George Shelps wrote:
> rfcsac627n.RemoveThis@aol.com (Richard Carnahan)
> wrote:
>
> >>>Which was edited by David Totheroh
> >>>and Bonnie McCourt.
>
> >>Indeed, what has happened to Ms
> >>McCourt? She used to lumber out
> >>onto the group every so often to
> >>lambaste me.
>
> > I miss it.
>
> > I recall Ms. McCourt only posting once
> >and I don't remember you being
> >mentioned by name.
>
> You're right. She complained about
> what I was saying, but didn't mention
> my name.
What she wrote way back in 1998 was:
Although I never contribute to this discussion group, needing to put my
limited
time and energy into LIMELIGHT, I was delighted when this chat group
was
formed, and I have been a lurker here since the beginning. I know most
of you
who do participate, and have learned much from the discussions here.
But over
the past several months things have degenerated to an appaling, and
infantile
state on which I feel I must comment, because it is so upsetting to me.
What really focused this for me was the fact that I got an e-mail from
a guy
the other day asking if there was a place on-line where he could learn
about
Chaplin. I had to think long and hard before I told him about this chat
group,
and when I did, I prefaced it with a disclaimer about the terrible
behavior
here, saying that I could only hope that "new blood" might give you
all
something to pull you out of this HELL you've created. It made me
realize that
I am ashamed of you-of being associated with such a petty, negative
group of
people.
You call yourselves Chaplin fans. You seem to agree that the films the
man made
were wonderful. You seem to disagree about him as a person. Well I'm
not a
member of the Chaplin-can-do-no-wrong crowd. Mr. Chaplin did much in
his life
that could be considered "wrong." All I can say is, he, like
everyone else,
made mistakes. He was a HUMAN BEING-a human being who not only
survived a
potentially devastating childhood, but who also went on to survive
something
even more potentially destructive-fame, fortune and power at a very
young age.
(And don't discount this. I have seen, up close, the destructive
potential of
fame and power, and we all could make a list a mile long of those who
*didn't*
survive. How many movie stars of today do you think are "nice"
people?) I dare
say *none* of you could have survived that anywhere near as well, and
what's
more, I'd like to see you hold yourselves up to the impossible,
super-human
standards you set for Mr. Chaplin. Whether you agree with his
"political" views
or not, the man honestly and publicly spoke his mind about things he
truly
believed, and he paid dear consequences for those beliefs. He lived his
long
and productive life by his own rules, and that's what really pisses
you off.
And you members of the Chaplin-can-do-no-wrong crowd, I'm
particularly ashamed
of you. Didn't you learn from Joyce Milton (who has made a career out
of it!),
that there are petty frustrated people in this world who can only
empower
themselves by tearing down others who have really accomplished things?
They've
dragged you down to their level, diverted you with their constant
"I'm not, you
are" infantile game. This guy who e-mailed me was not interested in
LIMELIGHT,
he wanted to talk about Chaplin on-line. And THIS is the only forum he
will
see, something more akin to a 3 Stooges movie!! Why would anyone want
to
participate here? Why would anyone want to learn more about a man, if
this is
how the people who are his *fans* act, how they treat each other? Why
would
anyone want to spend their time wading through the muck in all these
hateful
posts that contain only name-calling and back-biting? WHY DO YOU WASTE
YOUR
TIME LIKE THIS? YOU'RE DESTROYING THE JOY CHAPLIN BROUGHT TO THE
WORLD!
Yes, I'm very angry, but you know, I feel better now. And don't
bother to waste
your time composing any slings and arrows to direct at me, because no
matter
what you write I will not respond. Instead of putting your mental
powers
towards composing an argument, or calling me inventive and vicious
name, you'd
be better to spend your time thinking, for a change, about what I've
said,
because, in any case, I will not reply. I'm taking my cue from my
hero-I'm
speaking my mind, realizing there will always be puny people who will
try and
twist words and feel the need to tear things down, and I'm moving on.
Actually I'm going back to working on LIMELIGHT, which I realize I
have been
neglecting because I have been questioning why I bother to put myself
through
all that effort for a bunch of people who act so shabbily towards each
other.
But you know what? I realize I've got to do it, even if it's just
for myself.
I've just picked myself up out of your slime pit, and like my hero,
I'm
brushing myself off and walking off down the road to a better place.
Who wants to join me?
Bonnie McCourt
Editor of LIMELIGHT, the quarterly publication of the Charlie Chaplin
Film
Company, a society of Chaplin ENTHUSIASTS
>> Stay informed about: Whatever happened to "Limelight" magazine? 
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