Harry Potter is a name known worldwide. This character is not only a character but an emotion to the world. If we search on the internet, we can find many examples of Harry Potter references in pop culture. These references were made for the fans to experience the wizarding world. Harry Potter is a fantasy novel written by the British writer J.K. Rowling. It has developed its popularity day by day and has become a global phenomenon. It has gained the popularity and admiration of every human being. Harry Potter has broken the boundaries of age, race, and religion and created a new world of wizards. Where there is no upper class or lower class, each person is welcomed warm-heartedly in this majestic world of wizards.
In 1997, the first book of Harry Potter, “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” was launched. At that time J.K. Rowling had no idea that an imaginary wizard boy’s life story would become the turning point of her life. She was just a train passenger who was waiting for her delayed train from Manchester to London and suddenly this magical character just popped up in her head. It was indeed a magical story that is now spreading its magic throughout the world. When the book was released, it became the talk of the town as from the kid to the old grandpa was very much fascinated by this mystical world of Harry Potter. Every person has loved the character, and it is still getting admired by every new reader or viewer, also from the old fans.
The books of Harry Potter have been translated into more than 80 languages. It has sold over 500 million copies worldwide, making Harry Potter one of the best-selling book series in history. Moreover, popularity in every industry was proven when the eight films became blockbusters and earned over $7.7 billion. Influenced to build up Harry Potter-themed parks, clothes, accessories, and an unshakable global fanbase.
The Harry Potter series even brought change in the education system. Many courses are dedicated to studying Harry Potter. The students who are fans of Harry Potter use words collected from the wizarding world such as “Muggle” and “Hogwarts”. The Harry Potter series even shows the bonding between friends, how to respect the teachers, and also the bonding between human beings and animals. This series encourages the youth to protest against injustice and also tells that there’s no evil inside of a human; it’s their choice what makes them good or evil.
This franchise has spread its branches in many other sectors, from the film industry to the fashion industry. It has become an icon for the world; furthermore, to this date, it’s still burning away any other influencers or writers and growing like a wildfire that has no end.
The Early Magic:
The Harry Potter fever started so suddenly that the readers didn’t even notice how or when they became a part of this franchise. After the first book’s release, the author didn’t have to look behind as it has captured every book lover’s attention. Harry Potter has shocked the whole world with its magic waves. It brought the fantasy genre into a new light. As soon as it gained popularity it became a global phenomenon and a known icon. Even using Harry Potter can bring someone into the spotlight. Many famous TV series such as Friends, The Simpsons, Parks and Reactions, One Tree Hill, The Office: An American Workplace, etc., have mentioned Harry Potter or created links that lead to the world of Harry Potter. Let’s dive into these mentioned series to find this majestic series ruling over others:
1. Friends:-
The famous and popular TV series Friends has mentioned the cupboard under the stairs and also mentions the cloak of invisibility, which was a gift from James Potter, the father of Harry Potter.
2. The Simpsons:-
The Simpsons have mentioned Harry Potter so many times that it is now uncountable.
They even dedicated a whole episode to Harry Potter. They have their very own universe of Harry Potter.
3. Parks and Reactions:-
In Parks and Reactions, the character Leslie Kenope was a dedicated fan of Harry Potter. She forces her friend to watch all the 8 Harry Potter movies when her friend doesn’t even like Harry Potter.
4. One Tree Hill:-
There was an episode in One Tree Hill where the characters dressed up as students, from Harry Potter’s Gryffindor. They had a cracking conversation about how the female character Hermione had a crush on Ron and not on Harry Potter.
5. The Office: An American Workplace:-
In The Office: An American Workplace, the character Jim named his team “ Voldemort,” the evil character. Another character, Mike, discloses what it feels like in prison and describes it by mentioning the Dementors.
Many songs have used themes or mentioned words that are related to the world of Harry Potter. The fever of Harry Potter is going on and on in every sector of the entertainment industry, and it is almost impossible to bring it down. The enchanting world of Harry Potter has an everlasting magical power over the human race.
