J.K. Rowling -- Uncanceled At Last?

No one got shellacked by Cancel Culture quite like author J.K. Rowling.

Yes, Roseanne Barr saw her signature sitcom stripped from her in 2018 after one racially charged Tweet. And country superstar Morgan Wallen watched his career disintegrate last year following his use of the n-word, caught during a private moment and not targeting any person of color.

Still, Rowling got it so much worse.

The Harry Potter creator's Cancel Culture bombardment began in 2019 after Rowling defended a researcher some on the far Left deemed "transphobic."


"Dress however you please. Call yourself whatever you like. Sleep with any consenting adult who'll have you ... Live your best life in peace and security. But force women out of their jobs for stating that sex is real?"

Rowling doubled down on those sentiments, and the sharp cultural knives came for her.

Harry Potter fan sites erased her name. Schools memory holed her. A recent ad campaign imagined the Potter universe without its creator.

The media, of course, savaged the progressive author at every turn for her views. Far Left sites like Indiewire suggested her cancellation wasn't real since the Fantastic Beasts prequel franchise, part of the Harry Potter cinematic universe, continue.

And, in the most aggressive move to date, the recent Harry Potter reunion special on HBO Max relegated her to a brief archival footage. And that's after key Potter cast members excoriated her for her views.

That cancellation may have just ended.

David Zaslav, CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, announced he’ll be meeting with Rowling to explore new Potter-themed stories. That sounds like a no brainer in traditional times, given her franchise's enduring strength and the commercial heft of her imagination.

Zaslav's decision, assuming it stands, marks a dramatic turn of events. Corporations have been oh so eager to do the woke community's bidding in recent years, from "woke trainings" to incessant social media messaging for progressive causes. It's no accident Rowling didn't get an engraved invitation to honor her signature creation from HBO Max.

Netflix's recent stand against Cancel Culture, the military arm of the woke movement, suggested the biggest sign of blowback to date.

Now this.

Zaslav's declaration comes at a critical time. The Netflix maneuver matters, of course. So does Dave Chappelle's ability to survive, nay thrive, following sizable attacks on his 2021 Netflix special, "The Closer."

Joe Rogan similarly escaped the woke's wrath for questioning COVID-19 narratives, emerging with more subscribers and a renewed sense of his rebellious spirit.

CNN+, chockablock with woke personalities, crashed and burned within a month.

Wallen emerged stronger than ever, despite being attacked on all sides last year. Diddy, still a taste maker in pop culture circles, just announced he wants to "un-cancel" both Wallen and troubled rapper Travis Scott.

Now, Cancel Culture's biggest target may have the last laugh.

 

Written by
Christian Toto is an award-winning film critic, journalist and founder of HollywoodInToto.com, the Right Take on Entertainment. He’s the author of “Virtue Bombs: How Hollywood Got Woke and Lost Its Soul” and a lifelong Yankees fan. Toto lives in Denver, Colorado with his wife, two sons and too many chickens. Follow Christian on Twitter at https://twitter.com/HollywoodInToto