The Conversation (0)
Liam O'Dell
May 01, 2022
Related video: George Orwell’s 1984 re-told for present day by Matt Smith
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Many LGBTQ+ people have chosen to distance themselves from Harry Potter author JK Rowling in recent years over her stance on trans rights, raising questions about whether you can truly separate art from the artist.
One conservative commentator in America took that separation a bit too far, however, and appeared to think it was 1984 writer George Orwell who penned the book about the boy wizard with a superiority complex.
The embarrassing blunder was made by Candace Owens about President Joe Biden’s administration creating a Disinformation Governance Board.
Operating under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), it’ll look into misleading information about the US-Mexico border and Russia, according to the Associated Press.
“The spread of disinformation can affect border security, Americans’ safety during disasters, and public trust in our democratic institutions,” the DHS told the outlet.
Somehow not content with protecting US democracy and tackling misinformation, Ms Owens tweeted: “A literal, actual Ministry of Truth. We are now deep in the throes of a Harry Potter novel.”
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Appearing to confuse the Ministry of Magic with Orwell’s fictional Ministry of Truth, it wasn’t long before people ridiculed the author in the replies:
I don\u2019t remember Harry Potter being in 1984— Matt Derda & the High Watts (@Matt Derda & the High Watts) 1651105015
You just proved my suspicion that anyone who unironically cites 1984 as an example of how society is devolving doesn\u2019t understand it, or has even read it.— Sarah Stanfield\ud83c\udf3b (@Sarah Stanfield\ud83c\udf3b) 1651099337
Ministry of truth was in George Orwell\u2019s 1984. Ministry of magic was Harry Potter. Easy mistake to make, one was written as a warning, of surveillance, government corruption & no independent thought. The other was a book about friendship & magic.— summer rain \ud83c\udf3b \ud83c\udf3f\ud83d\udc9a \ud83d\udd4a\ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udde7\ud83d\udc1d (@summer rain \ud83c\udf3b \ud83c\udf3f\ud83d\udc9a \ud83d\udd4a\ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udde7\ud83d\udc1d) 1651244860
Harry Potter? Really?— chaotic neutral\ud83e\udd37\ud83c\udffb\u200d\u2640\ufe0f\ud83d\ude46\ud83c\udffb\u200d\u2640\ufe0f \ud83d\udc81\ud83c\udffb\u200d\u2640\ufe0f\ud83e\udd26\ud83c\udffb\u200d\u2640\ufe0f (@chaotic neutral\ud83e\udd37\ud83c\udffb\u200d\u2640\ufe0f\ud83d\ude46\ud83c\udffb\u200d\u2640\ufe0f \ud83d\udc81\ud83c\udffb\u200d\u2640\ufe0f\ud83e\udd26\ud83c\udffb\u200d\u2640\ufe0f) 1651096559
That's George Orwell the Democratic Socialist who was also an atheist who talked about a Ministry of Truth when warning us about the evils of Fascism which is a far right political discipline but we won't talk about that eh?— \uf8ff \ud835\ude83\ud835\ude91\ud835\ude8e \ud835\ude7d\ud835\ude8a\ud835\ude9c\ud835\ude91\ud835\ude9f\ud835\ude92\ud835\ude95\ud835\ude95\ud835\ude8e \ud835\ude77\ud835\ude9e\ud835\ude96\ud835\ude8a\ud835\ude97\ud835\ude92\ud835\ude9c\ud835\ude9d \ud83c\udf0e (@\uf8ff \ud835\ude83\ud835\ude91\ud835\ude8e \ud835\ude7d\ud835\ude8a\ud835\ude9c\ud835\ude91\ud835\ude9f\ud835\ude92\ud835\ude95\ud835\ude95\ud835\ude8e \ud835\ude77\ud835\ude9e\ud835\ude96\ud835\ude8a\ud835\ude97\ud835\ude92\ud835\ude9c\ud835\ude9d \ud83c\udf0e) 1651108498
We think Ms Owens has some reading to do…
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