Harry Potter's choice of girlfriend has set off a global internet backlash with ugly racial overtones.
Katie Leung, a 17-year-old Scottish girl of Chinese descent, was recently chosen by Warner Brothers to play Cho Chang in the forthcoming Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
Cho Chang gives Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) his first kiss in the film, the fourth in the hugely successful series. But the unknown actress is now the target of an internet hate campaign.
Hate websites have been set up by jealous Radcliffe fans, while Harry Potter chat sites this week ran hot with criticism of Leung's looks and Asian background.
"Katie is a beast. She looks like a monster, not the love interest of my Daniel Radcliffe!" complained one junior correspondent on the Asian American Film chat site.
Some fans even questioned whether Leung could speak English.
An "official" hate site entitled "Ew! Katie" explains that it is motivated both by jealousy and disapproval of her looks.
Warner Brothers has refused access to Leung while the film is in production, allowing neither interviews with, nor photographs of, its new star.
Radcliffe, who has become something of a pin-up for young girls, is more enthusiastic than his fan base about his screen paramour, describing her as "very pretty and cool".
"She is awesome, I can't wait for the kissing scenes," he said.
Leung's father, Peter, a food wholesaler based in Lanarkshire, Scotland, said he was very proud of his daughter but frightened at the savagery of Harry Potter fanatics.
"I can't make any sense of it, although I know how popular Harry Potter is," he told Britain's Daily Star newspaper.
"No one knows her, has seen her or heard her speak, yet there all these things on the internet. Unfortunately, she has seen them, too. She reads them all and it is a great pressure on her."
Full Version: Harry Potter Backlash...
poor girl, stupid people, why don't they fall in love with someone they have a chance with?
I can't believe this would be a big enough deal to anybody that it would spawn this level of hatred..Some folk just ain't right..
Katie Leung...
Glad, Its not my scene.
typical 14 year old girls 
It's stupid... At the end of the day if they are not happy with the choice of casting they should be angry with WB for picking her not with the girl...
Personally, if that is a pic of the girl who is playing, I think she looks ok for the part of Cho. I can't remember if she is described in the books with black hair, I think she is but hopefully they will dye her hair black.
It's stupid... At the end of the day if they are not happy with the choice of casting they should be angry with WB for picking her not with the girl...
Personally, if that is a pic of the girl who is playing, I think she looks ok for the part of Cho. I can't remember if she is described in the books with black hair, I think she is but hopefully they will dye her hair black.
Wow, I think this could quite possibly be the stupidest thing I have ever heard...What's wrong with these people? Grow up and get a life, it's just a movie after all.
I wonder if they'd hate her so much if she was English-Chinese rather than Scottish.
Hell hath no fury like teenage girls who see their film start crush with another girl!
Lust doesn't justify the kind of things they're saying
There are some real freaks out there who hate just about anything.
Why does Harry Potter got such a cult following now?
In 15 years it might be the new Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Which ROCKED BTW
"Lets do the time warp again."
LOL
Why does Harry Potter got such a cult following now?
In 15 years it might be the new Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Which ROCKED BTW
"Lets do the time warp again."
LOL
When Star Wars episode 2 came out, in some areas there was a backlash in making Jungo Fett (or whatever his name was) a mexican..... Many white Americans where appalled with the casting of a mexican for that roll, ironically he wasn't mexican at all...but a New Zealander....lol
Racism/prejudice shows its head wherever people have the ability to make their opinion heard....unfortunately.
Racism/prejudice shows its head wherever people have the ability to make their opinion heard....unfortunately.
QUOTE(AztecInca @ Apr 24 2005, 12:26 AM)
Hell hath no fury like teenage girls who see their film start crush with another girl!
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Like Aztec said, it wouldn't matter what nationality the girl was she'd still be hated.
The only thing off is her hair color. It was black in the books (like Crow mentioned), but I am sure they will change that.
These little girls need to deal with reality. Poor girl...she's so young; this will probably scar her.
These little girls need to deal with reality. Poor girl...she's so young; this will probably scar her.
...evil fan girls. Get a life. Leave the poor girl alone.
Well I they're just jealous of the fact. I guess these teenage girls are in love with Harry or something . As you can see in the book the name is chinese, I guess they thought she was the best actress to fit the part. they can cover her ugly face with makeup though.....so no worries 
.
. As you can see in the book the name is chinese, I guess they thought she was the best actress to fit the part. they can cover her ugly face with makeup though.....so no worries .
Personally I think ms. Katie is by no means ugly. 
I just visited one of the sites that apparently Hates Katie... Check out these obviously well thought out and reasonable reasons they give for disliking her.
Are these sites managed by twelve year olds? Oh, and this was real cute... at the bottom of the page it has a disclaimer, I am in no way affiliated with The Harry Potter Book series or J.K. Rowling, I am just a longtime Harry Potter Fan.
This whole thing is ridiculous. I just want to punch one of these people in the face.
I just visited one of the sites that apparently Hates Katie... Check out these obviously well thought out and reasonable reasons they give for disliking her.
QUOTE
Why a hatelisting for Katie?
Maybe hate is too strong of a word, but I dislike Katie Leung. I obviously don't know her so I can't judge her on her personality, but here are just a few reasons why I don't like her.
*she doesn't match at all what Cho Chang should look like, in my opinion.
*she's going to be playing a role that most would kill for.
*she doesn't look very friendly, but of course, she could be very nice and we'll never know for sure.
