I encountered some haters over at Amazon today. Why do I comment? Yeah, I'm not sure. . I wanted to pick up a copy, because I think it would be nice to have an illustrated record of Tyrion's various witticisms. However, I'm hoping they rerelease one after the series is finished.
Anywhoo...

The listing was rife with reviews on how crappy the book is, how it only took a short time to read, and how GRRM is an asshole who fleeces his fans. I actually think he writes great lit and seems like a nice guy. I replied to one particularly mean-spirited, condescending comment, pointing out that it's possible to dislike a book without personally attacking the author. Now, I guess I'm a "zealot" and an "apologist." I'm told that because GRRM once said "It's just business" in reply to why a paperback was being delayed, and said 'I used to be able to walk around the Cons...but now I need security...the money helps" that he's now a treacherous asshole. Really? I mean...really? Hating him for that just seems like people are looking for someone to hate.

I'm also hearing a lot about how people are refusing to pay to see Ender's Game. It certainly makes sense to not give money to someone if you think they are a vile person.

I don't know if OSC is getting a share of the box office for Ender's Game or not. He may well be, since he's pretty famous and all. So he won't be getting your fraction of a cent from your movie ticket.
For me, that's not much different from the scores of other 'wait and see' movies I don't check out until they come on cable. We just got around to seeing Iron Man 3 last week. That's not because I wish Robert Downey Jr wasn't a Republican (I do) or because I think he'll change without my money )I don't) My point is not that people shouldn't be aware of where their money goes. My point is that refusing to see a movie on moral grounds doesn't actually help anyone.

Why not take the +/- $15 you'd spend on a ticket and a drink and say, give it to a gay charity? That would be a nice "fuck you" to OSC and would actually help people. Why not spend the evening away from the theatre helping out at a gay kid's shelter or making an online "It gets better" PSA? Why not do something positive that helps people instead of making a big to-do (not to everyone, just to everyone making a big to-do) about NOT seeing a film because homophobia is bad--why not do something that actually helps those who deal with homophobia in their daily lives? Why not at least write to OSC and tell him exactly why you aren't seeing his film?

I'll also submit that even if you know lots about every actor in a film, plus the writer, director, and producer--you still only know a small fraction of the people who are making money from any given film. Chances are, every movie ever made has at least one person involved in it who thinks something terrible about someone--be it gays, women, minorities, or atheists. Same with books, video games, TV shows, and sporting events. So maybe we could put less emphasis on what we're NOT seeing, and more on what we're doing to actually make things better.
Orson Scott Cart would HATE that.
And let's do something shitty for Fred Phelps while we're at it. My years of refusing to attend his church aren't having much of an effect.

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My newest Kinkly article is about Vampires, because it's almost Halloween. It covers vampires and biting from pre-Christianity through the sparkly kind.