The American sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live took a shot at Harry Potter mastermind J.K. Rowling over her views on gender in its 51st season premiere on October 5.
Rowling has been vocal about her stance on gender politics and, due to her wording of publicized statements, has since been dubbed anti-trans.
Her opinions have gotten her on the wrong side of a large chunk of the acting industry, including Emma Watson, who played the character Hermione Granger in Rowling’s brainchild movie series.
Highlights
- SNL’s 51st season premiere lampooned J.K. Rowling, using Bowen Yang as Dobby.
- The sketch referenced Rowling’s hate mail.
- Social media was divided, with some praising the humor and others questioning Yang’s portrayal.
The latter was based on the most recent spat between the two in which Rowling called Watson “ignorant” of her “ignorance” in a wordy X explainer on September 29.
The SNL skit comes in the wake of J.K. Rowling’s criticism of Emma Watson
Image credits: jk_rowling
Rowling lashed out at Watson, 35, saying that over the years, she (Watson) felt it was her place to comment publicly on her (Rowling’s) stance on gender.
“They think our former professional association gives them a particular right–nay, obligation–to critique me and my views in public.”
“Years after they (Watson and Daniel Radcliffe) finished acting in Potter, they continue to assume the role of de facto spokespeople for the world I created,” the 60-year-old ranted.
She went on to talk about Watson and Radcliffe as children when they first entered the Harry Potter universe.
In the X missive, she called Emma Watson ignorant
Image credits: Saturday Night Live - SNL
“When you’ve known people since they were ten years old it’s hard to shake a certain protectiveness,” the British author continued.
“Until quite recently, I hadn’t managed to throw off the memory of children who needed to be gently coaxed through their dialogue in a big scary film studio,” Rowling claimed.
“Emma has so little experience of real life she’s ignorant of how ignorant she is.”
The seed of the Rowling-Watson–and Radcliffe, for that matter, along with many other of her creation’s character actors–conflict was planted in a string of public statements that would define the author as a controversial political figure.
SNL dressed Bowen Yang up as Dobby the house elf from Harry Potter
Image credits: Saturday Night Live - SNL
SNL, as it does with those who cannot keep themselves out of the faux pas minefield of the public spotlight, honed in on Rowling, targeting another creation of hers, Dobby.
For the sketch, it dressed Bowen Yang as the house elf, who then portrayed himself as having been ordered to appear on the show by his master, Rowling, and define what a woman is “for once and for all.”
“Master Rowling has done so much for Dobby and for inclusion in general,” said Yang in character.
“Remember when Dumbledore was gay after the books came out, and when Hermione was Black only on Broadway! And when Cho Chang was… was Cho Chang Asian? Dobby can’t remember if the character named ‘Cho Chang’ was Asian or not,” the monologue continued.
Chang then made reference to J.K. Rowling’s alleged hate mail
Image credits: Saturday Night Live - SNL
Dobby then scampered off toward a camera and banged his head against its lens repeatedly, drawing a reaction from host Michael Ché, 42.
“Dobby, why do you keep hurting yourself?” he asked.
“Why? Dobby doesn’t know,” came the answer.
“Perhaps because house elves are somehow always the problem, even though we’re only 1% of the population, house elves aren’t the victims. Master Rowling is. She gets so much hate mail.”
The threats J.K. Rowling received for her stance are also a sore point between her and Watson
Image credits: Warner Bros.
A particularly sore point for Rowling, per her most recent missive on Watson, was a one-line message she (Watson) allegedly passed to her after her 2022 All Witches speech.
“I’m so sorry for what you’re going through,” the note read.
Rowling criticized this move, finding it rather inane, given the fact that she (Watson) allegedly had Rowling’s phone number.
“This was back when [a variety of] threats against me were at their peak, at a time when my personal security measures had to be tightened considerably and I was constantly worried for my family’s safety.”
Social media is not entirely happy with Yang’s portrayal of Dobby
Image credits: Jon Furniss/Getty
Image credits: jk_rowling
Social media has since drawn its own conclusions about Bowen’s depiction of Dobby.
“Bowen clearly has beef with JK,” observed one netizen.
“This was hilarious,” remarked another.
“Ironic is there anyone on the show that acts more like a victim than Bowen?”
Social media is waiting for a response with bated breath
