Who decides what is canon?

[blinkyblues]

Okay the premise for this question comes from writer J.K. Rowling’s announcement that Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of sorcery school in the Harry Potter series, is gay. The question I bring forth is... Who decides what is canon

Comments

[talamasca]

As far as I am concerned, if the author of a book or a creator of a television series or the painter of a painting says that something is so or means such, and doesn't later deny the statement or claim it to have been a joke, then it is canon. Basically, I look at canon as being a) what is actually stated within the work, and b) what is stated by the creator outside of the work. I don't see fans as _ever_ having any control or say in what is canon. The whole post-modern idea of the fan's interpretation being just as valid as the creator's, or one fan's interpretation being just as valid as another's, is bullshit to my mind. If, say, someone wants to continue to believe now that Dumbledore isn't gay, just because he interprets things differently (or has a strong sense of denial)...well he's free to believe that, but it isn't a valid belief of the Harry Potter universe anymore. And if there's an argument over a point that has not been clarified by the creator, neither side can claim that their belief is canon, but a side that is

[catalina_rhr]

I totally agree with you!
After finishing book seven I thought "well, that's it, it's finished". But then JK started doing some interviews and saying stuff I didn't and don't agree, like Ron helping his brother at the shop, Hermione contradicting herself and being some kind of lawyer, or Ginny playing Quidditch (I thought she was going to be an astronaut, so what?)
So I started using a phrase (translated from spanish, I don't know if you have something like this, but this is the literary translation): "Everything you can read from a book is canon, the rest is author interpretation"

And, OMG! Tree House of Horror, reality in the Simpsons universe? That would be creepy!

Aaaand, look at my icon! ^___^ It fits perfectly!

[blinkyblues]

How very apt.

[trampoline_girl]

I think generally, once a book, series, whatever is finished, then it shouldn't be messed with. That being said, I guess the creator has the final say, but it needs to be immediate, not years later or anything. Otherwise you get The Phantom Menace and "hey, maybe Greedo should shoot first!"

With regards to Dumbledore being gay, I sorta already thought that or figured he was just asexual. It's almost superfluous information in my opinion.