Beasley / Ruby Wax (was: press to videotape furry con?)
Darrel L. Exline
!!!WARNING!!!
DO NOT WORK WITH VINCENT BEASLEY
!!!WARNING!!!
Vincent Beasley's attempt to interview both lifestylers and burned furs, while
pretending to be on BOTH their sides is exactly how Jerry Springer develops his
trash. Since he is not going to be allowed to attend Further Confusion, rumor
has it that he is now attempting to set up in a hotel room or studio nearby and
invite people over for interviews. If you participate with him, you can be rest
assured that he will "set up" the most conversely opposed individuals to attend
at the same time. If he could goad them into a fight, he probably will.
Stu Dent wrote:
>
> Yesterday, Vincent Beasley of the British Broadcasting Corporation
> apparently participated in a chat on IRC channel #BF (irc.eu.yiff.net)
> in which he discussed his intention to videotape furries in the near
> future. At a convention?
It didn't happen. I was there to watch it with about a dozen other furs, but it
didn't happen. (details below)
> IRC Channel #BF = Burned Fur?
I suspect that the "#BF" channel was selected as a way to intice people who
*thought* it was the burned fur channel, while getting around "SmokedBot" on
#burnedfur that is designed to moderate public discussions.
The yiffnet admins did not want to be associated in any way with Vincent
Beasley's upcoming production of a show negatively impacting on furry fandom,
and Fionacat did not get permission from yiffnet admins to hold a public event.
This means that most of the time yesterday was spent arguing why they werent
allowing it and if they had the right to disallow it.
> Please share any relevant info about Mr Beasley's upcoming documentary
> for the BBC. Post a followup here. Thanks.
Vincent Beasley is producing a show called "Ruby Wax's American Pie" which is
*NOT* a documentary, and can't even be called tabloid television... it's
apparently an even lower form of life in the guise of a documentary, hosted by
Commedienne "Ruby Wax".
Ruby Wax grew up in Chicago and later moved to England. There, she developed
her comedy routine and persona as "That pushy, obnoxious, overweight American."
She has written many episodes of "Absolutely Fabulous" (AbFab) which is also
produced by Vincent Beasley, and has appeared on specials and other shows with
French and Saunders (the co-stars of AbFab) as well as having her own comedy
variety show "The Ruby Wax Show" which is akin to "In Living Color" but always
putting down americans and their lifestyles.
The various story synopses of the upcoming "Ruby Wax's American Pie" read like
the WORST of tabloid reporting... in one of the episodes, She visits evangelists
in the south while highlighting their sexual exploits (and shortcomings).
Baloo Ursidae
> The yiffnet admins did not want to be associated in any way with Vincent
> Beasley's upcoming production of a show negatively impacting on furry fandom,
> and Fionacat did not get permission from yiffnet admins to hold a public event.
> This means that most of the time yesterday was spent arguing why they werent
> allowing it and if they had the right to disallow it.
I've said it once, I'll say it again: They have the right to do whatever
they want to their own system. People think they have rights on the net.
Nope! You connect to someone else's system, you play by thier rules, or
you don't connect there...
>> Please share any relevant info about Mr Beasley's upcoming documentary
>> for the BBC. Post a followup here. Thanks.
> variety show "The Ruby Wax Show" which is akin to "In Living Color" but always
> putting down americans and their lifestyles.
Hate to say this, but if you can name any other first world country that
*doesn't* make fun of Americans, than you're a better man than I. Lets
face it: Americans are easy to make fun of. We try to be the
police-officers of the world, yet to do so, we cut funding to education...
We have national issues like crypto exports that need to be discussed, but
instead we got Kenneth Star discussing the nature of the oral sex the
President recieved trying to impeach him... You get the idea.
> The various story synopses of the upcoming "Ruby Wax's American Pie"
> read like > the WORST of tabloid reporting... in one of the episodes,
> visits evangelists > in the south while highlighting their sexual
> exploits
> (and shortcomings).
Uhhh...hmm...OK...
--
Baloo
Glen Wooten
> DO NOT WORK WITH VINCENT BEASLEY
> !!!WARNING!!!
>
> which is *NOT* a documentary, and can't even be called tabloid
> television... it's apparently an even lower form of life in the guise of
> a documentary, hosted by Commedienne "Ruby Wax".
