Comic Book Noise

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Stuck Between A Rock and A Hard Place

Posted on | May 9, 2009 | 13 Comments

I was recently listening to a bunch of shows for the next episode of the Comic Book Podcast Show and I came across a segment of one where I was insulted. I get that it was all done in fun and I laughed when I first heard it, but then I started thinking more about it. This isn’t the first time that my name has come up on this show and I was “insulted” that time as well.

If I go off, then I seem like either a humorless asshole or a whiny little bitch. Someone who can dish it out, but who can’t take it. If this was being done by strangers or people who I have insulted in the past, then I could see it, but even though I haven’t broken bread or raised a toast with these guys, I wouldn’t consider them to be strangers. And as far as I know, I haven’t insulted them.

I know that a lot of the reaction to me is based on earlier shows, but after I did my Haters episodes a few months ago, I made a conscious effort to step away from the negativity and focus more on what I like about comic books. I don’t sugarcoat when talking about things that I don’t like about comic books but after a while it was pretty apparent that people were downloading just to hear a rant. I feel as though I have more to offer to the overall discussion than just random bouts of vitriol and anger.

I don’t think there is anything wrong with being angry at things that make me angry, but if that is all I am known for, then any good points I make are considered to be the exceptions rather than the norm. I still maintain that I am not a cheerleader for the industry or an evangelist for the hobby, but I don’t think that I necessarily have to be either in order to put on what I think is a good show.

I am not a humorless asshole. I think have a pretty good sense of humor and a lot of other people seem to agree. I am also not a whiny little bitch. Yes, I have been told that my “accent” is nasally at time, but never whiny.

I can take it as well as I can dish it out, but in the long run, should I?

Category: Commentary
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Comments

13 Responses to “Stuck Between A Rock and A Hard Place”

  1. astonishing jay
    May 10th, 2009 @ 1:28 am

    what podcast was it?

  2. VichusSmith
    May 10th, 2009 @ 1:29 am

    No, you're not a humorless asshole. But, you know SNIFF [sarcastic remark], [sarcastic remark], [veiled reference to some individual], [veiled reference to some website]

    I think that you've gotten off easy with negativity in podcasting, because as a radiophile, radio dj's are venomous to each other. There has been very little genuine bad blood in the comics podcast world.

  3. DerekCoward
    May 10th, 2009 @ 1:48 am

    Trust me, there is a lot of it. Most people just keep it in the background.

  4. VichusSmith
    May 10th, 2009 @ 5:11 pm

    What, you mean there's people besides Trenchcoat Mafia who hate other podcasters?

  5. Trenchcoat Mafia
    May 11th, 2009 @ 7:44 am

    Hey, in my defense, the only podcasters I'd say I *hate* not only went to insane extremes to earn my hatred (being so abusive as to to drive my first <and clearly, more sensible than me> co-host off the show altogether for a lonnng time!), but themselves proudly feature the word "Haters" as part of their own name!

    There is one other show run by someone I have no respect for (because he attacked Timmy THOOM! on the PCX blog (so no, I'm NOT talking about Tim's arch-nemesis Bruce Rosenberger!) for no sane reason, but frankly that other podcast isn't worth mentioning anyway (well, that and I don't wanna give them any free publicity.)

    On the plus side, you've got the good 'casters like Tim, Mike & Heath, Mike Pindell, and obviously Derek but I honestly think there's something about geeky hobbies like comics that attracts a lot of, um…"dysfunctional" types. And yes, I'm aware of how ironic that sounds coming from someone calling himself "Trenchcoat Mafia".

  6. VichusSmith
    May 11th, 2009 @ 12:58 pm

    ??? Are you googling yourself, Trenchcoat? I'll just assume that you wrre following this blog post and conversation this entire time.

  7. DerekCoward
    May 11th, 2009 @ 1:21 pm

    Trenchcoat Mafia is a regular visitor to the blog. As for the people who are Haters, I used to think that was part of their schtick but the more I pay attention, the more it appears as though I am wrong about that.

    Sent from my iPod

  8. Trenchcoat Mafia
    May 11th, 2009 @ 1:47 pm

    Nope. I might look on iTunes for new CBN (and for new anything else I'm subscribed to) pretty much daily, but the actual website, like most sites I follow, is in my "weekly" folder of bookmarks – which in this instance happened to be today. Of course for this thread in particular, it's pretty obvious I checked the "Notify me" box!

  9. Trenchcoat Mafia
    May 11th, 2009 @ 1:58 pm

    Oh, wow; I took so long to respond to Vichus' post (above) after I saw it that now I see Derek (hey, Derek!) posted in the meantime and I didn't even know – sorry to anyone reading this thread for the sloppy posting on my part there.

  10. DerekCoward
    May 11th, 2009 @ 2:02 pm

    OK, I take it back. Trenchcoat Mafia is an egotist. :)

  11. Ian_L
    May 11th, 2009 @ 4:42 pm

    Can I know who this was so I can make sure to throw disdain back at them? I assume it was not 11 o'clock comics even though you were mentioned in jest a few times, right?

  12. Eric_Martin
    May 11th, 2009 @ 8:49 pm

    It was those dirty bastards at DC Noise talking about you, wasn't it Derek?

  13. VichusSmith
    May 12th, 2009 @ 6:31 am

    I wonder why you have brought this up, Derek? Did someone put together the right string of the wrong words, or has this been something you've been putting aside for a while?

    BTW, I also agree that you should at least mention that something is going on at this site. This is the most activity I have seen here since you changed the look of the site.

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