I hate drama. Absolutely detest it. I hate encouraging drama. I hate acknowledging it (especially on the blog, though some instances of stupidity truly get me fired up, as you've seen in the past). And yet despite my aversion to encouraging such pettiness, I find myself craving to step up and post about this since it pertains to both readers and writers (published and unpublished too). I think we can all learn from this situation and walk away as better people from it.
When I think of authors interacting with fans, I always get this warm and fuzzy feeling inside. It's so nice when one is granted the opportunity to connect with her/her favorite author whether it be via Twitter, email, or in person. Usually, they're so sweet and kind and you want nothing more than to give them a HUGE hug for making you, the reader, feel like you mean something (even though you're usually both complete strangers). For those of you who do that, please continue! Your attitude definitely affects whether or not I buy your next book. Being nice to me means I might even buy your book if the most recent was not as enjoyable for me.
...Then there are instances like today that make me hate interacting with authors. These sorts of interactions make me see red. Smoke streams out of my nostrils as I begin breathing fire. If I could, I would probably turn into a chupacabra or a kraken and eat some unsuspecting sailor or animal in an attempt to calm my rage. Fortunately for humanity, I cannot.
Authors are, contrary to popular belief, human. They have wants and needs and get mad, just like the rest of us. They are also particularly vulnerable to the comments people make about their books, which is what I will be discussing today.
So yeah, it happens. An author receives a not so happy review and/or comment from a reader. Sometimes the reader means harm. Sometimes they're simply providing some constructive criticism. And sometimes, they don't mean anything at all by the random, flippant side comment they made along with all the praise they showered upon the author.
Whatever it is the reader did, the author has a few different ways to react: A) Ignore it and bottle it up; B) Ignore it and rant to a trusted friend or two (which is what most sane authors do); and C) Confront the reader about it (DON'T DO IT).
Earlier today, I was lurking on Twitter, procrastinating from reading a not-so-great book I'll eventually need to review. That's when I saw Aly (blueicefiesta) make a comment about drama. So, curious, I investigated.
Apparently Cassandra Clare decided to confront a fan pertaining to her flippant comment about Clary being a bitch. I won't post the entire conversation here, but from what I read, CC was extremely unprofessional in the way she approached the situation. Granted, it IS hard to discern the tone most people have while online, but the way she phrased her response definitely came off as -- *gasp* oh the irony -- bitchy.
Basically, CC decided to make a general statement about people labeling heroines as bitches and whores. Okay, fine, I can understand why she would do that. I have a problem with the ease most people -- myself included -- use those terms and phrases when describing a female, whether she be real or imaginary. I hate how the male characters in the stories can act the same way and go relatively unscathed when analyzed by readers. I truly believe where authors are coming from when they complain about that.
What I was not okay with was how she then proceeded to publicly confront the reader who decided to make a comment. Not only that, but she responded in a snooty fashion (check her Twitter page here) to her FAN. So snooty, in fact, that she upset her fan. She then proceeded to be rude to her friend who decided to stick up for the first reader, all while claiming that she should not be silent about this sort of topic because she needs to set an example.
How honorable.
That's what pisses me off. If you have a problem with something someone says, suck it up. You're an author. You're expected to receive the bad with the good. And if you feel the undeniable urge to discuss this with said reader, the best approach would be to not publicly humiliate him/her, but to contact them privately. But really, ignoring the situation or venting to a trusted friend is the best approach.
I do not think people understand the repercussions of being rude online. EVERYONE will hear about it... whether or not you're famous or infamous. You're particularly vulnerable when you are famous. Crap like this can ruin one's career, though I don't think it will hurt CC much considering how popular she is.
What makes me even angrier is the fact that CC is a YA author. She has so many fans and most of them are teenagers... teenagers who bought HER BOOKS and made her as famous as she is today via word of mouth and such praise. She should be setting an example by being the better person in this situation. And, if she wants to discuss such a topic (such as heroines = bitches), then she should do so generally instead of honing in on one or two people. She claims that's what she was doing, but it's clear that the reader's comment about Clary is what sparked her drama llama fest. At least, that's how I interpreted the entire conversation.