>
> Ruby Wax grew up in Chicago and later moved to England. There, she
> developed her comedy routine and persona as "That pushy, obnoxious,
> overweight American." She has written many episodes of "Absolutely
> Fabulous" (AbFab) which is also produced by Vincent Beasley, and has
> appeared on specials and other shows with French and Saunders (the
> Ruby Wax Show" which is akin to "In Living Color" but always putting
> down americans and their lifestyles.
As I recall, "Ruby Wax" tried a talk show in syndication here in the
States a couple years back - it wasn't her show from the UK, it was made
here. It went for maybe a week or two - then it was yanked from
syndication. Ratings were terrible...
> The various story synopses of the upcoming "Ruby Wax's American Pie"
> read like the WORST of tabloid reporting... in one of the episodes, She
> visits evangelists in the south while highlighting their sexual exploits
> (and shortcomings).
Advice for ANY convention or fandom: NEVER seek out the press, and be
exceedingly careful about any press that contacts you. They aren't
interested in you, they're interested in ratings. And the bizarro makes
for better ratings than good, clean, wholesome people with an interesting
twist.
Millions of years ago, I was press liaison at a DeepSouthCon (back when
you could invite our guest of honour, Stephen King, to a convention and
he'd show up for a room and plane fare) for the local PM Magazine
affliiate (that dates it right there, also...) I presonally knew the
local "host" of PM Magazine, so I escorted him (and film crew) throughout
the convention. I was very careful about what he filmed (foolishly
thinking that since I knew him, he wouldn't make a "geek piece".) I saw
the rough cut of his piece a few weeks later - a little over-the-top, but
not bad.
What actually aired was a total "let's look at the freaks" segment -
using all the pieces that he filmed with me escorting him, but re-edited,
and with an... interesting... narration.
The moral of this story: NEVER trust the press to do a fair piece on
anything fannish - unless you control it totally.
--
Glen Wooten
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
| primary: jag...@netcom.com | secondary: glen....@fanciful.org |
_______________________________________________________________________
| Terrie's web page: http://members.aol.com/amperprodx/littlepaw.html |
_______________________________________________________________________
Darrel L. Exline
> > Beasley's upcoming production of a show negatively impacting on furry fandom,
> > and Fionacat did not get permission from yiffnet admins to hold a public event.
> > This means that most of the time yesterday was spent arguing why they werent
> > allowing it and if they had the right to disallow it.
>
> I've said it once, I'll say it again: They have the right to do whatever
> they want to their own system. People think they have rights on the net.
> Nope! You connect to someone else's system, you play by thier rules, or
> you don't connect there...
I didn't state my position in the above post, I only stated my view of what
transpired. In my opinion, I agree that Yiffnet has the *right* to restrict
anyone at anytime from their private network.... but picking up your ball and
taking it away is not always looked on well by others.
If I were in the same position, I would have done exactly the same thing, but I
would have emphasized the reason for doing so was to protect Yiffnet from being
named in any upcoming episode of Ruby's American Pie, instead of just barging in
and saying "You're shut down. Why? Because we can."
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
| Darrel L. Exline "Your friendly neighborhood Polar Bear" |
| Director, "The ConFurence Group" -+- Co-Chair, "ConFurence" |
| 619-223-9482 http://confurence.net dar...@home.com |
|!! ConFurence 11: April 6 to April 9, 2000, Irvine Hilton !!|
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
"ConFurence" is a registered service mark of The ConFurence Group.
Timberwoof
<jag...@netcom.com> wrote:
> The moral of this story: NEVER trust the press to do a fair piece on
> anything fannish - unless you control it totally.
Unfortunately, no journalist will ever do any kind o interview with that
sort of condition.
At Tennecon '79, a writer's conference, Theodore Sturgeon was
interviewed by someone from the local TV press. The reporter turned out
to be an honest-to-godness science fiction fan who had read many of
ted's books. The pre-interview went very well. Then they turned on the
lights and cameras, and the first words out of the reporter's mouth
were, "So what do you think about UFOs?"
What it boils down to is "NEVER trust the press to do a fair piece on
anything fannish"
On the other hand.... There are a few web news outlets that actually
seem to know what they're doing. The Onion did an absolutely hilarious
piece on the Society for Creative Anachronism taking over Russian
Republic. In between the lines of an obviously completely humorous
story, they filled in factual details about the SCA and what it really
does.
But you still have to be careful. I recently read a piece in the Onion
about John Travolta being taken to the hospital with a dangerously low
e-meter reading, indicating a state of serious enturbulation. They did
the whole medical "report" by quite accurately using the
pseudoscientific jargon of the $cientologists. Anyone reading this would
realize the Onion was doing some serious leg-pulling, and I bet someone
at $cn was "enturbulated" after reading the piece. It was still funny...
