Star Wars vs Harry Potter

[Anonymous]

I have noticed that there is a pretty clear divide between those who are Star Wars fans vs those who are Harry Potter fans.

I find this fascinating. Usually those who like Star Wars, really are turned off by Harry Potter. And Harry Potter fans just are really not interested in Star Wars.

Anyone care to share any theories?

I'll share mine. As a caveat, these are generalizations.

It seems that Star Wars fans are more black and white in thinking. They try to find the right kind of people to connect with - the "good people", and in general are more community or "tribe"-minded. Kind of an us vs. them kind of thinking. You have to have a certain amount of cred or pass the smell test, in order to gain your way into their "tribe". Judgment is part of the credo. More traditional in the sense of power structures. They have a fairly inflexible set of beliefs, principles, and rules, that they live by. They usually are religious or come from a religious upbringing.

Harry Potter fans are more individualistic, and are drawn to the anti-mainstream and "fringe" culture. They are anti-authoritarian, dislike too many "rules", are more tolerant of differences in others, and are usually not religious. They are mistrusting of large institutions, large homogenous groups, or even large social circles that each have their own set of norms, rules, pecking order, etc. They value individuality, creative expression, freedom of expression, diversity, tolerance, and acceptance.

Thoughts??

[Anonymous]

I like both. I think it's obvious that the original source material for each was never intended to be the basis for massive world building and that people who dive deeply get strange fast. That being said, I appreciate Rowlings adding to the lore

https://www.vice.com/en/article/9k44zd/yes-harry-potter-wizards-pooped-their-pants-pottermore

[Anonymous]

I LOVE and adore both, as do both my kids.

Agree with 14:03. Heck, George Lucas had no idea how the story would play out until Star Wars got very popular and the other two movies were greenlit. Sure he had the rough idea, but the specifics, no. There was no plan when star wars was made that Darth Vader was the father of twin luke and Leia.

JK Rowling did more world building and plotting, but there's only so much she can do and frankly anyone who does dive that deeply is a little off.

And what about Star Trek?? (which i also love, possibly the most).

[Anonymous]

I like both, and pretty much everyone I know likes both….

[Anonymous]

Oh that's really interesting that both PPs liked both. I have only met people who heavily favored one over the other.

And Star Trek - yes that's another. I would venture to guess that Star Trek fans fall more in line with Harry Potter fans. The radical acceptance of differences, tolerance, lack of religious references.

[Anonymous]

Are people still reading Harry Potter for the first time? My oldest kid read the books, my younger two have no interest. It's no longer new. I think it hit a certain demographic but might not have the staying power of Star Wars which has been with us for decades.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I like both. I think it's obvious that the original source material for each was never intended to be the basis for massive world building and that people who dive deeply get strange fast. That being said, I appreciate Rowlings adding to the lore

https://www.vice.com/en/article/9k44zd/yes-harry-potter-wizards-pooped-their-pants-pottermore

Wow, that article is gold.

[Anonymous]

Original Star Wars fans seem like a set group. There may be additional add-ons that appeal to them, but their numbers and the extent of their fandom has limits.

Then there are those who really enjoy the Star Wars franchise, and can appreciate the originals as a small part of it.

Harry Potter fans have a similar energy. The original fans who originated as the books and early movies were released. And the newer generation that accepted the HP franchise and the deeper dives into it.

It's a really interesting study on groups moreso than comparing the creative works themselves.

[Anonymous]

I think you have too much time on your hands.

[Anonymous]

I don't know what you are talking about OP.

I really like both.

But then again, I'm not immersed in either world

- rabid Star Trek fan

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are people still reading Harry Potter for the first time? My oldest kid read the books, my younger two have no interest. It's no longer new. I think it hit a certain demographic but might not have the staying power of Star Wars which has been with us for decades.

Yes, there are new readers all the time.

Also HP fanfic is now becoming more mainstream, which is a separate matter entirely as new readers who don’t understand fanfic rules are illegally purchasing bound copies on Etsy. As a result, some of the most popular fanfic authors are pulling their work offline.

[Anonymous]

I like both, though came to HP first (as a young adult) and then acquired a fondness for Star Wars in adulthood (I was not born/too young to see the movies when they first came out).

My DH was really into Star Wars as a kid and initially rolled his eyes at HP, but has come to appreciate it for what it is as our kid as started reading the books and watching the movies. I think he associated it with overzealous adult obsessives before, and now understands they are children's stories with a broad appeal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are people still reading Harry Potter for the first time? My oldest kid read the books, my younger two have no interest. It's no longer new. I think it hit a certain demographic but might not have the staying power of Star Wars which has been with us for decades.

Kids definitely still read HP. My nieces and nephews read them all and now my kids are starting to read them. Which books you have been allowed to read is a bragging point among my elementary kids' friends, as many parents make kids wait to read the later books which are more serious. So like a kid who has read all the books and/or seen all the movies is viewed as cool for having access to more adult stuff.

Also, going to Harry Potter World at Universal Studios is a big deal for a lot of kids -- some care about it more than Disney, which a lot of kids view as for little kids.

There is also an interactive game for HP that some kids play.

[Anonymous]

Harry Potter fan.

I enjoyed the original Star Wars movie but the strange redo of what was originally meant to be a Luke & Leia love story ruined it for me.

Never mind "Han Shot First"...there's plenty of evidence that Luke/Leia/Han were supposed to be a love triangle and then the whole plot got reinvented. Total buzzkill for this young girl.

https://www.quora.com/What-made-Lucas-decide-to-change-Princess-Leia-from-Lukes-love-interest-whom-he-passionately-kissed-to-his-twin-sister-Also-did-all-sexual-attraction-between-them-really-just-fade-immediately-the-moment-they-heard-the-truth

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Original Star Wars fans seem like a set group. There may be additional add-ons that appeal to them, but their numbers and the extent of their fandom has limits.

Then there are those who really enjoy the Star Wars franchise, and can appreciate the originals as a small part of it.

Harry Potter fans have a similar energy. The original fans who originated as the books and early movies were released. And the newer generation that accepted the HP franchise and the deeper dives into it.

It's a really interesting study on groups moreso than comparing the creative works themselves.

+1. Star Wars was life changing for certain generations, but kinda of "meh" for younger people who grew up with more sci-fi and better special effects (both of which became available because of Star Wars). HP was life changing for people who were the right age at the time and/or didn't consider themselves fantasy book readers, but was "meh" for a lot of people who were already into fantasy or who didn't hit the timing exactly right (but its success resulted in a huge selection of middle-grade fantasy available now, unlike when I was a kid). In both cases, I think there are very few new fans being made today.

IMO the original SW and HP works are BOTH deeply flawed from a writing standpoint, and often sexist and racist; they succeed despite this because they deal in simple themes that lend themselves to self-insert storytelling. Between the two, I think the world-building in SW is better and the spin-off books really expanded the world, while the on-page HP world-building is a mess but the excellent film actors saved the franchise.