philippos42 (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
philippos42) wrote2011-09-09 02:18 am
philippos42) wrote2011-09-09 02:18 am
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I got a warning from s_d for what I said about what people said about Harlan Ellison. Well, I didn't like people accusing him of sexual assault. That's a euphemism for rape, so using it to describe groping is dysphemistic exaggeration.
I managed to resist going on s_d & immediately intentionally getting two more warnings. Let's see, I could use the word "lame" metaphorically, or "intellectual cripple" if I want to be non-conformist about it; and, I don't know, get non-PC about sexual identity somehow I guess.
So, I've been giving them a berth for a little while, maybe I'll cool down, maybe I'll just never go back. But I don't want to argue futilely over this.
I wanted to say something pithy about how I feel about Harlan, & it's hard.
Harlan has been, for much of his career, a self-righteous, ridiculous, self-important jerk, who writes really sick horror stories and really well-crafted, funny non-fiction. The girls who are going after his rep have the self-righteous part down, but they have a long way to go to meet the rest.
Edited to add: the thing is, Harlan did write, "Repent, Harlequin, Said the Ticktockman," which is brilliant, and a bunch of other stuff which is melancholy rather than just sadistic. "The Other Eye of Polyphemus" may or may not the title of the one I'm thinking of. I like Michael Bishop, say, more consistently, but my feelings about Harlan are really more respectful than those for someone like Tiptree or Tepper who largely annoy me. More how I feel about Parke Godwin or Joanna Russ: where I can both sympathize with the writer and admire big chunks of work, even if I disagree with others; & really, higher than those two, because of the non-fiction.
And he was a big part of my emotional scarring as a teenager, so I kind of want to hate him, but he's kind of my people too.
I managed to resist going on s_d & immediately intentionally getting two more warnings. Let's see, I could use the word "lame" metaphorically, or "intellectual cripple" if I want to be non-conformist about it; and, I don't know, get non-PC about sexual identity somehow I guess.
So, I've been giving them a berth for a little while, maybe I'll cool down, maybe I'll just never go back. But I don't want to argue futilely over this.
I wanted to say something pithy about how I feel about Harlan, & it's hard.
Harlan has been, for much of his career, a self-righteous, ridiculous, self-important jerk, who writes really sick horror stories and really well-crafted, funny non-fiction. The girls who are going after his rep have the self-righteous part down, but they have a long way to go to meet the rest.
Edited to add: the thing is, Harlan did write, "Repent, Harlequin, Said the Ticktockman," which is brilliant, and a bunch of other stuff which is melancholy rather than just sadistic. "The Other Eye of Polyphemus" may or may not the title of the one I'm thinking of. I like Michael Bishop, say, more consistently, but my feelings about Harlan are really more respectful than those for someone like Tiptree or Tepper who largely annoy me. More how I feel about Parke Godwin or Joanna Russ: where I can both sympathize with the writer and admire big chunks of work, even if I disagree with others; & really, higher than those two, because of the non-fiction.
And he was a big part of my emotional scarring as a teenager, so I kind of want to hate him, but he's kind of my people too.
no subject
I have no knowledge or opinions on the rest of the post, I just know a word definition.
no subject
Though there are people who would accuse you of "assault" for breathing on them.