The Isabel Brown Show — Episode Summary

Episode Title: Stop Using My Childhood (and Harry Potter) to Push Authoritarianism
Date: October 28, 2025
Host: Isabel Brown (The Daily Wire)
Main Theme:
Isabel Brown fiercely critiques a recent op-ed that frames Harry Potter’s villains as analogous to contemporary right-wing and Trumpist figures. She argues that such interpretations are deliberate misreadings by left-wing academics and cultural elites—who, in Brown’s view, continually distort the themes of classic stories to further their own “authoritarian” political agenda. Brown places this trend in the broader context of ongoing culture wars over literature, media, gender identity, and the meaning of heroism.

Episode Overview

• Isabel responds to a Free Press article by Harvard historian Tiya Miles linking the Harry Potter series to modern politics, specifically likening Donald Trump and ICE to Voldemort and the Death Eaters.
• Brown deconstructs what she sees as a willful misinterpretation of Harry Potter and other beloved classics (Lord of the Rings, Narnia, Hunger Games), contending these works fundamentally warn against big government and left-leaning authoritarianism.
• She critiques the academic trend of reinterpreting literature through a lens of race, gender, and intersectionality, arguing it leads to the weaponization and censorship of classic stories.
• The episode interweaves critiques of leftist academia, defense of J.K. Rowling against her critics, and a call to conservatives to reclaim narratives and keep classic stories alive for future generations.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Reaction to the Free Press Article (00:26-14:27)

• Isabel and co-host read and ridicule Tiya Miles' article, which:
  • Recounts Miles' family tradition with Harry Potter.
  • Criticizes the lack of nonwhite characters and supposed problematic depictions in the series (e.g., Goblins, house elves, J.K. Rowling on trans topics).
  • Equates Trump and right-wing politics with Harry Potter villains.
• Isabel objects, seeing this as a “gaslighting” misreading:

  “If you've ever read Harry Potter for like five seconds, you would know that this woman is literally needing a mirror because everything she just described is the exact opposite of the message of Harry Potter.” (13:18)

• She frames the classic “good vs. evil” trope as a warning against big government and sees left-wingers as unwittingly embodying “the establishment, …the Death Eaters, the Empire, the Hunger Games Capital.” (13:29)

2. The Allegory Wars: Who Are the Real ‘Bad Guys’? (14:27-20:02)

• Isabel claims leftist elites have inverted the message of these stories for their own ends—ironically painting themselves as the “Resistance” when they are the real establishment:

  “Lady, you are a professor of Gender Studies and Ethnic Studies at Harvard University. You are quite literally the Establishment. You are the Empire. You're not the Resistance.” (17:59)

• She suggests there is a deliberate campaign to reshape literature to fit left-wing intersectional ideology.

3. Academics, Gaslighting, and Intention in Storytelling (20:02-26:56)

• Isabel critiques the academic focus on intersectionality, race, and gender in interpreting literature.
• She defends J.K. Rowling’s rights as the creator—sharing Rowling’s sharp retorts to critics accusing her of being “Voldemort” due to her gender-critical views:
  • Rowling quote:

    “I am not the one who needs to reread her own books.” (24:57)

  • On totalitarianism:

    "A totalitarian movement infiltrates the establishment, persecutes all who oppose it, threatens rape and violence, strips rights from the vulnerable, and you decide those are the good guys and you applaud like a seal." (25:06)

• Isabel points out the danger of encouraging young people to abandon books and authors over identity politics.

4. The Roots of Classic Hero Stories (26:56-35:22)

• Isabel emphasizes that authors like C.S. Lewis, Tolkien, and Suzanne Collins intended their works as warnings against authoritarianism, not as endorsements of it.
• She shares Lewis’ perspective:

  “Mankind is so fallen that no man can be trusted with unchecked power over his fellows... I reject slavery because I see no men fit to be masters.” (31:34)

• Similarly, Tolkien:

  “The most improper job of any man... is bossing other men. Not one in a million is fit for it, and least of all those who seek the opportunity.” (32:53)

• Cites Collins’ “anti-populist” President Snow as embodying the belief in absolute authority.

5. Twisting and Censoring Stories in Contemporary Culture (35:22-46:12)

• Isabel warns that labeling classic stories as “dangerous extremism” for young men is becoming government policy—as seen in the UK with the documentary “Adolescents.”
  • Clips played of UK Prime Minister and Keir Starmer discussing efforts to counter “toxic masculinity” and male radicalization (48:53-49:47).
• She sounds the alarm:

  “When it's not enough for these people to manipulate, pervert and twist the narrative to fit their own political agenda, it will not be long until all our favorite stories are banned, ironically, from the same people screaming in your face that right wingers are trying to ban books.” (50:32)

  • Predicts efforts to censor 1984, Animal Farm, Star Wars, Narnia, and Hunger Games.

6. Call to Action: Reclaiming Stories and Heroism (46:12-end)

• Urges listeners to keep reading, sharing, and defending classic works against ideological reinterpretation.

  “You are the hero in these heroes stories... keep reading them. Keep sharing these stories with yourself, with your family, your friends, your kids... Keep inspiring people... to embrace bold heroism in the face of totalitarian advocacy.” (51:26-54:19)

• Reminds audience that many classic stories contain biblical allegory, reinforcing values of virtue, resistance, and personal courage.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On leftist elites misreading stories:
  • “They are the establishment, they are the Death Eaters, the Empire, the Hunger Games Capital. Whatever story you love best, insert fictional universe here. They are the dark side, the enemy, the bad guy.” (13:29)
• On J.K. Rowling’s response to critics:
  • “I am not the one who needs to reread her own books.” – J.K. Rowling (24:57)
• On being labeled a fascist:
  • “They've been calling us that for a very long time with the specific aim of dividing our society further.” (39:42)
• Classics as biblical allegory:
  • “All of them are rooted in some capacity, in a level of biblical allegory... the story of Christ.” (46:12)

Important Segment Timestamps

• 00:26 — Isabel introduces the “insane” Free Press article and theme of the episode.
• 03:11-08:54 — Reading and critiquing the Tiya Miles article point-by-point.
• 13:18-14:27 — Isabel’s core thesis: The article misrepresents Harry Potter; left is the establishment.
• 17:59 — Isabel refutes the “Resistance” identity of academic elites.
• 24:57-26:56 — J.K. Rowling’s high-profile comebacks discussed.
• 31:34-32:53 — C.S. Lewis and Tolkien on power, democracy, and corruption.
• 35:22-46:12 — Contemporary efforts (notably in the UK) to police the impact of classic literature.
• 48:53-49:47 — UK leaders discuss the documentary “Adolescents” and its proposed use in countering male “radicalization.”
• 50:32-51:26 — Fears about the banning and censorship of classic stories.
• 51:26-54:19 — Call to action for families and listeners: keep reading, keep defending beloved stories.

Takeaway

Isabel Brown’s episode is a rallying cry against what she sees as the weaponization of culture and literature by left-wing academics and politicians. She urges listeners to actively engage with, share, and defend classic stories like Harry Potter—not only for their entertainment value, but as beacons of wisdom warning against the dangers of authoritarianism, big government, and the loss of personal freedom. The episode blends culture war, literary criticism, and political analysis in Brown’s characteristic combative, irreverent style.

For listeners seeking to understand the current cultural battleground over beloved stories, especially Harry Potter, this episode provides a passionate conservative perspective on why these stories matter, who controls their meaning, and what's at stake as they’re reinterpreted in today’s political climate.