As promised, I bring back some musings from the luxury of my local Starbucks, sipping on a Chai Latte....
First up, RT25: The Celebration held last month in Van Nuys California last month.
Although I was unable to attend this event (for obvious reasons), the "Times" was definitely there in spirit. My kudos to the organizers of this event who put their time and resources into achieving ONE OF THE GREATEST ROBOTECH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS OF ALL TIME. A special shoutout to my main girl, Vivian Lanza who gave me the complete rundown of things.
Viv, you are definitely one of a kind and when it comes to Robotech parties, you do have that golden touch and although I wasn't there, you sure made me feel as though I was part of it all, you're the best hon.
A shout out to the fans that attended, a few of them who I have gotten to know through the show. I feel bad that I was not there.....but knowing that all who attended enjoyed themselves is reward enough.
For that weekend.....It definitely was....ANNIVESRARY TIME BABY!!!!!!
And my respects and eternal thanks to the voice actors, the ones who brought all the characters to life and at least for this fan....begun a 25 year love affair that led me to living one of the the greatest journeys of my life!
Now, being this a RANDOM THOUGHTS post......it's time to get............"random"
Now before I continue, I want to let you know that the following opinions expressed are MY OWN and do not represent any other Robotech fan nor the Robotech fandom at large. Agree, disagree, not care......it's your right to do any of those things. I intend to be more blunt then I have ever been.....because I think it's been long overdue....and my physician says that keeping it in will kill me...LOL!
That being said....
On the heels of this celebration, you've had a couple of individuals who....for lack of a better term have wanted to piss all over it. Without mincing any words those individuals Juan aka JUANRT and Guiilermo Patiño aka MEMO1DOMINION from Robotech forums and more recently the podcast, Robotech Español. And yes, I do listen to it....no biggie there.
On a recent edition of their show, "Memo" felt it was his "duty" to criticize RT25 and pick things apart criticizing the event's organization, spouting that it was a "private" event (alluding that it was not inclusive to the fans) and how Harmony Gold had nothing to do with it and that the current administration (i.e. Tommy Yune) would not be a part of it.
Well...I have a few random thoughts about this criticism....
Ok...you have your critique of the event....fair enough.....now that it was a private event, it was a private dinner party OPEN to those who wanted to attend it. Two very important points to remember.....
-The event had a PUBLIC website; www.rt25celebration.com , so the public Robotech fandom had a place to go to sign up for the event.
-The event was posted on RobotechX....MONTHS before it happened....and if memory serves.....HEY! that's YOUR WEBSITE!.....Your website IS open to the public.....so people could find about it and attend it if they wanted to....
All that was public knowledge......
Now when it comes to the organization of the event, well Memo you really has no place to criticize....I submit the following...
Robotech "Fandom Awards" - You sure had people work on stuff to submit and.......no winners were ever announced!....As always...you are "all about the fandom"! Way to organize!
I could submit more...but that example says it all!
You also sounded your trumpet on Robotech.com and say that it wasn't an OFFICIAL HARMONY GOLD EVENT. And when a poster decided to call you to task and asked why is Michael Bradley's concerts are covered when they are NOT Robotech events, you never came back to post.
My guess is you probably banned that poster from the forums demanding a letter of apology and to take it up with Steve, LMAO!!!
But all of that are NOT the reasons that Memo thought it was his moral obligation to bash the event....
There seems to be a personal squabble between Mems and Tom Bateman, one of the main organizers and who actually used to work for Harmony Gold. I don't have details, nor do I really care as it's not my affair but it looks like this has been going on for years. Tom organizes Robotech event.....Memo is at odds with Tom and vice versa.....seeing Tom is an organizer of the event.....
Well....you know where I'm going with this....I think it's not so much to bash RT25 but to bash anything that Tom Bateman has to do with anything Robotch related.....and to show Uncle Tommy that you are loyal as they come...
And I will grant you this Guillermo, you and Tommy probably were NOT welcomed there....But your excuse of criticizing "so that things could be done better" is a REAL FAIL when one realizes your true motivation behind it.