--
Timberwoof; mroeder<at>best<dot>com; http://www.best.com/~mroeder
Ice Hockey QA Engineer (Goalie), 1998 BMW R1100GS rider, and
not your ordinary noncomformist. "You may have the right to say that,
but I will defend to the death my right to disagree."
Stu Dent
Darrel L. Exline (Dar...@home.com) wrote:
> !!!WARNING!!!
> DO NOT WORK WITH VINCENT BEASLEY
[chomp]
> Ruby Wax [...] has written many episodes of "Absolutely Fabulous"
My shapely live-in shrink loves that show.
> which is also produced by Vincent Beasley
Sorry, Exline, but I'd kill to work with Vincent Beasley. Alas, I
know next to nothing about furries.
--
bookmark <http://www.well.com/user/silly/rabbitom.html> new stuff soon
Random
<si...@well.com> wrote:
> Alas, I know next to nothing about furries.
You've no idea how lucky you are. Knowing about furries will ruin a lot
of stuff for you.
--Random
Richard Chandler - WA Resident
writes:
> Baloo Ursidae wrote:
> >
> > Darrel L. Exline <Dar...@home.com> wrote:
> > > The yiffnet admins did not want to be associated in any way
> > > with Vincent Beasley's upcoming production of a show
> > > negatively impacting on furry fandom, and Fionacat did not
> > > get permission from yiffnet admins to hold a public event.
> > > This means that most of the time yesterday was spent arguing why
> > > they werent allowing it and if they had the right to disallow it.
> >
> > I've said it once, I'll say it again: They have the right to
> > do whatever they want to their own system. People think they
> > have rights on the net. Nope! You connect to someone else's system,
> > you play by thier rules, or you don't connect there...
>
> I didn't state my position in the above post, I only stated my view
> of what transpired. In my opinion, I agree that Yiffnet has the *
> right* to restrict anyone at anytime from their private network....
> but picking up your ball and taking it away is not always looked on
> well by others.
>
> If I were in the same position, I would have done exactly the same
> thing, but I would have emphasized the reason for doing so was to
> protect Yiffnet from being named in any upcoming episode of
> Ruby's American Pie, instead of just barging in and saying "You're
> shut down. Why? Because we can."
Important Yiffnet Policy notes follow:
An AUP might be a good idea, but we have no intention of writing one.
It's our network, we can do what we want. You are always welcome to leave.
If we don't like things the way they are, we can always shut the network down.
If you don't like it, start your own network.
This is not a democracy.
We are gods.
Why don't you just leave then?
If you don't leave, then we take that as acceptance of our [undocumented]
policies, and we'll log your presence here as proof of that.
So-and-so said something we don't like, so we're going to take it out on you.
Oh, and it's YOUR fault too. You're to blame for our arbitrary actions, not
us.
---
Also, before holding "public events" you are expected to be able to read the
admin's minds as to whether or not this particular event requires permission
from the admins to be held. You have to know an unspecified period in advance
whether any one of the admins might object to your event, even if similar
events have been held on the network before.
I can't believe the number of times the depth of the admin's consideration of
the points presented to them was "Well why don't you just leave then?"
Followed by petulant assertions that because it's a private system, they can
do whatever they want, even if their service happens to be publically assible
to anyone with an IRC client.
I mean, I've seen people complain about the admins on FurryMuck, but they are
a Platonic Ideal of Fairness and Democracy compaired to the childish cretins
at the reins of Yiffnet.
--
The greatest tragedy is that the same species that achieved space flight,
a cure for polio, and the transistor, is also featured nightly on COPS.
-- Richard Chandler
Spammer Warning: Washington State Law now provides civil penalties for UCE.
DishRoom1
>Darrel L. Exline <Dar...@home.com> wrote:
>> The yiffnet admins did not want to be associated in any way with Vincent
>> Beasley's upcoming production of a show negatively impacting on furry
>fandom,
>> and Fionacat did not get permission from yiffnet admins to hold a public
>event.
>> This means that most of the time yesterday was spent arguing why they
>werent
>> allowing it and if they had the right to disallow it.
>> variety show "The Ruby Wax Show" which is akin to "In Living Color" but
>always
>> putting down americans and their lifestyles.
>Hate to say this, but if you can name any other first world country that
>*doesn't* make fun of Americans, than you're a better man than I.
