Critical Magic Theory: An Analytical Harry Potter Podcast
Prof. Julian Wamble
73 episodes
4 days ago
Instead of seeing criticism as an indication of not liking something, Professor Julian Wamble invites listeners of Critical Magic Theory to explore the things about the characters, plot points, and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter broadly that have always given them pause or made them smile without knowing why. It is in this navigation of the positive and the negative aspects of a world that we find true magic.
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Instead of seeing criticism as an indication of not liking something, Professor Julian Wamble invites listeners of Critical Magic Theory to explore the things about the characters, plot points, and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter broadly that have always given them pause or made them smile without knowing why. It is in this navigation of the positive and the negative aspects of a world that we find true magic.
Prof Responds: If Not Him, Then Who? Dumbledore & the Pitfalls of Wartime Necessity
Critical Magic Theory: An Analytical Harry Potter Podcast
1 hour 8 minutes
1 month ago
Prof Responds: If Not Him, Then Who? Dumbledore & the Pitfalls of Wartime Necessity
In this Prof Responds episode of Critical Magic Theory, Professor Julian Wamble takes a critical look at Albus Dumbledore’s most morally complicated choices in the Harry Potter series. Drawing on listener reflections from the Patreon post-episode chat, Prof examines how Dumbledore’s permanent state of war shaped his treatment of Harry, the Order of the Phoenix, and the entire wizarding world — and how the myth of wartime necessity allows us to excuse harm done in the name of the “greater good.”
Through connections to real-world wartime politics and parallels to The Hunger Games, this episode explores why Dumbledore fought evil without ever changing the system that produced it, and why loving a character doesn’t mean we can’t tell the truth about their actions. This is a deep, nuanced dive into power, trauma, leadership, and the limits of heroism in the Wizarding World.
Critical Magic Theory: An Analytical Harry Potter Podcast
Instead of seeing criticism as an indication of not liking something, Professor Julian Wamble invites listeners of Critical Magic Theory to explore the things about the characters, plot points, and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter broadly that have always given them pause or made them smile without knowing why. It is in this navigation of the positive and the negative aspects of a world that we find true magic.
