As The Leaky Cauldron is reporting, the NY Times posted an early review with spoilers of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. This is why my current media blackout is involving even respectable news outlets. This pisses me off to no end. Of course, I’ve never read anything as respectable as the NY Times, I prefer my news to come from trashy tabloids. For once? This is a good thing.
The Leaky Cauldron has given you a letter to write (or write your own – of course) to the editors there to express your irritation. I’m going to do it, and I’m posting it here in case you want to as well. Send the following to letters@nytimes.com. I’m actually sending it from every email address I own – just to make sure my irritation is heard.
To whom it may concern:
I am writing to express my disappointment that your publication printed an early review and details of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. This goes against the express wishes of the author and anyone that calls themselves a true Harry Potter fan.
It is hard enough for a Harry Potter fan to avoid spoilers on the Internet and news stations now that the book appears to have leaked; now we have to avoid trusted outlets as well. You’ve not only disappointed millions of children around the world with your actions, you have disappointed the millions of adults who look to the New York Times to be a bastion of good taste and standards. When the New York Times succumbs to such tabloid tactics, who won’t?
Many ask why we care – why fans aren’t all so rabid to get the book that we’ll sop up any illegal download or purchase. There’s one simple answer: We respect the author. We thought that a newspaper like yours, where so many of your reporters become authors themselves, would understand and respect that. We’re so saddened that we were wrong. We feel let down by you and your editorial board.
Sincerely,
Your name here
Harry Potter Fan, and member of Jo’s Army
WHAT??? Those B@st@rds!!!!! grrrrr
Sent!!
I am SO sending this. I couldn’t believe this when I read about it last night! A place like the NYT has nothing better to do than spoil a bunch of 12-year-olds?! (And 28-year-olds…and 85-year-olds…) Could. Not. Believe it. They needed their scoop. Disgusting.
Just sent my letter off.
Sent.
I can’t believe that crap.
Sent mine. Unbelieveable. Yours is the only blog I will read right now. (well, and Amalah. I don’t see her posting spoilers any time soon.)
I am glad I never got into the Harry Potter thing because I don’t think I could take all the stress.
Good luck and I am sure Sat can’t come soon enough.
um, yeah
I read that article this morning before I knew it had spoilers. I mean I didn’t think the Times would stoop that low. And then once I started I couldn’t stop!! Thankfully it really didn’t have so many details that I feel totally cheated or anything. But no more HP articles for me until after I get my book Saturday!
Bah humbug on Michiko Kakatuni! I didn’t like her anyyway, now I like her less that she has already it.
Yikes, close call! I saw that article yesterday, and almost clicked to read it, thinking the NYT was above that sort of thing, and then though, “No, I don’t even want to know if they say what the rumors are.”
Very glad I didn’t read it! And yes, Michiko Kakatuni sucks.
I’ve never even read a single Harry Potter book (no, I can’t believe I’m admitting that HERE to YOU), but I think this is a horrid thing for the NYT to do. I really hope no one spoils your surprise. The NYT will hear from me too.
Oh y’all. I know it’s sucky and all that, but seriously, the more letters and stuff they get the more they know it’s being read and the more “spoilers” that will come out for other books. Media loves uproar.
Margaret – I choose to submit anyway. Most media does love uproar, but that doesn’t meant you can let your voice be heard and your distaste be documented. It may seem silly to you – but it makes some of us feel better just to let our voices be heard.
Sent. I CAN. NOT. BELIEVE! that they had the audacity to publish such a thing right now! ARGH! It wouldn’t have killed them to wait an extra couple of days! How utterly and absolutely ridiculous!!
completely agreed
DONE! Bastids! Just reinforces my hatred of the media.
Sent, sent, sent, and sent! I’m glad I’ve got so many e-mail addresses! Shame on you NY Times!
Sent!
And I feel better for having done so.
I am on complete media blackout as well. I don’t want anyone to spoil any of the last book for me. It may seem silly to some people(who probably haven’t read the books to begin with), but I don’t care. Any Harry Potter fan is right there with me.
So there.
While I agree with Margaret..I still think people suck …suckety suck suck suck.
Dude, I have a beef with spoilers in general. I love to read arts and entertainment criticism, but it pisses me off to no end when critics think that a basic plot summary passes for insightful analysis. When the review is published before the publication or release of the movie/book/whatever, WHY do they think it’s okay to give away crucial plot twists? It’s just laziness, IMHO. And I’ve always thought Michiko Kakutani was a contrarian nitwit drunk on her own power.
make sure to keep your radio off people!! my friend in Philly just let me know that her radio station was doing the weather and then said “Harry Potter….” no warning it was a spoiler, they just said it. NOT COOL!
I’m glad misszoot.com is still spoiler free. I’ve found that I can’t read mugglenet or leaky cauldron’s comments sections, because people keep posting indirect spoilers (I don’t want to know ANYTHING!). But, those sites get so many comments that they can’t moderate, so I understand. I sent the NYT a letter this morning and I also sent drudgereport a note, asking them to put a spoiler warning on their link to the article, but they did even better than that. They took the link off!
Zoot! This is totally unrelated, but I just watched your AlphaMom interview! It was great.
You’re going next week, right?
DONE! I’ve never been a fan of the NYT to begin with, but this is sinking to an all-time low. Know what’s worse? I clicked on the review and started reading before I realized it was a review of the damned book! No more reading. Nowhere. No how. Until 12:01 on 7/21.
Yout totally saved my butt on this one, Zoot! I very nearly clicked on that link (it was up on my Google homepage), but remembered your warning. I’m SO grateful. I’m also wearing my ipod when I go get the book tomorrow. Not taking any chances here.
I’ve also sent a letter. I can’t believe they would ruin it like that.