Harry Potter Tattoo Receives Backlash For Controversial Inspiration
An ardent fan of the wizarding world has been on the receiving end of negative comments for getting the perfect Harry Potter tattoo.
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While getting a tattoo depicting the lore of a movie or novel you like is pretty normal, a devoted Harry Potter fan has been facing many negative comments for getting a Dark Mark on his forearm. The Dark Mark, which looks like a colossal skull with a serpent protruding from its mouth, was branded on the forearms of Lord Voldemort’s minions, i.e., the Death Eaters. While many have been praising the Harry Potter tattoo, a few have been busy asserting that it has its roots in the Nazi Swastika symbol.
A Reddit user recently took to the platform to share his latest ink- a Harry Potter tattoo which was inspired by the Dark Mark on this forearm. While the films and novels depicted a simple, prison-style version of the same on the hands of the Death Eaters who have been rotting away in Azkaban, the tattoo of the Redditor is a more stylized representation of the same. Soon after the post was uploaded, ardent fans of the franchise were quick to appreciate the perfect Harry Potter tattoo and even expressed their desire to get something similar. But not everyone shared the same opinions.
The negative comments, most of which have now been deleted, were swift to compare that the “pure blood” ideology perpetuated by the Death Eaters is very similar to what the Nazis stood for. A few were certain that the characterization of Death Eaters was inspired by Nazis, which in turn makes the Harry Potter tattoo something akin to a Swastika. Some even argued about the real-world commonalities both share and how getting a symbol of such a group permanently etched into their body cannot be defended by simply calling it fictional.
But many other fans of the wizarding world have stood in favor of the Harry Potter tattoo. One defended that it is “disrespectful” to the real-life victims of the Nazis when their atrocious actions are compared to a fictional group of villains. Another Redditor reflected that they possess a Dark Mark, the Ring inscription from the Lord of the Rings, and many other similar tattoos from other franchises. But it doesn’t turn them into someone who is an aggressive supporter of pureblood status or someone who is striving to rule everyone. Why? Because the Harry Potter tattoo is not based on real-life events or people, they are fictional and getting it doesn’t automatically align your views with that of the made-up characters.
Despite all the backlash, the Redditor who has got this dope Harry Potter tattoo inked is choosing to soak in the praise offered in the comments. He has highlighted that the tattoo only reveals his love for the franchise and is not a reflection of his “moral compass.”
Before this fresh controversy regarding a seemingly innocent Harry Potter tattoo, it was J.K. Rowling who had been courting criticism since 2019 over her divisive views regarding transgenders and the civil rights they should or should not have. She has been called out by many celebrities, including actors like Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Bonnie Wright, etc who have been a part of the cinematic adaptation of her Harry Potter books.