*she gets the chance to meet some people that most of us would just die to meet, and she gets the oppurtunity of a lifetime. who wouldn't be jealous of that?
Maybe hate is too strong of a word, but I dislike Katie Leung. I obviously don't know her so I can't judge her on her personality, but here are just a few reasons why I don't like her.
*she doesn't match at all what Cho Chang should look like, in my opinion.
*she's going to be playing a role that most would kill for.
*she doesn't look very friendly, but of course, she could be very nice and we'll never know for sure.
*she gets the chance to meet some people that most of us would just die to meet, and she gets the oppurtunity of a lifetime. who wouldn't be jealous of that?
Are these sites managed by twelve year olds? Oh, and this was real cute... at the bottom of the page it has a disclaimer, I am in no way affiliated with The Harry Potter Book series or J.K. Rowling, I am just a longtime Harry Potter Fan.This whole thing is ridiculous. I just want to punch one of these people in the face.
QUOTE(Neo2005 @ Apr 23 2005, 02:48 PM)
There are some real freaks out there who hate just about anything.
Why does Harry Potter got such a cult following now?
In 15 years it might be the new Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Which ROCKED BTW
"Lets do the time warp again."
LOL
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Why does Harry Potter got such a cult following now?
In 15 years it might be the new Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Which ROCKED BTW
"Lets do the time warp again."
LOL
[right][snapback]587253[/snapback][/right]
Oh, I hope not. Rocky Horror is/was awesome. Harry Potter should never be able to change that. Besides, cults aren't really filled with a horde of 14 year old girls...are they?
QUOTE(Subtemperate @ Apr 23 2005, 10:44 AM)
Harry Potter's choice of girlfriend has set off a global internet backlash with ugly racial overtones.
Katie Leung, a 17-year-old Scottish girl of Chinese descent, was recently chosen by Warner Brothers to play Cho Chang in the forthcoming Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
Cho Chang gives Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) his first kiss in the film, the fourth in the hugely successful series. But the unknown actress is now the target of an internet hate campaign.
Hate websites have been set up by jealous Radcliffe fans, while Harry Potter chat sites this week ran hot with criticism of Leung's looks and Asian background.
"Katie is a beast. She looks like a monster, not the love interest of my Daniel Radcliffe!" complained one junior correspondent on the Asian American Film chat site.
Some fans even questioned whether Leung could speak English.
An "official" hate site entitled "Ew! Katie" explains that it is motivated both by jealousy and disapproval of her looks.
Warner Brothers has refused access to Leung while the film is in production, allowing neither interviews with, nor photographs of, its new star.
Radcliffe, who has become something of a pin-up for young girls, is more enthusiastic than his fan base about his screen paramour, describing her as "very pretty and cool".
"She is awesome, I can't wait for the kissing scenes," he said.
Leung's father, Peter, a food wholesaler based in Lanarkshire, Scotland, said he was very proud of his daughter but frightened at the savagery of Harry Potter fanatics.
"I can't make any sense of it, although I know how popular Harry Potter is," he told Britain's Daily Star newspaper.
"No one knows her, has seen her or heard her speak, yet there all these things on the internet. Unfortunately, she has seen them, too. She reads them all and it is a great pressure on her."
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Katie Leung, a 17-year-old Scottish girl of Chinese descent, was recently chosen by Warner Brothers to play Cho Chang in the forthcoming Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
Cho Chang gives Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) his first kiss in the film, the fourth in the hugely successful series. But the unknown actress is now the target of an internet hate campaign.
Hate websites have been set up by jealous Radcliffe fans, while Harry Potter chat sites this week ran hot with criticism of Leung's looks and Asian background.
"Katie is a beast. She looks like a monster, not the love interest of my Daniel Radcliffe!" complained one junior correspondent on the Asian American Film chat site.
Some fans even questioned whether Leung could speak English.
An "official" hate site entitled "Ew! Katie" explains that it is motivated both by jealousy and disapproval of her looks.
Warner Brothers has refused access to Leung while the film is in production, allowing neither interviews with, nor photographs of, its new star.
Radcliffe, who has become something of a pin-up for young girls, is more enthusiastic than his fan base about his screen paramour, describing her as "very pretty and cool".
"She is awesome, I can't wait for the kissing scenes," he said.
Leung's father, Peter, a food wholesaler based in Lanarkshire, Scotland, said he was very proud of his daughter but frightened at the savagery of Harry Potter fanatics.
"I can't make any sense of it, although I know how popular Harry Potter is," he told Britain's Daily Star newspaper.
"No one knows her, has seen her or heard her speak, yet there all these things on the internet. Unfortunately, she has seen them, too. She reads them all and it is a great pressure on her."
[right][snapback]586592[/snapback][/right]
I am sorry, but all this seems to me to be the issue of people with no lives of their own.
PEOPLE, IT'S FICTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
IT'S BOOKS AND MOVIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ok, I admit, I have seen all the Harry Potter movies ( don't tell anyone, I will deny it)
It seems to me, the real issue is that these people are racist and it translates in their Harry Potter feelings
..and apparently in the next movie, she leaves harry for hermione. 
Oh, for Heaven's sake, let's not get carried away. These people aren't racists, or stalkers, or threats of any kind, and their web sights probably are managed by 12 year old girls. They are nothing more than jealous little kids whose crush is being dibbed by someone other than themselves. No need to punch anyone in the face over this.
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