What Really Dragged Dumbledore Out of the Closet?

If you've seen the news recently, you know the truth: legendary wizard and Hogwarts Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, is gay.

Yes, the war in Iraq is still going on. The entire Middle East continues to be on the verge of even more chaos. A couple days ago a child was shot in Chicago. He was ten years old and had gone to the store for candy. His friend heard the shots, then watched him hit the ground just as blood started running out of a hole in his neck. The gunmen got away and the police were left with no answers about why anyone would open fire on an innocent child.

Important as these things might sound, they clearly pale in comparison next to today's most important story:

Read all about it! J.K. Rowling reveals Dumbledore is gay!

I am a devoted fan of the Harry Potter series. The books are exceptional (the movies are pretty good, too), and J.K. Rowling is a great storyteller. Which is why this is so absurd.

J.K. knows how to tell a story; she knows how to captivate her readers. But her masterpiece was already complete, right down to the last period on the last page of her epilogue. So why thrust Dumbledore out of the closet now?

I have a theory...

As strange as I think it is that J.K. decided to "out" Dumbledore at this moment, I'll begin by saying that I'm glad she didn't try to work it into her series sooner. Doing so would have been a distraction from the story. (Anyone who says otherwise must be oblivious to the current response this simple statement has received. If it were announced in, oh let's say, book 3 that Dumbledore were gay, suddenly it would have been the main focus in that particular book.) It may not be fair or right that somebody's sexual preference provides such a distraction, but the truth is, it does. J.K. Rowling would know this. And that might be why she didn't include it earlier. But I don't think that's the real reason...

Upon her completion of book 7, Rowling supposedly encountered criticism for the "heteronormativity" of her bestselling series (or so Alan Jacobs claimed in his review for the September/October issue of Books and Culture). When critics were unhappy that no gay couples were even briefly alluded to anywhere in the HP series, you'd think J.K. would either:

1) Immediately silence those critics by acknowledging that one of her most prominent characters is a homosexual

or

2) Never mention it and let the reader assume whatever he/she chooses

Why stay silent until this moment?

Like I said, I have a theory. But first I want to say that Rowling's outing of Dumbledore changes nothing for me. Sure, it might make some readers wonder about the kids who eagerly joined "Dumbledore's Army," perhaps attracting some pied piper allusions. And it will certainly evoke some ill-humor regarding Dumbledore's role as "Headmaster." Not to mention the inferences some might make regarding Dumbledore's brother and his infatuation with goats. But as distracting as these sentiments might be, the story itself is hardly altered.

But do I think Rowling has altered her role as the storyteller? Definitely. And for the worse.

If Dumbledore were a real person, I would not have a problem respecting him for his many admirable characteristics. Even though I am not a supporter of gay rights, I don't think we should paste a large "Homosexual!" label on someone as soon as they step out of the closet. Individuals are complex and ever-changing, and affixing labels (of any kind) will only hinder interaction with others.

But the rules are different for fictional characters. Labels work. Characters can't change drastically on a whim or the reader won't accept them. We expect our fictional characters to be true to the mold in which they were cast.

But Dumbledore's character was changed after the story was completed. And for this reason (not because he is a homosexual), I cringed when I heard this news. Dumbledore, fictional character that he is, is not a real man struggling with same-sex attraction. Nor is his homosexuality part of a writer revealing her story.

No, this is an epic story being hijacked by an agenda. Or an author pandering to one.

Because I have acquired so much respect for J.K. Rowling, I almost feel bad accusing her of this. But I must.

After completing her magnum opus, book sales (record-breaking as they were) were bound to decline. Fans' intense interest in Harry Potter, though it would renew a little bit with the release of the next two movies, was bound to dissipate. Unless...

Unless Rowling could say something to spark a new and profound interest...something that would make people want to read her novels again... something that would send readers searching for hidden meaning, shadowed themes, undertones... something that would keep Harry Potter in the forefront a little longer... and something that will sell a few more books (I'm sure her publisher wouldn't discourage this).

But what could she say that would elicit such a response?

Well, she could reveal that one of her characters is gay.

Perhaps J.K. planned this all along. Who knows? Initially I said that this last-ditch admission changed nothing for me. But maybe it does change things a bit. I loved it when Rowling surprised me while I was reading her books. But that was supposed to end with her epilogue, not with her rewriting her work from a podium in Carnegie Hall.

