Jon Stewart clarifies JK Rowling’s critique, ‘anti-Semitic’ comment

Shut down for drama. Jon Stewart cleared the air after his comments about the potentially anti-Semitic imagery in JK Rowling‘s Harry Potter series created headlines.

The previous Daily show host, 59, took to Twitter on Wednesday, January 5, in an attempt to further explain his thoughts on the beloved fantasy novels and their author, 56, whose personal opinions have become a hot topic in recent years.

“I have to address this. This is crazy, boys.… I do not think JK Rowling is anti-Semitic. I did not accuse her of being anti-Semitic. I do not think that Harry Potter movies are anti-Semitic, “Stewart said in his video on social media.” I really love Harry Potter movies, probably too much for a gentleman my considerable age. “

Newsweek et al, maybe eat my ass. pic.twitter.com/eRoYYeNRi1

– Jon Stewart (@jonstewart) January 5, 2022

The comedian continued: “I can not stress this enough – I do not accuse JK Rowling of being anti-Semitic. She does not have to answer any of it. I do not want Harry Potter movies censored in any way. It was a light-hearted conversation. Get the king’s grip! ”

Stewart clarified that there are “some tropics that are so embedded in society” that they are hard to miss in certain contexts, while joking that his resurgent comments were made “two COVID mutations ago “and not even should be newsworthy now.

“This morning I wake up [and] it’s trending on Twitter, ”said the former Comedy Central personality. “And … a sensible person could not have looked at that conversation and not found it frivolous.”

That conversation took place during a December 2021 episode of “The Problem With Jon Stewart” podcast, when Stewart asked his guest, “Have you ever seen the scenes at Gringotts Bank?… Do you know what the people who run the bank are? ? … Jews!”

By comparing goblins seen through both the books and the eight film adaptations with a piece of 1903 propaganda, Stewart said Rowling’s portrayal of the creatures was a “caricature” of Jews.

“JK Rowling said, ‘Can we get these guys to run our bank?'” He teased. “It’s a wizarding world. We can ride kites, you can have an owl… but who’s going to run the bank? Jews.… That was one of the things where I saw it on screen and I expected the crowd to be like, ‘Holy s – t,’ [Rowling] in a wizarding world he did not just throw Jews in there to run the f-king’s underground bank. ‘ And everyone was like, ‘Wizards’. That was so strange. “

Stewart is not the only comedian to make fun of the apparent stereotypes found in Harry Potter series. In October 2020, Pete Davidson aimed at the British author during a fiery “Weekend Update” segment on Saturday Night Live, shortly after she was accused of making transphobic comments on social media.

“What’s wrong with her?” the 28-year-old joked at the time. “She’s creating a seven-book fantasy series about all kinds of mythical creatures living in harmony with wizards and elves, and the only thing she can not wrap her head around is Laverne Cox?”

Rowling has often made headlines for her personal view of gender equality, which many fans believe is excluding transgender people. After complaining about an article that used the phrase “people who are menstruating” instead of just saying “women,” she defended her perspective in a lengthy 2020 essay. Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint and other Harry Potter Actors, however, have condemned Rowling’s recordings.

“I’m deeply saddened by the pain these comments have caused you. I really hope you do not completely lose what was valuable in these stories for you,” Radcliffe, 32, wrote to fans via The Trevor Project in June 2020. “If these books taught you that love is the strongest force in the universe, capable of overcoming everything.”

Listen to Us Weekly’s Hot Hollywood as the editors of Us break down the hottest entertainment news stories every week!