Dammit Jim, I’m a blogger not a doctor. Yes, the only white jacket I own has sleeves that buckle in the back. That’s because…I’m a kerfuffleholic. Maybe you are, too. Take this brief test to find out.
- Are you a regular reader of sites that specialize in reporting on sexual shenanigans in the sf field?
- Are you relieved whenever a news item provides a socially justified excuse to vent your rage?
- Do you spend time seeking out comments by troglodytes so you can tweet the links to your friends, although your reaction if one of them said the same thing to you in person would be to take out a temporary restraining order to keep them away?
- If someone posts a link collection about a kerfuffle do you have to click on them all?
- Do you resent it when there are not enough details supplied about the alleged behavior?
- Do you resent it when any details are given at all?
- When there are already several comments on a post, is your need to add another to straighten everyone out practically irresistible?
SCORE: If you answered two or more of these “Yes,” then you are officially a kerfuffleholic. Feel free to order yourself one of those bicorne hats with the “N” on the front.
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Oh, someone found Bruce’s ‘list’ and is updating it?
I scored a miserable one. Maybe you should have added more questions? Now I’ll have to send a link to all my friends to bitch about it…
There, that gets me up to a respectable three…
Taral: That’s the spirit!
“Kerfuffleholism”, or the compulsive need to engage in Politically Correct neopuritanical outrage is one possibility, and the most likely, in fandom and the SFWA. The other, which many tried to dismiss, was Jerry Pournelle’s mention of Erica Jong’s observations on the too-empathic outspoken feminist male. I’ve known characters like that, especially one from my college years, C. S., who lived in our mostly leftwing student co-op back in the late ’70’s. He used to brag behind the backs of the extremely intelligent but naive feminist women he would seduce what easy targets they made, as long as he churned out the right script. Even the most conservative and somewhat sexist guys among us were disgusted by his act, but he had astonishing success with it.
I think I was guilty of some Poor judgement Behavior when much younger, though those instances only seem to have appeared in mimeo print decades ago in APA 69, which I was only told about (and under another name). Else, I read the reports of others’ bad behavior but avoid commenting if I’m not involved.
Yeah, I met Walter Breen and Marion Zimmer Bradley at Lunacon 1972, but my observations and interactions would contribute nothing to the messy recently resurfaced case file.
I’ve been using “outrage addict”.
While I think that’s a catchy term for an online conversation, I went with something”-holic” because the acting out could be from several sources — which are united here in the way the pain is being medicated.
“Scandal junkies”, perhaps?
Since there is already a “Screen Junkies” website and YouTube channel for fans of fannish films, similar for “Scandal Junkies” cannot be far behind. Bruce, you’re now a member of the group of sf writers who [probably – YMMV] made accurate predictions about the future.
Congratulations on belonging to this select group. Any time you’re in the same class as Robert A. Heinlein and Sir Arthur C. Clarke,, you make take pride!