Comments on: The Card We’re Dealt

By: l-

l- — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 05:33:59 +0000

the funnies part about this whole mess is its probably gonna be the gay wedding in x-men or keven keller all over again. I don’t know if i would have even heard of this book if not for the controversy, and really controversy can sell better than sex sometimes.

part of me thinks DC did this on purpose. i wont buy it, but it’s more to do with my having sworn off dc as a whole (thankyou reboot). card has never been one to overly push a bias in any of his works he’s better about leaving it open to the reader then most writers dc has right now.

By: paladinking

paladinking — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 18:14:17 +0000

Interesting thought I just had, not really expressing an opinion so much as it is food for thought.

HP Lovecraft, through necromantic powers and shadowy rituals, is brought back to life. He really wants to get some work at DC (or Marvel) and, apparently, has fallen in love with Batman among other properties.

Should he be denied or should he be given the job?

On the one hand, it’s Lovecraft, a truly legendary writer and a landmark figure in several genres of fiction. On the other hand, he was a massive racist and, unlike Card, those views also bled into his fiction. Do you let him have a go at DC? And if there’s an argument for taking in zombie Lovecraft but denying Card, is that a tenable position?

By: paladinking

paladinking — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 17:58:49 +0000

I think that’s sort of a case of the internet (which is almost purely inhabited by hardcore genre fans) kind of overestimates the average Joe’s knowledge. I really don’t think that anywhere close to the majority of people who’ve heard of Card or Ender’s Game are aware of his intensely homophobic views and certainly not the details of his stance/writings. At best, they MIGHT know he’s a social conservative.

For instance, I really doubt the upcoming Ender’s Game movie is going to be butchered at the box office due to a mass boycott (though I’ve no doubt that there will be several attempts online to organize such a thing).

By: M0rg0th

M0rg0th — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 08:42:17 +0000

Yeah, it’s terrible how much “the end justifies the means”-thinking exists in most of today’s corporations with “the end” being “making money.”

I agree with you there. Even if I wouldn’t want him to keep from writing, I definitely don’t like DC’s “Maybe we can sneak him in”-approach with them not being openly against Card’s views right from the start.

By: dfstell

dfstell — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 02:25:17 +0000

I don’t like it either, but if you expect more of corporations, you’re going to be disappointed.

I just think it’s sad that views like Card’s don’t result in an instant blacklisting. I mean, look at Michael Richards: That dude is still radioactive 6-7 years after he started using the N-word during a stand-up routine. And….rightly so. But, DC would never DREAM of hiring Michael Richards because he is so radioactive. But, they figured they could hire Card without causing too much fuss. Yeah….that bugs me. Bigotry is bigotry….

By: dfstell

dfstell — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 02:19:26 +0000

Card is pretty visible for me because he lives ~30 miles from my home. So, he’s kinda a local celebrity.

But, I can understand that not everyone is aware of his bigoted views. So, you can’t really judge someone who you see reading Ender’s Game. Maybe they support Card’s views, but they mostly likely don’t know anything about his political views.

On the other hand, once you KNOW, then you have to decide what you’re going to support.

By: Minhquan Nguyen

Minhquan Nguyen — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 23:16:53 +0000

I think since we focus on reviews, we don’t often have time to comment on issues in current affairs. I personally don’t like to express an opinion unless I feel secure in it and feel I can explain it intelligibly, with good reason. In this case, it’s such a loaded issue that I had no idea how I felt about it, and I wanted to try to work my way through it with others. I guess I’m hoping discussion will help shape my views, and in some ways it has. Thanks for reading!

By: Minhquan Nguyen

Minhquan Nguyen — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 23:13:16 +0000

Yeah, I think a lot of people would have a lot of disagreements about analogizing gay rights with the drug trade. But I think Alex’s point is that people have a right to use their money as they please for the causes they believe in, and if we find ways to discourage them from doing so, then we’re getting very close to a society that tolerates free speech only so long as it is in accord with the mainstream beliefs of a given time.

I also tend to agree with you that it’s risky to attribute feelings or opinions to entities like companies, because suddenly the taint spreads to everyone who works at that company.

By: Minhquan Nguyen

Minhquan Nguyen — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 23:08:16 +0000

I think there’s some merit to the idea that a company should, solely for the sake of clarification, make it clear that they’re hiring someone who is an outspoken or public figurehead of certain controversial viewpoints. I don’t think this should be a legal or even a social obligation necessarily, but one in the best interest of a company that wants to properly manage its public relations. Of course, making that distinction after the fact pleases no one, as we’ve seen from the reactions of folks after DC’s statement to The Advocate and Fox News.

By: Minhquan Nguyen

Minhquan Nguyen — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 23:01:34 +0000

That is so true. It’s easy to assume that people who are oriented towards science would leans towards anti-traditional values.