[Leica] Politically Correctnessism and LUG friends

[Jim Brick <jim@brick.org>]

At 11:18 AM 2/18/00 -0800, Guy Bennett wrote:
>
>jim,
>
>it's probably the use of terms like: "the guy is a schmuck," "that's crap,"
>"his stuff is worthless,"
>"the dumb artsy fartsy folks," "Garbage gets labeled art!" that some find
>insulting. to you, this may simply be "telling it like it is," but to
>others it may well sound like the arrogant ranting of a man who knows he's
>right and has so little respect for other people and so little
>understanding of their opinions that he can only respond with obscenities.
>
>guy

At 02:14 PM 2/18/00 -0700, Roger Beamon wrote:
>
>Perhaps, but you might be surprised at how many *agree* with 
>Jim re: Egg. We tend to be the quiet group here. I applaud Jim's 
>courage in taking the stand that he did, knowing that it would 
>bring the wrath of those who, as Jim said, should have said no to 
>Egg, but didn't. 
>
>Roger

Thanks Roger.

Back to Guy,

I guess you have a new definition of "obscenities." 

And you have only heard me "rant" about UV filters.

And, I guess it is NOT OK for me to call a "class" of people "artsy
fartsy", or that someone's photographs are garbage, or that someone is a
schmuck. Certainly not you.

But it IS OK for you to "personally" call me an "arrogant ranting of a man"
who has "little respect for other people" and other personal direct
derogatory niceties. Thanks.

I was simply stating what I thought about Egg'n's photographs, his
abilities, him, and his entourage.

Tell me why you so vehemently object to me stating my exact thoughts about
something that I don't like? You certainly have no trouble telling me what
you think of me.


I certainly will not pander to the "touchy feely" Politically Correct, and
here's that word again, crap. Nobody has any backbone anymore. Everyone is
afraid to say what they really think.

Not me. Neither is Ted. I guess we are just crotchety old farts!  Hi Ted...
:-)

I have always said that one should talk on Email lists as if the people
were sitting right there across the table. That's what I do. I spend a lot
of personal time with LUG/LEG/HUG members. Photo outings, lunch, dinner. We
all say what we think. There's no mamby pamby crap. For instance:

Some of my friends think Galen Rowell and his stuff is wonderful. I think
just the opposite. We quite often have boisterous discussions pro and con.
I still think the way I always thought. So do they. The same is true about
Franz Lanting.

Ted hates photographs of "peeling paint". I like peeling paint and
photograph it often. Ted and I, one of these days, will teach a Leica
workshop together. He'll teach people/journalistic/commercial photography.
I'll teach artsy fartsy landscapes and peeling paint. We hate each other...
NOT!

So about understanding other people's opinions. I understand that other
people can have any opinion that they please. And I can have my opinion.
And we can all state, unequivocally, our individual opinions.

Here are some of my other opinions:

I don't apologize for not promoting mediocrity.

I don't apologize for not thinking "I'm supposed to like that, so I will."

I don't apologize for voicing my opinion where thousands wouldn't.

I do believe that Political Correctness is a disease. The medicine is take
a dose of reality and get on with yourself.

I do believe that the current Leicas are the best Leicas ever made.

I do believe that in the hands of a visionary master, one who feels light,
dark, motion, space, line, form... and understands the craft of
photography, the results can be stunning.

I do believe that in the hands of a self-indulgent autocrat, the results
are usually worthless.

I do believe that those who "directly" criticize others for voicing their
opinion, are themselves so insecure about their own thoughts they cannot
stand the possibility that someone else could think differently.

And I still believe that:

If it looks like garbage and smells like garbage, there's a good chance it
is garbage.

Jim

PS. I have a lot of LUG/LEG/HUG friends. We all get along great. They all
know by now that I speak my mind. They all know I'm not zeroing in on any
of the LUG/LEG/HUG folks. Perhaps Dan C. and his U... oh never mind... :-)

PPS. Godfrey DiGiorgi and I had a great lunch today. He brought his
Platinum Rollei 35 Classic. Oh my... Oh my... Oh my... Talk about a
gorgeous piece of equipment. Drool.......... You were correct Roger!!!

Jim again