Most think creators like J.K. Rowling don’t deserve to be canceled

By Victoria McNally via SWNS

Should creators be canceled for their personal opinions? According to two out of three Americans, the answer is a resounding “No.”

Conducted by market research firm OnePoll, a recent survey asked 2,000 respondents from the general population about their past and present fandoms.

Of those polled overall, 58% agreed with the premise that “It’s never OK to boycott an artist’s work based on their personal opinions.”

And while 61% acknowledged that it would significantly impact their enjoyment if a creator said something “reprehensible,” 68% believe it’s still possible to “separate the art from the artist.”  

The survey then narrowed in on past and present “Harry Potter” fans (about 24%, or one in four survey-takers) about their reactions to recent controversies within the franchise — including author J.K. Rowling’s vocal opposition to a bill that would allow transgender individuals to legally change their gender in Scotland.

Of those who participated in Pottermania, 70% (or 18% of respondents overall) said they would still actively identify themselves as Harry Potter fans to this day.

Even still, 71% said they care less about Harry Potter now than they used to at the height of their fandom.

When asked to explain the dropoff, 42% said they’d reconsidered their relationship to the text after “learning about its more problematic elements,” while 35% objected to author J.K. Rowling’s recent anti-transgender rhetoric.

A similar percentage of respondents (36%) also cited disinterest in newer franchise installments, like the “Fantastic Beasts” film series or the Broadway production of “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.” 

And more than one in four (29%) simply “got too old for it.” 

Not surprisingly, certain “houses” – the in-universe Hogwarts dormitories that fans sorted themselves into based on their personality archetype – were more passionate about Potter than others. 

Those who self-identified as “brave” Gryffindors, among whose ranks included Harry Potter himself, were much more likely to identify themselves as active fans compared to the overall average (83% vs 70%).

Meanwhile, members of the stereotypically-villainous Slytherin house were far less interested in labels; one in four (24%) said they no longer call themselves HP fans at all, in fact, and half (52%) referred to the series as “problematic.”   

TOP TEN MOST POPULAR FANDOMS

1. Marvel - 26.5%
2. Disney - 26.3%
3. Harry Potter - 26.3%
4. Game of Thrones - 25.8%
5. Star Wars - 25.5%
6. Lord of the Rings - 25.1%
7. The Walking Dead - 24.5%
8. Star Trek - 23.4%
9. Twilight - 22.3%
10. DC Comics - 22.0%