Alan Moore on Harry Potter and Mainstream Culture

[grkpektis]

I am really glad he emphasized the word "mainstream" because I think we have many creative people today they're just being drowned out by the mainstream garbage

[douglaspouch]

The big difference between now and the 20th century is that almost everybody now is a "content creator". There are few barriers to putting stuff out there so the quality is lost in an ocean of junk.

[psychedelictacos]

Alan Moore did think it was unfair however that he didn't get cast as Dumbledoore or Hagrid!

[tomwilliamson]

Harry Potter is a good example of what he's talking about. The charm quickly wears off as each book is a facsimile of the last. Like the MCU or Star Wars it's about spoon feeding the market more of the same, not creativity, and not meaningful discourse about the human condition.

[peridot]

I think the main reason why Mr Moore's not too fond of the HP series is because it isnt brave storytelling and thats his whole thing

[stevenpappas]

His Australian Fans Would Like To Tell Him;

You Sir, Are A Legend.

[infesticon]

I love the fact he explained mainstream. But still some very diplomatic shitting on harry Potter

[mrZanZibar]

The art we remember today as high culture or classic was mainstream in its day, that's how they became remembered.

[greatestytcommentator]

Ai ARTISTS..

People using Ai Generators and calling it "Their Art"..

Even though it bears a remarkable resemblance to the artist that it was stolen from..

[joshnippleton]

Alan Moore’s valid criticism aside, I like to playfully believe that he is not happy simply because J.K Rowling did not cast him as a professor in the Harry Potter series. Considering he’s a magician himself 😂.

[jackmonaghan]

Frankly, an Alan Moore penned HP story would be a million times more interesting than the slavery simping and New Labour wish fulfillment dross Just Kidding came out with.

[aaqibrawat]

Ursula le guin.
JIll murphy
Diana wynne jones

If you dont know these names but you think Rowling is good. You havent read enough books. And thats the main issue that le guin was making in her criticism of Rowling. The mainstream read harry potter and that was it. They didnt stick around to read fantasy after that.

[garyfiasco]

I would say the last three in the series is pretty good

[DantePurgatory]

Moore really liked this interviewer. His body language shows it.

[konradgoscicki]

Did Alan Moore took into account that mainstream media changed along with how accessible it became? The further back in history, the more, ,mainstream media" becomes dictated by rich and powerful - people with actual time and resources to engage with it. And the more common folk was involved with the media, the more Marvel movies were involved in the mainstream. I know it sounds classist, but can you deny it's true?

Because I am curious how Alan Moore, such a grand critic of fascism and consumptionism, feels about the fact, that all those great achievments of culture back in the day, got their recognition thanks to the very people who steered the wheel of capitalism and elitism.

[barttheraven]

The camera positions in this video are terrible, and it's very obvious at the beginning that it's too close to Alan's head.

[mattgilbert]

We no longer live in a world that materially supports the kind of art and artists we had in the 20thC where the future was still alive in the imagination.
Now, we exist in an eternal pastiche of the 20thC. Capitalist Realism.

[PiCheZvara]

Culture has started degenerating a long time ago, probably in the 50s and 60s. American culture that is, which then influences everyone else, because America leads the pack. It's actually ironic and funny Moore is saying this because comic-books gaining such prominence, they dominate mainstream culture over normal books is a form of degeneration too. By and large. Moore tried and successfully to elevate the medium and use it to tell powerful stories, but it's no coincidence his most famous work are Watchmen - something completely deconstructing what comic-books are.

Today's generation Xers and boomers, people in their 40s, 50s, often can think "well, what we had as kids was better culture", while not realizing even that was already degenerative. We live in a now decades long age of celebrity, where de facto clowns/entertainers are elevated to high social importance and influence, which is bonkers really.

Moore is a ridiculously smart man, he must be considering his work, that's not the work of someone who isn't ridiculously smart. He's pretty much more of a philosopher than a comic-book writer and the fact our modern day influential philosopher like him chose comic-books as his avenue proves the degeneration has rubbed off on him too and it's been here a long time before now as I write. And it's only going to get worse.

[javib]

Differences Between Comic Book and Novel Adaptations. Superhero stories are meant to be episodic ongoing adventures. Book adaptations such as Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, Narnia, Earthsea, Lord of the Rings, detective books, manga, horror, western, slasher, and sci fi novels. On the hand, are not episodic ongoing stories like superheroes. There once in a lifetime experience. They are meant to alter changes to the source material. People have to deal with it. Novel adaptations are meant for die hard fans, scholars, and librarians alike. Changes to their source material need to occur. To feel justified. Even if novel readers don't like the changes. Too bad. What is the point of adapting them in the first place? It doesn't matter if the novel creators aren't involved, it's okay. Being book accurate is no longer an excuse anymore. You can't judge book adaptations. If they alter book adaptations, changes it's source material to fit the runtime, I am not arguing about it. Producers, do your own thing. Creative interference needs to happen. "Film and tv directors, you cannot get what you always want to do. Because, life doesn't work that way. You are told what you are tasked to do. There is no need to be rebellious. Deal with it".

[ausonius]

Ahhh, this is the perennial worry about/accusation against mainstream culture! But it becomes comparing apples with bananas. Brecht is now considered "high culture" for better or for worse. Thats why Moore picks him. Will Rowling get the same treatment in 50 to a 100 years? I really dont think so. Does anyone now consider her works high culture? No, not even at the present.