4B - Thursday, November 3, 2011
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
4B - Thursday, November 3, 2011 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom
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Scenes like "Christmas at Hogwarts" lead Pottermore players through moments from the series during which they can collect objects and discover new information about the wizarding world
'U' muggles await Pottermore unveiling
Interactive website Eeylops Owl Emporium sign?" scenes, and each scene has layers the same time," Byl said. "I don't according to LSA freshman and there will be creative fan content
Rowling invited the 1 million through which participants can think Pottermore will replace the Hufflepuff Skye Payne, leads to in the future like "A Very Potter
proves Potter mania fans who could answer one of the click and explore. books, just maybe the physical little fan-to-fan interaction. Musical," wizard rock groups like
seven questions during the brief Perhaps the most anticipat- books." "Each house has a common Harry and the Potters or the more
is still in full force window of time it appeared on ed aspect of Pottermore is the Byl added, "Books of the future room with a comment board, but than 57,000 results for "Harry
each day of the challenge to par- extensive amount of background will probably model things off people don't really talk to each Potter" on FanFiction.net.
By LEAH BURGIN ticipate in shaping Pottermore. information released by Rowl- of Pottermore - things like the other," Payne said. "You can't "I feel like superfans might
SeniorArtsEditor Three months after Rowling's ing exclusively for Pottermore. 'Twilight' series ... that have a message each other or anything feel that Pottermore is taking
announcement, Pottermore was By clicking on different items in similar passionate fan base." ... so it's very much like your own away from that process of people
The University is a hotbed of temporarily shut down yester- the illustrated scenes, fans can In fact, a new official "Twi- journey through the books." being able to create and add their
Harry Potter fandom. There's day so it can be updated based unearth new information about light" fan site, called the Twilight Byl agrees that one of Potter- own things to the story," Byl said.
the maize-and-blue spirit wear on the feedback of beta testers. the series, like how Hogwarts Time Capsule, was launched on more's main weaknesses is its "Quidditch, wizard rock, fan fic-
for the Michigan Muggles club, When the site eventually opens knows which children are witch- Oct. 18. Though the site isn't a lack of mediums for social inter- tion - that's all fan-produced.6
the pride students may feel when for registration, on an as-yet- es or wizards, and biographies of Pottermore copycat - Twilight action. Those are all creative outlets peo-
the Law Quad is compared to undetermined date, access will beloved characters like Professor Time Capsule enables users to "It's not like a role-playing ple have taken because they love
Hogwarts, the Michigan Quid- be granted to fans in waves. McGonagall. share their favorite "Twilight" game," she said. "This makes the books so much."
ditch team founded last year and LSA freshman Nina Papp, who This new content has been memories - it brings into sharp sense because of the age differ- The tagline of "Harry Potter
how the University's placed itself considers the title of "superfan" the most rewarding part of Pot- relief the potential of more lit- ences (of players on the site). But and the Deathly Hallows: Pat
on the "Harry Potter" map with to be an understatement for her termore for Public Policy senior erature crossing the gap between I think it's frustrating for people 2," "It all ends," stands corrected
Team StarKid's "A Very Potter devotion to "Harry Potter," was Emily Byl, a Pottermore Slytherin physical books and popular new who were looking for more." in light of Pottermore and fan-
Musical" and its sequel. unable to participate in the Magi- and Michigan Quidditch team media experiences. Byl also noted because Potter- created content, especially at the
After the eighth "Potter" cal Quill challenge. For her, the founder. However, these new media more is the first facet of Potter University. Potter fandom has not
movie was released, however, opening of Pottermore to the "It makes the stories richer and experiments with literature are fandom to be created exclusively yet run its course, though perhaps
the explosion of fandom finally masses will be a much-anticipat- gives you an appreciation for the exactly that: new. Sites like Pot- by Rowling (besides the books), it will not continue with the same
seemed to quiet down - even at ed event, and she plans on joining development of characters that termore are not fully developed fans may react negatively to the innovation Potter devotees have
the University - for the first time Pottermore as soon as possible. is often left out in the plot of the and drawbacks are inherent. note offinality implied in Rowling exhibited in the past. But what
in the 14 years following the gen- "The excitement for the books books," Byl said. Perhaps because the site is tightening the gaps in the story. this means for some members of
esis of"Harry Potter." and the movies was ridiculous Pottermore will also be the still in beta testing, University With many of the characters' the University community, for
But all this was before J.K. for me, but I'm looking forward exclusive site where "Harry Pot- Potter-heads aren't entirely satis- backstories revealed and so much whom "Harry Potter" has been a
Rowling, abandoning owl post to anything Potter-related," Papp ter" e-books and audio books can fied with Pottermore. There is no of the magical world explained on magical component of their lives,
for the more conventional com- said. be purchased, starting in 2012. chat feature on the site and this, Pottermore, Potter fans wonder if is unclear.
