Prof Responds- The Umbridge Trap

Critical Magic Theory: An Analytical Harry Potter Podcast

On this Prof Responds episode of Critical Magic Theory, Professor Julian Wamble returns to the woman in pink—Dolores Jane Umbridge—to unpack the powerful and sometimes uncomfortable insights raised in the post-episode chat. Why do we hate her so much? Why do we enjoy hating her? And more importantly, what does our hatred reveal about how we understand femininity, power, and punishment?
From the now-infamous “Umbridge vs. Voldemort” debate to the cultural thrill of watching a woman fall, this episode explores how systemic evil rewards obedience, how white womanhood can become a weapon, and how JK Rowling might’ve set a trap we were all too happy to walk into. As always, Professor Wamble gets personal, gets political, and yes—gets musical. The BOP is back. And so is the reflection you did not see coming.