In my eyes, she was being a cyber bully. It's not right to make anyone feel that way.... which happens to be the point of this post. When confronted with a negative statement about your work, be professional about it. Either ignore it, or, if you're a glutton for punishment, politely ask the negative nancy why they felt that way. By being so rude, you're alienating your readers and turning potential readers away from your work.
To those of you who have dealt with an author reacting in such an immature fashion, I just wanted to tell you this one thing (which happens to be what an author friend, who shall remain anonymous, stated):
"Not all authors are douchebags about negative comments."
And it's the truth. I hate when authors do something like this and make the rest look bad. Just ignore the ones who are; they're not worth your time or money.
As for me, I was never truly a huge fan of Cassandra Clare's work. I was going to give her new series a shot, but I'm not even interested in reading that now.
About the Author
Great post,Tori.I agree with you 100%.I will not say anything else for fear of sounding "bitchy" (we wouldn't want that!) so I'm just gonna leave it at that ;)
ReplyDeleteYour awesome for posting this , i completely agree and you couldn't have said it better. *hugs*
ReplyDeleteI'll admit I felt a lil iffy when I saw her tweets. But I guess its hard not to stand up for your work sometimes. But I think she could have handled it better. And the offending tweets really weren't that offensive to have a whole rant.
ReplyDeleteI always miss all the drama. And for that I am incredibly glad. You do know you're feeding the negativity though by posting her name and what she did. Just saying.
ReplyDelete<3 you though girl! Oh, and fantastic use of chupacabra. Don't see that enough. ;)
After reading most of the tweets in question (thanks Tori!) I think this is something that got waaay out of control. The girl was just tweeting what she felt - in 140 words or less...which is not an easy way to do things. She loved the book.
ReplyDeleteCC has a valid point and it would be great to discuss that topic sometime - at lenghth - not on Twitter.
Great post Tori!
I can't even believe that I'm reading this, but here I am.
ReplyDeleteCassandra Clare is not getting defensive because it's her character getting bashed. She's calling out the MANY fans (not just the one licking her wounds right now and getting a lot of undeserved sympathy) who are very critical of female characters but forgive the same flaws in male characters. This is a symptom of the mysogyny that's deeply ingrained in our society, and she doesn't want to put up with it. I applaud her for speaking up about it, even though the criticism was coming from a fan.
She's not just some trashy teen lit author, out to be consumed. She wants her readers to take something with them, and sexism is not it.
I agree with you. Honestly, I don't even think her comments could be considered the least bit sexist. To say that everyone forgives these traits in male characters is just false. I personally, as well as many other reviewers, call male characters out on their attitudes all the time. To assume that we aren't allowed to negatively judge the main character of the story, just because they happen to be female, is ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteThanks Giota and Aly :)
ReplyDeleteApril, I totally understand. I couldn't believe what I read initially. And yeah, she went on a tirade... she shouldn't have acknowledged the two.
Amanda, I know. I wasn't going to do it at first, but a bunch of people read it in the first place.
Karen, thanks. I agree. What she was speaking about (when not addressing the two readers) was a very interesting and important topic. I just wished she didn't talk that way to the two fans.
Janefire - try reading the relevant tweets again. She lashed out at that one tweeter, who was a fan, and she really did lash out. Defending a character is one thing, but she interpreted a tweet badly and instead of handling it with due grace and professionalism, it was done so harshly she's lost herself fans and many potential readers. You're right in one excellent respect - I too applaud her for having an eye on that sort of misogynistic view of female characters by girls and women, but lashing out at a fan who simply didn't like Clary does that position absolutely no service at all. There is a difference between deeply ingrained bias and personal opinion.
ReplyDeleteI can't even believe that I'm reading this, but here I am.
ReplyDeleteAnd I cannot believe you just said what you said, but here I am.
Cassandra Clare is not getting defensive because it's her character getting bashed.She's calling out the MANY fans (not just the one licking her wounds right now and getting a lot of undeserved sympathy) who are very critical of female characters but forgive the same flaws in male characters. This is a symptom of the mysogyny that's deeply ingrained in our society, and she doesn't want to put up with it. I applaud her for speaking up about it, even though the criticism was coming from a fan.
Whoa, okay.
Janefire, did I ever say she got defensive because of her characters? If so, copy and paste the exact line where I said that. If not, please stop putting words into my mouth and read what I actually wrote.