Harry Potter in Modern Media:
Harry Potter has been taking over all the social media and technologies. Popular social media such as Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok are also very much affected by the Harry Potter maniac. Through these media, fans can interact with each other, and share their thoughts and emotions. They even promote Harry Potter to the newcomers so they can also become a part of this journey. The fame of the series has been here for over 20 years and it is still growing. People are giving their admiration to it through social media.
There is a huge contribution of the meme world to make Harry Potter known to the young generation. Memes are very popular content among the young generation. They show their emotion with just a photo and some text. Using this form of media helps Harry Potter fans to keep the conversation going around it.
Even virtual assistants like Google Assistant can be used by magic spells. There is a feature in Google Assistant where when one says the spell of turning on the torch on the tip of the wand from Harry Potter “Lumos” the torch of the phone will light up. And to turn it off, another spell can be used, which is “KNOX”. Each step of this modern world will take the young generation to the magical world of Harry Potter which is why the magic is still very much active and alive.
Merchandise and Consumer Culture:
Harry Potter has changed the whole business model of fantasy book publishers. It has set a new barrage to the fashion world too. From wearing the infamous pair of round glasses to Harry Potter-themed t-shirts, every sector is overpowered by Harry Potter. Fans always search for clothes or accessories that are Harry Potter-themed. They even search for exclusive Harry Potter items in online shops, such as Hogwarts Gowns, Hogwarts Mufflers, Magic Wands, Feather-Ink Pens, and even broomsticks that resemble the famous Nimbus 2000. These exclusive collections of fans help this series gain more attention and bring popularity to it.
Themed parks like The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Universal Studios Hollywood, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter-Diagon Alley, etc., are the most famous themed parks of Harry Potter. They help the fans to experience the magic of this Series that is still spraying sprinkles on the world. They help the fans to make their dream come true. Fans can meet with the characters, take photos, and enjoy rides that are also created based on the Harry Potter series. In these places, fans can purchase their favorite Harry Potter merchandise. They can even groom themselves as a character of Harry Potter by cosplaying.
To keep Harry Potter an ever-growing series, fan meeting plays a crucial role. One of the events was known as LeakyCon. LeakyCon has been retired and replaced by EnchantiCon, which focuses on the fantasy genre as a whole. These events keep the fans in touch with each other. Fans from all over the world attend these fan meetings which helps to mark Harry Potter as a global brand. These fan meetings also work as a platform where they discuss the cultural impact of Harry Potter on society and keep the fandom active and engaged. Fan conventions have turned into the powerhouse of the Harry Potter franchises.
Influencing other works:
Harry Potter is the most famous and very first fantasy genre series that has become a success in the whole world. It has set the stage for other fantasy writers to follow its footprint. After the huge success of this book, there were many fantasy series that followed its writing types and became successful. The most successful series among them are The Chronicles of Narnia (2005-2010), Twilight (2008-2012), and The Hunger Games (2012-2015). There are many similarities in the writing styles of the authors of these two series. They even followed the marketing system of making films with the series, and both of the series were successful. Even though they had followed the Harry Potter franchise, they couldn’t reach the popularity of the Wizard Boy. Even though the other books were great on their own, they can’t deny the fact that Harry Potter Has set the bar for creative writing and filmmaking storylines in the fantasy genre.
Harry Potter keeps growing its magical world to enchant pop culture and the young generations. The reasons for its success lie in its captivating writing style and thoroughly detailed magical world. The character building is smooth, and it almost feels like a real person with whom the readers are related personally. It shows the children how bravery works, what friendships mean, and how the good will always overpower the evil. Harry Potter’s legacy shows how good storytelling, character-building, and a richly detailed book can become a global icon. This universe is like a cycle in which its flame is never going down. Moreover, it’s growing every day.
