve themselves or ask for their images to be altered in the hope of remaining beautiful and desirable for their entire career but not everyone would see this as the right thing to do. If more larger woman were allowed to break out in Hollywood we'd be better off. Women like Queen Latifah and whose that chef? Mo'Nique or something? They need to be embraced more to show young girls big is also beautiful. And they need to stop flaunting Nicole Richie and that anorexic Olsen chick. Famous = skinny, that's all they are being told. Oh and big boobs = famous or popular or gorgeous.

I think we're making a "mountain over a mole hill" - no pun intended!

I agree with the person that said that Emma probably wasn't bothered by it at all. It's not like they gave her huge breasts. I just don't get all the hoopla over this.

Besides, it seems to me that all posters get air-brushed. It's part of the filming industry.

About her hair colour, as far as I'm aware she is naturally a dirty-fair blonde (as seen in 2 of the pics in my sig). She's been brown since she was like 11 though, yeah because of the films, but also because she looks frigging awesome, though I'm fairly sure she'd suite any hair colour.

Tahra, thank you. That was incredibly kind of you. I do understand your position, too. Dumbledore's Widow seems to share it! You know, I really don't think there has been a lot of hoopla concerning this. The article link I posted is the only article I've seen.

But for the people who wonder why this bothers me, who maybe think it should not...it's not hard to explain, but it bugs me on more levels than it just being Emma, but in some ways it is because it's her.

1. Emma was only 16 when that promotional picture was taken. What kind of freak enhances the bustline of an underage girl? That's creepy. If I were Emma's mom I'd sue on her behalf. I doubt WB had a clause in the contract saying they could do that--but then, we just don't know.

2. Hermione. She has been a character who has not had to be the most beautiful, hottest female in Hogwarts in order to be admired by guys. To airbrush a bigger bust for her, and more golden hair, basically goes against the character. It's just wrong for that reason. And it looks asinine. She's wearing a wool jumper, for gawd's sake! There is no real way to make that look sexy. It just looks desperate. As Arabella said, it's not like she's wearing an evening gown or a bikini.

3. The airbrushing itself. It is so common that we just take it for granted, which is part of why people are wondering why I dislike it so much. But the thing is, to me, just because something is commonly done doesn't make it OK. I think it's pervasive, it fosters a sense of dissatisfaction in girls and women, who feel they can't measure up. And what really ticks me off is that the people who do this to us know this, and they do it anyhow. The more dissatisfied the media can make us feel, the more money they hope we'll spend in an effort to make that dissatisfaction go away. Then their sponsors are happy. Everyone is happy but us, and we're still spending money.

Get extensions! Get a nose job! A boob job! Get liposuction! Starve yourself skeletal! Then you will be beautiful and popular! Meh. Makes my skin crawl. I bet I'd be even worse if I had been lucky enough to have a daughter as well as a son!

4. Women's place in the world. In case no one's been paying attention, it's precarious. It always has been. But to foster generation after generation of girls who think, as Marmie said in Little Women, to paraphrase--'who thinks their value is only in being decorative' keeps us in a postion of inferiority. Our wages are slipping. Abuses against women all around the world are commonplace and nothing is done. As Triad said, the airbrushing is the tip of the iceberg. If we tolerate that, how much more will we tolerate?

I saw new pictures of Jessica Alba today. They were ridiculous. She's basically letting water drool out of her mouth in a way that is supposedly suggestive. She also looks like she has lost way too much weight--the ribs are showing. Why do Hollywood women have to be nothing physically in order to be something career-wise?

So...on first glance, it can look like the 'mountain out of a molehill' kind of thing, I understand that. But it's only when a person digs beneath the surface of what we accept as normal, that we realize it isn't normal at all. And it isn't good. Like dirt under the rug.

And Elaine, NO! I took a class where we learned what that plastic surgery is like! Care to have you face peeled off from the forehead down and stretched back into place? Yech! *shiver*

EDIT--Oh, and the reason I have thought about this is because I took a university class called "The Psychology of Fashion." I learned some very disturbing stuff--and saddest of all to me was that these young women were being taught that this was the way to go! Make women feel bad about themselves and they'll buy your product! Sad, but true. This is also why I don't accept this as normal--they are doing it on purpose to manipulate us, and it ticks me off.

