Too bad there isnt a "Stupid-people" scanner at the front door...
I got an email from a friend of mine that was lucky enough to attend the Vanoucver Con. She told me that while it was great and that all the guests were their usual friendly, fun, selves... that her con experience was tarnished by the bitching and ranting of some of the other attendees.
Supposedly these folks were ticked off because the questions to the panel ( specifically Jared and Jensen) were screened. She said that while the questions were pretty generic and didnt really allow for either of the guys to joke or kid - they were also pretty tactful. Apparently the people sitting near her griping were miffed because no one could ask the "poignant" questions and that the Con just wasnt fun anymore. (I'm sure their constant bitching was such an attraction too)
While I dont subscribe to censorship per se' - I've also been to a couple of cons where it seemed like the biggest moron in the place was allowed to get to the mike and ask the stupidest or most embarrassing question in the world - questions that made even me cringe.
So- what can people expect... if attendees are gonna be dumb enough to stand there and try to ask about what the boys think about the wincest or J2 fics (and no- thats not an attack on the writers of such but more that some people cant seem to separate fiction from reality) or ask about their personal lives or editorialize on either of the above- then what can we expect that the organizers of the Cons will take action to prevent it. We've already seen the "no-touch" rules enacted, so this isnt really surprising either.... and just in my opinion - I cant say that I really blame them for doing it...
After all- we might be fans, they might be actors, but ALL OF US are human and entitled to be treated with dignity and respect- provided we also give the same. I wonder how many of us would tolerate having a stranger ask certain things about our sexuality or our personal lives...
It makes me wonder what Chicago will be like this November... .
In any event - I can only hope that people take a step back, take a deep breath and perhaps instead of the same inane questions over and over again - instead of asking silly things or delving into their personal lives- MAYBE- just maybe- a few extra people will stand up and simply say "HEY- thanks for giving us 5 awesome seasons of a great show - and for taking time out of their lives to spend with their fans."