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Thread: Split from Masks and Wings--Fiction by Anne Cain

  1. #1
    Misanthropic Anthropoid Xan's avatar
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    Default Split from Masks and Wings--Fiction by Anne Cain

    Moderator note: I split this from the original thread because it is off topic from the article. Please keep all off-topic comments out of the Front Page Forum.

    Quote Originally posted by Baldwin View post
    Interesting. About as derivative as it's possible to be without being fanfic, but once I got past that, I liked the character of Troy. It's hard to convey the idea of the nonhuman mind and still make a character sympathetic (something science fiction writers have been working on a lot the past eighty years).

    With Troy being not only a disguised demon, but gay, we're reminded that people in daily life are always putting on a set of behaviors like a costume, reminding themselves to do things that may not be in their basic natures in order to function in society. (Actually, I guess you can be openly gay in San Diego, but openly demonic might be a problem.)
    So do you plan to trash everyone's work on the front page?
    Last edited by pepperlandgirl; 21 Oct 2009 at 10:06 PM.

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    Oliphaunt Baldwin's avatar
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    Quote Originally posted by Xan View post
    So do you plan to trash everyone's work on the front page?
    No; I haven't trashed anybody's work so far, and certainly don't intend to.

    Do you plan to ask everybody questions based on cryptic non sequiturs?

  3. #3
    Misanthropic Anthropoid Xan's avatar
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    Quote Originally posted by Baldwin View post
    No; I haven't trashed anybody's work so far, and certainly don't intend to.

    Do you plan to ask everybody questions based on cryptic non sequiturs?
    Calling something derivative is pretty negative.

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    Banned
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    Just for the sake of full disclosure, I said this in chat about this incident:

    Quote Originally posted by me
    I have this kind of cringing embarrassment on his behalf because not only is it so totally obvious that he thinks that being Mr. Critic is going to make people think of him as the smart literary guy, what's even worse is he's so painfully bad at it.
    Look, Baldwin. You're the guy who was too dumb to figure out that the comically awful granny-porn story was trolling. If you can't read into a work deeply enough to figure even that out, you have no hopes of offering any genuine, useful, or interesting criticism. You clearly lack the capacity. You obviously -- and yes: it is so, so obvious -- want to be perceived as the smart literary critic guy, but every time you try, you just make it clearer that you are not.

    No one is fooled. Your intent to make yourself look sophisticated by just by complaining about whatever writing people share here was ill-conceived in the first place. But you compound it by how totally and obviously vacuous the things you say are. That's why everyone is responding so badly to what you say. You are just making yourself look like an idiot. Seriously, go back and reread your first response to Stacia Kane's story. Regardless of any issues with how Mellophant members should respond to outside writers who kindly donate their work to us -- and in fact, I think most people here would agree that interesting, well-done criticism would be of benefit -- what you posted was totally inadequate as any kind of response to a piece of literature. I said you must be embarrassed (though no, I didn't truly think you were) because anyone who has pretensions of performing even the most elementary literary criticism (much less what I'd like to see here) should be embarrassed to write such a jejune response.

    Maybe you place no value on getting along in this community, being liked, having a good time, or anything like that. But let me make it clear to you that everyone who saw what you wrote in response to those stories could see your intent to appear to be smart and literate and sophisticated. You did not succeed. Your attempt, I'm afraid, was a failure. We were not fooled. We will not be fooled if you do it again. You not only did not improve your popularity here, you did not improve our perception of your intelligence or literary skill.
    Last edited by Exy; 21 Oct 2009 at 10:31 PM.

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    I've had better days, but I don't care! hatesfreedom's avatar
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    Oh god, fuck you all for making me read that. Listen, it's a romantic short story between two gay men except one of them is some sort of flying man beast. What was that movie with the guy in leotards who sprouted wings or some shit, Brazil? I don't know. But there are things hatesfreedom hates:

    54. men with wings
    83. a society that doesn't get freaked out by crazy ass flying men

    Anyway, this is trailer trash fanfic romance. I'm not even sure how'd you do a short story romance anyway. Where's the emotional context, where's the character building and the struggle between coke bottling plant operator ted and openly gay sanitation worker jim? How am I supposed to know that Ted is secretly afraid of bottles!

    I'm going to write a better story right now.

    In west philadelphia, a boy, born and raised. On the playground is where this boy spent most of his days. He was chilling out, relaxing, maxing out his cool while playing some b-ball outside of the school. All of a sudden a couple of guys, who were up to no good started causing a trouble in his neighborhood. The boy was in a fight, and his mom became scared. So she moved him with his aunt and uncle in Bel Air.

  6. #6
    MOON GIRL FIGHTS CRIME Myrnalene's avatar
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    Quote Originally posted by Xan View post
    Calling something derivative is pretty negative.
    Actually calling someone's work
    Quote Originally posted by Baldwin
    About as derivative as it's possible to be without being fanfic
    is pretty breathtakingly nasty. Doing so in response to a featured guest article in a comment that will likely be one of the first things guests see when they come to the site is just destructive.

    Do you understand the point of the Front Page, Baldwin? It's to bring new users to the site. Every time pepper and Zuul update it, the guest views spike. The hope is, and what these authors might help us to do by volunteering their content for free and linking us in their blogs, is that we can turn these guests into posters. We desperately need new blood on this site, if you have not noticed. These people are doing us a favor. The Front Page is not a vehicle for you to try (and fail) to prove your superiority to anyone but you who has ever sat at a typewriter. No one cares how smart you think you are but you, fathead.

    Does that mean that NO criticism belongs in that forum? No. But your useless and patronizing head pats and catty snipes, and your acting as though you are everyone's high school English teacher, are not needed.

  7. #7
    A Football of Fate Jeff's avatar
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    Quote Originally posted by hatesfreedom View post
    I'm going to write a better story right now.

    In west philadelphia, a boy, born and raised. On the playground is where this boy spent most of his days. He was chilling out, relaxing, maxing out his cool while playing some b-ball outside of the school. All of a sudden a couple of guys, who were up to no good started causing a trouble in his neighborhood. The boy was in a fight, and his mom became scared. So she moved him with his aunt and uncle in Bel Air.
    I'd like to speak to you about adapting this short story into a prime-time television series. It has potential.

  8. #8
    MOON GIRL FIGHTS CRIME Myrnalene's avatar
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    Last edited by Myrnalene; 22 Oct 2009 at 03:12 PM.

  9. #9
    I've had better days, but I don't care! hatesfreedom's avatar
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    Quote Originally posted by Myrnalene View post
    Oh Baldwin, why are you so afraid of receiving criticism? The irony is staggering.
    :smug You know what's staggering?

    :smug My penis


  10. #10
    Oliphaunt jali's avatar
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    Quote Originally posted by hatesfreedom View post
    :smug You know what's staggering?

    :smug My penis

    Just one of the many reasons you're the best moderator ever!
    They weren't singing....they were just honking.
    Glee 2009

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