Stephen King and J.K. Rowling had a heated discussion on social media over how much of a “f---” the Harry Potter writer gives.
The two literary giants—known to have agreements and disagreements with each other—had a showdown on X, formerly known as Twitter, while social media users grabbed their popcorn and watched.
The verbal scuffle erupted over a tweet that Rowling shared. She said in the tweet that she wasn't "scared" about people criticizing her for her opinion on transgender women.
Highlights
- Stephen King and J.K. Rowling had a heated exchange on social media over Rowling's controversial comments on transgender rights.
- Rowling tweeted she was at 'the square root of not giving a f---' about criticisms, sparking a debate with King over mathematical accuracy.
- Stephen King suggested she meant 'not giving a f--- squared,' which would imply a larger rather than a smaller amount.
- Rowling responded by saying she aimed to convey she barely gives a tenth of a f---, advocating for her original mathematical metaphor.
Rowling has faced criticism in the past for her controversial comments on transgender rights, which many view as problematic and dismissive of the transgender community's concerns. Her remarks have sparked significant backlash and ongoing debates.
Stephen King and J.K. Rowling had a verbal sparring on Twitter after the Harry Potter writer said she doesn't give the "square root" of a "f---"
Image credits: Samir Hussein/Getty
The creator of Hogwarts recently shared a tweet about people continuing to call her a “transphobe” and “fascist.” She also said she is at “the square root of not giving a f---.”
“Amazed this still needs saying, but some don't seem to have got the memo,” she said in her tweet.
“If calling me 'transphobe' and 'fascist' was going to scare me out of speaking up for women's rights, it would have happened years ago. Whatever the square root of not giving a f--- is, that's where I am,” she added.
Her mathematical way of conveying her feelings did not go unnoticed.
“‘Whatever the square root of not giving a f--- is, that’s where I am.’ I’m totally using that,” one X user commented, while another said, “You might have to simplify the square root bit....”
The exchange between the two writers began after the Hogwarts creator said she doesn't care if people call her a “transphobe” or “fascist” over her opinions on transgender women
Image credits: Dave Benett/Getty
“‘Whatever the square root of not giving a f--- is, that's where I am,’” another said. “And yet here you are. Writing a tweet about how you apparently don’t give a f---.”
When King, the master of horror, scrolled through his social media feed, he stumbled upon Rowling’s tweet and felt the need to share his thoughts.
He re-shared the tweet and said it sounded like she meant she was “not giving a f--- squared.”
“I think you may mean ‘not giving a fuck squared.’ The square root, I believe, would mean a *smaller* amount of giving a fuck,” he wrote.
“I could be wrong,” he cautiously added.
Rowling, not one to back down, sparked more banter by joining the debate.
“But I was going for a fraction of a fuck. I barely give a tenth of a f---,” she responded. “So I stand by my square root.”
She also said they might need a so-called expert on the matter to settle the debate.
“What we really need here is a certified f---ologist,” she added.
The internet watched the showdown intently, with one saying: “I did not have Rowling and King engaging in syntactical usage debates on my 2024 bingo card"
Image credits: StephenKing
Other social media users weighed on the mathematical metaphor.
“Isn't it like, ‘I couldn't care less?’ So, she cares even lesser,” said one, giving their reasoning behind why the author of the Wizarding World was right.
“I think she had it right the first time,” one explained. “You see, she’s explaining that she gives so little fucks that it’s the square root of giving a fuck. If she were to not give a fuck squared, that would result in her giving more f---s. Based on intended meaning, square root was correct.”
Some disagreed, with one saying: “As a mathematician, I agree with you, @StephenKing. In this context, ‘square root’ is a term that contradicts the (presumed) intention of the statement. ‘Squared’ would be correct.”
Others found it amusing that two of the most renowned authors of their generation were having a squabble over mathematical rationale.
“I did not have Rowling and King engaging in syntactical usage debates on my 2024 bingo card.”
“What we really need here is a certified f---ologist,” Rowling said during the exchange
Image credits: jk_rowling
One claimed, “You have always been jealous of her writing skills,” while another said, “The better writer is correct.”
“Best thread on 𝕏 at the moment. Good job King, some of your beat writing,” another wrote.
In the past, King said Rowling had canceled him for saying: “Trans women are women.”
After confirming that he supports transgender women, Rowling deleted a 2020 tweet where she praised King for his literary prowess.
“Jo [Joanne Rowling] cancelled me,” King said when he was asked about their row in a 2021 interview with the Daily Beast.
The Shining author previously said Rowling blocked him after he made his thoughts on transgender women clear
Image credits: Astrid Stawiarz/Getty
“She sorta blocked me and all that. Here’s the thing: She is welcome to her opinion,” he continued. “That’s the way that the world works. If she thinks that trans women are dangerous, or that trans women are somehow not women, or whatever problem she has with it—the idea that someone 'masquerading' as a woman is going to assault a 'real' woman in the toilet—if she believes all those things, she has a right to her opinion.”
“And then someone tweeted at me, ‘Do you think trans women are women?’ and I said, ‘Yes, I do,’” he went on to say. “And that’s what she got angry about—my opinion. It’s like the old saying, ‘I don’t agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.’ So, nobody has 'canceled' J.K. Rowling. She’s doing fine. I just felt that her belief was, in my opinion, wrong. We have differing opinions, but that’s life.”
King has praised his fellow author’s works in the past and said he “fell in love” with the Harry Potter series.
“Jo Rowling set out a sumptuous seven-course meal, carefully prepared, beautifully cooked, and lovingly served out,” he said in a 2007 review of the books. “The kids and adults who fell in love with the series (I among them) savored every mouthful, from the appetizer (Sorcerer’s Stone) to the dessert (the gorgeous epilogue of Deathly Hallows).”
People had mixed feelings about their online banter, with one claiming King was "jealous" of her writing
