“90 Second Pop” Goes Harry

Jul 04, 2005

Posted by: SueTLC

Uncategorized


Well, the excitement and speculation continues to grow about the new Harry Potter book, as witnessed today on CNN’s 90 Second Pop, a segment of their morning program. Host Miles O’Brien spoke with “Time Magazine” reporter Christopher John Farley, comedian Andy Borowitz, and B.J. Sigesmund from “Us Weekly.” There was the usual guessing about things such how many books may sell, as well as speculation about what might happen in Half-Blood Prince. However, this editor enjoyed the following bit from the end of the conversation the best:

FARLEY: “Well, see, I don’t want to know the plot. I want to be surprised by it, because every page now you read you’re getting closer to the end of the series. And then it’s all over. So, I don’t want to know what happens. I don’t want to know about the romances. I don’t even want to know that it’s written in English. I just want to be surprised when I open it up and maybe there’s a chance that it will be in Portuguese this time. I just don’t want to know.”

BOROWITZ: “I wonder if plot details of Madame Bovary leaked out before that book came out. It’s hard to believe. I don’t know.”

To watch this segment, at this link, scroll down to where it says “Watch Free Video: 90 Second Pop Luther Vandross” . After the discussions of the late (great) singer, and Live 8, the Harry Potter segment starts approximately 3:50 into the video. You can also read a transcript of the Potter segment below.

Note:A spoiler caution is given for those who do not want even to hear guessing and speculating about the book.

Only 11 more days everyone!

M. O’BRIEN: All right, B.J., let’s talk about Harry Potter, if we
must, now. What, two weeks away? And, what, Harry Potter is going to come out as a scientologist and have an affair as an actress? Is that it? No, what’s going –what’s the plot?

SIGESMUND: I don’t know what…

M. O’BRIEN: There’s some plot hints, right?

SIGESMUND: J.K. Rowling has kept the plot of the sixth book so
secret that it could be. But, yes, it looks like this is going to be the biggest Harry Potter yet. The first one is 11 million copies. That’s actually four million more than the fifth book. And…

M. O’BRIEN: Which was about a thousand pages.

SIGESMUND: Yes.

M. O’BRIEN: You know, and this one…

SIGESMUND: And this one is rumored to be a little shorter than that, maybe 700 pages. This is going to be the continuing efforts to keep…

M. O’BRIEN: (INAUDIBLE).

SIGESMUND: Yes. To keep Lord Valdemar from getting more power. There is another character that is supposedly…

BOROWITZ: Thank god.

SIGESMUND: … going to die in it. You know, a big character died in the fifth one. And then there’s going to be a little more romance — a little more romance for Harry. We’re not sure if it’s Harry and Hermione, or Ron and Hermione are going to continue with their burgeoning romance. So, we’ll see. But it’s — you know, it’s going to be another big summer for kids with Harry Potter.

O. M. O’BRIEN: And do you think it’s going to sell like the — of
course, it will, right?

SIGESMUND: Oh, yes. I mean, it’s already sold, you know, back orders and back orders. Hundreds and millions — I’m sorry, hundreds of thousands of these books have already been sold. And, like I said, the first run was 11 million.

M. O’BRIEN: I mean, on the one hand it’s great that kids are reading them, right? And…

FARLEY: Well, see, I don’t want to know the plot. I want to be
surprised by it, because every page now you read you’re getting closer to the end of the series. And then it’s all over. So, I don’t want to know what happens. I don’t want to know about the romances. I don’t even want to know that it’s written in English. I just want to be surprised when I open it up and maybe there’s a chance that it will be in Portuguese this time. I just don’t want to know.

BOROWITZ: I wonder if plot details of Madame Bovary leaked out
before that book came out. It’s hard to believe. I don’t know.

M. O’BRIEN: It wasn’t quite the marketing campaign back then, was
it? All right, popsters, thank you very much for the all-male “90-Second Pop.” We’ll do sports next time. Thanks very much. Good to be here.





The Leaky Cauldron is not associated with J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., or any of the individuals or companies associated with producing and publishing Harry Potter books and films.