reminiscing: on Joe Mallozzi and PTBs
Jan. 18th, 2007 12:01 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
seldearYou know, Joe Mallozzi's never been the conciliatory type.
I remember my first Gatecon. 2002. I was brand new to Stargate fandom, with brand, spanking new friends. (They weren't brand new spanking-friends, though. Life might have been a lot more...interesting if they had been!)
Fandom was in the throes of dealing with Danny-gate. The oldbies still reading this LJ will probably remember: Michael Shanks leaving the show! Corin Nemec replacing him! Woe! Kerfuffle! Save The Heart And Soul Of Stargate! SaveDanielJackson! It-doesn't-matter-if-Michael-wanted-to-leave-he-must-have-been-pushed!
You know, this is sounding awfully familiar. History repeats itself, especially in fandom.
Anyway, Brad Wright had made the announcement of Shanks' departure. And was being roasted by the Danny fans in an asplosion of rather large proportions. He had a few defenders, mostly from the Sam/Jack contingent of the show - people who had open minds towards Daniel's 'replacement', who weren't making dire predictions about how the show would tank without Daniel, and were going to watch the show before casting judgement.
At Gatecon 2002, on his way through the dealer's room, Brad Wright realised that one of his most ardent defenders was in the room.
"You're [insert name here]'?" *MASSIVE HUG*
Sel *standing about two feet away from this*: !!!!!
[insert name here]: !!!!!
Others in room: !!!!!
(Name has been removed to protect the guilty. Although I don't know that she needs protection.)
By contrast. Joe Mallozzi turned up to the producers' panel in the costume worn by Ba'al in...oh heck, I can't even remember the episode! The one where Jack is caught by Ba'al and tortured, and Daniel offers a lot of platitudes. You know, 'gets Jack through his darkest hour', etc., etc.
That should tell you a lot, right there, about the difference between the two men.
Joe Mallozzi is a bit of stirrer. In the same way that John Sheppard has a slight hero syndrome. In the same way that Teal'c has a bit of muscle.
It's Joe who has the blog, and who has been known to be about as blunt to the fans as a clue-by-four about the head in a dark alleyway at 4am. He don't take no prisoners, he don't suffer no fools, and he's not one to shut up if he's got snark to say.
No wonder the PTB like writing for Rodney McKay.
At any rate, expecting Joe to be polite on his blog seems...a little foolish. Because it's his blog - and heaven knows I'll write my unvarnished thoughts here from time to time. Then I'll moderate it, because I'm concerned about the reactions of people who I'll interact with on a daily basis. Joe isn't concerned. He doesn't need to be.
Could he phrase it politely? Sure! He's chosen not to. Not a surprise to anyone who knows him.
And, yeah, people are getting in his face about it.
Newsflash: Joe doesn't care about fan opinions and possibly never has.
I think that's considered a mortal sin in the Stargate fandom. Thou Shalt Follow The Crowd Or Risk Exile Forevermore.
In Joe's defence, I will point out that he has fielded many an extremely irritated, despairing, or frustrated email from a certain fan, and always replied back courteously. While he might have wished to smack her down for her boldness or her complete lack of understanding as to the reasons why, and has probably had to count to ten, then one hundred, then back down to zero again, his answers have never been as short, blunt, or angry as they could have been.
I respect him for that.
One might think that a man who doesn't hesitate to smack down his detractors, wouldn't hesitate to similarly smack down a single, over-bold fan.
Then again, the fan in question has retracted statements that went too far, and apologised for venting her frustrations to him. And for reasons inexplicable, he's still polite, although there's probably an *eyeroll* in there from time to time.
Maybe all it takes to get a good response from a PTB is a little leeway, a little patience, and a little politeness, rather than anger, accusations, demands, and campaigns.
But then, that's true of all people, not just PTB, isn't it?
Right, so, the order of the day is to persuade Darren to rename Gateworld to Gatewank.
--
Real life stuff tomorrow. Er. Today.
I remember my first Gatecon. 2002. I was brand new to Stargate fandom, with brand, spanking new friends. (They weren't brand new spanking-friends, though. Life might have been a lot more...interesting if they had been!)
Fandom was in the throes of dealing with Danny-gate. The oldbies still reading this LJ will probably remember: Michael Shanks leaving the show! Corin Nemec replacing him! Woe! Kerfuffle! Save The Heart And Soul Of Stargate! SaveDanielJackson! It-doesn't-matter-if-Michael-wanted-to-leave-he-must-have-been-pushed!
You know, this is sounding awfully familiar. History repeats itself, especially in fandom.
Anyway, Brad Wright had made the announcement of Shanks' departure. And was being roasted by the Danny fans in an asplosion of rather large proportions. He had a few defenders, mostly from the Sam/Jack contingent of the show - people who had open minds towards Daniel's 'replacement', who weren't making dire predictions about how the show would tank without Daniel, and were going to watch the show before casting judgement.
At Gatecon 2002, on his way through the dealer's room, Brad Wright realised that one of his most ardent defenders was in the room.
"You're [insert name here]'?" *MASSIVE HUG*
Sel *standing about two feet away from this*: !!!!!
[insert name here]: !!!!!
Others in room: !!!!!
(Name has been removed to protect the guilty. Although I don't know that she needs protection.)
By contrast. Joe Mallozzi turned up to the producers' panel in the costume worn by Ba'al in...oh heck, I can't even remember the episode! The one where Jack is caught by Ba'al and tortured, and Daniel offers a lot of platitudes. You know, 'gets Jack through his darkest hour', etc., etc.
That should tell you a lot, right there, about the difference between the two men.
Joe Mallozzi is a bit of stirrer. In the same way that John Sheppard has a slight hero syndrome. In the same way that Teal'c has a bit of muscle.
It's Joe who has the blog, and who has been known to be about as blunt to the fans as a clue-by-four about the head in a dark alleyway at 4am. He don't take no prisoners, he don't suffer no fools, and he's not one to shut up if he's got snark to say.
No wonder the PTB like writing for Rodney McKay.
At any rate, expecting Joe to be polite on his blog seems...a little foolish. Because it's his blog - and heaven knows I'll write my unvarnished thoughts here from time to time. Then I'll moderate it, because I'm concerned about the reactions of people who I'll interact with on a daily basis. Joe isn't concerned. He doesn't need to be.
Could he phrase it politely? Sure! He's chosen not to. Not a surprise to anyone who knows him.
And, yeah, people are getting in his face about it.
Newsflash: Joe doesn't care about fan opinions and possibly never has.
I think that's considered a mortal sin in the Stargate fandom. Thou Shalt Follow The Crowd Or Risk Exile Forevermore.
In Joe's defence, I will point out that he has fielded many an extremely irritated, despairing, or frustrated email from a certain fan, and always replied back courteously. While he might have wished to smack her down for her boldness or her complete lack of understanding as to the reasons why, and has probably had to count to ten, then one hundred, then back down to zero again, his answers have never been as short, blunt, or angry as they could have been.
I respect him for that.
One might think that a man who doesn't hesitate to smack down his detractors, wouldn't hesitate to similarly smack down a single, over-bold fan.
Then again, the fan in question has retracted statements that went too far, and apologised for venting her frustrations to him. And for reasons inexplicable, he's still polite, although there's probably an *eyeroll* in there from time to time.
Maybe all it takes to get a good response from a PTB is a little leeway, a little patience, and a little politeness, rather than anger, accusations, demands, and campaigns.
But then, that's true of all people, not just PTB, isn't it?
Right, so, the order of the day is to persuade Darren to rename Gateworld to Gatewank.
--
Real life stuff tomorrow. Er. Today.