I have no problem with her trying to promote great values like the ones you listed. In fact, I actually AGREED in my post that I think it's a great thing to do. I also agreed with her in regards to the subject of judging girls and not judging guys. More power to CC for speaking up about that. Again, go read my post, I never criticized CC for that.
What I have a problem with is the way she spoke to two of her fans. She had no reason to turn around and go into a whole slew of shit while on Twitter.
She's not just some trashy teen lit author
Who the hell said she was? Lol.
Another Book Junkie- I agree. Sometimes people judge the MC. Sometimes they judge whoever's being an idiot in the book. It's not ALL restricted to just the heroine, though I do see just as many reviewers being overly critical of the heroine and not the hero.
ReplyDeleteKallichore, thanks for stepping in to say something.
I too applaud her for having an eye on that sort of misogynistic view of female characters by girls and women, but lashing out at a fan who simply didn't like Clary does that position absolutely no service at all. There is a difference between deeply ingrained bias and personal opinion.
I couldn't have said this better myself.
I'm really not understanding the drama. A reader spoke out and an author got testy. Was this the first time someone has said something negative about their work? And the thing is the reader LOVES the books. If I were an author I wouldn't care if my readers wanted to string up my main character and flog them in the street...if they love the books, what in the world is the problem? The fact is, it's totally unprofessional to attack your readers? I don't see publishing companies screaming at bloggers if they give bad reviews, and I shouldn't see it from authors either. being a Bitch and can several things in my eyes.
ReplyDelete1. A female dog
2. Someone who is snarky about every little thing
3. A strong female voice
Since when is bitch a horrible thing? I am a huge bitch and it doesn't bother me at all :)
Nikki, I'm a bitch too. Whatever ;)
ReplyDeleteI agree, there are plenty of people out there who don't like her work, I don't see why she singled those two people out.
And anyway, if a reader thought one of the characters was a bitch or an asshole or a douchebag no good player, then the author succeeded in one way: by eliciting a response out of the reader. At least she succeeded in that regard.
And yeah, the person loved her books... that's what kills me.
I caught the general tweets about the subject of calling a character bitch/whore etc and was wondering about it. While I completely agree with her point, twitter was not a good place to voice it like that because there is no room for real explination. Her handling of the 2 fans involved after though is terrible form. Completely agree with you there Tori, great post :)
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHi Tori,
ReplyDeleteSorry, I should have made it clear what I was responding to! I read in the comments someone say that "It's hard not to stand up for your work sometimes". I should have quoted so you knew I didn't mean you when I made that comment. Also, I realise that you said you agree with CC about mysogyny - perhaps I should have acknowledged that. I still stand by my comments, just should have directed them more clearly.
I know you're not saying she's a trashy teen lit author :) I'm just making the point that she's not just there to please the fans - which I know you realise, I'm only saying that for the benefit of anyone who may be of the opinion that because someone is a loyal fan, an author shouldn't criticise their opinions.
.
ReplyDeleteI totally disagree. I think that it's big problem that people think it's ok to call heroines sluts, whores, or bitches without just cause. It is a misogyny that permeates in our society and I think an author should speak out about in general.
ReplyDeleteI don't think the exchange between them was uncivil and it made the girl who made the remarks think about what she didn't like about the character. Defaulting to the word "bitch" just because you don't like a girl is horrible and shows how our society views women. Not liking a character is fine, but describe what you don't like about them instead of using sexist slurs. I don't think she was out of line at all. Her response was to think before you make remarks like that. Is that so horrible? Thinking before you speak?
I've never read any of her books, so I'm not just some fan that's defending her. I think highlighting something that's wrong with our society is something worthwhile and something a person with many fans should do.
Jane dear if you didn't like her post then you sure as hell aint gunna like mine #ohyeah
ReplyDeleteCem, I think if anything, she should have made a blog post pertaining to her points about the male/female differences.
ReplyDeleteDee, I'm not a huge fan of her books. I usually tend to ignore her tweets anyway (not really interested in all her Q&A). People have been telling me all day today after that little outburst that she's been bitchy to her fans often enough -- the past month in particular. I don't think she should be on social media if that's the attitude she's going to assume when talking to the people who made her what she is today.
