Dirty Harry

Not since Elizabeth Berkely's topless dance in the movie Showgirls, have I seen such disapproval of a child's star first adult role. Daniel Radcliffe a.k.a. Harry Potter has decided to go nude in a new play he's going to be starring in next month in London. Apparently, parents and some Harry Potter fans and even reportedly JK Rowlings herself is furious at this. He's "smearing and ruining the image of Harry Potter for children", one reporter asked a fan. "He's looked at as a role model. He's too young to be doing something like this." I am sorry, when did Harry Potter become a role model for young kids???

I guess he would be for some, but come on - you gotta be kidding me. Yes, it may be a bad choice for him to want to do a play about a boy channeling his sexuality to his love for horses, because he is 17 and that's such an odd role to play. Maybe he wants to break his Harry Potter image sooner than we thought, but seriously Harry Potter is fictional character emersed in a world of magic and in no way should be touted as a role model for children. He's no Mark Twain people. I mean really - get over yourself people.

This image surfaced today and it's had people all in a tizzy, because yes Daniel Radcliffe has pubes and chest hair and Harry Potter does not. They don't want their image tarnished of someone they clearly see as a role model to little children everywhere. So I can't wait until lovely Hermoine Granger a.k.a. Emma Watson does her first Maxim cover and see what people say then. She's got boobs right now and ain't no one saying anything. She's blossoming. Blah, blah, blah. Right now it seems, that this image is sparking serious controversy and also ticket sales are going through the roof. Expect the dirty man and woman brigade to be buying those tickets fast now.

On the other hand, I can understand what everyone's concern is. In an age where we are surrounded by sexual images everywhere, it’ s probably no surprise that there’s this kind of response to when even someone like Harry Potter strips. I suppose we grow up faster nowadays. But he’s barely a year beyond the age of consent, so just over a year ago such images would have had the child porn police knocking at the door. Alas, that's not the case. Right now everyone's concerned that Harry Potter is ruining is innocent image. It's no different than what the cast of perhaps Saved By The Bell or any other child star did when they want to undo what their previous roles did their image. Actually it is different, at least he could have waited until the movies were done before we saw the true power of Harry Potter's wand.