Skrivit om detta tidigare, mennu har jag hört inspelningen och tycker jag borde
skriva mer. Då det utspelats utrikes blir det denna gång på engelska, och det
är postat på div utländks listor också. --AE
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The MAC/PC Quarrel
On the recent science fiction Worldcon, MidAmeriCon II (MAC), Political
Correctness (PC) became a hot topic. The editor of the Hugo nominated short
fiction site Tangent Online, Dave Truesdale, was banned from the convention
after moderating a panel on the state of short fiction, and stating his
opinions there. He was basically complaining that writers and editors run into
trouble due to too much PC.
It was claimed he "hijacked" the panel. Can a chairman of a panel really
hijack his own panel, one wonders. Isn't it his duty to throw something in to
get the debate going? Anyway, after the ban MAC tweeted this
(https://mobile.twitter.com/MidAmeriCon2/status/767066848034689024):
"Dave Truesdale's membership was revoked because he violated MidAmeriCon II's
Code of Conduct. Specifically, he caused "significance /sic!/ interference with
event operations and caused excessive discomfort to others'.
Significant interference with operations and excessive discomfort? Really?
After Mr Truesdale was thrown out of the convention an additional charge was
made, about him recording the panel discussion. But the con allows recording
for personal and archival purposes (
https://midamericon2.org/home/registration-hotel-member-information/for-our-members/policies/code-of-conduct/
) and general law also allows you to make recordings of events in which
yourself are a part. It's another matter whether you can publish recordings or
not.
Anyway, recording the panel was NOT the reason for banning Mr Truesdale.
Afterwards, Truesdale decided to publish his recording. In my opinion, this
is wholly defendable from a journalistic viewpoint, since the panel became the
focus of a heated debate. One can even argue it's the biggest Worldcon scandal
since 1939.
People have the right to know, and must have the possibility to make up their
own minds about what happened. As far as I can hear, no one is slandered, so
that's no problem. (And also, such a recording hardly carries any monetary
value. Nobody is going to make CDs of the panel and sell it for 10 bucks
apiece.)
I suggest you listen for yourself:
http://www.tangentonline.com/articles-columnsmenu-284/3227-2016-worldcon-panel-on-the-qstate-of-short-science-fictionq
Several inaccurate reports about the panel have surfaced. It's claimed Mr
Truesdale ranted for "10 minutes". After everyone's introduction (ca 1:30m in)
his opening statement takes ca 4:40 minutes (until ca 6:10m). The panelist
speaking after Truesdale takes up just about equal time. Nobody starts shouting
or throws bottles. There are occasional emotional comments from the audience.
Moderator Truesdale gives the word to any panelist who wants to say something.
The discussion is interesting, well-moderated and as polite as any panel. The
panelists disagree on things, but that's why we have such debates.
Did the panel go astray from the subject? I wouldn't say so. Subjects outside
the opening statement are also covered. Most sf-con panels I've heard go astray
at one point or another, but this stayed on talking about the state of short
fiction. It is of interest if writers - incl of short fiction - feel they are
sidestepped or attacked if they don't share or write within the "right"
opinions. Such a status should be a topic in ANY discussion about fiction. And
there have been several brawls about this in the sf world, including the Hugo
controversies and the debate about SFWA and censorship. It's has become a
central topic in the sf community.
Banning someone from a Worldcon for having a panel discussion like this one?
You must be kidding!
On the first Worldcon, in 1939, known as Nycon, a group from the famous sf
club The Futurians - which included among others Donald Wollheim, Fred Pohl,
Robert A W Lowndes - were banned from entering. This infamous event set fandom
ablaze for years, became known as The Exclusion Act (see
http://fancyclopedia.wikidot.com/exclusion-act ;) and set a standard that you
simply don't ban fellow fen from conventions. (Or if so, the reasons must be
very strong, say someone molesting children...) Most people involved were in or
just out of their teens. The background was that the organisers, calling
themselves New Fandom (among them were Sam Moskowitz), and The Futurians had
been at each other's throats for months before the con. It was a adolescent,
personal vendetta that went out of hand.
But MAC was organised by grown ups and their reason for a new Exclusion Act
wasn't teenage silliness, but ethical questions central for science fiction.
That makes it worse. For me, fandom is - or at least should be - a place of
free speech, openness, intellectual challenge, tolerance. The MAC/PC affair is
a spear right in the heart of this.
Who was intolerant enough to bring complaints about the panel to the
committee? Who in the committee lost his/her head to decide to ban Mr
Truesdale? Did they even bother to make any kind of investigation of what
happened? That's questions I'd like to see answers too.
Whatever one may think of the Sad Puppies of the Hugo controversies (I don't
know much about them; it's claimed they nominate rubbish, though) I think
MidAmeriCon have just given them a shipload of ammunition.
Except for one bullet, which they have used to shoot themselves in the foot.
--Ahrvid
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