I have felt like crap for most of the week and am a bit medicated so I offer up nothing really in terms of thoughts or ponderings on RT. At least not at this time… maybe later maybe not… then again anyone who knows me knows regardless of my opinion on jack I have to say to each their own.
but this…
well first – TURN DOWN YOUR SPEAKERS –
Are they down? DAMN it, you blow your shit I don’t want to hear about it. Got it?
turn them down or turn them off…
k?
k
tra la la
brought to you by the letters c-h-e-e-s-y
and
E – C
and
R – T
And god damn it if you are related to me in any way get the fuck off my blog – please and thank you 😉
It is a time and place thing I think. If this is an after hours party – completely optional – ::shrug:: RT is presented as a reader and author thang. RWA isn’t a reader/author get together. So this would have less of a place there or I could see authors getting more worked up about the ‘party’ feel of it. Now I am not saying it means go cop a feel, wear a button (although I am all for buttons in general for most things I got a fangrrl one you know) and no always means get your fucking hands off me you moron.
but uh that could just be me… what do you think… come on ladies… let me hear you scream 😀
god that is bad… and tell me is it my monitor or are they just NOT that good looking
THEY paid them… shouldn’t they at least pay for good looking?
gawd I think it is nap time again
I… hm. First of all, the “sound quality” on this makes me sad. And I’d really really really like to know the average age of the attendees.
Because… I can’t help but don’t think this was the best … haha, if you want an American tribute type deal? This would… not be what I expected. [And even if they were going for the raunch – it’s still bad]
Also – they had terrible “choreography.” I couldn’t tell how they looked – but with the hair one – yes Sybil, you’re 150% right. Ew. [If that’s it – I think the age old “telephone effect” ballooned. If it did happen… ether way I’m glad the video wasn’t longer :X]
Ok – I went searching, I can’t help it. His “dance” is not a dance. So bad. Sooo bad.
I was there, and yes, that was about it. I didn’t comment, because I’m British and it wasn’t my flag or my country. I thought American strippers had their rights, too. Maybe I’m wrong about that. But I didn’t think it was disrespectful.
Cheesy, yes, undoubtedly, but I’m not sure it was anything else.
My nation don’t really make an icon of the flag, but then, we have a queen. Two, if you count Elton John.
Wouldn’t have minded seeing Elton John there. He would have fitted right in.
When you think of Freddie Mercury sporting the Union Jack in Rio, or Elton John waving it in one of his most outrageous outfits, or Johnny Rotten wearing a ripped version on his t-shirt – well.
It is very much the flag being there at all me think. I am not from a miltary background but hello… this is texas…
AND whoever you are that is on tape the chick you CLEARLY hear saying God Bless Texas… THAT cracks my shit up… than again most does right now but tee heeee. I really just sort of wish they were cuter. I mean they seem so EXCITED. That almost makes me sad.
maybe they were taking one for the team and trying to make the guy feel good 🙂
LOL
anyhooo… LYNNE! you were THERE? so where is the chick and the blow job act on stage? or did I misread? I though there was some kind of sex act or something? just figured it didn’t make the cut
Oh but back to the flag… I thought there was some kind of strip show going on behind the flag? no?
No strip show. They did two routines, the 9/11 tribute, then they kind of segued into another routine, raunchier, but nowhere near strip level. Pants kept on at all times.
Hand on heart I never saw any blow job act, or simulated sex.
I think people have been confusing two separate parties.
First, the Ellora’s Cave party, on the Wednesday – enter at your own risk. I had huge fun, took it for what it was, and enjoyed myself. A party, sponsored and paid for by Ellora’s Cave. Nothing too raunchy, but I always look at these things as a bit of an outsider, and it’s the prudishness that surprises me, not the raunchiness.
Second, the Mr. Romance contest, sponsored and paid for by Dorchester. Another routine, and one of the contestants this year was also an Ellora’s Caveman, but he didn’t enter the Mr. Romance contest in that capacity. Some of the complaints date from this and some the EC party, but they seem to have been combined in a weird way.
And during the week, I did hear some complaints, but they were all about the same four people. First, the people boasting about their floggers and threesomes in a public area – that was dealt with, closed down, as soon as the hotel security and RT staff heard about it. Second, all the touching, sweatiness and so on was attributed to one person at the time – not a Caveman, but one of the Mr. Romance contestants.
RT had around 1600 attendees, surpassing expectations and most people had a great time. Everything else is smoke and mirrors, which is amusing enough for a while, but I’ve watched the development and spreading of rumors with mingled horror and amusement. I should really blog about it, shouldn’t I?
