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  • Hm, bit of straw-manning dogpile going on. Disappointed to see that.

    That whole cancelling phenomenon is definitely an interesting question. The Me Too movement certainly had a point that The Proper Channels of action had proved their inadequacy (or rather, tendency to cause even further harm to victims) when it comes to dealing with sexual assault, but I remain unconvinced the cure isn't worse than the disease, if we're to replace the presumption of innocence with pitchfork-wielding mobs... but there's definitely a discussion to be had there. Some sort of middle ground would be nice, not that I can imagine it.

    As for separating the person from their work or not, it doesn't seem like a great move to me, to just throw out the baby with the bathwater. If the work doesn't explicitly depend on violence of some kind, I think it's fucking nuts, particularly if it's on the strength of unproven allegations. Anyone got any Picasso prints, Kevin Spacey DVDs, etc?

    But the most disturbing thing I find about this era, is the level of groupthink which prevails, particularly in academic circles. Shun, shun the unbeliever. Anyone who dares espouse traditional liberal values can be marked a pariah. As a staunch leftie, I'm utterly loathe to employ this phrase beloved of my mortal enemies, but the... ugh... virtue signalling has reached virulent proportions in places.

    If you ask me, way too many people are chickenshit conformists, too stupid to judge anything for themselves. Hardly a revelation, but I despair to see this dynamic in play where I expect to find smart people. It's almost as if it's got to the point where many feel discouraged to step out of line.

    Didn't see @Fabzzzz endorse Hambini's poor form in any way, but that didn't stop folks lining up to give him a kicking for not being on board with the New Done Thing and binning the cunt entirely. Yuk.

    ...I should hasten to add, I'm aware that Hambini is no Picasso or Spacey

  • It’s not really a dog pile, more just a consensus. I don’t think everyone has been swayed by a prevailing opinion, rather pretty much everyone in here has come to the same conclusion. I’m more than happy to stick my head above the parapet and air a contrary opinion on here. But calling Hambini a dickhead is a fairly easy conclusion to reach independently, and trying to defend him is a much harder position to justify IMO.

    And as Dammit says, when he sprouts such nonsense when talking about stuff I do understand or know about, I definitely begin to doubt the veracity of the stuff I don’t know so much about. Throw in a bunch of abhorrent misogyny and I’m struggling to find reasons to listen to him.

  • Didn't see @Fabzzzz endorse Hambini's poor form in any way, but that didn't stop folks lining up to give him a kicking for not being on board with the New Done Thing and binning the cunt entirely. Yuk

    No one has received a kicking nor has been binned. Please read the links @amey posted and perhaps even stretch yourself to some wider reading and thinking on why defending Hambini has provoked the response it has.

  • As for separating the person from their work or not, it doesn't seem like a great move to me, to just throw out the baby with the bathwater. If the work doesn't explicitly depend on violence of some kind, I think it's fucking nuts, particularly if it's on the strength of unproven allegations. Anyone got any Picasso prints, Kevin Spacey DVDs, etc?

    Are you really saying that what has come out about Spacey or Picasso does not stop you from enjoying their work?

    I’m pretty sure this is not a normal situation, it’s certainly not how I operate. How do you possibly separate what these people have done from their ‘art’ form? I can’t imagine looking at/watching/listening to something that someone has made and not immediately and involuntarily making the link to their actions.

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