It's the same situation for men in that attractiveness is far more important than talent, that's the way it is, and the public support it otherwise the movies wouldn't sell, so I think blaming Hollywood producers isn't really fair.

Then again it works both ways. Take Brad Pitt for example, I think he's an excellent actor, one of the best I've seen, but his performances are always overshadowed by his pretty-boy image. He's never praised for his acting skills, despite them being among the best in the world.

As far as altering images like this, I totally agree. I don't use the term "enhancing" because Emma is great the way she is, she isn't "enhanced" by larger breasts. Speaking as a guy, big boobs are NOT attractive, not fake ones anyway. Why the media thinks they are is beyond me. If they're real then fine, but I for one hardly ever take a women's cup-size into account, if there's something there, that's all I care! Numberous surveys show that men find average or C-cup the ideal .. so why do papers and media go fanatical for freakishly-big?

I'm 17 and I still don't understand it.

Here in the States we have all of those men's magazines (e.g. Playboy et. al.) that continue to add to the "I love women with big boobs" mentality. No doubt England and other countries do too. Not that I look at men's magazines mind you, but I have three brothers who have at one time or another! Good luck trying to take these magazines off the shelves! This is a tremondously profitable business - as Hugh Hefner can attest to! Plus, airbrushing in these magazines is a given!

It's a lot like the Imus incident here ... where a white radio broadcaster referred to a girl's basketball team (primarily black) members as "nappy headed Ho's". He got fired over this. He apologized to the girls and they accepted his apology. But, the black rappers have to take some responsibility too. They degrade the black woman in their videos, time and time again. Calling them Ho's and other ugly names. I also blame the woman who participates in these videos! She should be ashamed of herself for encouraging this seemingly vicious cycle.

OK, off my 'rant' box now! ...

... Taking this back to airbrushing Emma ...

I don't think that it's OK to airbrush the chest of a young girl. It is totally irresponsible. It's not the same as airbrushing a pimple off of her face, to which I am sure Emma would be grateful for. Emma is a minor, they know this, and they should not have done what they did. In this day and age with child predators around each corner ... it makes you wonder where their heads were when they chose to airbrush Emma's chest! Having said all this, I still have to say that in my opinion, Emma's bustline wasn't all that enhanced with the airbrushing. At least not in the two photos that I saw. But, I can fully understand the outcry.

However, I do not think it would be a good idea to have Emma (or her parents) sue over this incident. This would be regarded as a frivolous lawsuit. The justice system here in the States is back logged as it is. They have more important cases (such as murder, etc.) to try. A lawsuit like the one involving Emma would not stand a chance. She would have to prove damages, and I don't see where this incident damaged Emma in any way. The public still loves her! Her reputation is intact.

I agree fully with you. She's a child. In a movie geared to kids. If Tia and Tamera Mowry appeared in a Disney ad airbrushed, into a smaller waist and bigger breasts, I'd be just as annoyed. It's not because it's Emma Watson, but because it's a child, whose character is a child, in an innocent movie.



She wouldn't have to prove damage to her reputation. She still owns (well, her parents still own, because she's a minor) her own likeness, and while WB gets to use it because she signed a contract, if they use it in any way that she, her parents or her lawyers see as inappropriate, she has the right to either force them to change it or sue for breaching the contract. (At least that is how it works in TV. I'm not sure about movies, although I would presume that it's similar.)

The court that would decide this situation would not be a criminal court, and would have no effect on those "more important" cases. If this ever got to trial, it would go to a municipal court. (At least if there were a US action brought.) However, I doubt that it would A.) get that far and B.) that monetary damages would actually assuage anyone's anger.

Actually, if she is upset, I think she ought to demand that WB apologize for their misconduct and retouch the sign to remove the additional padding/thinner waist. That's really the only corrective action that solves the situation. It also borders on frivolous, although I'm not sure I agree that it is actually on the frivolous side of that border.