Janefire, it's okay, thank you for clarifying! I still believe that an author should not comment on individual statements. She should have kept the entire thing impersonal/anonymous for the best results... though making a blog post, where should could have explained all her reasons in complete detail would have been best.
Yeah, good idea. I guess it's difficult when you're making a whole bunch of separate tweets because it's hard to get your point across in one go. I saw that she took a moment to make herself clear to the girl who made the comment, that she means a lot of fans in general and not just her. I thought it was a good explanation.
ReplyDeleteI just want to add one more thing to this discussion.
ReplyDeleteA couple of CC's tweets:
"childish in her dealings toward Jace" = "bitch because she makes my beloved male character unhappy."
"Although if you have some unique definition of bitch that no one else ever uses, what does it mean? And how is Clary childish?"
People are missing the point. It isn't her addressing the issue, it's HOW she addressed it.
I totally disagree. I think that it's big problem that people think it's ok to call heroines sluts, whores, or bitches without just cause. It is a misogyny that permeates in our society and I think an author should speak out about in general.
ReplyDeleteTitania86, what are you disagreeing with me about? The fact that I believe CC is in the wrong for singling a few fans out, or what? Because I said that what CC was arguing about -- the bitches and the whores and the sluts -- is fine. In fact, I even said I applauded her for doing so.
I don't think the exchange between them was uncivil and it made the girl who made the remarks think about what she didn't like about the character. Defaulting to the word "bitch" just because you don't like a girl is horrible and shows how our society views women. Not liking a character is fine, but describe what you don't like about them instead of using sexist slurs. I don't think she was out of line at all. Her response was to think before you make remarks like that. Is that so horrible? Thinking before you speak?
Think before making remarks like that... perhaps CC should have thought about how she phrased certain things.
Did you read the entire exchange between the fan/CC/the fan's friend? CC sounded defensive to numerous people. The fact of the matter is, whether or not she wanted to teach a lesson, she should have done so in a general way. Singling someone out is not going to get your point across. Making someone feel bad about what they said is not going to get your point across (especially since the girl STILL does not know what she did wrong). By reacting the way CC did, she hurt someone's feelings AND never truly got her point across to that one particular fan.
Besides, handling the entire situation on Twitter is not the mature, professional, successful way to approach it. If she wants to get her point across, writing a blog post about it would have been better.
The fact of the matter is, people are going to think things about book characters. They're going to view some heroines as bitches, some heroines as whores, some heroes as assholes, ad some heroes as douchebags. An author calling one fan out is NOT going to make a difference... the author is simply going to ostracize/humiliate the fan, and people are going to get pissed about it.
I've never read any of her books, so I'm not just some fan that's defending her. I think highlighting something that's wrong with our society is something worthwhile and something a person with many fans should do.
Again, what are you disagreeing with? I pretty much applauded CC for speaking up. I simply did not agree with her singling out one or two people. Those sorts of methods -- especially on the internet -- rarely ever work.
Yeah, good idea. I guess it's difficult when you're making a whole bunch of separate tweets because it's hard to get your point across in one go.
ReplyDeleteVery difficult to form a coherent argument in 140 tweets :( And when it's anything longer, people miss certain parts of the discussion.
ReplyDeleteA couple of CC's tweets:
"childish in her dealings toward Jace" = "bitch because she makes my beloved male character unhappy."
"Although if you have some unique definition of bitch that no one else ever uses, what does it mean? And how is Clary childish?"
People are missing the point. It isn't her addressing the issue, it's HOW she addressed it.
Oh that first tweet... I loved how she just made an assumption like that. Didn't she ask the fan what she thought a bitch meant? Sigh. *head desk*
The issue itself, addressing the problems with how society views females, is definitely not the issue. I think most people who have visited today can agree that there is in fact a problem with the general attitude towards women nowadays.
The problem with CC's situation is HOW she addressed the situation.
I don't feel that the fan and her friend were ostracized or humiliated. I read the tweets and I think it was just blown way out of proportion. I don't think CC was offensive at all. I disagree with your claim that she was being a cyberbully. People can think what they want about characters, like I said, but defaulting to slurs instead of articulating what you don't like about them is wrong.
ReplyDeleteI also think it's wrong that over this one little incident you're saying that she makes other authors look bad. It was a misunderstanding and she apologized to the girl.
