The fact that so many people hate Umbridge more than Voldemort is a classic first-world problem, amirite?

I'd argue it's also evidence of how they're represented, especially in the films which is the media most people think of. For Voldemort we're told from square 1 that he's the worst of the worst, and absolute prick. But we also don't (as viewers of the story) partake in much of this. That makes it not all that personal. You can say he murdered hundreds of wizards, but if I didn't see each and every one, it may as well have not happened. For Umbridge it's the far opposite. We see her from the beginning acting like a nice - well mostly - person. Then we watch her fall and manipulate and destroy something that we, the viewers, hold dear - Hogwarts, Harry & co. It becomes personal. What she does may not be "as bad" as Voldemort, but it's presented in such a way that it becomes a lot more personal to the people following the story. Something we can sympathise with. You'll notice the same when Snape is killed. He's a drop in the sea, sure he's close to Voldemort, but realistically, Voldemorts killed his followers before. So what's different about Snape? He's personal. He's got a story we understand and a story we only recently began routing for. Him dying is the end of that story. The other 100 followers that Voldemorts killed though? Eh? Who were they? I don't know! I also don't really care, they're just a stat. It's the old storytelling rule: Show don't tell. I'd argue this is much more than this is the way that humans experience stories, as opposed to people just not understanding because they're first-world haha

by Anonymous 1 week ago

Voldemort also has a reason, purpose, and goal in mind. He isn't just murdering on a whim. Meanwhile I'm bridge is cruel just to be cruel. She has no goal, no motive, no real plan. She just sees something enjoyable and thinks it shouldn't exist.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

The scary/angering part is that Umbridge is socially allowed to be doing the abuse. Voldemort is a social pariah, Umbridge is from the government with no oversight. The quill scene literally made me feel helpless reading it.

by charlie46 1 week ago

Nailed it

by Ystreich 1 week ago

Exactly.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

Ahhhhh Rooting for Yes, very good

by Anonymous 1 week ago

It's like how an annoying character is much more hated than an evil character. Our enjoyment as the audience is negatively affected by annoying pricks but evil characters can be very entertaining to watch

by glehner 1 week ago

Voldemort is magic Hitler, which is horrible but very far off and difficult to actually think of in personal terms. Umbridge is a collection of all the awful things you've ever seen in real people in your real life, shoved in your face in various shades of pink. Pretty easy to guess which one of those would get a bigger emotional response from the average person who has never had any personal experience involving Hitler.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

My experience: I hate my country's autocratic leader, no doubt about it. But I would literally gut his propagandists with a plastic knife. Sure, they are not the "final boss" of the system, but seeing their arrogant stupid faces and hearing them yap about why everyone, who's not a fan of the regime is a traitor makes my blood boil.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

I had a feeling you were Hungarian before I checked your profile. Good luck, I hope for the best for your country.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

With this description this guy very well could be Indian, Brazilian, Turkish or some other nation. Nowadays lots of right wing leaders getting elected with the help of propaganda.

by EntireJournalist 1 week ago

You live in China?

by Kyra87 1 week ago

If you play a video game or sport or something and your opponent beats you, you can't be mad. Their goal was to defeat you and vice versa. But if your teammate screws up, it's much more frustrating. They're supposed to help you but they dropped the ball. Voldemort was the villain. He's trying to kill people the same way a carnivore hunts its prey. Umbridge was a teacher. She was supposed to teach and protect her students and she failed. She was a bureaucratic nightmare. It's much more painful to be betrayed by a parent, teacher, doctor, police officer, politician, or other person who has a duty to protect you.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

What makes her so hated is anyone could turn into an Umbridge: someone convinced they're correct and completely unwilling to listen to the views of others.

by Ok-Broccoli 1 week ago

Umbridge is at least a somewhat believable character. Voldemort may as well be a cartoon villain.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

Voldemort may as well be a cartoon villain. Hitler existed though. Umbridge is more common, but personalities like Vildemort's aren't unrealistic.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

I'll be honest, I only read books 1-4 and saw each movie twice at most, so I'm sure I'm missing out on a lot of background stuff. I wish I could say that in today's world Hitler also sounds like a cartoon villain, but now that I think about it, there are at least a few cartoon villains who still hold quite an influence.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

Many of today's real world leaders sound like cartoon villains

by Anonymous 1 week ago

Umbridge wielded her government power to prevent people from defending themselves against Voldemort. If Voldemort were like an assassin come to kill you, Umbridge would be like your best friend putting you in a surprise chokehold to make it easier for the assassin.

