With book, movie, he's no longer wild about Harry

The Baltimore Sun

If there's such a thing as Harry Potter Fatigue, I've got a major case of it.

This is nothing against the boy wizard himself, who seems perfectly fine, if a little nerdy and is what, about 35 years old now?

It feels like he's been around forever. Is he married yet?

I picture him and the wife driving around London in a Land Rover, Harry in his old Hogwarts school uniform with the relaxed-fit trousers, two kids squalling in the back, Harry saying to the missus: "We really have to get a handle on these credit card bills ... "

Then they meet Ron and Hermione for dinner at Applebee's, have a few pints and wings and - BOOM! - there goes fiscal restraint out the window.

No, what I find wearying is all the Harry Potter hype, especially this latest marketing tidal wave: the release of the new movie, Harry Potter and the Order of Whatever, followed by the release of the new book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Whatever, which will be followed by all manner of new Harry Potter merchandise (lunchboxes, backpacks, breakfast cereals, etc.) hitting the stores just in time for back-to-school shopping.

This is where Harry Potter Fatigue really kicks in: I'm too tired to open my wallet anymore.

Understand, I'm all for anything that gets kids to read, especially seeing as how I'm in a business where we're desperately trying to cultivate new readers, on account of many of our former readers are, well, deceased.

Right now, according to the latest statistics, there are only about 27 kids in the entire U.S. who read for pleasure - at least until the new Harry Potter book comes out.

When it does come out, I turn on the 11 o'clock news and suddenly there are thousands of kids standing in lines outside bookstores at a few minutes before midnight, pounding their fat little fists on the glass doors and demanding that they be allowed to come in so that Mommy and Daddy can plunk down $34.95, , or whatever the markdown price is, on their VISA card and the kids can get their Harry fix.

But the Harry Hype can be overwhelming and there seems no end to it, even though Deathly Whatever is supposed to be the last of the seven books in the Harry Potter oeuvre, so to speak.

On NBC's Today show yesterday, Meredith Vieira interviewed author J.K. Rowling at some fabulous castle in Edinburgh, Scotland, surrounded by the requisite throng of adorable kids looking on with rapt attention.

(Speaking of which: How do they get these little brats to sit so quietly for so long? These kids don't even fidget. You can't tell me there isn't some kind of secret doping going on.)

Anyway, Rowling told Vieira that she - Rowling, I mean - was devastated after she finished the final book, because she had lived with the characters for so long and now the whole wonderful saga had come to an end.

Rowling looked as if she were about to cry.

Then Vieira looked as if she were about to cry.

I started to get misty-eyed myself.

Then I thought about the 37 bucks (not counting popcorn and soda) I dropped recently at the Regal Hunt Valley Stadium 12 cinema to take four people to see Harry Potter and the Order of Whatever.

And I thought about the 25 bucks or whatever it was I dropped at the bookstore to buy Harry Potter and the Deathly Whatever for my pain-in-the-neck niece.

And suddenly I was shouting at the TV: "You did the right thing, J.K.! Step away from that computer! Give your fingers a rest! Let the boy get on with his life!"

The thing is, the Harry Potter book series may have ended, but "Harry Potter as a Cultural Phenomenon" isn't going away anytime soon.

There is still too much cold, hard cash to be made, and too many grubby, greasy hands reaching for it.

At least a couple more Harry Potter movies will be trotted out, plus a boxed-set collection of all seven books. And Harry Potter merchandise - T-shirts, Halloween costumes, wizard accoutrements, etc. - will be around longer than Larry King.

Then there's the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, the new theme park opening in Orlando, Fla., in 2009, courtesy of Warner Bros. Entertainment and Universal Orlando Resort.

"A one-of-a-kind opportunity to experience the magical world of Harry and his friends," says the Warner Bros. news release. "The fully immersive themed land will enable guests to visit some of the most iconic locations found in the books and films including the village of Hogsmeade, the mysterious Forbidden Forest, and even Hogwarts Castle itself."

Hoo, boy. Take your credit card.

This one could put a major dent in the family budget.

kevin.cowherd@baltsun.com

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