&& I personally thought those tweets sounded condescending. Maybe she didn't mean it the way I'm taking it (though I doubt that), but if that's the case, she should pay more attention to the way she words things. She's the one telling people "words--that's your job." She should take her own advice.
ReplyDeleteI don't feel that the fan and her friend were ostracized or humiliated. I read the tweets and I think it was just blown way out of proportion. I don't think CC was offensive at all. I disagree with your claim that she was being a cyberbully. People can think what they want about characters, like I said, but defaulting to slurs instead of articulating what you don't like about them is wrong.
ReplyDeleteTitania86, if you were a teenager and were talking to your favorite author, who then turned around and chastised you for something that you did not mean in a rude way, how would you react?
They're characters... please stop being high and mighty about book characters. People are entitled to feel however they want about fictional characters, and they're allowed to STATE how they feel about those characters... just like they're entitled to feel however they do about real life people.
Does that mean they're right for voicing those opinions about real life people? Not always. Book characters? Hell yes, because it's a work of fiction. It's not real. You're not hurting anyone's feelings.
Re cyber bully: that's how she came off to me. It's all how one reads the conversation the two had *shrug*
I also think it's wrong that over this one little incident you're saying that she makes other authors look bad. It was a misunderstanding and she apologized to the girl.
First, I wrote this post before the apology. Pointing that out now is a moot point.
Second, there are plenty of people who suffer one bad experience and then make harsh generalizations about groups. 9/11 and the general American view of Muslims? Americans and illegal immigrants? How about the kids at Columbine, who were bullied and on anti-depressants? I know those are all extremes, and this situation was not in comparison, but you push ONE person the wrong way, and you never know when someone's going to crack.
All it takes is for someone to make you feel bad, for whatever reason, and you can swear something off. You see it with children all the time; a teacher will call on someone who doesn't know the answer. The child -- even high school or college student -- feels mortified bc he/she doesn't know the answer, and the person refuses to ever answer something ever again because they got embarrassed.
Different situation than what happened here, but I know some people aren't always mature enough to make the mental note that not all authors are the same. I made that last statement for the teenagers, who do not talk to authors often, so that they know for a fact that not everyone reacts like she did.
Then again, you do not think CC did anything wrong. I think, for the sake of both our sanity, that we should agree to disagree.
ABJ - the apologies, or her tweets in general? I thought both were a bit condescending, TBH. It seemed like she was lecturing the fan in her apology... but I suppose people can just call me cynical :)
ReplyDeleteShe should def pay attention to the way she words things. If a statement can easily be interpreted as something rude, you better be sure as hell SOMEONE is going to think she's being a rude ass beeyotch.
Okayy... She was just plain rude, like many others i have noticed this about her many times, there was nothing civil about anything she said, i actually was a fan so if anyone didn't want to accept the truth it was me, but when you talk the talk hunni you gotta walk that shit to. she apologized when she found out the reaction her tweets had caused, had there been no reaction hell no she would have not apologized, the damage is done, i am no longer a fan as well as many others. And that's as they say boo boo is a wrap
ReplyDeleteWhen I saw the title I knew exactly who the author would be. I actually unfollowed her a few days ago because so many of her tweets seemed negative and a little mean.
ReplyDeleteI check my favorite blogs for book recommendations. I found tons of great new authors this way. Sometimes, I follow the authors on twitter. I have gotten a couple of replies from authors. =) As a result, I love them even more and have bought every book they have written.
This author had the opposite effect on me. I have had no interaction with her, other than the tweets that were in my twitter feed. I actually had Clockwork Angel in my hand at the bookstore last week, but decided to get Torment instead. Despite the good reviews, her tweets made me feel iffy about her and her books.
Did I read a different tweet than everyone else? I read where she called Clary a bitch.
ReplyDeleteA bitch. No hidden social implications or political agenda. No anti-feminist undertones or indepth musings on gender double standards. She just said she was a bitch.
Reading back on the posts, I don't think CC was overly rude. However, I think it's something that has been bugging her and it stewed just long enough that when one more person said something she had an excuse to hop on up on her virtual soap box and rant. THAT threw the whole thing out of proportion.
I'm glad she apologized (sort of) to the reader. As a book blogger who will say whatever I damn well please about what I read, I like my authors to have a bit more backbone and self-respect than to get all in a huff over an opinion.
