it's like meeting the real Santa. no, wait. I think I'm spelling that wrong.

[hth]

I used to think you had to volunteer to be belittled in Joe Mallozzi's blog, but apparently they're drafting people now.

You know, I really thought about engaging with him (if only to correct the clear misreading of the last quote he puts up there -- I hope it's obvious to all of you that I didn't mean you could ONLY care about people you'd met, only that you were BOUND to do so, while it's often a lot more hit-or-miss with strangers) -- and then I remembered that we're talking about Joe Mallozzi, and that the reason I don't communicate with him *to start with* is that I think he's an asshole who treats the fans foolish enough to play that game like dirt. That hasn't changed, so I can't see where commenting would do me much good.

But I thought I'd let y'all know I was being talked about over there. It's practically like being famous!

Comments

[hth-the-first.livejournal.com]

Heh. Simmer down, now! *g*

I'm not really pissed about any of it, except maybe that last bit where Mallozzi does a half-assed job of making it sound like I don't believe in human compassion -- rotten logic just on the face of it, and honestly kind of hilarious if you actually read the post and were aware that my whole rant was about the lack of basic human compassion the lead characters show toward the Athosians.

Hey, frankly, if Marko wants to drop me a comment and ask *me* why I would say such things about SGA, I'd be glad to tell him. I'd even be on my best behavior -- I'd be like Lewis Black at the Kennedy Center, a thirty "fuck" maxiumum! I *can* engage in constructive debate and criticism...I just wasn't really aiming at it in that particular post. *g* If it had occurred to me I'd really be on the hook for educating the masses, I'd have done a better job of it, I think!

Actually, the whole thing has given me some insight into one of the basic disconnects that I think is happening: when I talk about "colonialism" and "imperialism," I'm not saying that you can't have *affection* toward people beneath you in the power structure, that you can't worry about them and feel obliged to protect them. In fact, I'd argue that's part and parcel of a colonialist attitude -- that urge to be their Great White Saviors. And I'm not sure everyone gets that; I think for some people, "But John saves the natives all the time!" really is an argument that he's *not* a paternalistic colonizer -- it's really proof of his decency, which of course protects him from all criticism, ever. When in reality, OBVIOUSLY, "But I only want the very best for them!" is excactly how imperialists justify everything they do in colonized territory.

Food for thought, you know? If I ever have a chat with Marko, I might lead off with something along those lines.

[ivy03.livejournal.com]

It seems some people missed the section on "white man's burden" when they were studying British Imperialism. (Or maybe they missed British Imperialism...) It's hard in the current climate not to be aware of such condescension towards cultures you're riding rough shod over.