HP rules. I'm right. You're wrong.

An analogy:

Anti-Harry Potter fans are to Harry Potter fans what the Daily Prophet was to Harry in The Order of the Phoenix.

Now, a Harry Potter fan would understand that analogy. To everyone else, it's "stupid" and "juvenile." And I was going to explain what the analogy meant, but now I don't think I will. With the impending release of The Order of the Phoenix in movie theaters across the country, and the seventh and final book (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) set for release on July 21, my mounting excitement has gotten me sideways glances and sarcastic remarks from HP naysayers. So why should I waste time with analogies that anti-HP fans would disregard as "childish" anyway? It's just a kid's book. It's only for 10-year olds. Right?

"According to the NDP Group, a New York-based research company, half of all Harry Potter readers are over age 35 and a quarter are over 55. That leaves the remaining 25% being the children that we all think dominate the target market."

BAM. Suck on that, bitches. And that was from 2003. BAM. I can only imagine how much the readership has grown over the past 4 years. The article goes on to say that Harry Potter "appeals to both adults and children because it does not talk down to its readers and because there are multiple levels of meaning." This, my friends, among many other things, is what makes these books so awesome. Sure, kids read Harry Potter. Sure J.K. Rowling has her tight grip on the minds of children as soon as they learn to read. But even some of the most learned people I know are captivated by the story-telling and brilliant character development in these books.

And what makes Harry Potter a children's book anyway? The main characters being in their teens? Mitch Hedberg (RIP) would've said "Every book is a children's book if the kid can read." Funny and true. But seriously, if 75% of Harry Potter readers are over 35, when does it cease to be "children's literature" and become "good books"?

And one final thing: Harry Potter is not a trend. Trends don't last 10 years and sell 325 million copies in 63 different languages.

The end. Harry is awesome. I win.