I doubt anyone is concerned with damaging her reputation, and I doubt that she feels exploited. It's not as if they photo-shopped her head onto a naked woman's body and sold it as Emma ****. That would be a case for monetary damages. If she is upset, it is probably for the same reasons we've shared: the message that it sends to young women in both the US and the UK. And I'd fully support her for coming out with that opinion and whatever action she felt she needed to send a better message.

However, we're all just speculating. Has there been any reaction from her, her family or her attorneys?

I don't think so. It's not such a HUGE a deal for her attorneys, but i wouldn't be surprised if her family has said something about it. But i don't think they've said anything yet.



WB has officially apoligised to Emma, i think, but i they haven't they definitely should soon. It's a disgrace! But i do know that they have taken down the image form the IMAX website, as they are saying that it isn't official.

This is stupid Emma is aazing and noone should have to go through somethig like that. So no matter what you all think Emma is perfect just the wat she is.

Exactly. It would damage my self esteem a lot. I do hope Emma isn't upset, but she seems like a happy go lucky kind of girl, so i think she'll be fine. No one should be retouched. It hurts too many people.

To be honest, when I first saw the image, I laughed. It seemed very silly to me that they felt it necessary to enhance "Hermione." I thought, "sheesh, have they really missed the point of the books, or what?!" I mean, the only time in the books that I can remember people's jaws dropping over Hermione (aside from Ron's in HBP) was at her Yule Ball entrance! Emma is a beautiful girl, and maybe she can look at that and think, "Hey, that's what I'm going to look like in two more years!" Of course, I think they should have left well enough alone!

I also think it's a bit ironic that the creator of the HP world is pretty adamant about "Hollywoodizing" girls as it pertains to real girls' self-image and what we conceive of as beauty; yet the producers of the poster decided it in their best interest to enhance their female star. I still get a laugh as I imagine all of these 30-50 year old men in a production department looking at the poster and saying, "Hey! That girl needs a bigger chest! Add it in!" If they haven't figured out by now what makes the HP films so popular, I guess they never will. And it's not the curvaceous bodies of their stars. Though, I guess a lot of people do find them "hot." (I still prefer cute little chubby-cheeked Ron to the frumpy, sullen, gangly teen. Maybe they can airbrush him backwards??)

I remember an article that was out a couple of years ago with Jamie Lee Curtis. . . She wanted to stop perpetuating the myth that everyone in Hollywood had perfect bodies. She basically said that even those size 0 girls have areas on them that need enhancement to make them look perfect. She had the magazine take a picture of her and publish it un-enhanced and print it side-by-side with the picture that was enhanced! Wow! It was amazing! And she's got a great body, too, but the enhanced picture really did make her out to be superhuman! And I applaud her for her honesty and bravery. I wish that every magazine, movie, tv show, etc. would carry a disclaimer that reads "*Warning: all images have been digitally enhanced to remove imperfections and make the body look a way it never would naturally look. Waists have been shrunk. Boobs have been enlarged. Zits have been removed. Cellulite has been smoothed. Hair has been deleted . . . or added. Lips have been plumped. Skin has been painted. Stomachs have been erased. Etc."

Does anyone remember when Charlie's Angels came out and Drew Barrymore basically had been totally redone to look slimmer in her scenes because she was too plump?! That one really ticked me off! She's such a pretty girl, and then to tell her that she was too fat next to Cameron Diaz and Lucy Lu! So they had to erase half of her to make her look good. Sheesh, I'm not a boy, but I'd rather see a normal size girl go after the bad guys and kick butt than a digitally erased one. Makes me think I could have a chance at being a kung fu master, too.

Anyways, the part about this whole thing that makes me not chuckle or laugh is this: Uncaringly, the WB production department has created an image that thousands of girls are literally going to start killing themselves to try to emulate. That's not funny at all. That's disgusting.

heh, what a nut. I know the school Emma attends, I pass it near enough everyday lol, but it's a girls school and fan or not, I'd not be a nut-case and try and approach her while in school of all places, I'm sure she enjoys being "Emma Watson - Student" for the short time that she is there, she should be left to it!