munication medium of YouTube, So how exactly would Univer- While Cooper and Byl have not
invited Harry's fans to a new sity students who were granted decided if they will purchase
web-based interactive experience early access describe Pottermore? the e-books or audio books, both
she called Pottermore. "It's like someone paraphrased expressed varying opinions on
Pottermore is not a game; there each chapter into a painting that what Pottermore might mean 'rTTE * M°
is no objective. Instead, players kind of moves," said LSA sopho- to the future of literary fandom. ei
participate in some of the quint- more and Michigan Muggles Cooper said she does not believe
essential Harry Potter experienc- executive board member Heather Pottermore can replace the books
es, including shopping in Diagon Cooper. "It's not as interactive as for the diehard fans, who grew up
Alley, buying a wand, riding a flash game ... but there are only reading the print copies.
the Hogwarts Express, getting a fewthings on each page that you "I don't think Pottermore
sorted, casting spells and earn- can do. But the graphics on each can stand on its own," Cooper
ing points for the House Cup by page are just absolutely beauti- said. "It's more of a supplemen-
brewing potions and dueling fel- ful." tary thing. If you haven't read the
low wizards. Cooper, who was sorted into books, I don't think Pottermore
The site was open for beta test- Slytherin on the site, has played will make sense."
ing for Potter enthusiasts who through the entire story of While Byl also said she believes
could answer trivia questions "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Pottermore makes little sense
during a seven-day Magical Quill Stone." The first book is the only without first reading the books,
challenge. one currently available on the she thinks the site could be a pio-
The challenge began on site, though "Chamber of Secrets" neer in the realm of virtual tex-
July 31 (Potter's and Rowling's is slated to be added in early 2012. tual experiences.
birthday) and featured ques- The Pottermore version of the "When the e-books are put
tions ranging from "How many book is divided into the same online, children will be able to
Deathly Hallows are there?" chapters found in print. Each read the books online and experi- POTTERMORE
to "How many owls are on the chapter has several illustrated ence the images and the games at The interface for Pottermore is centered around the user's individual journey through the books.
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D v ,OLYMPIA (1863), #DOUARD MANET
An Olympian legacy of high art and pornography
By JOE CADAGIN an annual art exhibition orga- Chicago's Museum of Contempo- also the innocence of the adoles- able and even artistically uplifting "Olympia," for kids who haven't
Daily Fine Arts Editor nized by the respected Ecole des rary Art. Koons is famous for his cents inside it, chastised my father while others are labeled smut. developed this concept of artistic
Beaux-Arts School. The painting colorful renderings of kitschy and for allowing my brother and me Why isn't there a little sign at nudity, any naked statue or reclin-
Do you remember your first trip depicts a nude courtesan, reclin- banal objects - best known are to see such depraved and porno- the entrance to the hall of nude, ing nude is an obscene and shock-
to an art museum as a kid? You ing on a bed and lifting her head his enormous stainless steel sculp- graphic "art." My father, in no white-marble statues in every ing sight - hence my classmate's
most likely went with an elemen- to greet her next client. Confront- tures of balloon animals. uncertain terms, told the guard major art museum warning muse- giggling at UMMA. As they grow
tary school class to some local tem- ed with the intense gaze of the As we toured the exhibit, we to "shove off" and said he would um-goers of "graphic" and "sexu- up, however, children learn to see
ple of the arts - an overwhelming, woman and her brazen sexual- stumbled upon a gallery with a decide what was suitable for his ally explicit" material? Why is it the difference in merit in the nudi-
pillared structure that struck awe ity, exhibit-goers laughed, jeered, small sign warning viewers of own children. wrong for kids to watch an R-rat- ty of art and the arousal-driven
and reverence into you. Since I shouted and spat at the canvas. "offensive" and "sexually explicit" ed movie, but enriching for them indecency of a "Girls Gone Wild"
grew up near Ann Arbor, my first A guard even had to be stationed material. The sign was in refer- to see an erotic sculpture like video.