>Lets
>face it: Americans are easy to make fun of. We try to be the
>police-officers of the world, yet to do so, we cut funding to education...
>We have national issues like crypto exports that need to be discussed, but
>instead we got Kenneth Star discussing the nature of the oral sex the
>President recieved trying to impeach him... You get the idea.
I had no problems with Kenneth Starr. He just doing his job. IMHO I'm more
disappionted with Clinton. But that is not the point right now.
About the Ruby Wax thing, I think it's a good thing that we furs try to pick
out who would want to do a report on our fantasy subculture carefully. Also we
should talk with them and act in a way so they can't point a finger at us and
say: "Wow lookit those weirdos". We do try to be dignified as possible.
I am apolitical and have nothing againist the furry lifestylers, or those who
feel they're animals trapped in humans. They have the right to thier beliefs as
the rest of us do. If the media wants to sniff us out what we altogether need
to do is to inspire them focus a lot on the entertainment and literary side to
furridom such as comics and text stories. Just some two cents I've come up.
Jetstone Tigre Dish...@aol.com
I'm a happy fur, not a Burned Fur
Stu Dent
> Vincent Beasley's attempt to interview both lifestylers and burned
> furs, while pretending to be on BOTH their sides is exactly how
> Jerry Springer develops his trash.
This is merely your interpretation of his actions. I'm unconvinced.
Beasley's impressive bio suggests that he deserves the benefit of the
doubt.
> Since he is not going to be allowed to attend Further Confusion,
> rumor has it that he is now attempting to set up in a hotel room or
> studio nearby and invite people over for interviews.
Who is citing rumors now?
> If you participate with him, you can be rest assured that he will
> "set up" the most conversely opposed individuals to attend at the
> same time. If he could goad them into a fight, he probably will.
Speculation.
> The yiffnet admins did not want to be associated in any way with
> Vincent Beasley's upcoming production of a show negatively impacting
> on furry fandom, and Fionacat did not get permission from yiffnet
> admins to hold a public event. This means that most of the time
> yesterday was spent arguing why they werent allowing it and if they
> had the right to disallow it.
IMHO yiffnet erred when it canceled the IRC chat. Be nice to Beasley
and Ruby Wax. If they do a hatchet job anyway, you won't be to blame.
Baloo Ursidae
> anyone at anytime from their private network.... but picking up your ball and
> taking it away is not always looked on well by others.
Im not arguing the ethics or netiquette of it, Im arguing the legality of
it.
--
Baloo
sola...@don'tmesswithtexas.net
>the rest of us do. If the media wants to sniff us out what we altogether need
>to do is to inspire them focus a lot on the entertainment and literary side to
>furridom such as comics and text stories. Just some two cents I've come up.
Unfortunately, in this tabloid-TV age, the media is "inspired" by one
thing, and one thing only - how many eyeballs they can keep in front of the
TV set (or turning the pages of their magazines) long enough to expose them
to their sponsors' advertisements. Archaic notions like Truth, Journalism,
and Balanced Reporting went out the window along with the Underwood
typewriters, and they will NOT "focus on the entertainment and literary
side" because, in the end, that won't attract even a hundredth of the
attention (and ratings) they'll get from a "lookit the freaks" piece.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Fool! You have just signed the universe's death warrant!"
"I did? Uh... gee, I don't know if I'm authorized to sign that..."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
solarfox@DON'TMESSWITHtexas.net (Gary Akins jr.)
http://lonestar.texas.net/~solarfox
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mel. White
Underwood typewriter (and vice-versa). Remember that the phrase
"yellow journalism" was coined during the typewriter era (as were
several other unflattering phrases.) I don't think that any particular
era can truly shine as a monument to truth and research in reporting.
That said, there's some pretty good stuff out there. If Desmond Morris
(of "The Naked Ape" fame) came in to do a story on various fandoms, I
believe he would do a fairer job than most others who say they want to
"study" the fandom. There are other shows and magazines (Comic Buyers
Guide) that could also do a fairly balanced look.
But sensationalism (even more than sex) sells. And, let's face it, to
the sensation addicts, a story about a bunch of quiet geeks who log
onto computer services and chat and give each other hardware and
software support doesn't have as enticing a story line as "a fandom
bitterly divided against itself with the Uprightly Morally Overbearing
in one corner and the Knuckle Dragging Spooge Monkeys the other one" --
and not a word or a nod to the majority of us who are at various places
between those two extremes.