I wasn’t there, I’m not going to scream, and I won’t even comment much, but I wonder about this:
Does it mean that those few (however one defines “few”) who didn’t have such a good time don’t matter, or that they shouldn’t share their less than favorable experiences?
I wonder because next year’s RT is going to be near me, and I know that a few authors I would love to meet are likely to be there, but it may just be not worth my time, my money, nor my effort to go.
The only way to know whether it would be worth it for me is to pay attention to what people are saying–not just the positive rainbows and kittens, not just the dismissive “oh it was only one person, oh it was only one incident, oh it was exaggerated” and not just the negative; but everything, and then make up my mind.
both good points…
sure lynne why not blog about it everyone has a right too regardless of if I agree with what you have to say or not (since I have no clue but I get an idea of which way you lean LOL)
azteclady I am of the mind set everyone should blog about well color me obvious The Good, The Bad and the Un… excepted? exceptable? believable?
Would one, two or even five people having issues keep you from going? If they are anon voices with general complaints would you not go? All of that is up to you and without the info…
What I don’t get is, and sorry Lynne, is this is RT. This isn’t new or different. Color me crazy but that story you linked to from I think a kim? I seriously doubt she is the only person that has happened too. And honestly – I would bet money – there ARE women there who wouldn’t have minded. Does that mean it is ok? NOPE. How do you fix that? I don’t know – I don’t know enough about it and haven’t read through all of it enough.
And honestly am not invested enough because really, really, the RT convention has always seemed to me like a party I wouldn’t like and that if I went I would snark the fuck out of it. And have no one to blame for it but me. Because DUH I knew what the fuck I signed up for.
But I am the type that if I don’t want to do something – I don’t. I don’t get pushed into shit because gosh everyone around me really wanted and I just had to go alone and I felt really dirty afterward.
Honestly I can only imagine how badly those guys get groped by some seriously drunk women (again not a place I would want to be sez she who had all of a glass of wine at RWA in Dallas the whole time she was there) So if I were to throw my arm around a cover model and say take our photo (dude which look up – WHY WOULD YOU) and get my breast touch in the process. ::shrug:: I would think that blame would be me.
Other shit like flogging and what not I haven’t read about yet and would hope that was dealt with but dunno to me RT Conference gives a vibe that sez horny chicks be here (sorry lynne) good or bad that is what I have ALWAYS taken away. So it has never been something I would pay that kind of coin to go to.
And YES I soooooooooo know I am prolly totally totally bad bad bad and wrong and it is not what I think. But there you go… so when I see this OMFG RT is going DOWN I am like OMFG it had farther to go?
The thing is people enjoy it. They have to be didn’t 1600 go? So as painful as it is for me – I am trying to learn not EVERYTHING is about sybil. So if those people are having a good time. More power to them. If people are touched in ways they shouldn’t be – they need to fucking say something THEN – RIGHT THEN.
If your friends will not respect you. Will not like you. Will be upset if you say something because you do NOT want to be touched and say something – they aren’t your friends and you are losing nothing. Shouldn’t you be of age and already know this if you are at RT? THAT is what boggles my mind the most…. but again… haven’t read everything and I am sure I am missing SHIT loads. heee I wrote a book here but I can do that 🙂
Sybil, I just don’t know enough yet to make a decision. I am going to be asking a few people directly (the wonders of email) once it’s a bit closer, time-wise.
If I do go, I certainly hope that I would be armed with enough information not to be shocked nor disappointed, but that I would get the most out of the experience.
It’s too late to get into the controversial stuff, so I’ll stay shallow LOL Couldn’t they have found dress whites that actually FIT they guy? He looked like a kid wearing hid Dad’s uniform!
Except for the guy who did the pelvic thrusts, that kind of reminded me of a kindergarten routine to that song.
At least they didn’t let the flag touch the ground.
Elton John! I hope to see him while I’m in Vegas. (My mom and I actually changed the time of our trip so we could go to his show.)
As for the shenanigans at RT . . . I would assume it’s like any con. If someone gets uncomfortably sexual with you, there will be security you can go to. You will have a schedule of events and you go to the ones you’re cool with – and leave if it’s not what you’re expecting. Someone who’s at a con might behave with less inhibitians, but he or she will still understand “no” unless he or she doesn’t understand that word in a normal context . . . at which point you go to security again.
I’ve been reading all the blogs and from that video, that part looked harmless. Really, really tacky and kind of stupid, but harmless.
That kind of thing is a huge snooze fest for me though. I’m sure I would have had a lot more fun watching TV commercials in my room, or chatting up a nice classy well dressed guest in the hotel, than watch that.
