Comments on: Prejudice

By: Jim

Jim — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 19:14:50 +0000

You know I think sometimes the readers miss the point of this blog, it says Eugenia’s Rants and Raves, without going to a dictionary explanation of rants and raves, there is no excuse to be critical if anyone Rants or Raves on this blog considering its title.
Maybe some day I will get excited and say something provocative that others can take issue, but today I am the peacemaker and hope we can all just get along or get a long (whip)

By: Dimitar Uzunov

Dimitar Uzunov — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 20:20:38 +0000

Mr. Anderson.. did you write something nice that I missed in the above comment? Would you be so kind to point me to it? Or maybe you are going to write something nice now? I really wish to know how children should be raised, can you please share something else your mother told you? I really liked how you used curved quotes in your comment.

Please, reply soon.

By: Eugenia

Eugenia — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 20:19:12 +0000

Eric, all I can say is: read the thread on HV20. It’s the same as mine pretty much. The reason is, we come from a forum about the HV20 that gives feedback. Maybe on vimeo this was interpreted as having no tact, but thing is, we come from a place (including the videographer) where such comments are a daily standard.

By: Ivan

Ivan — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 18:42:23 +0000

It definitely is a a cultural thing. I’ve known Eugenia for quite a while now, and she’s always been respectful. My advice: Use the hamburger principle: introduce by saying something nice, move on to the criticism, and finish with something nice again. That should do for English and American hypocrites…

By: Jacob Munoz

Jacob Munoz — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 17:02:57 +0000

Wow Mr Anderson, for someone that’s “wasted enough time on this” you’re sure wasting lots of time. Considering the video site HAS a comment section is so people can COMMENT - Gawd forbid some poor misguided fool would think to make a comment. But you just went on and on and on about how some little bit of constructive criticism was rude and inconsiderate and (waaaaah waaaaaahh baby want bottle! waaaaaah)….

“If you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything.”

My mother told me:

“Say what you mean, or shut the hell up.”

..and for the record, I’m not a mule-minded bitch like Eugenia - I’m a self-righteous asshead.

Eugenia, you rock!

By: Eric Anderson

Eric Anderson — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 16:24:41 +0000

This has nothing to do with political correctness or language barriers. My parents taught me “If you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything.” It’s about tact - something of which you have no concept. I have wasted enough time on this. I you get something out of this - otherwise, revel in being what you call “straight-forward”.

By: Stefan

Stefan — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 15:19:14 +0000

Dimitar, what I was trying to say is that all that is more a function of culture and not syntax. See French for example, for centuries the language of diplomacy because of the people that spoke it and their cultural upbringing.

By: Dimitar Uzunov

Dimitar Uzunov — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 14:41:27 +0000

Stefan, I think the opposite could be true: political correctness being influenced by this form of politeness. PC behaviour is pretty specific and “suggest; don’t order” could be applied to any topic.

By: memsom

memsom — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 14:36:19 +0000

I think the main problem with your comment was thet it was entirely negative. It’s got nothing to do with the words or phrasing, but probably is cultural as pointed out above. I think you colud have said:

“I liked your video. I loved the composition. One thing bothers me though: the quality was not very good, there seems to be a lot of ghosting in the video. Which video editor did you use? ”

and got away with it. Would that have been against your normal way of speaking? I think, if you need to be negative,m say something positive too. Being completely negative is what got the other guys back up.

Culture is dificult. UK culture and US culture is extremely close, but we still have differences. Americans insist of saying “Your welcome” after a being thanked, like “I really enjoyed that meal, thank you for cooking me it”, reply: “Your welcome.” We just don’t do that - or if we do it sounds false. Humour - sacrasm plays a big role, and irony, in our humour. Americans have a really hard time with that.

I guess the phrase “if you can’t say anything positive, don’t say anything at all” might be worth memorising?

By: desnotes

desnotes — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 13:08:26 +0000

Eugenia,

I am someone who is sensitive to the tone and languages used to criticize. That said, I have never found you to be rude or to criticize without justification. Your critique of teh video in questions was positive in that you explained what was wrong with the work. If you had said something like, “It sucks” then that would have been rude. A few posts ago when talking about Obama you said, “…while when I see Clinton I see a mule-minded bitch — much like of what I see in the mirror.” I was ready to blast you for that until I read the last part of the sentence referring to yourself.

The internet is full of trolls, anonymous and otherwise. You are not anything close. Keep up the criticisms as one cannot grow if they think they have already achieved perfection.

desNotes