Again, you are denying the gradient: GTA didn't cause kids to go on a murder spree therefore pop culture is utterly without influence on children.

The problem is always the extent. At no point have I denied any gradient. My argument is "Harry potter can't possibly be that big of an influence on society, even if what you're saying is correct."

I'm not arguing against introspection and you know this. It's the weighting of parameters. It's when you focus too narrowly on one thing and you miss the big picture. This is a generation that grew up absolutely glued to the internet and its totality of information for 2 decades now. Whose attention spans are too short to sit through fucking harry potter without checking their phone. Who go see this shit because they're bored and it's mainstream, stupid entertainment. It's like why superhero movies are popular.

They don't watch TV or get social norms from movies because they spend such little time consuming those forms of entertainment anyway. Okay, so older millenials and GenX, aka a lot of those staff I was railing about. You know what. Now it all makes sense to me. You're right. My teachers growing up were those authoritarians. Maybe they got fucked by Harry Potter because I read the books when I was like 10.

But they really got fucked by Columbine. And the politics of fear. And when the world gets crazier and crazier and suddenly the internet and smartphones pop out of nowhere and adolescents go crazy with it you reach for the simplest solution. Total control. Which is increasingly becoming the arm of the criminal justice system. My school had 8 girls get arrested for bullying. That was never proved in court. That's what the stakes were for my generation. Have beef with someone and the teacher will find out and you'll go to jail.

but a culture that has identified Harry Potter as a "punk rock" rebel

But people have been doing that shit forever. It's lame mainstream tastes from people who aren't rebels but if it wasn't Harry it'd be some other family friendly kill the bad guys type moron. These are all 30 something neckbeards in these bands, not even kids or 20 something losers like myself.

Take your student council example. What would have happened if your fellow students stuck up for you? What would have happened if they collectively walked out? What would have happened if they made themselves ungovernable?

I had done all kinds of crazy shit leading up to this. I had gotten suspended for hacking, I had broken into the teacher's lounge, I was exchanging drugs (they didn't find out about that one though). I nearly got the cops called on me because they lent me the teacher's keys and I couldn't give it back right away bcuz the dude was on stage playing piano. I still had really good grades. They didn't march for me but some kids decided to pull one last prank at the end of the year as revenge.

Because me being shot down was just one symptom of the overall climate of repression. Nobody cared the school was falling apart, or there was no toilet paper, or the teachers were being dicks. Rampant sexism. The VP had a meeting in the resource room with all the black kids.

When you're 16, 17 you often can't mount a sophisticated defence. You usually just act out, like you mentioned. And "adults" aren't going to love you in the paper. They're going to villify you as a stupid teenager even if you're totally correct. I applaud Greta for being so fucking composed because I would have lost my shit.

And please remember that climate protests are often school sanctioned. Walking out because your school is dehumanizing you in 17 different ways? Gonna need an HK demand sheet for that shit

Those kids got expelled. The teachers locked the rioting students in the atrium. Forcible confinement, literally. One kid got arrested. And then the year ended, no newspaper ever found out or cared. A walkout for me would have been great but their attitude would have been "how do we regain control as fast as possible" and in your case that was laying off discipline. In my case? I had to fake a suicide attempt to avoid getting suspended a second time. I would have expelled for "inciting a riot" or some shit. "Misbehaviour". Like Little Pump. Because I was already the "bad guy." They would have literally called the police. There would be truancy officers. It would have been a nightmare. And you still need to get your diploma and go to college and get your nice job or whatever. I backed down and tried to be the Buddhist at the last minute but HOLY HELL DUDE I should have taken your advice and burned that shit to the fuckin' ground.

What you mentioned that resonated was adults going crazy. But fuck if Harry is screwing up kids. If he screwed up the generation that taught me than he did it to the 30+ crowd. I manage a store because I'm a loser but when some sixteen year old girl tells me a story of her outrunning 6 uniformed police officers at a party with underage drinking I'm happy. I'm happy that there's still love in the world. I can't say it, because that's fucked, and that's irresponsible, and yada yada yada but I'm happy. And she's definitely seen those boogie fucks on the Suite Life on Deck. And Harry Potter. And iCarly. And all that horrible shit.

Now I gotta re-read it because it's been a minute.