Wiscon '08: The Year We Were Bitchy

[vito_excalibur]

Let me say at the outset that I love Wiscon, I always love Wiscon, and this year was no different. I am bitchier than usual about it this year for a number of reasons, including that four panels turns out to be just too many for me to be on, and that I didn't get organized enough to write my notes before I left, so I missed a lot of stuff I wanted

Comments

[anghara]

Okay, for the record - I was the person with the dad in question

[brown_betty]

I don't know you, but I am perfectly willing to stipulate that you do not prejudge on the basis of race, and further, that you honestly do not notice anyone's race. Therefore, let me tell you something you may not know: you're white. That means you don't have to notice anyone's race, and that's a privilege you have that people of colour don't have. Not noticing race means you can accidentally offend, hurt, or marginalize people; it's not any more helpful than not noticing cars would be for a traffic cop.

[anghara]

Yes, I am white (and yes, having looked in a mirror once or tvice in my life, perhaps even while at Wiscon, I do know it). I can't help that any more than you can help being - I don't know you either but by dint of your LJ name - brown. And all I can do is reiterate what I already said - if I inadvertently offend, hurt or marginalise people (and I DO mean "people", not just brown people) I would like to know this so I can apologise or correct the fault

[firecat]

I'm white and I might not get this right but here's what I think the answer is.

Because you are white and you get not to have to notice other people's race, that means you don't know what race issues are like for people who aren't white like you.

The way to start finding out is to listen.

[rubrick]

Apparently I missed the "Oh, I actually get to go after all!" post. I'm glad you made it.

I continue to find your smackdownery more entertaining than almost anyone else's.

[vito_excalibur]

Thanks! I am very glad I got to go too!

Yep

[ansai]

Yay! Speaking as a moderator in training (three WisCon panels so far) I have to say I would like to add one more rule to this excellent list: if you're a guy, do your best not to talk over women when they're speaking. I don't care what generation you're from, it's not done anymore, especially not at WisCon.

Or so I thought. ARRGH!

Also no young people speaking over old women please!

Re: Yep

[vito_excalibur]

That is an interesting issue. On a panel I was on last year someone - dammit - tall blond woman - brought up a definition of people as quiet or not based not on the volume of their speech but on the length of time they left between someone else ending a sentence and their beginning one. See, on that panel no one had managed to finish a sentence all hour. Which was fine: there were men & women on the panel, and interrupting was a shared conversational style among all of us. I would say the problem is when conversational styles clash; that one should be aware of whether one is speaking to a fellow interrupter or not.

Re: Yep

[badgerbag]

In past years I have actually begged moderators before a panel to interrupt me or call me on it if I interrupt. It works if everyone does it, but if even one person can't play that way, the interrupters have to be squashed! Including me and I try, but often forget.

Re: Yep

[sparkymonster]

Also no young people speaking over old women please!

But sometimes we have to. Like when we're moderating a fat acceptance panel and an older woman wants to tell us about how she had to engage in starvation dieting because when she was fat she was digusting, ugly and unable to wear bright colors or short skirts.

[ide_cyan]

Do you mind if I add this entry and possibly others you make about WisCon to whileaway's WisCon-related memories?

[vito_excalibur]

Not at all, feel free.

[ide_cyan]

Thank you.

[vito_excalibur]

They're basically telling the others, "Now you do all the work and I'll just be a dead spot you have to work around."

Yes exactly. I sympathize with the sentiment, but going ahead and indulging it in the moment is Not Cool.

That lasts right up to the moment when they decide you're all wrong and start talking.

*snerk*

I would far rather name names, but there is this code among pros that it's not nice to trash each other by name.

Heh. Well, I understand, but in that case perhaps it would be best to come to a panel prepared with some people in mind you wouldn't mind talking about (people who are safely dead, people you never liked anyway)? Not that I think talking about someone's work is necesarily trashing them, of course. But you always feel more sensitive when it's you being talked about.