I considered titling this post: "She Weighs the Same as a Duck (Because She's Made of Wood)." But that set the nerd coefficient of this post into the red zone.
However, I still wanted to share one of this weekend's epiphanies:
MARY POPPINS IS A WITCH.
It's obvious, once you look at it from a post-Rowling perspective.
- She flies with an enchanted umbrella.
- She makes the room clean itself.
- Hermione even had a bag like hers, one that held all of her oversized stuff.
And it's obvious that she learned all that at Hogwarts, right?
And Burt's a wizard. Don't tell me that all chimney-sweeps/one-man-bands/street artists can make chalk drawings that people can hang out in for a day.
Why didn't I see it before? I knew she was magical, but...
I think it's because Julie Andrews played her as such a Glinda in the movie. I heard that the author of the original book cried at the premiere--they'd ruined her character. So now I have to read the original P.L. Travers book, just to know for sure. If I were still in school, I'd consider writing a term paper comparing/contrasting the magical worlds of Harry Potter and Mary Poppins.
Geez, even the names look similar. I bet this idea haunts you for the rest of the day. I know it will haunt me.
Oh, and today starts the Great Library Challenge. As I wrote yesterday, from now until midnight Friday, I'll donate $1 to my local library for each comment you folks make (1 per person, per day), and double it for people listed as followers (sign up by clicking "follow" at the top or on the right).
Say whatever you want. "I love libraries" is fine.
If my four-year-old could type, he'd comment that "Mary Poppins is NOT a witch!" He's said it several times since my aforementioned epiphany. I accidentally may have ruined a childhood classic for him.
There are a bunch of bloggers participating in this; click here to see the list of sites. A few quick comments can help a lot of libraries.
52 comments:
Didn't Hagrid have a magic umbrella, too?
I never thought about Mary Poppins as a witch, but I agree. Exchange with my own 4yo yesterday:
Me: Please bring your plate to the kitchen and help me clean up.
Him: No, mommy, I don't want to.
Me: I don't want to either.
Him: (thinks a minute) Maybe we can just leave it?
Me: How will it get cleaned up then? Magic?
Him: (laughs) No. You'll just do it later because it will drive you crazy.
Me: So it is magic then?
Him: It is to me.
Priceless. :)
LOL Brenda! That's wonderful!
Yay libraries!
I don't know, I always knew that Mary Poppins was a witch. A white witch. It never occured to me that she wasn't...
I don't know about The Poppins, but Burt, definitely :) Thanks for helping with my challenge and good luck with yours! Go Libraries!
Thanks for joining in the library challenge!
Libraries are an awesome resource. Thanks.
I heart my library! Thanks for helping out yours!
You are so right! The magic umbrella and everything!
I always found Mary Poppins a little terrifying.
Also: go libraries!
Loved Mary P. wished I had her umbrella. Good luck on reaching your library challenge goal.
thanks for supporting libraries
Thanks for participating in the challenge!
My library-supporting blog entry can be found here: http://bit.ly/ilovelibraries
Libraries = the best. Fact.
I always did wonder about Mary P- now I have to read the book! Good luck with your challenge!
I will accept Mary Poppins at my house, whether she's magical or just really, really efficient. And in saying that I super-love my library, I'm saying that I super-love YOUR library to which this comment delivers a buck. Thanks!
I wouldn't be surprised if it were an influence on JKR - there's so much there, and not at all just classical/mythological. I've always been delighted at the Dahl references...James Henry Trotter, the orphan in James and the Giant Peach, where Spiker and Sponge map pretty well onto Petunia and Vernon; the buttergin, I think it was, instead of butterscotch in Charlie...I just love her. Honestly.
I love it - Julie Andrews as a good witch.
Thank you, fellow lover of libraries
thedragonsroost.net
Love your original post title! And, of course, libraries. Thanks for participating, Disgruntled Bear!
“When people who can read and write start fighting on behalf of people who can’t, you just end up with another kind of stupidity. If you want to help them, build a big library or something somewhere, and leave the doors open.”~Terry Pratchett, Interesting Times.
I love libraries!
Yay libraries! I love this challenge. Just joined in at my own blog, too!
Michelle Knudsen
Wow, I never thought of MP that way - spooky. And I just saw her in Disneyland!
I'm doing the challenge at my blog, too, Holly Cupala, Tell Me a Secret (plus secret prizes)!
Mary Poppins wasn't given much of a backstory, was she? Hm. Witches don't sing and dance, they have more dignity than that!
...I love libraries. :-)
Thanks for helping your library! We need more people like you :-)
My mom thought Mary Poppins was a witch when she read the book as a little girl.
I love libraries and bears! (No growling here.) :)
Love libraries and really love your bear :)
Hi library-loving blogger! Love your post! I always thought Mary Poppins was a little cold.
I wish my library was bigger so it could hold more books!
Here is my challenge:
http://taffyscandy.blogspot.com/2010/03/library-loving-blog-challenge.html
Hooray for libraries!
coll
I love libraries!
Don't all nannies fly around using umbrellas?
Yeah but Mary was still a likeable witch right?
Yeah Libraries!
Wow! We raised nearly $40 here yesterday! Thanks for posting!
Very cool about Ms. Poppins. You just never know. Good luck with your challenge. Yay libraries!
Hey, I don't think Mary Poppins is a witch, but she sure is magical! Thanks for doing the library challenge. I am impressed with how many people are participating. Libraries need our help now more than ever, with this tough economic climate, and all of the budget cuts.
Yay libraries! Thank you for your support.
Thanks for supporting libraries!
Oooh Mary Poppins a witch? You learn something new everyday!
Thanks for supporting libraries! Great challenge =D
Fun post, and lots of library love!
The Texas Sweethearts are participating in the challenge as well: http://texassweethearts.blogspot.com/2010/03/library-loving-blog-challenge.html
Well... DUH!
And good job on the whole library-loving thing.
My library-loving post is at www.ishtamercurio.blogspot.com
I adore this concept of Mary Poppins as a Rowlian witch. In the books she was more McGonogallish, less sweet, but it still works. And yay, you re: the library challenge. (PS thx for the Python reference, we fellow geeks appreciate it).
Yay for libraries!
You know, I've never seen Mary Poppins. Maybe I should rent it from my library!
I couldn’t live without libraries.
I'm participating in the library blog challenge, though I've gotten a bit of a late start:
Michael Crichton’s Recommended Reading – Library Promo
The library has always been a welcoming and nurturing second home. Thanks for participating in this challenge.
Pat K
I'm never going to think about Mary Poppins in the same way... Thanks for joining the library challenge.
Yay for libraries. I take my son every Monday to get new books. Thanks for participating. Oh, and I'm also a follower.
Thanks for supporting a library.
This is the second time that I've read that about Mary Poppins in the last few days...
I'm participating in the library challenge as well.
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