The epilogue was supposed to provide closure for her readers. But how much closure can readers feel when the author continues to reveal things about her characters that were never included in the books?

What next?

Is Hagrid Harry's real father?

What about Hermione? Where did her powers really come from?

Maybe Dobby was phony.

Was Snape secretly married? Did he endure a messy divorce?

Maybe Neville is in love with Hermione.

Maybe Lily and James Potter were potheads.

One thing I do know: If any of these were true, it wouldn't have merited a leading story on CNN. Maybe months ago when the Harry-hype was still in full swing, but not now.

But proclaim that one prominent character is gay and America will take notice.

I think Rowling knew that. And I think that's why she did it.

And I also think it's sad that we are so interested. With all the news stories of significantly greater importance, America is captivated by an old fictional wizard slinking out of the closet.

But then again, what news story am I writing about? What news story am I focusing on for this post?

When it comes to misplaced priorities, I'm just as guilty as the next American.

But shame on you, J.K. Rowling, for taking advantage of that. And even more so, for besmirching the beauty of your story in exchange for a little extra press coverage.

And some additional book sales. As if you need it.

As a fellow writer and a fan, I was proud that you planned to refrain from writing a Harry Potter follow-up set years after the end of book 7. I was glad that you knew when to close the book. When to let the story speak for itself. When to let the characters speak for themselves.

...and then you stepped to the microphone at Carnegie Hall and changed all of that.

I hope it was worth it.

--Thanks for Reading

Strange Newness

I haven't posted in awhile, but I won't apologize for that. Getting married, going on a honeymoon, and then moving to a new apartment are pretty good reasons for being "too busy."

As I was sorting through my numerous blog ideas (in my head; I'm not organized enough to store ideas anywhere else), I decided I didn't want to address any of those yet. Since getting married and moving, I've found that I live in a very different world than I did 2 months ago when I last posted. I'm still getting accustomed to sharing life with someone else. We (Barbie and I) are still furnishing our first apartment together, and we're still unpacking. So every day our surroundings look just a little bit different.

With so much changing in my life, I've noticed myself taking a weird inventory: likes, dislikes, concerns, and interesting observations. Maybe it's because I'm trying to nail down my identity, the intricacies of my individuality, now that I'm united as "one" with someone else for the rest of my life. Or maybe not. Whatever the reason, these are some things I've recently noticed:


My commute used to be 2 minutes. Now that I drive a full 10 minutes every morning, I enjoy spending that time with my new friends on ESPN radio: Mike and Mike.

I don't like those credit card, phone plan, and perfume peddlers who harass me in shopping malls.

I miss being more actively involved in a ministry.

I like Kirk Herbstreit a lot.

How I Met Your Mother is a really good show--one of the funniest sitcoms I've seen in awhile.

I want to take more classes, preferably relating to psychology.

Waking up when the alarm goes off in the morning is a lot easier when there's someone in bed to prod me with a finger, elbow, or knee.

Fall smells better than any other season.

These guys make me nervous:







(AP Image)


Craig's List is a very helpful site. One that almost provided a free houseboat for Steve and me. But no dice. Not yet.


Speaking of lists, I think this one is long enough. After Barbie and I get settled in, I'll upload a few of our honeymoon pictures from Cozumel.

I know this was a pretty weak post, but thanks for reading it anyway.

Another Serious Post

I am busy this week working on 4 articles which all happen to be due on Friday. So I don't have time to tackle any of the more serious topics I hope to address in the near future.

But I wanted to give you something to check out in the meantime. I know I've posted a lot of videos lately, but this one is by far the best.

If you've ever played minesweeper, you need to check it out. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.




http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1770138

--Thanks for reading and watching

More YouTubing

As promised, here is the latest YouTube video from Steve and me. This one is for a Best Buy contest in which the videos are supposed to show why we need them to "tech out" our dorm room. I hope you like it.

I'm including the link here so you can check out the competition, post comments, or rate our video. If we make the top 20, the rating starts on August 22. Here's the link:

Steve n' Tyler's Best Buy video

-Thanks for reading and watching

Showing grace at the Border...

