Neil Gaiman: "Pencil Necked Weasel"

[annettemarie]

I've been following this on Gaiman's FB page and apparently it's a Big Hairy Deal.

http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2011/05/opinions-of-pencil-necked-weasel-thief.html
(Scroll down to "semi-political bit")

There are lots of links in the blog post that give you the back story.

The politician then apologized because his mother made him? The whole thing is bizarre.

Thoughts?

[TiredX2]

Originally Posted by annettemarie 

Thoughts?

Your babies are adorable.

Thoughts regarding the article? 

It amazes me anew each day the hypocracy that is so ripe in politics.  I'll admit I'm making assumptions about Matt Dean.  I'm assuming that, as a Republican, he is supportive of a supply & demand economy.  For him to then attack an entrepreneur (isn't that what authors are, after all) for *stealing* money is laughable.  How did he steal it?  By charging a fee for his time. 

Sure, Neil Gaiman did donate the money to charity.  But that's not the point.  We *should* care if he then used the money for toilet paper--- it was his.  He provided a service, he was paid.  No thievery there.  The service he provided was not a necessary one, he does not have a monopoly, he did not beg or threaten to get it.

So, in Matt Dean's world are ideas worthless?  Is time of an individual all to be given to the state without payment?  Because if that is what he believes, then I understand his issue.

[MusicianDad]

Wait, so someone getting paid to speak to a group is stealing money? Does that mean Bristol Palin is a thief? That's how she makes her money. And what about every other author, spokesperson, motivational speaker, political pundit, etc, should be in jail (which I admit is not exactly an all around unpleasant idea, but still...)

[Adaline'sMama]

I cant believe it! Seriously, the man got paid for an event that where he spoke, but he was also clearly being paid for the fact that the event would be re broadcast and for the library to own the rights to it the recording of the event. I do not think Gaiman's pay was unusually high when you consider that the library could continue broadcasting it for ever.

I love it when republicans make asses of themselves. It just makes it so much easier to argue that they have a skewed, wrong, point of view.

[hakeber]

"She was very angry this morning and always taught me not to be a name caller. And I shouldn't have done it, and I apologize."

How do these people get into public office? 

[mar123]

Politicans of all viewpoints often make asses out of themselves. This guy is not representative of an entire belief system; no one person is. You would never make such a generalization about a certain race, religion, or gender. Just because one person does or says something ridiculous does not negate any positives of that belief system- be it politics or religion. How many times have we heard that radical muslims do not represent the muslim religion?

[Vaske]

The whole thing is bizarre, and surely Dean could have selected some more politically appropriate targets in this.  Maybe it's the lingering effects of cabin fever, after six straight months of winter. 

[Adaline'sMama]

Originally Posted by mar123 

Politicans of all viewpoints often make asses out of themselves. This guy is not representative of an entire belief system; no one person is. You would never make such a generalization about a certain race, religion, or gender. Just because one person does or says something ridiculous does not negate any positives of that belief system- be it politics or religion. How many times have we heard that radical muslims do not represent the muslim religion?

Republican is not a "belief system" as you are indicating. Its a political party. I should note that what I meant to write was "republican politicians".

Im sorry, but race, gender (or lack there of), sexual orientation,and size (to an extent) are not choices people are making. They are a fact of that persons' life, so of course I would never make any generalizations about that. However, religion and political affilation is a CHOICE, not something to be compared to the previous things that people have no control over.

[MusicianDad]

Originally Posted by Adaline'sMama 

Originally Posted by mar123 

Politicans of all viewpoints often make asses out of themselves. This guy is not representative of an entire belief system; no one person is. You would never make such a generalization about a certain race, religion, or gender. Just because one person does or says something ridiculous does not negate any positives of that belief system- be it politics or religion. How many times have we heard that radical muslims do not represent the muslim religion?

Republican is not a "belief system" as you are indicating. Its a political party. I should note that what I meant to write was "republican politicians".

Im sorry, but race, gender (or lack there of), sexual orientation,and size (to an extent) are not choices people are making. They are a fact of that persons' life, so of course I would never make any generalizations about that. However, religion and political affilation is a CHOICE, not something to be compared to the previous things that people have no control over.

And they exist under the assumption that those who are members or choosing to support said political party have the same religious and/or political and/or social beliefs, and will behave in certain ways regarding certain things. If someone like me considers the expected actions, or words of someone from the Republican party to be assish, then someone engaging in those acts is acting like an ass.

That being said, I don't think this guy is behaving in a way that considered "republican" but he is still behaving like an ass would. There are people who act outside the norm for their group.

And yeah, sexual orientation, race, gender, are not cultures and to compare them to ones political ideologies is inaccurate. Gays come in all shapes and sizes and political beliefs. They aren't going to act a certain ways just because they are gay (with the exception of who they date, provided they aren't self-hating.) I can't promise you a gay man will hold liberal beliefs, on the other hand I can promise that a Republican will hold conservative beliefs.
 

[BeckyBird]

This is exactly why I am a "Party Atheist".

Republicans and Democrats are just people with labels.Sometimes people lie. Clinton lied, Bush lied, Obama lied. I admit, I was a former Republican and Bush supporter in the early 2000's. My opinion of him changed when he began to act like a you-know-what.

What will make your opinions change? If we can look past the party and see the individual, this country might be better off.