Huh.

[e_juliana]

So there's an article out on Teh Interwebs, talking in part about how I insulted someone on a message board by "snerk"ing at a comment she made about characters of a certain race being in a bunch of stories that are set where I live. This is a continuation from the article she put on her blog, that I contacted her about and tried to explain my side of the incident, with no acknowledgement. The article expands on it and ties into the article written last year about the group of theater artists I work with, and her part ends with her saying I would never cast (paraphrase) an Asian actress in a "white canon" play.

The worst part about it? It's a deliberate effort to Google-bomb certain tage and words. As an extension of that, I'm named, the article is named and linked to, and Z found it by vanity Googling.

The thing is, and what I told her, is that she came in to the board at a point where I was riffing on my outsider status here, and how white it is here, and we were all just generally being goofy in what I think of as a safe haven. I chose my words poorly, I did not see the inherent racism in my comment, and for those things I am deeply sorry and shamed. I told her that in an email when I first saw the blog entry, and no answer.

So. This is part and parcel of the danger of the Internet, and that's how it goes. It just makes me very sad, and hey, look! There go the trust issues again. Whee!

As for my artistic merit, well, she's seen jackshit of my work and of my process, so she can keep her assumptions to herself.

Comments

[alexlucard.livejournal.com]

This is really weird. Why would a person spread shit like that?

[e-juliana.livejournal.com]

Because she was offended and didn't want to hear it? I don't know. I'm trying to decide if I want to counter-Google-bomb or not.

Still, it sucks. I'm sure you've had your share of experiences like that.

[alexlucard.livejournal.com]

People think I'm a vampire.

[e-juliana.livejournal.com]

Well, clearly you are. I mean, who's seen you during daylight?

Oh, wait, I have.... Huh.

[serenada.livejournal.com]

Wow. I did a quick google, and that's a pissy article.

Sorry to hear it.

[e-juliana.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

I think you were on the board for that incident. Do you remember it at all?

[serenada.livejournal.com]

THAT'S why the name looked familiar?

Unfortunately I don't remember the details. Did it 'fuffle online, or did she go away with the info to blog it?

[e-juliana.livejournal.com]

That is exactly why. There was no 'fuffle; I didn't even realize I had offended until a vanity Google quite a few months later. I emailed with an apology, an explanation, and a request for redaction, and got nowhere. Feh.

[debg.livejournal.com]

The woman in question is a fucking lunatic. She was pretty pissy about me, as well, but not to this degree.

What a fucking freak.

[vwbug.livejournal.com]

Ick! I'm so sorry you have to deal with that.

[manraysky.livejournal.com]

Gah. That sucks.

[septembergrrl.livejournal.com]

I found the article. It sounds like you said something in relative innocence that they're blowing out of proportion, and I'm sorry you're stuck in that situation.

[mfnlaw.livejournal.com]

Oh darlin', hugs to you. Lots of them.

Some people are set in their views of the world, no matter how baseless they are. She took your statement out of context, and blew it out of proportion.

She's as close-minded as the "racists" she wants to eliminate.

[e-juliana.livejournal.com]

Thanks, sweetie.

Legal-type question - it's libel if it's on Teh Internets, isn't it? Since it's in written and "permanent" form?

[mfnlaw.livejournal.com]

Yep, which falls under the general category of defamation. The problem you will have is actually proving they were false statements of fact, and not opinion, hyperbole or name calling. For the most part, it's the writer extrapolating nonsense from a single word, but it's her opinion. Nothing she says can be proven true or untrue.

It sucks, but I would also caution you to check with a MN attorney since I'm not licensed to practice in your state and therefore unfamiliar with the specific laws governing defamation in your jurisdiction.

[dxmachina.livejournal.com]

I googled, too, and agree with everyone else. She's blowing it way the frell out of proportion. Part of it is she seems to be making up her own definition of "snerk." Maybe if you'd said "lol omg" she'd not have misunderstood.

[e-juliana.livejournal.com]

Heh. Yeah, maybe. It was probably a poor choice of words on my part, but sheesh. Talk to me then, instead of this.. whatevre she's doing.

[scrappylj.livejournal.com]

Okay, her stance is definite overreaction. HUGE. She is ascribing motives and feelings to you and reacting to them, which is not open, not productive, not even POLITE, for God's sake.

[helvirago]

Huh. To be honest, I'm not even sure what point she's trying to make by it. Bizarre.

[helvirago]

Actually, I do get it now, because she made progressively more WTF assumptions and accusations, and that cleared it up for me. The hell? I particularly like how your troupe is responsible for Theater at Large and thus Society. Seems like she's made you a bit of a strawman. Er, strawAlaskanbornwoman.

(But, in "Learn Something New" territory, I had no idea that Minnesota had the largest Hmong population in the US! I would have thought California.)

[e-juliana.livejournal.com]

(But, in "Learn Something New" territory, I had no idea that Minnesota had the largest Hmong population in the US! I would have thought California.)

Yup. Minnesota is a popular state with the INS - we've received a lot of the Hmong refugees and Somali refugees over the years, for example. I think it's great, but I do feel bad for the poor desert-dwelling Somalis thrown into a MN winter. That can't be a fun transition.