trip was, in fact, to the University next to the painting to protect it ence to Koons's 2003 oil painting Add a fi leaf Auguste Rodin's "The Kiss?" What's fascinating is that soci-
of Michigan Museum of Art. from vandals. "Elvis," which depicts two images A a i f Context may have something to ety, too, takes time to develop a
Like every child's first visit, It wasn't as if Parisians hadn't of bare-breasted Playboy model anditsart. do with it. In "Olympia," instead more complex concept of art ver-
mine inevitably included hilari- seen naked figures in art before. Heather Kozar and an inflatable of the subtle sensuality of a Venus, sus obscenity. Consider Manet's
ously awkward encounters with In fact, the tradition of depict- lobster pooltoy. the Parisian public was shocked to "Olympia." A work that almost
white-marble statues in various ing female beauty and sensual- As a hormonal 16-year-old, I see a common prostitute with sug- caused a riot in 1865 is now recog-
states of undress. At each set of ity through paintings of reclining found it hard to tear myself from At the Koons exhibit, my dad gestivebody language. The private nized universally as a masterpiece
exposed breasts, buttocks or geni- nudes has its origins in the Renais- the work. I felt like Ralphie Parker was faced with the same ques- world of adults had infiltrated the of pre-Impressionism. With time,
talia, our embarrassed chaperone sance. What offended the conser- staring at the glowing leg lamp tion that the security guard and public world of the exhibit space. viewers began to focus less on the*
tried in vain to stop our childish vative Parisian public was the in "A Christmas Story." The sexy, visitors to the 1865 Paris Salon had The same can be said for the Chi- controversial subject material and
pointing and giggling. All we were dominant attitude ofthe woman in glossy, curvaceous, airbrushed to answer: Where does one draw cago security guard and Koons's more on Manet's skills as an art-
taught about decency and morali- "Olympia," who is depicted not as image of Kozar was the last thing the line between art and pornog- "Elvis." An image he thought ist. While Koons's "Elvis" hasn't
ty had been literally stripped away a delicate and submissive nymph, I had expected to see at a museum, raphy? Of course, there's always should have been confined to a reached this level of acceptance,
in what we thought was a place of but as an independent woman in and it was an awkward feeling to former Supreme Court Justice cellophane-wrapped girlie maga- a time may come when museum-
art and culture. control of her body. be seeing it along with my parents Potter Stewart's famous criterion, zine was now on the wall of an art goers see the meaning behind the
idouard Manet's infamous In 2008, over 140 years after and 13-year-old brother. "I know it when I see it." Yet Stew- museum to corrupt the minds of work. Until then, Justice Stewart's
painting "Olympia" was met with "Olympia" was first displayed, my The security guard in the gal- art's subjective remark doesn't innocent children. dictum will be the best tool we
a similar reaction when it went on family visited an exhibit of work lery, who believed it was his duty explain why some forms of nudity While the security guard prob- have for detecting depravity -
di l- in 18nt5th Pri , Sln b American artist Jeff Koons at to guard not iust the exhibit but are deemed universally accept- ably wouldn't have balked at we'll know it when we see it.
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