and on CNET

[rm]

As per usual fandom looks weird and LJ just looks really stupid.

http://news.com.com/8301-10784_3-9755616-7.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-5

Fandom needs talking points. Fandom needs to stick to the talking points (hahahaha, I know!) and someone who is not me who has a background in PR needs to start herding the cats.

Comments

[hangedwoman.livejournal.com]

Excuse me? This particular comment was in reply to rm and really didn't call for your input on your opinion of fandom, which you've already made quite clear. Guess what? I'm not that heavily involved in fandom myself. That doesn't mean I don't have a severe problem with a group of people being demonized by masses that won't bother to educate themselves past their gut feelings.

[zarq.livejournal.com]

Well, excuse me for trying to chime in and offer an opinion in a discussion between two people I think of as friends.

Thanks for clarifying our relationship. Much appreciated.

[hangedwoman.livejournal.com]

It's possible I misread the intent of your comment and overreacted but I'm tired, and part of what I'm tired of is you basically calling many people who happen to be my friends pedophiles. It's insulting to them and insulting to the real victims - and in many cases, that's the same thing. And considering the work I do for organizations like PROTECT it's insulting to me too.

[zarq.livejournal.com]

Yes, you misread me. That may be my fault and if it is, I'm sorry.

For the record: I was a victim and the emotional scars run pretty damned deep. I don't discuss this online or anywhere else, so you'd have no way of knowing. But now you do, so please realize that my feelings about these issues weren't formed in a vacuum. If you really feel a need to know more, then send me an email, please, and I'll explain. I don't want to discuss that aspect of my life any further in a public forum.

So then, let me be clear: I am absolutely not stereotyping all people who read or create slash, nor do I think that 99.999999% of the members of fandom are pedophiles. If I wasn't clear about this, then I'm very sorry.

It's not my intention to insult you. In fact, I have tried very hard to deliberately phrase my comments on my own journal so that I'm not painting all people in fandom with the same brush.

I find stories with *young* minors (such as pre-teens of 11 or 12 years,) engaging in graphic sex with adults disturbing. People who get off on such stories also disturb me. The fact that the stories are merely a depiction doesn't change how I feel about them.

[hangedwoman.livejournal.com]

May we virtually shake hands and chalk it up to being tired and stressed?

It's possible I've also misread other comments you've made elsewhere, and the sum total had me coming at you badly.

I'm just very tired of people comparing my friends to rapists.

[zarq.livejournal.com]

*offers hand*

I'm sorry, too.

Truth is, I know that anything that even touches on a child abuse issue (especially violent or sexual abuse) is highly charged emotionally for me. I'm more likely to go off on an irrational rant on this topic than any other, so I usually try not to get into discussions with people about it. But I'm opinionated, and sometimes my mouth gets the better of me.

I'm just very tired of people comparing my friends to rapists.

I would be too. And I'm really, sincerely sorry that I gave you that impression. :(