FUR: Tabloid shows, Confurence, and lay off of Darrell already
Dr. Samuel Conway
I have seen a lot of rumors flying, most of them villifying Darrell
Exline. I won't have that. Darrell and I have had our differences,
but he is a man who lost many thousands of dollars of his own money in
a desperate effort to keep life in his convention. The reason he did
that was to continue to provide people with the opportunity to get
together and have fun. It was something he believed in, something
important enough to risk his own financial stability to promote.
Whether or not you agree with his methods, at least respect the effort
he put forth. Take that from one who knows just how much that takes
out of a person. He did this for you. Does that mean nothing?
People have said that Darrell was paid for this, and took the money as
a "sell out" of the fandom. That is hogwash. The *hotel* received
$4000 from the filmmakers for the right to film there. Not a penny of
that was applied to any of ConFurence's debt. Take it from me --
hotels do not work that way.
People have said that Darrell did this deliberately as a means of
destroying the fandom. That is also hogwash. Why would a man who
gave so much want to do such a thing? The truth is that he took a
calculated risk. The people who contacted him made a lot of
high-minded promises and made it sound as though it would be something
wonderful. Darrell no doubt believed that he would have control of
the situation. What he did not consider was that these people have a
wealth of experience in this business. Getting out of control is what
they do, and they do it well.
Darrell felt he would be doing something positive for the fandom. He
misjudged the sleaziness and deceiptfulness of the filmmakers, as well
as the amount of control he would have over the situation. I know. I
get a lot of emails from these people myself, and believe me, they can
sound VERY pursuasive. They plead, they promise, they cross their
hearts and hope to die, they tell you how much they respect you. It
is very easy to fall into their trap. It could have happened to any
of us.
With this example, though, it is less likely to. Anthrocon has never
allowed tabloid TV shows in, and while I'm still breathing, it never
will. I recently received a request from TechTV to do a show on
Anthrocon. It sounded perfectly harmless, but then, they always do.
Their description of the show as highlighting the "funny, sexy, scary"
side of the internet was all I needed to hear. The answer they
received was the same that they all receive: "Anthrocon is a private
event held on private property. Its membership is not interested in
being the subject of your documentary. Thank you for your query."
That is all you need to say. To these people, the less said is the
better.
Anthrocon's policy on media coverage remains the same. We retain the
rights to all video and audio recordings made at our convention. They
can be used privately, but cannot be broadcast without our express
written permission. You agree to that when you get in, or you don't
get in.
In conclusion:
Lay off of Darrell. Did he screw up? Perhaps. Sucks to be human
sometimes. Was it intentional? Of course not. Did he profit from
it? Hell, no. Does he feel badly about it? Hell, yes. How do I
know all of this? It's my job.
Will these two shows destroy our fandom? No way. We've had worse,
and we've come right back each time. We'll continue to do so. It's
as I've always said: they're just growing pains. Furry fandom is in
its awkward adolesence right now, and we must roll with these punches
as we continue on our way to maturity.
See you all in July.
-- Uncle Kage
Wanderer
Hear, hear! I'm with you, Uncle Kage... let's let mistakes die with their
past, yes?:)
Yours wolfishly,
The fault-prone, thus fault-understanding,
Wanderer
wand...@ticnet.com
"Where am I going? I don't quite know.
What does it matter *where* people go?
Down to the woods where the bluebells grow!
Anywhere! Anywhere! *I* don't know!"
-- a. a. milne
Bob Saunders
Birnam wood to high alt.fan.furry.bleachers. hill shall come against
him.
>Hear, hear! I'm with you, Uncle Kage... let's let mistakes die with their
>past, yes?:)
No. He is simply trying to cover his back. You see, How it works it
that the ruleing classes (in this case the People who run Con's)
become nervous of any attempt of the proleteriat to rise up and do
something for themselves, Thus the rumbelings of discontent produced
by this will naturaly send shockwaves through the Current Ruleing
classes who wish to preserve their grip on power.
---
Who can find you clear springs of waters, but I can!
Who can tell you the age of the moon, but I can!
Who can call the fish from the depths of the sea, yes I can!
Who can change the shapes of the hills and the headlands, I can!
Paul R. Bennett
On the one thing, and on the other.
There is an old song as I remember.
"Let it be... Let it be... Let it be... Simple words of wisdom, let it
be."
And ponder news groups, and purposes, if you would please.
Paul
Wanderer
news:3eb03c75...@news.cis.dfn.de...
> "Wanderer" <wand...@ticnet.com> shall never vanquished be until great
> Birnam wood to high alt.fan.furry.bleachers. hill shall come against
> him.
>
> >Hear, hear! I'm with you, Uncle Kage... let's let mistakes die with
their
> >past, yes?:)
>
> No. He is simply trying to cover his back. You see, How it works it
> that the ruleing classes (in this case the People who run Con's)
> become nervous of any attempt of the proleteriat to rise up and do
> something for themselves, Thus the rumbelings of discontent produced
> by this will naturaly send shockwaves through the Current Ruleing
> classes who wish to preserve their grip on power.
>
Wanderer blinks, looking as though he's just bitten a lemon. "Good grief...
since when is Karl Marx a furry?"
Yours wolfishly,
The plain-spoken,
Peter da Silva
Wanderer <wand...@ticnet.com> wrote:
>Wanderer blinks, looking as though he's just bitten a lemon. "Good grief...
>since when is Karl Marx a furry?"
An owl, I would think.
--
Rev. Peter da Silva, ULC. 29.6852N 95.5770W WWFD?
"Be conservative in what you generate, and liberal in what you accept"
-- Matthew 10:16 (l.trans)