Chuck Tingle and Sad Puppies: The 2016 Hugo Finalists React to Their Nominations"
Chuck Tingle counter-trolls the Gamergaters who nominated his erotica for a Hugo Award"
Was nominating Space Raptor Butt Invasion a mistake? There are countless pundits beating this drum, but I would be remiss not to shout out this blogger who was kind enough to mention my "Killing Vox Day" series.
First, notice that most Kickers are shifting the narrative from "Space Raptor Butt Invasion" to "Chuck Tingle." This is telling. They are not okay with "Space Raptor Butt Invasion" winning a Hugo, but they just might be okay with a vote for "Chuck Tingle."
Second, this illustrates that the disagreement between the Rabids and the Kickers extends to the definition of victory and failure. In the mind of the Kickers, failure is defined as looking ridiculous:
"[The Puppies are] the ones who are going to look ridiculous, and if it’s a victory for gay space dinosaur erotica as well then that’s OK too."
Much like the noble failures of the Republican Primary, 'looking respectable' and 'victory' are so closely linked in their minds they cannot conceive of risking negative press to achieve an objective. The idea of strategically courting hate goes against their instincts, hard.
So for the Kickers, the ultimate question is who will be more embarrassed. While the presence of SRBI on the ballot is embarrassing to the Kickers/PTB, they still have hope that Dr. Tingle might make things even more embarrassing for Vox.
As such, the only way they will accept SRBI as a loss, is if they feel more embarrassed than they perceive the Puppies as being embarrassed. Hence the shift from talking about SRBI to talking about Chuck Tingle.
There's a fascinating rabbit trail about who Dr. Tingle is trying to help. Kickers perceive him as a Kicker and Rabids perceive him as a Rabid, but so far he mostly seems to be working towards his own purposes. The good doctor is making a tidy sum off of this controversy, so I assume his personal interests lean towards drawing out the fight as long as possible.
That said - does extending a conflict favor the State forces or the insurgents in 4GW? If the good doctor is a Kicker, he should reconsider drawing the conflict out.
Third, we've already discussed Vox's goals and methods, and we're not going to regurgitate them here. Let us simply reflect that public opinion is beneath Mole Person Invasion on the list of things Vox is concerned about.
One last thing. Scalzi accused the Rabids of 'jumping in front of the parade.' Which is exactly what the Kickers are doing and will do vis-a-vis SRBI/Chuck Tingle.
Let's get to the falsifiable predictions:
-The Kickers will continue to focus on Chuck Tingle as "embarrassing" for Vox (look for that word in particular, but also 'ridiculous,' 'silly,' etc.)
-Continued discussion of SRBI will ultimately benefit Vox (how much time have you spent thinking about the other nominees in any category? How much time have you spent thinking about other nominees that are not controversial? I seriously want to know; all I can think about is SRBI)
-Space Raptor Butt Invasion will win a Hugo. Both sides will claim it as a victory. Framing SRBI's nomination as about love winning over hate was a master stroke by Dr. Tingle.
I haven't thought much about any of the nominees, because I'm waiting for the Hugo packet. (BTW, this two stage, fifteen-and-then-five nomination process sounds great to me. For the same supporting member fee, I'll get three times as much free stuff.)
ReplyDeleteWhen I get the packet, I expect I'll end up reading my first gay dinosaur porn story, but till then, I'm not particularly thinking about it.
Hey, thanks! :) I'm glad I was pointed to your blog, I honestly enjoy it. I'm checking often, and catching up on back posts. One thing I would like to point out... while there is a lot of the game still to come, and you may be correct that ultimately this might end up not being a traditional-WorldCon-goer "victory", it is a very far cry from your previous prediction that:
ReplyDelete"If, somehow, SRBI makes it onto the ballot, the Hugos will lose all pretense of credibility. Let me make this clear: if you care about the Hugos, then your number one priority this year is ensuring that Space Raptor Butt Invasion does not make it onto the ballot"
and "we can't rule out an open Rabid Puppy victory. And if that open Rabid Puppy victory should be Space Raptor Butt Invasion or SJWs Always Lie, then God have mercy on our souls"
ended up being very far off the mark.
No problem, but I'm going to disagree with your disagreement.
DeleteThe Hugos have been anally violated. It's like finding your parents' strap-on: you still love them, but you'll never look at them the same way again.
You could call this goalpost-moving, and I would accept that criticism. Butt this is where people stop seeing the Hugos as a respectable award and start seeing it as a punchline.
Look for this tell from Kickers: "Who cares about the Hugos anyway?"
On further reflection, putting my predictive chips on SRBI is affecting my objectivity.
DeleteSo. When the 2016 Hugos are over and the shouting dies down, you tell me if SRBI was a hit or a miss.
:) Sounds good!
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DeleteGetting Quinn was an absolute masterstroke.
ReplyDeleteSRBI's biggest opponent wasn't the other works, it was No Award. Now, not only are the Kickers are trapped between voting SRBI for Hugo or "No Awarding" aGG heroine Zoe Quinn, they're gleefully running straight into this trap.
The only prediction I'll make is that Tingle's gonna Tingle.
While I agree, think about it from the Kicker perspective. "The Puppies have to choose between giving up on SRBI or supporting Zoe! We got 'em!"
DeleteWhich is why your prediction is the best, safest one. It's hard to say where Tingle's sympathies lie, but he is playing the public brilliantly.
What they don't get... is we rabids think seeing them handing Zoe Quinn a Trophy for Space Raptor Butt Invasion would be absolutely awesome.
DeleteRight. Which is the genius of Chuck Tingle - every side sees him winning as proof of themselves winning. As Identity plays go, it's genius. The only question is if it's intentional.
DeleteAlthough I would be quite tickled if the day after winning the Hugos, Dr. Tingle revealed himself as a Puppy.
I can see Vox feasting on the line "Zoe Quinn, who accepted the Hugo Award for 'Space Raptor Butt Invasion'" for years. Years. Even thinking about it is causing uncontrollable giggles. (How can these people not realize how he'll use that?)
DeleteAlthough I would be quite tickled if the day after winning the Hugos, Dr. Tingle revealed himself as a Puppy.
Do we actually know for sure that Chuck Tingle is not Vox Day? (The visual of Tingle ripping off his mask to reveal... Vox!... is inducing even more giggling.) It's an obvious pseudonym, after all. Can anyone who has read SRBI plus Vox's fiction comment on whether this is plausible?
The only problem with Space Raptor is.. its taking away some of the spotlight for My Little Pony. The slate is a multi front attack. Tingle as the full frontal assault... The Cutie Map as an IED... and Safe Space as a Rape Room... the Nuke from Orbit.
ReplyDeleteThere are pros and cons to SRBI sucking all of the oxygen out of the room, but I'm inclined to see more pros. It's drawing all the fire, clearing the path for the other attacks.
DeleteAragon storming Mordor to draw the Eye away from the Hobbits?