Even though I spent the last two weeks in Honduras I have still been able to observe all the hype surrounding Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. In its opening weekend the movie had the biggest opening ever, making $168 million. Facebook was littered with statuses of people expressing grief and tears that a part of their childhood has finally come to an end.
And to be honest, I don’t get it.
As discussed before, I’ve never read any of the Harry Potter books or seen any of the movies. Harry Potter is probably the largest nerd blind spot I have, one that I’m in no rush to rectify. On weekends like this, though, when not only the nerd world but the normal world is revolving around a nerdclination, I feel rather left out.
For some reason, Harry Potter is one of those nerdclinations that reaches beyond nerds and into the heart of non-nerd culture. Obviously there are nerds who take their Harry Potter obsession to the extreme. For the most part, though, plenty of people who don’t self-identify as nerds were really excited about the final Harry Potter movie.
People who have given me grief for being a really big nerd, were posting about how they cried when the final credits rolled and the movie ended. I’m labeled a nerd for crying at the end of the final episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, but all those people who cried at the end of Harry Potter get a free pass? What’s up with that?
Mostly I’m just upset because missing out on Harry Potter feels like getting picked last for dodge ball. Everyone else is in on the fun and I’m just standing on the sidelines practicing my Klingon. It sucks being left out especially when I’m being left out of something nerdy. Nerds are used to being left out of athletic activities; it’s quite something else to be left out of our wheelhouse.
Soon all the Harry Potter hype will pass, though, and I’ll feel secure in my nerdiness again. I just have to be ready for the next big thing as not to have it pass me by. I just hope it doesn’t have to do with vampires or teenage girls.
What nerdclinations leave you feeling left out?
I mostly love Harry Potter cuz it was the first book series to her me to read. I grew up with a learning disability. I struggle to learn hoe too read. Now I know how too read very well and its all thanks to Harry Potter.
I’ve been left out of the HP thing too. Last year my small group out-voted me and forced me into the theater to watch HP7. I had not read a page of HP or seen one minute of film before this night. It was completely annoying listening to everyone chuckle at the inside jokes that everyone else got but totally went over my head. I just went to sleep. Now my wife is reading the books with our girls and they are turning into total HP nerds! They are obsessed. But I have found little ways to get in on the action like down loading a HP remake of the song “Hey soul sister”. They were thrilled. I’ve also taken them to the Lego store on the special day you cold make your very own HP wand. Then I helped them purchase the Lego Wii game with money they had saved. Their mom could never do that! What ways are you enjoying this adventure with your wife?
It’s sort of passed her by, too. She doesn’t really care about the movies so she’s moved on. I wouldn’t worry about your kids becoming nerds. HP is so universally accepted that it’s lost its nerd stigma.