Happy Birthday to Me…and Goodbye
By the time any of you read this, it will be February 5th. My 33rd birthday and a bittersweet one. Why?
Because I am taking a sabbatical from Shotgun Reviews and have asked that my account at Newsarama.com be closed (which was honored by the site administrator).
Why did I resign? I’d like to think it is because I have principles, while others would probably suggest I just have a big mouth and don’t know when to shut it.
I had what amounted to a largely civil discussion with a writer about the WGA strike. During that discussion, another writer (one who I’ve been getting continued requests to call because he wants to tell me how I was wrong in my review of his work) appeared and kind of lowered the level of discourse, in my opinion. It agitated me to the point that I took things up a notch and reported the WGA writer for what I believed to be actions detrimental to the ongoing writers’ strike.
This upset more than a few people. I mean REALLY upset people.
I was accused of trying to damage someone’s career. I’d submit that, if my report led to any damage of a career, it was the ACTIONS that I was reporting that would be to blame for any damage. It would be like suggesting calling in a crime tip damaged the criminal’s life, instead of, you know, the crime they committed.
So, I am not apologetic for reporting it. Given the people that got upset about the whole event, it would appear that I should have just followed the example of at least one of those writers and just reported it without publicly admitting to it. Because, you know, some very important people got upset. Unfortunately, that carried over to people who weren’t responsible for my actions and people my actions weren’t meant to represent at all.
I don’t work for Newsarama. I haven’t for awhile, actually. My reviews appear here on Shotgun, not on Newsarama. Troy advertises them in the column each week, but he advertises other things that aren’t affiliated with Newsarama, too. Perception is the problem, though. People still perceive me to work for Newsarama. My interview of Raven Gregory, turned in as a favor and initially meant to run months ago, didn’t help that perception.
So, rather than let my principles hurt anyone I considered to be a friend, I told Matt Brady that I’d be happy to take some time off so that maybe there could be a change in perception…a realization that I don’t actually work for Newsarama anymore. I felt, in fact, that it was a principled thing to do. Matt begrudgingly accepted this offer.
It has been mentioned to me that my speaking my mind across the internet while a member of Shotgun might reflect poorly on the team. Let me be clear: this is not Troy Brownfield’s opinion. I have nothing but love for Troy and Matt. They are class acts and I still like to consider them friends. But I don’t want my principles to hurt anyone else and I’m not willing to just stifle my thoughts and opinions, either. Again, neither Matt Brady or Troy Brownfield have actually asked me to keep my mouth shut. I fear, however, that others will continue to hold my actions against both of them if I continue to speak my mind while being affiliated in any way with their fine sites.
Again, having principles means taking a stand for what you believe in. It doesn’t mean forcing others to suffer for those stances, though.
I’ll be honoring my commitment to the debate with Steve Ekstrom over Marvel’s track record of outright lying to their readers. After that…who knows? I’ve enjoyed my time here, but, if I had to guess, I’d say the sabbatical won’t be ended anytime soon.
Thank you all for being such great people to work with. Thank you to the readers who checked out my blogs and sometimes commented on them. Good luck to you all…and God bless.
PS - I’ll probably continue doing vlogs. I’m scared to see how few views I’ll actually get, but you can find them at http://www.youtube.com/khuxford if you’d like. Just in case you have insomnia and need a non-addicting sleep aid. Works well, from what I hear.
February 11th, 2008 at 4:05 pm
I didn’t see this when it happened at Newsarama, rather (like many others, I suspect) was alerted to it by Rich Johnston.
I think you were in the right, Kevin. I would have done the same thing were I in your position. Please, don’t be a stranger.
February 11th, 2008 at 7:29 pm
Bye Khux.
February 11th, 2008 at 8:05 pm
Good luck man. Your honesty is much appreciated. Don’t stay gone too long. And don’t fret over Marvel or their hacks, their product clearly shows they’re not worth it.
MattZ
February 11th, 2008 at 8:45 pm
Unbelievable- what the hell gave you the right to report someone to the WGA?!?!? You are ridiculous. Now that you’ve gone and spouted off like an a-hole on another message board, please, oh please feel free to start ripping down posts that you disagree with on your own board. You’re well on your way to being the next John Byrne (only without any talent).
February 12th, 2008 at 11:48 am
“I was accused of trying to damage someone’s career. I’d submit that, if my report led to any damage of a career, it was the ACTIONS that I was reporting that would be to blame for any damage. It would be like suggesting calling in a crime tip damaged the criminal’s life, instead of, you know, the crime they committed.”
If a student accuses a teacher of raping them, regardless of whether it ends up being false or not, that teacher’s career will be ended. The stigma will stick with him or her, most parents will not want them coaching or teaching their child, just in case or because they heard he was a pedophile, and more than likely, if they continue teaching, which is rare, they end up having to move away from the community.
Just look at Roger Clemens. I will never look at his career the same again, even if he’s proven innocent. There will be thousands that look at it the same as me.
You accusing him and reporting him to the WGA because he slighted you in an argument will now result in many of his colleagues assuming he’s just some scab that crosses the picket line whenever it benefits him despite how trivial a matter you’ve chosen to report him over. Depending on how serious the WGA takes this or how they handle reports, this oculd result in people not even wanting him on the picket line with them and chasing him off because they don’t want to have some scab standing side by side with them.
Again, I don’t know how far this could go based on one random submission / accusation, but this can ruin someone’s career just like accusing someone of a crime can ruin there lives or careers.
