ABSTRACT
Since 2005, the Harry Potter Alliance (HPA) has used parallels between Harry Potter and the real world to do social justice activism. Mobilizing millions of Harry Potter fans around the world, the HPA has taken action on issues like fair trade and same-sex marriage. Yet the HPA looks different from other social movement organizations: it centers popular culture fandom. The HPA isn’t alone in this departure from traditional social movement tactics. For example, across the 2011 Wisconsin Protests in Madison, the 2016 Women’s March in Washington, DC, and the 2018 Trump Protests in London, activists crafted and carried signs that referenced Star Wars, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and The Handmaid’s Tale. This chapter uses the case of the HPA to illustrate how rhetorical critics can make sense of this kind of social movement rhetoric. First, this chapter identifies the context of the emergence of fan-based social movements. Second, it outlines theoretical tools most useful for rhetoricians interested in the communication of fan-based social movements. Third, this chapter examines the case of the HPA, demonstrating what a rhetorical approach to a digital, fan-based social movement might look like. Finally, this chapter explores the implications of fan-based social movements.
