Paparazzi Dementors ~ J. K. Rowling's Testimony
This legal document is fascinating reading about our dear author and the recent hearings regarding the Tabloid Press in the U.K.
Witness Statement of J. K. Rowling in the Leveson Inquiry
I tracked it down via an aptly named blog, LOL:
The Murdoch Empire and Its Nest of Vipers
What's eye-opening is how dealing with the media has invaded her life to the point that her children have to cover their heads with blankets while riding in the car! Also there are quite a few details about blackmail plots concerning the books before they were released, and the way her children are targeted even at school, which is disturbing. All of it together makes me realize why she hasn't been writing much the past few years ~ it's time consuming to sue tabloids and move around to avoid the paparazzi. Who could concentrate?
The only thing that doesn't ring quite true for me is that JKR wonders several times in her statement about why people are interested in her family life, or why they want pictures of her and her children. That seems a little disingenuous to me since she wrote about the exact same thing with famous boy wonder, Harry Potter, who was constantly having his picture taken for the Daily Prophet. In Chamber of Secrets, we have Gilderoy Lockhart using Harry's fame to get more publicity for himself, and in several other books we have tabloid maven Rita Skeeter digging up dirt on everyone. That's the way it works ~ duh. That's why celebrities schedule photoshoots of their newborn babies so they can head off the tabloid photographers who want the scoop.
So of course JKR actually understands very well that fame is two-edged sword, and human beings are going to be drawn to the rich and famous. Too late to close Pandora's Box on the fact she is one of the richest women in the world and people are going to take her picture.
Witness Statement of J. K. Rowling in the Leveson Inquiry
I tracked it down via an aptly named blog, LOL:
The Murdoch Empire and Its Nest of Vipers
What's eye-opening is how dealing with the media has invaded her life to the point that her children have to cover their heads with blankets while riding in the car! Also there are quite a few details about blackmail plots concerning the books before they were released, and the way her children are targeted even at school, which is disturbing. All of it together makes me realize why she hasn't been writing much the past few years ~ it's time consuming to sue tabloids and move around to avoid the paparazzi. Who could concentrate?
The only thing that doesn't ring quite true for me is that JKR wonders several times in her statement about why people are interested in her family life, or why they want pictures of her and her children. That seems a little disingenuous to me since she wrote about the exact same thing with famous boy wonder, Harry Potter, who was constantly having his picture taken for the Daily Prophet. In Chamber of Secrets, we have Gilderoy Lockhart using Harry's fame to get more publicity for himself, and in several other books we have tabloid maven Rita Skeeter digging up dirt on everyone. That's the way it works ~ duh. That's why celebrities schedule photoshoots of their newborn babies so they can head off the tabloid photographers who want the scoop.
So of course JKR actually understands very well that fame is two-edged sword, and human beings are going to be drawn to the rich and famous. Too late to close Pandora's Box on the fact she is one of the richest women in the world and people are going to take her picture.