General Discussion : Observation about LitReactor

Is it okay to filibuster to make the ten page goal a reality, if not, I am going to go and watch Iron Sky where they have a better plan than the apparently candy ass one employed here.

Dear Todd, have you posted on the workshop? perhaps your feelings could be better told in fiction. that is what we are about anyway. Put it there friend.Lets stop all this arguing. Fiction is color blind, so tell it thereand let us all get back to writing.

I'm gonna keep going until it hits ten pages.

Fair enough, but technically, time of death for a troll thread is the moment someone uses "Nazi" or "Fascist," and that happened a page or two back.

Observation: the instigator of this thread did not reply to any of the posts made by women, so that must make him a misogynest, n'est pas? 

Second observation: the two reviews of TS's that I read in the workshop are perfect examples of why some of us choose to workshop our (subsequently published) stories amongst ourselves. Unsubstantiated opinions on either the subject matter or arc/character development/resolution are just that, and frankly have no place in the workshop. Plus, most of us on here don't worry about the points leaderboard (I've never even looked at it, but if we could cash them in for the elusive thongs and whoopie cushions, that might change things).

If you want to know how to offer reviews that propel the writer, the craft, the story, and ultimately the site, there's a way to do it without being a dick. I guess what I'm saying is: Todd, you've come across as a bit of a dick in a group of really nice and culturally diverse people, and that's pretty hard to do since we even tolerate good natured dickery. 

Observation: the instigator of this thread did not reply to any of the posts made by women, so that must make him a misogynest, n'est pas?

Ooooh. I think you may be right, especially if we apply Todd's logic to Todd's posts.

I guess what I'm saying is: Todd, you've come across as a bit of a dick in a group of really nice and culturally diverse people, and that's pretty hard to do since we even tolerate good natured dickery.

You're definitely right on this one.

Utah-- I haven't looked at the workshop in months and I am just behind this Todd guy by a couple spots. That's how awesome the Leaderboard is.

Where is Bryan Howie?

You know, until now, I had never seen the Gangam Style video. I do love that it has Spanish subtitles. So I can not have any idea what he's saying in TWO languages. THAT'S cultural diversity, right there.

I also like that he wears a life jacket in the speedboat and goggles in the pool. Safety first.

Also:

For making that autoplay.

[.]

Those aren't points. That's just Jeremy playing the "what if" game. Never in that entire post does Jeremy do anything beyond speculate or ask open-ended questions. You're grasping at straws now.

I know my questions aren't points. The answers to the questions would be points if someone would provide them. I'm no more "playing a game" than anybody else who is in this thread.

As far as J.Y. goes, I think you missed his point entirely, because if you hadn't, you'd realize he wasn't taking up your mantle. He wasn't even truly agreeing with you at the core, but simply posing hypotheticals constructed on the fragile assumption that you meant what you said, and what you said had validity. I could be entirely wrong, but I have a feeling everyone else took his comments the same way I did - which is why none of us stomped our feet and shook our fists at him.

I wasn't taking up a mantle. "Fragile assumption"? Did I make a fragile assumption? No more fragile an assumption than the one required to make such a claim.

I only meant to reframe (and perhaps summarize) the "discussion" so far in terms which could be more easily addressed than the hitherto bickering and speculation.

People moan that "liberals" are so easily offended and try and behave nicely, or whatever; but the people who say things like that have the inverse, comparable tendency to go ahead and amp up the douchery simply because they don't want anyone to think they're too sensitive, or that they really give a shit, or whatever.

Now let's bring it in for some real feelings.  It's okay to cry.  Just know that I love you.

If it's the founder, than I'd be interested to read it if you'd link it. I'm guessing the founder's writings should be easily accessible.

How about you do it yourself this time? You're a writer, right? Go research!

I'll just make it easier, then, and ask if you can name any essay you're read about writing from a non-Western viewpoint, or a non-Judeo Christian viewpoint, or both.

Sorry Todd, I can't spoon-feed you anymore.

I'm now going to ask this for the FOURTH time:

Do you honestly think we have some kind of Excel spreadsheet in which every contributor and columnist is broken down by race, religion, gender, sexual orientation? Is this something you'd like us to whip up for you?

Yes or no, Todd. It's simple. I just don't think I can answer your question until you answer mine. 

I'll also point out that you've failed to address the post that pointed out you have yet to respond to a single point made by a woman. I mean, if you're going to come in here screaming about prejudice, you may want to make sure you aren't ignoring an entire group of people, and then failing to even defend yourself when called out on it.

Are you seriously debating how the word "transgressive" is used when describing fiction? Meaning if I say "this book is transgressive fiction", that I could mean ANYTHING! It could be a cookbook that transgresses The Joy Of Cooking, held together by a narrative (Like Water For Chocolate is SO TRANSGRESSIVE!) it could be a book written about a contemporary American teenager, but it trangresses Islamic ideals, so it is TRANSGRESSIVE! It's a book about a married woman, but it transgresses what is acceptable for children's books, so it is TRANSGRESSIVE!
 

Fuck, this website is a spin-off of the forum at Chuck Palahniuk's website, I can ASSURE you that everyone here (aside from you, apparently) knows exactly what the essay in question meant with the word "transgressive". 

Also... you started out being pissed there were "no" people of color, then it was culture. People pointed out all the different countries and social groups represented here, and now it's Western Judeo-Christian ideals. What the fuck do you want here? Is there a writing site anywhere on the internet with absolutely no theme whatsoever? Where random people come in and write random fiction and random essays and it just sort of manages to exist even though nobody has anything in common?

I hate to break it to you, but the Western world has the majority of the open internet access. 

The best part about my role in this conversation is that I actually kind of hate the term "transgressive fiction"... at least I have a marginal understanding of it's meaning to go off of, though.

@Renee - No, but I am probably one of the closest to it on the site.  On a semi related note this site has lead me to the conclusion there will always be those people would need to register red in a blue state, and vice versa if they move. You know the type, folks can't stand to have their view be the most common.

Utah my laptop acts a little odd about going on standby when a video is set to auto play. So I just walked across a parking lot with it closed and blaring What is Love? by Hadaway like it was an old school boom box. And I'm at work mind you.

I hope this makes an awkward moment for you somehow. 

Moon tell us what you really think. That reads like you are addressing what you feel are the problems with a Western world view, which whatever, but I was getting more at Todd and his implication that we all have one, which taints us to the point that we can't except how raciest we really are and need him to come enlighten us. Even if all that was true, which is a whole different thread, it is a viewpoint not a deadly easily spread disease he has the cure for.

@Moon - I was unclear. My bad. I meant that I understood your statements where directed at what you felt his problem is as a person, but it could be read to some who wasn't reading it carefully to think you were addressing what the problem with western thought is. I should have been more clear when I pointed out that I thought you had been unclear. I think that is really ironic, what the word really means not just funny.

@Todd - Again, I was unclear. When people write they have a certain quality, je ne sais quoi if you will. Hemming way, to the best of my knowledge never said/wrote, "Big words bad!" However, his writing did tend towards smaller words and sort of gives a lot of people the impression thought complicated thoughts could be addressed by small words. Your voice has went from sound like you thought it would be super neat if we had a few more view points on here, to now sounding like Uncle Ruckus redone as a self hating white. Not saying you are white mind you, this is just the vibe in whole, no specific place.

I sit here at the top of this page, 49(?) posts to come beneath me, and think to myself, "How can I best use this space, this small portion of our collective futures, to embrace you all and show you how much I love you?"  And then I think:

Like this:

Drapes or carpet?