Judging by my title, some of you probably thought this post would be about immigration laws. But don't worry, I wouldn't waste your time with a petty political post; I'm nowhere near interested enough in politics to write one of those.


Instead I'm writing about a vital issue I am interested in, a matter of the utmost importance to me. That's right, I'm writing about food.


Here's the scene:


Sometime around 7:30 tonight I was about to walk into my apartment when I was seized by a sudden Taco Bell craving (of a magnitude I haven't experienced since college). So off I went.


I ordered an assortment of tacos and burritos that I was told amounted to $6.09. Let me deviate from my story for a moment to say there's one thing I hate about going through a drive-thru: trying to pull my wallet out of my back pocket. Especially when my seatbelt is fastened and I have to keep the clutch depressed and I know Chicago drivers will honk for no reason at all so I'm expecting a cacophony of car horns to erupt at any moment...

but, getting back to the story, tonight I didn't have to worry about any of that. Because I drove to Taco Bell without my wallet. Without the necessary $6.09.


I realized this sometime in that curve between ordering and arriving at the window. So I started digging feverishly through my change, extracting quarters and dimes, pushing pennies aside, hoping for some hidden Sacagawea dollars.


"That'll be $6.09," I heard the lady say when I, still hunched over the change in my center console, rolled slowly up to the window.


I looked over at her, my hands full of coins, and I said, "I'm sorry. I didn't realize I had forgotten my wallet. I can give you change, but you'll probably need to take some things off my order."


"How much do you have?"


"I don't know. Three, maybe four dollars." And I started counting again. I felt pathetic, by the way. But what else could I do? (There was a car or two behind me, but miraculously no one was honking yet.)


I was scraping bottom when I finally amassed an even $5.


"I have $5."


She held out her hand, took my mound of change, and then gave me my food. All of it.


I felt like I should at least give her everything I had left. "Do you want all my pennies?"


She laughed and said, "Don't worry about it."


So I drove away. And I did so with a prevailing sense of gratitude. (I still felt somewhat pathetic too.) I don't know if she had to contribute the $1.09 out of her own pockets (I hope not). I don't know if her boss would care, or if her boss will even know.


But it's not just about the money. Not only did she extend grace to me when she cancelled my debt (so to speak), but she also did it without reluctance. She didn't let out a massive sigh of displeasure, didn't frown at me, didn't start muttering about idiots who try to buy things without money.


She was patient. She accepted the best I had to offer. And concerning the rest of what I owed her, she simply said, "Don't worry about it."


And at the risk of sounding feminine, I want to stay that I was touched by her kindness. I felt the way I always do when strangers are unexpectedly generous. Or when they extend grace to me in times when I least expect it...like in the Taco Bell Drive-Thru.


I know I could turn this into a spiritual message, focusing on the cancellation of debts idea or another aspect of grace. But I don't think I need to be that direct. I think the message is already there. And you're smart enough to take something from it without me preaching at you.


Besides I just wanted to briefly share this story so you could 1) laugh at me for being an imbecile (or as Brian Regan might say, an "imbecilen") and 2) so you might be encouraged like I was, reminded that there are a lot of kind-hearted people in our world.


I'm am also challenged to be one of those kind-hearted people when I have a frustrating experience with a stranger. I should strive to be someone who can shrug off an inconvenience, someone who can smile at the other person and say without a hint of resentment, "Don't worry about it."


--Thanks for Reading

Current and Future Things

I'm going to begin with a little shameless self-promotion (I feel like I've been doing a lot of that lately).

Today, I had a book review featured on The Burnside Writer's Collective. In this article, I reviewed Anne Lamott's Grace (Eventually). For those interested, I've attached a link right here:

Review of Grace (Eventually)


I'd also like to apologize to anyone who reads my blog even somewhat regularly. I haven't been posting as routinely as I would like. And my content has been pretty shallow as of late. I plan to remedy this posthaste.

In the near future, I will be blogging on these topics:

1) How Old-Age Intersects the Eternal

2) How to Make Enemies, and Why We Should

3) Death and Two-Year-Olds

...and somewhere down the line, I will address homosexuality and the church's response.

Note: I reserve the right to post these in any order I choose, thereby rendering the above number system meaningless.