Also, I don’t really care who was right or wrong in this little pissing match between someone random writer I don’t know and a comic book reviewer, but you were definitely wrong in the actions you took on reporting him over something so retardedly insignificant just to feel big about yourself, even if you were or believe you were right in this argument.
February 12th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
Good riddance SNITCH!
February 12th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
Mr. Huxford, even though he’s not a member, supports the WGA. As such, he or anyone else has the right to alert the WGA that one of their members was contravening WGA policy. It is the same with any other company even if you don’t work there, if you see an employee going against company policy or ethics you can report them to their superiors. Good luck Mr. Huxford.
February 12th, 2008 at 3:54 pm
You tattled like a 6 year old because Dan Slott hurt your feelings. Good riddance. Comics, and the entertainment industry as a whole, has no use for you.
February 12th, 2008 at 4:08 pm
Thanks for the well wishes to everyone who…umm…wishes me well.
There’s really no response to be had to Hazey’s or Emily’s comments. But Kirk Warren? Rape? Steroids? Really?
Why throw out such extreme incidents where it is a “he said, she said”, when my situation was pointing out to exactly what Guggenheim had said publicly for all to see? There was no doubt over what he did or didn’t do, but with whether or not it was counter-productive to the WGA strike and against their guidelines. I didn’t ACCUSE him of doing anything, but pointed out what he DID do.
I do believe I’ll go blog about such inanities later today. I’m pretty sure I’ve read something that made sense from you before, Mr. Warren, but this certainly doesn’t qualify.
http://schwapp.blogspot.com
February 13th, 2008 at 1:42 am
“Again, having principles means taking a stand for what you believe in. It doesn’t mean forcing others to suffer for those stances, though.”
I feel this sentence, if read correctly, sums up the position that Mr. Guggenheim was taking with the Quesada situation. By joining the striking picket lines, he was standing up for his position while at the same time recognizing his duty to not make Quesada (or Marvel) suffer for being on Colbert. Thus, wouldn’t this statement support Guggenheim’s position in the Newsarama debate.
I was very moved to see such a passionate, stirring debate carried out so civily on a message board, up until it spilled over into the “real” world. It was then that I felt it had unfortunately went too far. What Guggenheim did was not a crime or a criminal action and the hyperbolic analogies tossed around do not apply (therefore, don’t use the crime/criminal scenarios to justify Huxford losing his cool). I think most people should take a breath and realize that at the end of the day, most opinions are so set in stone that neither participant is going to budge, so learn to agree to disagree. The alleged report to the WGA just seems to put this whole debate in a sour light, because it seems to cross the line from mild debate to professional attack. Just my 2 cents.
February 13th, 2008 at 12:28 pm
Having read the thread in question, there’s really no doubt that Huxford acted in an irrational and petty manner. The two comics professionals acted well, like professionals. Slott tried to rationally speak with Huxford, though I would never have given my phone number to someone so obviously imbalanced myself. Huxford acted like a child. His feelings were hurt and he clearly reported Guggenheim simply out of spite. No amount of lies can cover up the fact that this was not done out of some highminded principle. Good riddance to bad rubbish, if he hadn’t requested his Newsarama account be deleted he most certainly should have been banned for his actions.
February 13th, 2008 at 6:20 pm
I agree with what you did, Kevin. I disagree with your decision to leave Newsarama as a poster. Your sanity will probably be better for it, though. Amazing that in this day and age folks want to beak off and not feel responsible for their words/ actions.
February 16th, 2008 at 12:02 am
CW: Not holding Quesada’s appearance against him is one thing. Publicly endorsing his appearance is another thing entirely. In endorsing Quesada’s decision publicly (and the subsequent excuses he makes for it being ok to watch a strike show) he may honor his friend, but he dishonors his union brothers and sisters.
Where exactly does the real world end when posting publicly on the internet? Would there be this “real world” argument if it was a letter to the editor? An editorial in a magazine? Guggenheim certainly expected to get some real world help from having an article pimp his new TV show, right?
I took what he said publicly and brought it to the attention of an organization that might have interest in it, since it might have broken rules that he is legally required to follow as a member of the WGA. Keep it in perspective. Oh…and the most ridiculous criminal analogies? They were used to attack me here, not justify my actions.
Tom who is at least wrong once: I won’t comment on your guess as to whether I’d have been banned. But exactly what were my feelings hurt on? That, after failing to successfully argue his point, Guggenheim simply dismissed mine due to my not having membership in his exclusive club? My feelings certainly were not hurt. I just chose to call him on it by allowing those who are in his club to analyze the facts.
Calling me imbalanced in reference to Dan Slott (who has clearly gone off his meds of late) is humorous.
There’s a place for this that won’t clutter up Shotgun or Newsama:
http://www.schwapponline.com/2008/02/kevin-huxford-is-big-fat-snitch.html
Please use it. You can say ANYTHING you want there. Bash me. Curse me. It won’t get deleted and comments will never be turned off. I asked that comments be left open here, originally, but now that there is a place available, I’d be fine with them being closed.
February 17th, 2008 at 1:26 am
Mr. Huxford, I apologize for my harsh tone, I still don’t agree with you, but I must have been on low blood sugar or something then. I’ll check out your blog at another time when it’s not quite so late.
March 13th, 2008 at 4:43 pm
You need to pick your battles and find something to be more passionate about. He’s in the industry, he has coworkers and other union partners. Let him be judged by his peers. Even someone in the thread stated Marc crossed the picket line. You allowed that to happen. You don’t look good no matter how you spin it.
I do say shame on them for replying to you and giving your rant attention.