Sybil, I’ve never been to a RT or any romance convention, but I really enjoyed your little book that you wrote and from what I’ve been reading, I would have to agree with a lot of your take on it.
No, it means that some people are making the most of the things that did go wrong and talking them up. And the rumors are getting wilder and wilder. And I’m writing them all down for possible book ideas.
Well I enjoy it and I cross a great big ocean and get a plane seat (which was supposed to be a good one) next to the Biggest Person In The Universe to get there. Costs me lots of moolah, but it’s the best convention on offer for my purposes – to meet readers, fellow authors and editors, and to do a little promotion.
Gotcha, you are so right to take account of all that, if you’re wondering whether to go. But look at the good as well as the bad, get a balanced view. You can always just attend the bookselling session on the Saturday morning, which is open to the public for a small consideration to chat to people and see if it’s good.
But honestly, from what I saw, the incidents were exaggerated. I might have been lucky, who knows, but I can only say what I saw.
In any conference something will always happen. For my money, it’s how well it is dealt with at the time by the organisers, and I don’t have any complaints about that. Jo Carol and the team were always on hand, they always have a ‘home base’ at the Convention and there is someone there for you if you need them.
Next year it’s going to be at the Whyndam Resort, which people are saying is a good place, so the venue should be worth it.
My computer cut out in the middle. I think it was from the pain.
I’ve got to admit that I’m not too comfortable with the idea of a beefcake tribute to 9/11, b/c of my memories of it. But that was dumb, cheesy, fairly pointless, and ultimately harmless.
I loved the guy with the fanny pack. Did he forget his costume? Or is that some kind of American Archetype: the sailor, the soldier, the cowboy, and the guy at the gym who swaggers around the gym, thinking he’s really hot, but all the women laugh about in the locker room.
My take on it is pretty close to Sybil’s, actually. I don’t think I’d enjoy RT very much, because I’m a shy introvert (no really, I totally am!) and party atmosphere is not a phrase that I find particularly appealing. Also, I have never known particularly what to do with flirtatious guys (I’m sooo the stereotypical nerd girl who reads romance because that stuff ain’t happening to me in *real* life) so I just think the cover model bit wouldn’t do very much for me. I’d go for the networking, maybe, although even then I wouldn’t have a clue what to say to my favorite authors beyond, “Man, I looove your books!” I do agree that if there is inappropriate behavior going on, it really does need to be reported and put a stop to immediately. But wasn’t there RT kerfuffles going on last year? Why is anyone surprised that these things are happening this year? That’s what I don’t get.
There are a lot of things going on. I totally agree with Liviania – that’s what I was trying to say. It was like a kindergarten routine. “Routine.”
Also – I think the problem is people only know what they saw – and then some things may or may not have been exaggerated, but people are obviously upset.
Of course, just because it’s happened before – and maybe people should “expect” it – doesn’t really make it ok. And of course, people are entitled to their opinions – personally… I’m a bit surprised all this RT blogging is still going on, considering all the other things happening all over.
The RT kerfluffle last year had to do with Laura Baumbach being asked to take down her promo material because it was m/m, if I recall correctly. That might not have been the specific problem, but it was definately her and her books, though. I’m sure it’s archived on her blog.
I have been to two RT’s so far, Daytona Beach and Houston. I heard wild rumors before I went to my first RT, like the covermodel or every good looking guy who could be one would be chased and cornered at every possibility. And I have to tell you I witnessed some of those situations, especially in Houston. Another thing is that some of the covermodels think that they are larger than life and irresistible, but they aren’t. They have an ego that I sometimes worried how they fit through a door.
Shannon C, I am also really shy and that isn’t a problem, except when I ran out of the ballroom when my authro friends wanted to announce my birthday so that I would dance with one of the covermodels. Too much attention for me. LOL
Laura, yes there was last year the “scandal” about the m/m promo stuff, which I really didn’t understand, because there was nothing bad. Plus there was the uproar because of the two different signings, one for print one ebook authors.
For me the RT is fun, because it’s the only chance in the year to meet my online friends and I love to hang out with them.
I think people are also forgetting that you can avoid these situations (I always do). Go to the conference for the freebies and the lectures….and then you can go out to dinner on your own and forget the crazy parties. I’m also lucky; being an editor, I can’t vote for Mr. Romance, so they leave me alone.
Shannon C–the great thing about this conference is that there are so many people there who describe themselves like you do! I am not a people person at all, but being around a big group of excited romance lovers can be so much fun (especially since a lot of the outside world looks down on romance). And you know you can always strike up a conversation with the question “So, what are you reading right now?”
I didn’t scream but my ears started bleeding a bit…my nephew’s kindergarten class did this song more justice then those guys did.
*shrugs*