Dobby’s laughing; Putin’s not

Big-eared and bug-eyed Dobby, the house elf depicted in the film “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,” bears an uncanny resemblance to Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to several stories in the Russian, Italian and German media.

One Web site even took a vote. More than 75% of the respondents agreed: Dobby and Putin look alike, according to a story on Radio Free Europe, which also reported that some people aren’t amused. Apparently, a group of Russian lawyers claim the creators of the film character intentionally based him on Putin and are preparing to take legal action against the producers.

One visitor to a Russian chat room, however, didn’t quite see the similarity, according to the story. “You guys need to drink less,” he wrote. “Or is it me who isn’t drinking enough?”

Louise Roug