For those of you who prefer my shallow posts: Steve and I are set to film our second commercial tomorrow. (Sorry, no ketchup in this one.) When it's complete, I'll link to that too.

--Thanks for Reading

Underwear, Youtube, and Michael Jordan

Sometimes I try to write things that are intellectually stimulating. Whether it's a book review, an examination of scripture, or a mildly profound pondering, I like to think, examine, and learn.

But I also like to laugh...

And the new Hanes' commercials featuring Cuba Gooding Jr. and Michael Jordan make me laugh.

If you know me, you are probably aware of my appreciation (okay, fine: my love) for Michael Jordan. That appreciation/love is part of the reason I think these commercials are so funny. But even if Michael Jordan hasn't been your hero for 16 years, I think you'll still enjoy them.

I've only seen one of these aired on television...but that could be because I don't watch TV all that often.

Anyway, I hope you like them:

(Disclaimer: I'm linking to these commercials on YouTube, and YouTube videos become unavailable if they are removed for any reason. So if the links stop working, it was beyond my control.)


Commercial 1

Commercial 2

Commercial 3


And while I'm talking about commercials and youtube videos, I would be remiss not to mention that my friend Steve and I created our own commercial for part of a Heinz ketchup commercial contest.

The contest hasn't officially begun yet, but over 1700 entries are already viewable on YouTube (where else?).

Of course Steve and I would love to win the $57,000 first prize, or even the $5700 given to second through fifth place. But if we don't even make the top 15 (which is selected by a panel of judges before the two-week voting period can begin), we still had fun making the video.

It's not as good as the Hanes' spots featuring Michael Jordan, but hey, no one compares to MJ.

Anyway, I hope you like it.

Steve n' Tyler's Heinz Commercial

--Thanks for reading...and watching

Good Stuff

Today I want to recommend a couple sites.

The first is Good Search, a search engine powered by Yahoo! search. The nifty thing about Good Search is that for every internet search you conduct, $0.01 goes to the charity of your choice.

You can also save your preferred charity so that every search you conduct automatically donates a penny to your cause. When I use goodsearch, I choose LeaderTreks, a nearby missionary organization for which one of my best friends works.

Here's the only catch I've discovered. Unless more than $20 are raised in one calendar year, Good Search does not issue a check to that organization. This won't be a problem for organizations like Save Darfur (having currently raised nearly $3,000) and the ASPCA ($4,400) and other large organizations. Instead the smaller groups, like LeaderTreks, will miss out.

So I'm asking you to start using Good Search. And if you don't already have a cause to support, let me recommend LeaderTreks, which has currently raised only $2.70. And I'm fairly certain, sadly, that almost all of those have been my searches.

All of you search the web; everyone does. You might as well donate money as you do it. Right?
Here's the link:

http://www.goodsearch.com/



"If the book we are reading does not wake us, as with a fist
hammering on our skull, why then do we read it?...A book must be
like an ice-axe to break the frozen sea within us." --Franz Kafka

The second site I'm recommending is called goodreads.

Once you create your own account, you have the chance to stock your bookshelves with books you "have read," are "currently reading," and those you plan "to read." Of course you can also add friends and see what they've read, or plan to read. And it can be one more online communication tool.

But that's not what I like about goodreads (which could be why I have 0 friends on their site). I like that it allows users to rank the books they've read. Using a 1-5 star scoring range, users have the opportunity to encourage others to read books they love and discourage people from reading those books they detest.

I could say more about this site. But instead, I'll just encourage you to check it out. It's worth it.

http://www.goodreads.com/

And if you choose to check it out...feel free to add me as a friend. My goodreads name is Tyler Charles. Lacking in originality, maybe, but easy enough to find.

And don't forget to start using goodsearch. It's worth it.

--Thanks for Reading

Ah, the days of bathtub gin...

The roarin' twenties.

It was a time of jazz music, the Model T Ford, and indoor plumbing. The Charleston; the first color movies; the first "talkies." Babe Ruth belting home runs.

It was a festive time in America. An age of jubilation.

Oh yeah, and it was a time when alcohol was prohibited.

I found myself thinking about this today. It's an interesting thing to consider, prohibition.

First of all, I don't know why our government ever thought they could outlaw alcohol. But they did: The 18th amendment to our fine Constitution.

