Okay, is anyone else disgusted by the wave of hate directed against Katie Leung who will play Cho Chang in Goblet of Fire?

I was browsing through my phone because I was bored (as you do ;) and I came across this article from The Age. I then searched around and found this piece from HPANA and this one from the Daily Record

Basically the articles say that HP fans already hate Katie (even though she's an unknown actress and we haven't even seen her in GOF) because they are jealous of the role she plays and they don't like the way she looks. Not only have hate websites sprung up but fake websites that apparently consist of her thoughts and opinions but also include photographs that are supposed to be Katie (though they obviously aren't) in revealing poses. And there are hundreds of messages left by people detailing the ways they hate Katie (even though they don't know her) and criticising her looks and asian background.

Is anyone else really, really disturbed by this? It almost makes you ashamed to be a fan of HP if it means being linked to these kind of people. Firstly, I don't think it is possible to hate someone who haven't met, unless of course you are childish and pathetic, you may not have good feelings about someone but hate is far too strong a word. Also, hating someone because you don't like the way they look is bigoted, racist and stupid considering we supposedly live in a tolerant world (I use supposedly loosely). And secondly, does anyone else see the pure idiocy of hating an actress because she is playing a character that we are even yet to see? Yes, she is playing Cho Chang. You may not like the character but in case you haven't heard, Katie is not Cho. Katie is an actress, she is here to do a job. Yes, Katie will be kissing Daniel Radcliffe. I understand as a fan of Dan you may not like that. However, it's in the plot. If you don't like it, go complain to JKR. Neither Katie nor Dan wrote the story so do not blame them for it. Even if you had your way and Katie is gotten rid of that does not mean you would be kissing Dan instead. Another actress would be hired and then you would go on to hate her and the viscious cycle continues.

There is also an official hate listing for Katie which I refuse to link to but listed there are the reasons why the creator hates Katie. They are:

- she doesn't match at all what Cho Chang should look like, in my opinion.

- she's going to be playing a role that most would kill for.

- she doesn't look very friendly, but of course, she could be very nice and we'll never know for sure.

- she gets the chance to meet some people that most of us would just die to meet, and she gets the oppurtunity of a lifetime. who wouldn't be jealous of that?

In rebuttal:

- Again, JKR wrote the story not you. So you have no idea how Cho is supposed to look.

- so what? I'm sure many people would kill to have played the role of Frodo or Luke Skywalker. Don't hate the person who ends up getting that role because the movie making people decided that is what they wanted.

- doesn't look friendly? No, I don't imagine she would considering she has legions of people who hate her and any photos that you have seen of her were probably taken when she was feeling harassed as the media was camped outside her house. However, I am glad you have enough intelligence to admit Katie could be nice. I'll give you a point for that, however I am just going to take it away again because that fact obviously doesn't matter to you.

- yes, good for her. I would be jealous of her myself. That doesn't mean I open A FUCKING HATE WEBSITE!

It's these type of people that really get to me. You don't even know the poor girl yet you're already condemning her. Dan himself was quoted as describing her as "awesome" and "very pretty and cool". Sounds to me like she may actually be a good person. Surprising, I know, but there you go.

Any comments/discussions would be welcome because this type of things really angers me.