Heather, I feel the same exact way you do. The second an author is unprofessional/snaps at a reader, I'm almost always done with him/her. It's nothing personal, but there are so many other authors out there that I'm sure I can support an author who I feel deserves my money.
ReplyDeleteNope, Jane, we read the same tweet. It was an innocent comment on the fan's part. There were no negative connotations associated with the word bitch in that instance. If there were, then I think I might be blind. And stupid. And maybe even retarded.
As for her being overly rude, I think it's all in the eyes of the beholder. Some view her as heroic, others view her as the villain, and yet others are apathetic about it. All I think is that the situation was handled poorly on her behalf. The tweet wasn't even a review per se...
ABJ - the apologies, or her tweets in general? I thought both were a bit condescending, TBH. It seemed like she was lecturing the fan in her apology... but I suppose people can just call me cynical :)
ReplyDeleteThe tweets in general, but yeah the apologies too. I feel as though she apologized only b/c people are upset about it. I doubt she really feels bad for it.
I'll be honest. I have her books. I bought them, so this isn't going to stop me from reading them. I hear they're fantastic. I hope this whole situation doesn't prevent me from being able to enjoy them.
People call me cynical too. Actually it's more often "bitch". But I don't see it as a bad thing. I'm strong in my convictions, and I stand up for what I believe in. I'm honest. This makes me a bitch in the eyes of many. That's fine with me. Call me a slut or a whore, that's a different story. :)
I've been rudely critiqued by a critic and I didn't curse them back. I merely vented with a close friend and replied to the critic "thank you for your help and God Bless to you." Then the critic replied back critiquing that God doesn't bless to anyone.
ReplyDeleteI was like wow, this critic got some personal issues.
lol Cameron that is some funny stuff or not jut funny the way you said it :D i think you handled that amazingly well and it does seem like the person was frankly taking the piss even after you were nice to them after their comment so kudos to you for being the bigger person, well god sure don't bless the critique that's for sure! lol
ReplyDeleteI feel as though she apologized only b/c people are upset about it. I doubt she really feels bad for it.
ReplyDeleteI feel that way too. If she was sorry, I think she would have apologized wayyy earlier. Before everyone started gossiping about it.
I'll be honest. I have her books. I bought them, so this isn't going to stop me from reading them. I hear they're fantastic. I hope this whole situation doesn't prevent me from being able to enjoy them.
I wasn't a fan of the books. I never truly felt connected with any of the characters. The story itself kind of fell flat for me. I'm in the minority.
People call me cynical too. Actually it's more often "bitch". But I don't see it as a bad thing. I'm strong in my convictions, and I stand up for what I believe in. I'm honest. This makes me a bitch in the eyes of many. That's fine with me. Call me a slut or a whore, that's a different story. :)
LOL someone calls me a slut or a whore and they get a fist in the face ;) I think that's what CC was trying to get at though, in her own misguided way: people use the term bitch way too loosely/easily nowadays. I'm a bitch too though :P
LOL omg Cameron, sorry to hear that. I'm so glad you were mature about it though. Says a lot about your character :)
ReplyDeleteI'm not even sure who CC is. Her name sounds fimiliar but if she just writes young adult books I know I haven't read her work. I don't care if the woman made an apologey; do people really think she apologized because she really felt sorry for her comments? No, she saw the damage her reaction caused and had one of those "Oh sh!t I have to fix this!" moments.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, love the whole Kraken comment... poor unsuspecting sailors. LOL. Chin up chicky, your post is awesome. Not b!tchy at all.
LOL someone calls me a slut or a whore and they get a fist in the face ;) I think that's what CC was trying to get at though, in her own misguided way: people use the term bitch way too loosely/easily nowadays. I'm a bitch too though :P
ReplyDeleteHahaha, exactly!!
I agree. I think she really did have a positive message she was trying to get across, she just chose a poor time and way to present that message. Truthfully, I don't think her or anyone else could change the way society views and uses the term. It will probably just get used more and more loosely, until it has no effect on anyone. I'm already to the point that I don't think twice about the word. The terms "slut" and "whore" imply promiscuity, and from what I understand of Clary, those terms wouldn't apply to her in any way. So I can see how that would actually offend her. I think from her point of view as a writer, that would put a negative spin on her characters. However, with "bitch", you can give a dirty look and someone could consider you a bitch from then on. I think there's a bigger gray area associated with that term.