Although I was not there, the people I spoke to that did attend had a memorable time....see Memo that's what you don't get and I think it is something you are mentally deficient in understanding....RT25 was a celebration of something that in 1985 bought a lot of happiness and enjoyment to a legion of fans...a celebration to the voice actors who brought the characters to life....it was a celebration of the heart of something that touched many lives around the world.
Since you did what you could to downplay the event in the forums and on your podcast.......it shows that you are all about the fandom that chooses to see things your way only.....
Funny......you once said about my podcast that it was all about my opinions.....well you sure have a lot of opinions of your own. (Hipocrita.....)
But wait.....there's more...
First let me say to Juan...I never knew that my podcast caused you to throw up?....I'm glad the Protoculture Times comes in handy when you have an upset stomach. LOL!
But that's not the reason I mention you....on that same podcast where Memo "crusaded" for all the "right Robotech fans" in putting down the RT25 event you opened your mouth and said "Us Latinos do things better and can put on a better party."
When the fuck did Robotech become about RACE?.......About Latino vs. NON Latinos?
Last time I checked and I have proven it with my podcast, that the Robotech has a WORLDWIDE FANDOM. And being myself a Latino, I never saw one fan group better than another on the basis of what color or nationality they were. I have said that the Spanish fandom is probably the biggest in the world but are they better than the fandom in China?...in Europe?.....in the United States?....
Umm no......Robotech is a WORLDWIDE FANDOM....
You insult the organizers, the fans that attended, AND the voice actors that lent their time to the event. More importantly, you insult the worldwide Robotech fandom. Making Robotech about race is not only retarded.....but just plain ignorant. And it shows the bigoted person you are to those who don't demonstrate to be "holy like you"...............Mr. Pato.
Ladies and gentlenman, I usually don't post like this but the whole "Latino" thing offended me as a Latino and it was just the mark of stupidity to take Robotech that low. And I decided to state my opinion on it. Agree, disagree, denounce me.....go right ahead.
No wonder people want to remember Robotech for what it WAS...and not for what IT HAS BECOME.
Unbelievable.....
I'll have more things to say about some other things in the near future...as I work towards the final show....
Seeya!
I MISS YOU LITTLE GUY!
- John
JT, first sorry for your loss. Second every thing you just said is on the mark. I personally can not understand why some fans insist on making robotech some thing it's not. I never considered robotech a source of segregation. I never considered robotech a source of racism. I also never considered robotech a source of hate. I was unable to attend RT25, but I saw the pictures that Vivian so gracefully posted. What I seen in the pictures was fans from many walks of life, all members of the human RACE. Fans, actors, people who made robotech, and people who enjoy robotech! Maybe I am just blind, but if I am, I am glad to be!
ReplyDeleteMEMO posted on the Robotech facebook page, asking if any information was released at the last convention.
ReplyDeleteIt is so, so, so damn tempting to leave a message exposing him for the ass and fraud that he is, and Memo, i hope you are reading this you twit, but its not worth getting into a pissing match with Frik and Frak right now.. especially since they are currently getting their asses handed to them in the Robotech Forums right now...
Its actually kinda sad watching their blind devotion to Tommy and Kevin, and all the shit that they spew... and ya know, that red jacket and trombone... seriously... can Memo not find a better picture of himself at all??
blah... and to think, I was inspired by Robotech to become an engineer, spent weeks of paper delivery money on a Jetfire just to have something close to Robotech in the early 90s, and bought all the books and was completed consumed by Jack Mckinney's books. Now, I just wanna scream in the faces of Kevin, Memo, and Mav, and call them out for the fools and asses that they are. Only redeeming thing about Robotech right now is that Carl Macek was a Pittsburgh boy, and I gotta respect my own.
I've often wondered if the reason why Tom Bateman was run out of HG, was that he was too friendly with Tommy, Steve & Kevin's critics, such as myself, Brooklyn RedLeg/RabidSCFan, Robotech Master, and all the other people that Tommy used to plagiarize fan-accumulated ideas from under the guise of "improving" Robotech, then cast off like they were nothing without crediting the sources (or later removing crediting), like Macross, Beta, and the RRG.
ReplyDelete