h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

That dude with the entry in PR, the one about the dolls which skirts over all the racial issues, has now got you listed as one of the writers of the entry. Just thought you'd want to know so you can ask him to remove your name. It's be bad enough for it to get through PR and onto the front page without including the history you suggested- surely you don't want your name associated with it.

Why on earth would anyone put the names of everyone who's commented in PR down as the writers of the article? And if he wrote it, how come he's the editor?


I didn't think researchers could edit their own entires- if they could, I wouldn't have had to wait five years till Skankyrich finally made the necessary corrections to my Navy Pier entry (and it's because of all the editorial errors that were introduced *after* I submitted to PR and requests to correct were ignored, that I no longer have any interest in writing for the Guide).

Well spotted.

You know what vexes me?


Quite clearly the article was written with provocation (at least half) in mind. So what's a boy to do? Either keep shtum, go with the 'joke' and let it go through...or speak up and be labelled as a humourless and strident member of 'The PC Brigade'.

I asks you...who *is* this brigade? Ah, but you see, 'They' won't let you mention golliwogs. Well, guess what, bubba...'we' are most people. Specifically, me.


And that's why I've chosen to keep my comments reasonable. But the whole sorry thing stinks.

On a separate note...looks like The Artist Formerly Known As Christopher is in town next month.

It's a really poorly written entry anyway, so hopefully it won't survive the PR process.

I note the writer refers to the NAACP as "Advancement of Coloured Peoples". That's not the organization's correct name- and h2g2 standards don't require changing USAian spelling in a proper name to UKian spelling, either. Not to mention all the weird grammatical errors...

Surely it wouldn't make the front page in such a state anyway, but I agree that even if meant to be provocative, it should at least be reasonably accurate. And I would rather be unfairly labeled as politically correct than to turn a blind eye to crappy attitudes.


I'd never heard of the dolls in question prior to recent discussions around this entry-in-progress. But I've got an old Al Adamson movie from the 50s in which one of the leads, a little girl, has a doll called a Christy Minstrel. A little black doll, in minstrel clothing, who sings "Camptown Ladies, "Swanee River", etc. (I suspect the director added it for shock/camp value rather than to legitimize it). My mind reels at the idea that anyone, ever, thought it would be appropriate to fashion such toys for children.

Have you seen Spike Lee's 'Bamboozled'?

It sounds vaguely familiar, but I don't think I have.

Oh- and TAFKAC and I met in 2003. I visited that summer and again over the winter holidays, and he was good enough to put me up while I was there. Hope you'll get to meet for coffee or beer or something.

Oh, you must. See stills 2&3, plus the poster:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0215545/

I like Spike. Yes - I know he's annoying, but that's deliberate. He's a provocateur.

'Let The Right One In' opened here on Friday and has had glowing reviews. And I've just heard a Radio 4 review of 'In The Loop'.
'Congratulations for managing to find a clip that was fit to play on the radio...'

The quote I read was:
'He's a lubricated horse's cock!'

"Let the Right One In" was really good, I think.

"In The Loop", I hadn't heard about till now. Guess I'll have to check that out!

Spike... when he's on, he's on. Some of his films don't quite do anything for me.