Wow...rambling :)
Cassandra Clarie has always made me uneasy. I read her first book and like it but I had read about her before she came out. It is intresting. I am not sure what is ture and what is made up by people to make her look bad.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.fanhistory.com/wiki/Cassandra_Claire
I don't care if the woman made an apologey; do people really think she apologized because she really felt sorry for her comments? No, she saw the damage her reaction caused and had one of those "Oh sh!t I have to fix this!" moments.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, love the whole Kraken comment... poor unsuspecting sailors. LOL. Chin up chicky, your post is awesome. Not b!tchy at all.
Jessica, the timing of her... apology is fairly questionable. Regardless of whether or not it was genuine, at least she apologized.
LOL, the Kraken/Chupacabra comment was a moment of pure genius ;)
Oh and Jessica, thank you for the kind compliment!
ReplyDeleteI agree. I think she really did have a positive message she was trying to get across, she just chose a poor time and way to present that message. Truthfully, I don't think her or anyone else could change the way society views and uses the term. It will probably just get used more and more loosely, until it has no effect on anyone. I'm already to the point that I don't think twice about the word.
Look on the bright side, people aren't using words like c*nt and those horrible words. Give me bitch any day. And if you call me a bitch, I'll give you a reason to think I am. Simple as that.
Alas, positive message or no, the execution was poorly done. Let's just hope she learns her lesson and is a bit more civil towards her readers now.
You know, I posted some of my work on sort of a contest site and someone said my heroine was whiny. I didn't throw a hissy fit. Writing is subjective and people need to realize that negative feedback is going to happen.
ReplyDeleteHi Rhiannon, thanks for stopping by! And I agree. If anything, I would want to know why they thought my heroine was a bitch, or a slut, or a whiny little brat. Then again, if my work was published, I think I would simply shrug it off and accept the fact that I cannot please everyone and be happy that I at least garnered some reaction out of a reader.
I doubt that CC got a free pass to publishing. I'm sure she had to hear a lot of no's and a lot of negative things about her books LONG before they were published. The question is, if she could take that criticism, how could she turn around and attack a fan?
It just seems counter productive to the image that all YA authors try to portray.
Everyone does. She's also a successful author at this point. Maybe the fame just got to her head.
Thanks Tori for bringing light to the subject. I will stick to the golden rule that if I have nothing nice to say about an author I will say nothing at all. If it's a reader, I always let their opinion be their opinion.
I agree. As an author, it's better to just feign ignorance in these sorts of situations. Or step up on the soap box and rant about the general sentiment.
Cassandra Clarie has always made me uneasy. I read her first book and like it but I had read about her before she came out. It is intresting. I am not sure what is ture and what is made up by people to make her look bad.
ReplyDeleteCynthia, thanks for commenting.
Some people will enjoy her work, and others won't. Some will believe the plagiarism comments, and others will choose to ignore them. She's not the only author out there. She's not one of the best out there, either.
I read the books in her series, and then heard about all the fanfiction.net accusations. After that, I was somewhat uncomfortable with her too. My motto is: if she makes you uncomfortable, then just avoid her work :)
I am also bother because the fan did not say Whore or slut. She just said bitch.
ReplyDeleteI have one more thought. I get the gender issues. I try not to call people whores or sluts. As for bitch I want to know what she wants her character called. A jerk, an unpleasant person, belligerent, unreasonable, rudely intrusive or aggressive, mean spirited, cruel. There are bad people in this world and also people who are just plain jerks. What do we call them?
ReplyDeleteAssholes ;) or fucktards. Choose your poison.
ReplyDeleteSo according to you, everyone should walk on eggshells and hope and pray not to push someone the wrong way for fear of them making gross generalizations based on one bad experiences. No thanks.
ReplyDeleteAh, caught a snippet of that on twitter, had to resist the urge to tweet to her that I thought Will was an ass. BUT, let's not get into that.