========= Mel. White's Token Sigfile =============
New RPG module for playtesting (free)
at the Sam Siam Gaming Guides
http://go.to/samsiam
* Sent from RemarQ http://www.remarq.com The Internet's Discussion Network *
The fastest and easiest way to search and participate in Usenet - Free!
kodak
<m...@netcom.com> wrote:
> But sensationalism (even more than sex) sells. And, let's face it, to
> the sensation addicts, a story about a bunch of quiet geeks who log
> onto computer services and chat and give each other hardware and
> software support doesn't have as enticing a story line as "a fandom
> bitterly divided against itself with the Uprightly Morally Overbearing
> in one corner and the Knuckle Dragging Spooge Monkeys the other one" --
> and not a word or a nod to the majority of us who are at various places
> between those two extremes.
Spoken like a true FurryMUCK wiz, Mel. White. ;)
Random
wouldn't cast furry lifestylers in a positive light. That kinda thing
would've been bad. Perhaps now a proper investigative jounalist will
tackle it. 60 minutes can expose SPASTIC perhaps. Let's see the evil
doings at a furry con in a proper objective light instead of the
dreadfully slanted crap which was to be done by the BBC this time. The
truth shall set us free!
--Random
Timothy D Fay
: In message <385D2465...@home.com>,
: Darrel L. Exline (Dar...@home.com) wrote:
: > Ruby Wax [...] has written many episodes of "Absolutely Fabulous"
: > which is also produced by Vincent Beasley
: Sorry, Exline, but I'd kill to work with Vincent Beasley. Alas, I
: know next to nothing about furries.
"AbFab" was one of the best comedy series ever produced. I don't see
how anyone could hold that *against* them.
-Tim
--
-- http://www.umn.edu/~fayxx001 --
"My mental facilities are TWICE what yours are -- you pea brain!"
-Percival McLeach
++++ Stop the execution of Mumia Abu-Jamal! ++++
++++ if you agree copy these 3 sentences in your own sig ++++
++++ more info: http://www.xs4all.nl/~tank/spg-l/sigaction.htm ++++
Timothy D Fay
: The moral of this story: NEVER trust the press to do a fair piece on
: anything fannish - unless you control it totally.
As I have said many, many times, my experience with the KARE-11 crew at
CF8 was very positive, and they produced what nearly everyone agrees was
the best report on so-called Furry Fandom so far (along with the Sci-Fi
Buzz report of a few years earlier). I guess it depends on how professional
both the press and the fans are in their dealings with each other.
-Tim
--
-- http://www.umn.edu/~fayxx001 --
(Featuring Timmy Ramone's XMas Party on ShoutCast!)
Kai Robinson
news:83onnd$qm2$1...@news1.tc.umn.edu...
>
> "AbFab" was one of the best comedy series ever produced. I don't see
> how anyone could hold that *against* them.
Well, I love the show too...but I wouldn't want to be a star in it, ya know?
Just a thought.
Allen Kitchen
kodak wrote:
>
> Spoken like a true FurryMUCK wiz, Mel. White. ;)
The day you've put in the hours Mel. has, put up with the amount of bitter
excrement, the hassles, thankless labor, created several comic books and
ran a fanzine all while taking care of RL and a Real Family... when that
day comes then you too will garner some shred of the respect that Mel. White
has earned over more than a decade.
You've a long road ahead of you, it appears.
Allen Kitchen (Shockwave)
http://www.blkbox.com/~osprey/
Darrel L. Exline
>
> Stu Dent (si...@well.com) wrote:
> : In message <385D2465...@home.com>,
> : Darrel L. Exline (Dar...@home.com) wrote:
>
> : > Ruby Wax [...] has written many episodes of "Absolutely Fabulous"
> : > which is also produced by Vincent Beasley
>
> : Sorry, Exline, but I'd kill to work with Vincent Beasley. Alas, I
> : know next to nothing about furries.
>
> how anyone could hold that *against* them.
I agree, AbFab is an *excellent* comedy wich I also enjoy, but I used the
reference to point out that Mr. Beasley is not a news producer, he is a comedy
producer. Any show about this fandom would inevitably put us in the worst light
for shock value.
--
Baloo Ursidae
> As I have said many, many times, my experience with the KARE-11 crew at
> CF8 was very positive, and they produced what nearly everyone agrees was
> the best report on so-called Furry Fandom so far (along with the Sci-Fi
> Buzz report of a few years earlier). I guess it depends on how professional
> both the press and the fans are in their dealings with each other.
Im gonna have to say the best media report as of yet has been the NPR one.
