I followed the links, and was re-enraged at so many people's infinite entitlement issues.
It's like people don't know they've got "BACK" buttons on their browsers. No, simply not reading a fic you don't like isn't good enough for those addicted to their own self-righteousness. It's not good enough until they can form a Holier-Than-All mob, and bully fanwriters whose work they dislike.
They holler about the evil sense of entitlement that writers have, in believing they have the right to write whatever they damned well please. You know what? Writers are entitled to write about whatever they damned well please. You know what nobody's entitled to? Nobody's entitled to tell writers what they may or may not write about. If you think you (Generic you, not you as an individual) get to do that, you have entitlement issues.
You can see that this particular bit of fannish wank pushes my buttons very hard.
I find myself confused by your comment, here. Everyone's entitled to say whatever they want (short of libel) about a story that is posted on the intarwebs. At least, that's what *I* think...
I'm perfectly entitled, and so are you, to tell a writer that we don't think they should have written a particular thing. ("Hey, Mr. Dixon, sir, I think you shouldn't have written The Leopard's Spots or The Clansman. In fact, I think you should go to hell for having done so; too bad I don't believe in hell.")
Bullying is wrong. Of course it is, it's wrong to be unkind and disrespectful. It's not wrong, though, and neither is it disrespectful, to tell someone else (even a writer) that they've made a mistake that reveals some insensitivity and malperception (for lack of a real word) that has harmed others and may continue to harm them.
The point is that the critics didn't just "dislike" the story(ies) involved; they felt that there was a principle involved and, based on what I remember about that story and artwork, there actually was a
( ... )
[1] The right of individuals to give bad reviews doesn't extend to forming censorious mobs. There's no law being broken, of course, by said screaming throngs of self-righteous bullies, but they're scumbags. Double- Triple- or Quadruple- scumbags if they joined the mob without actually having read the story in question.
Because all the remedy anybody needs is to just click BACK, and the story they are so offended by is gone.
[2] And, no, I don't think you're entitled to tell any writer they shouldn't have written -- or, more to the point, that they may never write -- anything, no matter how offensive. That there should be a Hell for him to burn in for it? No problem. But no, we're not entitled to live in a world where nothing is written that is ignorant crap, anathema to any thinking person. Because those people would say the same of that which we most believe in
( ... )
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It's like people don't know they've got "BACK" buttons on their browsers. No, simply not reading a fic you don't like isn't good enough for those addicted to their own self-righteousness. It's not good enough until they can form a Holier-Than-All mob, and bully fanwriters whose work they dislike.
They holler about the evil sense of entitlement that writers have, in believing they have the right to write whatever they damned well please. You know what? Writers are entitled to write about whatever they damned well please. You know what nobody's entitled to? Nobody's entitled to tell writers what they may or may not write about. If you think you (Generic you, not you as an individual) get to do that, you have entitlement issues.
You can see that this particular bit of fannish wank pushes my buttons very hard.
Reply
I'm perfectly entitled, and so are you, to tell a writer that we don't think they should have written a particular thing. ("Hey, Mr. Dixon, sir, I think you shouldn't have written The Leopard's Spots or The Clansman. In fact, I think you should go to hell for having done so; too bad I don't believe in hell.")
Bullying is wrong. Of course it is, it's wrong to be unkind and disrespectful. It's not wrong, though, and neither is it disrespectful, to tell someone else (even a writer) that they've made a mistake that reveals some insensitivity and malperception (for lack of a real word) that has harmed others and may continue to harm them.
The point is that the critics didn't just "dislike" the story(ies) involved; they felt that there was a principle involved and, based on what I remember about that story and artwork, there actually was a ( ... )
Reply
[1] The right of individuals to give bad reviews doesn't extend to forming censorious mobs. There's no law being broken, of course, by said screaming throngs of self-righteous bullies, but they're scumbags. Double- Triple- or Quadruple- scumbags if they joined the mob without actually having read the story in question.
Because all the remedy anybody needs is to just click BACK, and the story they are so offended by is gone.
[2] And, no, I don't think you're entitled to tell any writer they shouldn't have written -- or, more to the point, that they may never write -- anything, no matter how offensive. That there should be a Hell for him to burn in for it? No problem. But no, we're not entitled to live in a world where nothing is written that is ignorant crap, anathema to any thinking person. Because those people would say the same of that which we most believe in ( ... )
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