MuggleCast: the Harry Potter podcast MuggleCast

Now that season 4 of ‘The Boys’ has wrapped, Laura, Eric, and Andrew come together to recap, review, analyze, and make season 5 predictions! Is Butcher still in there, or has he gone full Kessler? Will Ambrosius see her revenge? How will the team finally defeat Homelander once and for all? Get ready for ‘Generation V’ season 2 before the 5th and final season of ‘The Boys’ - we think Gen V is set up to have an even greater impact on the 5th season! We also plug some fun easter eggs to look into if you want to get more out of ‘The Boys’ universe.
Whether Ashley becomes a Hulk-esque supe next season or not, she will henceforth be known as Smashley.
Don’t forget to follow us in your favorite podcasting app and leave us a review! Let us know in the comments below what you thought of season 4 of ‘The Boys,’ and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode!
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In this week’s MuggleCast, we’re setting book 4 down and picking up on real world controversy that was happening RIGHT as Goblet of Fire was first published, in July of 2000. At issue was whether the series, quickly gaining national publicity in the US, was instructing young readers to take up witchcraft, join the devil and abandon God. It’s HP vs Christianity on MuggleCast 666!

New episodes of MuggleCast will now be released in full video on our YouTube channel, right when they are released on our podcast feed!

For today’s Main Discussion, Eric has compiled a PDF of sources from the late 90’s to 2007 news media. The polished PDF is available via this link.

By July of 2000, Harry Potter had gained massive popularity in the US, and raise alarm bells with some concerned parents.

Were any of the hosts told not to read the HP books on religious grounds?

The controversy may be categorized as a moral panic, not unlike the Satanic Panic phenomenon of the 80’s/90’s, which unfortunately had large ramifications.

Why was HP targeted? And why were evangelicals in particular caught up in it?

We discuss four main arguments against the Potter books: that they will make children want to do witchcraft or join the occult; that they make children susceptible to evil by downplaying the danger of magic; that the books themselves are intentionally demonic; that the books are just plain immoral! (We find it hard to disagree with the last point).

Is there any evidence that kids joined the occult after reading the books?

Years later in 2005, what did Georgia parent Laura Mallory add to the discussion surrounding the books?

We review our own attempts on MuggleCast to get a hold of Mrs. Mallory.

As late as 2019, the argument was still being used to ban books. What lessons can we learn from these events?

Be sure to subscribe to MuggleCast Gold via Apple Podcasts, or join our Patreon for access to Bonus MuggleCast segments.

Visit mugglecast.com for transcripts, social media links, our full episode archive, favorite episodes and more!

A very special thank you to Connie Neal, Judy Bloom, Rainbow Rowell and others for extolling the virtues of the Harry Potter series when we were all children and too young to do so in print media.


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Things are heating up on What The Hype as we dive into the world of smut in romance and romantasy! This week, Laura and Pam are joined by special guest and romance author, Jennifer Hennessy (‘Degrees of Engagement’), to discuss spicy scenes in romance and romantasy reads. There’s no denying that there’s been an uptick in interest in spicy reads thanks to BookTok, but what makes for a good steamy moment while reading? And more importantly, what gives us the ick and automatically takes us out of the moment? Plus, Jen offers up some insider insight into the world of publishing, the use of euphemisms, and why she thinks smut can be hit or miss for readers.Keep up with Jennifer Hennessy online via Twitter (X) and Instagram, and check out her books right here on her website!
https://x.com/jennifercarolyn
https://www.instagram.com/jennifercarolyn/
https://www.jennifer-hennessy.com
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The MuggleCast Meetup at LeakyCon 2024 was an intimate gathering of listeners to the show who participated in a host Q&A. At times rather emotional, this discussion reminisces over 19 years of HP podcasting and handles topics both old and new! Join Eric, Micah and Chloé as they get cozy with each other and their feelings about the podcast and fandom. We'd like to thank all of our patrons who came out to the meetup and the convention.

This week, witness the return of Lord Voldemort himself after 13 years without a proper body! To celebrate this ‘rebirthing party’, we’ll be discussing two chapters of Goblet of Fire!
LAST CHANCE to grab this year’s physical gift... The MuggleCast 19 Years Later t-shirt! If you aren’t a Patron, now’s a great time to join! Pledge today at the Slug Club level and fill out the form by July 19 to be eligible. Note: you will only receive your shirt after you’ve been a Patron at this level for a minimum of three months. In addition, you’ll get other great benefits such as twice-monthly Bonus MuggleCast, the chance to co-host the show, a video message from one of the four of us and much more! Visit Patreon.com/MuggleCast today!

Thanks to everyone who came out to see us at LeakyCon Portland!

Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Goblet of Fire, Chapter 31: Flesh, Blood and Bone and Chapter 32: The Death Eaters

7-Word Summary #1: Cedric falls to his untimely, sad demise

Main Discussion #1: The Death of Cedric Diggory

In such a frantic state, how can Wormtail muster the ability to cast the Killing Curse? Would Cedric have a had chance at survival if not for helping Harry?

Does Harry have any time to process what's just happened to Cedric?

Kill The Spare: Voldemort shows his complete disregard for human life

Main Discussion #2: The Dark Lord’s Return

We walk through the steps one must take in order to recreate a Dark Lord and analyze the symbolism of Voldemort in baby form

Bone of the Father, Unknowingly Given. Why is it necessary for Voldemort to use his father’s bone given the magic comes from his mother’s side of the family?

Flesh of the Servant, Willingly Given. How can one hand regenerate an entire body?

By severing his right hand, has Wormtail eliminated any hope of Sirius' innocence?

Blood of the Enemy, Forcibly Taken. Why did Voldemort have to wait for Harry?

7-Word Summary #2: Loyalists arrive and worship Voldemort’s triumphant revival

Main Discussion #3: Voldemort Is Feeling “Chatty”

How much does Voldemort know about his mother and father's relationship?

Should Voldemort really be giving lessons on Chosen Family? Are any of his Death Eaters truly loyal to him?

If Voldemort knew of Wormtail's debt to Harry, would he have killed him right there?

Roll Call: We analyze the Death Eaters who are and are not present in the graveyard

Main Discussion #4: How Did Voldemort Do It?

Horcrux Tease! How much do the Death Eaters know about the lengths Voldemort went to in order to avoid death?

Did Nagini's venom help Voldemort resume a more human form because Nagini herself used to be human?

Quizzitch: What does the shadow of James Potter tell Harry he must do?

Visit MuggleCast.com for episode transcripts, social media links, our full episode archive, our favorite episodes, and to contact us!


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On this week’s episode, Micah, Eric and Laura soar into Westeros to discuss the hype around HBO’s hit series House of the Dragon. Taking place 100 years after the unification of the Seven Kingdoms but nearly 200 years before Game of Thrones, does House of the Dragon have what it takes to live up to its predecessor? Are dragons alone enough of a sell? On this primer episode, the hosts discuss their relationship to the original series, what drew them back in and share the storylines and characters they believe will make House of the Dragon a roaring success.
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