Books

When average folk think of Disney, they envision cute animated and live-action films as well as the theme parks which have become modern-day meccas for the middle-class. For nearly a century, Disney has produced tantalizing eye candy to fulfill peoples' deepest and in some cases darkest desires, and Disneyphiles have eaten it up in droves.

From "Steamboat Willie" to "Bambi" to Disney World to their "On Ice" tie-ins to all the "Herbie the Love Bug" sequels, Disney's popularity has not only lifted them to the status of American icon, but a symbol recognized around the world. Even war-ravaged children in impoverished nations can be seen wearing so-called Disneyana.

What can be more enticing than the hypnotic "Yo Ho Ho" or "It's a Small World" while floating along the picturesque attractions that have made Disney this planet's most-frequented family vacation destination? The Mouse represents the ideal way of life, a fantasy world devoid of the hardships that the rat race has forced upon us. From the Plasticine facades of "Main Street, USA," to the eager "cast members" immediately scooping up that wayward piece of trash, what can be more ideal than escaping to the "Happiest Place on Earth?"

To die-hard fans, Disney is the paramount of perfection. Anything to the contrary is blasphemous in the eyes of the Disneyphile. They stake their investments on those colorful stock certificates hung over the infant's bed; on the abundance of clothes, toys, and accessories that burst forth from every nook and cranny; on their extensive video collections that line the shelves. To own even a small piece of the Mouse represents a life's dream for many. And no one is going to tell them otherwise.

Sources: With One Accord | BBC | The Inquirer

Straight Talk On Harry Potter

By William J. Schnoebelen

No book in recent years has attracted the success of the celebrated "Harry Potter" series. These children’s novels, supposedly written by a woman in Britain named J. K. Rowling, have made her one of the wealthiest women in the world. She has written six books, the latest being HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HOLLOWS, which weighs in heavier than some laptop computers. In total, her (first five) books have sold more than 325 million copies.

Her appealing hero is Harry Potter, a nerdy orphan boy whose parents were killed when he was very young by an evil wizard named Voldemort. From this encounter, he has a lightning bolt-shared scar on his forehead is raised by dull, cruel relatives (an aunt and uncle) who are "Muggles," the Harry Potter term for non-wizards who don’t like or believe in magic and who tend to persecute those who do.

Harry’s saga starts when he is 10 old in THE SORCERER’S STONE and he ages a bit in each book. Without going into all the plot details (which may be better known than the Bible*), Harry is rescued from his bleak, Muggle-ridden existence by an invitation to come and attend "Hogwart’s School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." From there, he gets into all sorts of adventures, gradually building to a confrontation with the evil wizard who killed his parents.