Sometimes I think fandom has a self-destruct switch.
The World Science Fiction Convention takes place in London this August. The committee have, seemingly, got their act together, and have been coping well, despite having their British SF guest of honour (Iain M Banks) die on them last year and the usual hotel registration difficulties. This weekend, many of the staffers have gathered at the site to be briefed and try and foresee any problems. (We have only recently been recruited to help with the newsletter, and could not have made this weekend in any case.)
Science Fiction's most well known awards, the Hugos, are presented at the Worldcon. The co-chairs chose this weekend to announce their choice as toastmaster for the ceremony -
Jonathan Ross.
Now, Ross volunteered and also volunteered to waive his fee. He has experience. He has written comic books. He is an expert of cult film. He is a fan.
It might have looked like a no-brainer to the co-chairs.
But it did not ought to have done. Apart from the fact that Ross is completely unknown outside the UK and certainly not known to American fans, science fiction, comic book and fantasy conventions have, for the past couple of years, become sensitive to the harassment (both verbal and physical) that takes place, and the lack of balance, both in gender and race, on the programmes. Conventions now have policies in place to deal with racism and sexism and bullying and harassment. And Ross has a specific reputation from his TV chat show days.
As you can imagine, the announcement of the toastmaster choice was not particularly well received. One committee member had already resigned over the issue (and her reasons are good and extremely well articulated, but not relevant to my point here.) The 'movers and shakers' of fandom are now at odds. People are demanding their money back. Others are defending Ross on the principle that 'he's a fan' but so are a lot of other people.
The co-chairs (who are great people) should have foreseen this. We are now going to have Loncon 3 dissected and condemned and supported right across the net. Pharyngula had a critical piece on it this morning, for pity's sake (which seeing as PZ is in Minnesota...) This is the very last thing the convention needs -- and it ought to have been both foreseen and avoided. I find it difficult to believe that experienced conrunners (and, believe me, the co-chairs have many years of experience between them) did not realise the storm that would engulf British fandom, in particular, over this.
It is all so damn unnecessary.
Oh, and I won't be attending the Hugo ceremony.
Science Fiction's most well known awards, the Hugos, are presented at the Worldcon. The co-chairs chose this weekend to announce their choice as toastmaster for the ceremony -
Jonathan Ross.
Now, Ross volunteered and also volunteered to waive his fee. He has experience. He has written comic books. He is an expert of cult film. He is a fan.
It might have looked like a no-brainer to the co-chairs.
But it did not ought to have done. Apart from the fact that Ross is completely unknown outside the UK and certainly not known to American fans, science fiction, comic book and fantasy conventions have, for the past couple of years, become sensitive to the harassment (both verbal and physical) that takes place, and the lack of balance, both in gender and race, on the programmes. Conventions now have policies in place to deal with racism and sexism and bullying and harassment. And Ross has a specific reputation from his TV chat show days.
As you can imagine, the announcement of the toastmaster choice was not particularly well received. One committee member had already resigned over the issue (and her reasons are good and extremely well articulated, but not relevant to my point here.) The 'movers and shakers' of fandom are now at odds. People are demanding their money back. Others are defending Ross on the principle that 'he's a fan' but so are a lot of other people.
The co-chairs (who are great people) should have foreseen this. We are now going to have Loncon 3 dissected and condemned and supported right across the net. Pharyngula had a critical piece on it this morning, for pity's sake (which seeing as PZ is in Minnesota...) This is the very last thing the convention needs -- and it ought to have been both foreseen and avoided. I find it difficult to believe that experienced conrunners (and, believe me, the co-chairs have many years of experience between them) did not realise the storm that would engulf British fandom, in particular, over this.
It is all so damn unnecessary.
Oh, and I won't be attending the Hugo ceremony.