I have that on CD someplace around here. And no, you all can't have
copies of the CD, I have a hard enough time with music copyright laws as
it is without copying my copy...
--
Baloo
Richard Chandler - WA Resident
> As I have said many, many times, my experience with the KARE-11 crew
> at CF8 was very positive, and they produced what nearly everyone
> agrees was the best report on so-called Furry Fandom so far (along
> with the Sci-Fi Buzz report of a few years earlier). I guess it
> depends on how professional both the press and the fans are in
> their dealings with each other.
Positive, until the reporter went outside to confide in the viewers that the
innocent side was merely a facade, and then focussed on the stranges things he
could show on the 5:00 news, and repeated the Security guard saying how wierd
we all were.
Yeah, I guess it WAS the most positive report on Furry Fandom on TV.
I just cringe seeing the Quicktime of the Eurotrash report, with Mark Merlino
proudly telling the camera that Furry was how he discovered his bisexuality.
Too Much Information thank you. Why tell that to a news crew? It was utterly
repellant.
Random
- WA Resident <mau...@kendra.com> wrote:
> It was utterly repellant.
That's a very good summation of the furry fandom. Any fair and accurate
depiction of the it will end with that statement. And by the way the
furries are playing CYA, I suspect they realize it, too.
--Random
Random
<8C766FCA3695B8A5.0B2B7A52...@lp.airnews.net>,
Allen Kitchen <all...@blkbox.com> wrote:
> The day you've put in the hours Mel. has, put up with the amount of bitter
> excrement, the hassles, thankless labor, created several comic books and
> ran a fanzine all while taking care of RL and a Real Family... when that
> day comes then you too will garner some shred of the respect that Mel. White
> has earned over more than a decade.
How long will it take kodak to loose it with petty and kneejerk
decisions as a wiz? Making up new rules to suit himself on the spot.
Passing out suspensions because he was offended. It didn't take Mel.
White to loose any and all respect she'd 'earned' when she behaved so
badly as a wiz.
--Random
Weaver
I sent wind of furries to. Some of those letters seem to have caught a
little attention. Like I responded in my letter to FM.. the could ban
me, but they couldn't stop me. :)
kodak
> kodak wrote:
>
> > Spoken like a true FurryMUCK wiz, Mel. White. ;)
>
> The day you've put in the hours Mel. has, put up with the amount of bitter
> excrement, the hassles, thankless labor, created several comic books and
> ran a fanzine all while taking care of RL and a Real Family... when that
> day comes then you too will garner some shred of the respect that Mel. White
> has earned over more than a decade.
Bow down and pay homage to the SMOF! ;)
Mel.White's been an FM wiz for 5 years, but she's been in SF fandom for
at least 20 (and her fannish art hasn't improved a bit). Does the sex
in Furry fandom appeal to her? She sure doesn't seem to mind her
association with the sleazy Furries or being wiz on the notorious TS
paradise known as FurryMUCK. Big fish, small pond.
Tell me, what is kissing the ass of a VR male centaur like? ;)
Kay Shapero
wrote;
RC-WR> Positive, until the reporter went outside to confide in the
RC-WR> viewers that the innocent side was merely a facade, and then RC-WR>
RC-WR> RC-WR> RC-WR> focussed on the stranges things he could show on the
5:00 RC-WR> RC-WR> news, RC-WR> RC-WR> RC-WR> RC-WR> and repeated the
Security RC-WR> RC-WR> guard saying how wierd RC-WR> RC-WR> we all were.
For whatever it's worth, this has always been the case for all the fandoms
I've been involved with; furrydom is not uniquely plagued by a long shot.
Usually the preplanned story is "look at the geeks", and the reporter merely
in search of pictures that can be made to look geeky, and victims to
interview who, caught up in the fun of it all can be easily induced to say
something innocuous that, with the context neatly clipped out, sounds
damning. It's not hard - look how often they catch presumably wary politians
that way, let alone some kid in a hall costume at their first convention.
They do it to Star Trek, they do it to regular SF conventions, they do it to
gamers (never mind orcs - if ya want a really scary wandering monster try a
roving reporter sometime... :->).. they do it wherever they can get away with
it.
Remember that episode of Babylon 5 where the reporters interviewed Sheridan,
Delenn & co, and, with a bit of artful arrangement made them all look like
powermad egomaniacs back home? That series was written by J. Michael
Straczynski. a fan of long standing, who knew what he was talking about...
She Who Vanishes When The Mikes Come Out