Of course, it didn't work. Look at the sponsors for any major sporting event and you'll see that Prohibition fell a little short of its goal.

But why am I writing about the roaring 20's and Prohibition?

Because as I found myself thinking about this today, I began to long for those days---days I never experienced.

I long to live in an era when the most dangerous man in America was a bootlegger selling liquor from hideouts throughout Chicago.

In the 20's there was Al Capone. Now we have Osama Bin Laden. And others like him.

In the 20's the police and federal agents were sniffing out speakeasies and stills (which, for those of you who never watched The Andy Griffith Show, are used to create moonshine). Now our feds sniff out potential airplane hijackers and meth labs.

I live in the Chicago area now, and it's interesting to see how the roarin' twenties, and especially Al Capone, are glorified in artwork, restaurants, memorabilia. Not too far from me, on the Fox River, one can eat at a former speakeasy: Al Capone's Hideaway.

I think that alone says something about what it was like to live in the 20's. Capone, the decade's most notorious thug, is now glorified. Almost as famous as Babe Ruth.

Do you think we'll have a restaurant in this country that pays tribute to Osama Bin Laden in 80 years? I sure hope not.

And what will America look like in 80 years? It's scary to consider, actually. At least I think it is. Our world is complex, our country is economically interwoven with so many other nations, the technology (and weapons development) worldwide has closed the distance between us and other countries---both metaphorically and geographically.

And it makes me long for the days when our biggest threat was a bunch of guys brewing and selling alcohol. When a dance floor full of tipsy folks dancing the Charleston was dangerous enough to demand legislation to protect the American people.

I don't wish to reinstate Prohibition. (That would be a disaster.) But it would've been nice to live in a time when that was our nation's biggest problem. That's all I'm saying.

--Thanks for Reading

Note: Some of you might say that alcohol is still our nation's biggest problem. If you look at the number of drunk driving deaths each year; the number of alcoholics; instances of drunken rage. And if you want to make that argument, I will admit that it's a valid point. It just wasn't the point of this post. After all, drunk driving wasn't a reason for the institution of Prohibition laws.

Well said

This will be my last post on the Christianity/Islam conversation...at least for awhile. And I'll keep this one short.

In the July issue of Christianity Today (one of the benefits of being employed by Christianity Today is having the opportunity to read their issues
earlier than the general public...), Philip Yancey's column on the final page is called, "It's Not About the Crusades," and not so surprisingly, he summed up the current Christianity/Islam situation better than I could.



His final paragraph says this:

"Christians and Muslims face opposite challenges. We in the West have something to learn from cultures that do not push religion to the margins, that see faith as affecting all of life, and that look to religious leaders for guidance on societal and ethical issues. Meanwhile, Islamic nations have something to learn from the Christian West, which has found liberal democracy to be the best way to protect minorities' rights as nations become increasingly multicultural. Not to learn those lessons leads to disaster, as is playing out in the 'clash of civilizations' right now."


So apparently Philip Yancey thinks Christians could learn something from Muslims, too. (I wonder if he's been reading my blog...) His suggestion that Christians could learn something from Muslims who see "faith as affecting all of life" really got my attention. How many Christians, myself included, see faith in this way?

What would it take to make us change? Less television? Less time on the internet? Less time thinking about what we want, what we like, what we plan to buy, what we wish we could afford, where we'd like to visit, and so on?

I don't know.

But the next time Philip Yancey finds inspiration in my blogs, he could at least give me some credit.

Catch you on the Burnside...or something

If you know me well, we've probably talked about Blue Like Jazz. If we're good friends, I've probably purchased it for you. (Kim, I haven't forgotten that you were the one who originally forced me to read it. Thanks for that.) For those of you who also like BLJ and its author, Donald Miller, I want to direct you to a website.

I recently discovered (thanks, CT) that Donald Miller created an online literary journal, The Burnside Writer's Collective. Emphasizing social justice articles, reviews, and a little bit of sports, it's worth checking out. The journal is still developing (I think), so readers can also expect better things to come.

Miller rarely has time to write on BWC, but the articles suggest some ideological similarities between the staff and the journal's founder. Articles are updated every Monday. Here's the link:

http://www.burnsidewriterscollective.com/

Let me know what you think.

-Thanks for Reading