Well, this is going to be fun

[neadods]

It occurs to me that come August I will have two essays in print, each of which presents and defends a viewpoint of a major character that a significant chunk of each respective fandom has told me is wrongheaded, incorrect, and bluntly to STFU about.

I'll just make plans to eat alone in the lunch room for a while, shall I?

Comments

[penguineggs.livejournal.com]

I'd be surprised if the DM wants the book to fail, specifically; more that it wants to position it as an external (notice the emphasis on the nationalities of the authors it references - I imagine there were British contributors, but you'd never know it from that) attack on a beloved British institution. To make that work they have to big up the book's role and credibility, since unless it's positioned as important it's not a credible threat.

And, of course, "thunderingly racist" plays into that narrative, because while one can discuss whether the product of a national, centrally funded broadcaster is in accordance with its charter on equality and diversity and what needs to be done to remedy programmes which fall short of that requirement, "thunderingly racist" material is like apartheid and the Hitler Youth; no-one can actually defend its existence at all(well actually the DM has in its time defended both apartheid and the Hitler Youth, but let that pass).

So the DM story is aimed at supporting a narrative which runs "Yank & Aussie academics clamour to have Doctor Who cancelled!"

[neadods.livejournal.com]

But without letting anyone think the book might be worth reading. And yes, there are British authors.

I get the impression that there's an undertone of "furriers don't understand our wonderful show." Staggering Stories is already under the impression that it was written by some Australian think tank.