by anastasiamuelle 1 week ago

It is important to mention color makes such an important part of it, color in media is a strong indication of certain motives, that's why war films have such wash out colors while animation often use extremely vibrant ones. Umbridge is seem as a lady in pink, a teacher, a sweet character at first, we relate pink to none threatening things, softness. This makes the whiplash of all her horrible actions stronger compare to Voldemort who we expect to do horrible things and be evil. As well as all the previously mention stuff about her being a more personal villain who we see acting "right infront of us"

by RoutineBig 1 week ago

Because evil masquarading as good is worse then evil as evil.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

To be fair, we don't really see or interact with Voldemort much or see how bad he is in almost any of the movies. With Umbridge however, we get to see first hand how crazy she is.

by Responsible-Bid 1 week ago

Has it ever been a choice between the two? I'm a teacher and hate the Umbridges of education. They've always been there. And we've always been fighting them. Every time I run into one, I'm like dumbledores army! But to myself because I'm taking the system down from the inside

by Firm-Meal 1 week ago

It's only reasonable to hate Umbridge more because without the Umbridges of the real world Voldemorts would never succeed. Umbridge is the composite image of a person that always takes advantage of any little power they get for their personal gains and advantages. Voldemort is a dictator and a tyrant but Umbridge is one the many corrupt politicians on whose shoulders that very dictatorship is resting. Voldemort is Stalin but Umbridge is your quiet neighbor that one day rats you out to the KGB for having illegal books in your house. Umbridges are the hands of The Big Evil. Big Evil can't reach everyone without the help of Umbridges and that's why this character is so hated.

by gradymable 1 week ago

I wouldn't call it a first-world problem. She's an actively and intensely dishonorable person. All throughout history and across cultures dishonorable people have been more hated than evil people. You hate someone who blatantly does evil, but you hate someone more who pretends to do good while being manipulative and petty.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

No, it's more of a reflection of how people weigh a personal slight against them in their minds a lot more than any grandiose acts of evil. Voldemort is a mostly obscured presence who's only in a scene when it's a big deal, he's just evil and that's serviceable for what he's trying to be. Umbridge has a lot more time to personally slight the main characters as opposed to killing a lot of people we don't know and thus the reader hates her more

by Unhappy_Bit 1 week ago

I'm not sure you know what a first world problem is.

by Ohauck 1 week ago

Voldemort was hardly glorified for their actions, everyone acknowledges that he's evil, even to go so far as to not state his name. Umbridge is treated with respect, given power, and the people she commands are told that she's good and they are wrong. There's a clear reason the reader has a strong distaste for her over Voldemort.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

Well, voldemort had a plan behind his evil. Even if it was wrong he had a reasoning. Umbridge was just a karen

by Watersjune 1 week ago

Voldemort isn't trying to convince people he's not evil. He has the courtesy of being out-and-out evil. Umbridge pretends to be good, and tries to redefine what good and evil are. It's one thing to attack a school full of children. It's another thing to attack a school full of children AND the underlying belief system that allows people to defend those children.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

Umbridge is far worse than you think. She's the government employee of a fascist regime. I had a teacher like her and surprise surprise, she supported Franco. Dictatorships and genocide can be done because all the willing, enthusiastic anonymous bastards. That's as bad as being the big bad guy.

by Independent_Yam_1458 1 week ago

It's an Umbridge problem 😂

by No-Two 1 week ago

Because it's fiction and we don't apply rules of morality to something from which we only demand entertainment. Being entertaining makes for a more successful character than a virtuous one, in other words, lesser of two evils.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

Also a bit of Paterson's Law. People have a harder time understanding the whole character of Voldemort. In case of Umbridge almost everybody can point their finger easily on stuff they highly dislike. Easier to talk about.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

Going to elaborate on what you mean by that?

by Anonymous 1 week ago

More people know a real life Umbridge than a real life Voldemort.

by Financial_Advance745 1 week ago

Umbridge doesn't become pure evil till her brief appearance in Deathly Hallows.

by jarrettberge 1 week ago

At least voldemort had a goal. Umbrage was just a cunt.

by nschmidt 1 week ago

Nothing wrong with despising your daily oppressor compared to someone you only hear about as being a problem. Sounds like a regular bully scenario to me.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

You do understand that this is a children's fiction. Get over yourselves and grow up. The machinations of these characters is no reflection of anything meaningful in real life.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

Bruh

by bartschinner 1 week ago

Someone clearly never read the books.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

Because she's a woman

by Aggravating_Art_8666 1 week ago

No.

by Anonymous 1 week ago