ReplyDeleteMmm, I'm contemplating if authors should feel so protective of their characters. I mean, yes, you created them, but after that, and writing them, you can't defend them from every readers' thoughts. There's bound to be some readers the characters don't appeal to. I'd think it's the same as watching a character on T.V "Oh, Blair's such a bitch!" and so on.
Of course, then the debate comes down to how flippantly that word is being used.
She's right about the misogyny in readers, but then, it comes off as how female characters are written, compared to male characters, right?
Wow, long reply. Not sure I made sense... But awesome post!
oh yes titania that is pretty much it, it would seem, you should follow that advice to for a non fan you seem very fan girly, ohhhh i love the fucktard word very enlightening Tori! lol
ReplyDeleteI think CC would have had a much better response if she had made a blog post about reader misogyny, rather than doing the Twitter Soapbox Rant.
ReplyDeleteAn issue like what she was TRYING to get across - in a poorly constructed way, in my opinion, because she only had 140 chars to do so - came across badly. And it came across badly because, even though she claims it was not directed at one person, it was certainly that exchange that broke the camels back. It looked unprofessional. When I read it, I didn't for a second buy that it wasn't directed at the girl who called Clary a bitch.
If she had made a blog post about having received those comments, and addressed it at a venue that allows for explanation and proper expression of her opinion, I would have felt less iffy about her response. A blog would have made it seem more like she was responding to ALL of the people who called her characters bitches, whores, or whatever. This looked like bullying a single person, and that apology looked like she was grasping for straws.
That is not to say I don't entirely disagree with CC's opinion. Heroines always get judged more harshly than the heroes. Heroes can get away with murder, creepy stalking, and misogyny. Those qualities in a heroine would make her despised. I DO think this is an issue, and it's one other authors have certainly expressed in their blogs. CC did NOT say it as well as they did.
So according to you, everyone should walk on eggshells and hope and pray not to push someone the wrong way for fear of them making gross generalizations based on one bad experiences. No thanks.
ReplyDeleteNot at all, and the fact that you even suggested that I would think that has insulted me.
You're not getting the point of this discussion. Like I've said before, I think it would be best that we agree to disagree.
Dazzling, thank you. I'm not concerned about how she reacts to the relationship between her readers and her characters. Every author feels a little upset, I think, when a reader thinks about one's character in the opposite way they're intended.
ReplyDeleteShe's right about the misogyny in readers, but then, it comes off as how female characters are written, compared to male characters, right?
Females versus males, yes. The face of the matter is, her Soap Box tired was the incorrect way to handle the situation. It's unfortunate :/
Thanks Aly. Don't bother responding to Titania anymore. It's clear she's not getting the point of the argument.
ReplyDeleteI think CC would have had a much better response if she had made a blog post about reader misogyny, rather than doing the Twitter Soapbox Rant.
100% agree with you. It would have gotten her points across more clearly, also.
An issue like what she was TRYING to get across - in a poorly constructed way, in my opinion, because she only had 140 chars to do so - came across badly. And it came across badly because, even though she claims it was not directed at one person, it was certainly that exchange that broke the camels back. It looked unprofessional. When I read it, I didn't for a second buy that it wasn't directed at the girl who called Clary a bitch.
Again, I agree with you 100%.
If she had made a blog post about having received those comments, and addressed it at a venue that allows for explanation and proper expression of her opinion, I would have felt less iffy about her response. A blog would have made it seem more like she was responding to ALL of the people who called her characters bitches, whores, or whatever. This looked like bullying a single person, and that apology looked like she was grasping for straws.
Exactly. The problem was, she started off the entire thing by speaking to people in general. But then, by responding to the fan, she began to single people out. I am not condoning this behavior either, but it would almost be better to call out ALL the people who have bad mouthed Clary in a negative (read: bitch/slut/whore) way. Then one would see an increased amount of outrage amongst the fans, then.
That is not to say I don't entirely disagree with CC's opinion. Heroines always get judged more harshly than the heroes. Heroes can get away with murder, creepy stalking, and misogyny. Those qualities in a heroine would make her despised. I DO think this is an issue, and it's one other authors have certainly expressed in their blogs. CC did NOT say it as well as they did.
I never disagreed with the point CC was trying to make, just the way she went about expressing that point. It was unprofessional, and she made a fan -- someone who supported her -- uncomfortable/unhappy. Nobody should make another feel like that for any reason... especially a book character.