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usernamenumberI've been working on trying to write up some of my experiences at my first DragonCon, and boy is there a lot to say, so I'm going to do this in multiple posts.
Short version: I had a much better time than I anticipated, to be honest. I started what I hope may turn into a really cool project, accepted an award on behalf of a podcast I'm proud to have taken part in, met a lot of interesting people, saw some amazing sights, and was given a lot to think about, not all good, but net-positive IMO.
First Impressions
It took me about a full day just to get used to being at DragonCon. When I decided to go I had no idea just how massive it is, and even after arriving it was still hard to take it all in. Current estimates for this year's attendance are 45-50 THOUSAND people, spread across five of the biggest hotels I've ever been in, all of which were booked solid months in advance. It's overwhelming, but in a good way if you're into that sort of thing (and there's always a hotel room to flee to when you need it).
DragonCon Culture: Joyful Celebration of Nerddom or Shameless Pit of Debauchery? Embracing the Power of 'And'
In terms of the cultural feel of the con, the most surprising thing to me was how much DragonCon felt to me like Arisia writ (really, really) large. For those not in the Boston area, Arisia is one of our local cons, with about5k 3k (thanks for the correction, ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
juldea!) attendees in one hotel. I sometimes describe Arisia as a giant nerd party that also has a con going on-- that's not to dis the con at all, which has lots of fun stuff and is organized by a talented and dedicated staff, but even with all that the social and... let's call it "public displays of unashamed nerdery" element feels as or more important than the formal programming, and that's a good thing. DragonCon, despite being one of the largest cons in the country, retained the same sort of feel despite also having superstar guests and all the other trappings of a major convention. Indeed, apparently DragonCon has a bit of a... reputation as a "party con" or, to put it another way "pit of debauchery where desperate nerds go to get plastered and try to hook up with one another".
And you know, to a certain extent, based on my experience that's a fair cop. There's more to it, but that element was definitely there. DragonCon at night is a sight to behold. My hotel's common spaces never had less than 100 people, and that low point didn't come until around 6 am. The rest of the time there were 500+ dancing, drinking, carousing, flirting, and more. Hedonism Bot would have felt right at home (there was even someone cosplaying him).
But while others seem to sneer at the con for this, I don't. Well, not much at least. Any situation that combines thousands of people, alcohol and sexual tension has problems that can't be ignored. I heard fewer stories of harassment than I'd feared I would, but still too many (and even witnessed one myself). One female friend who has been going for years has two rules with her cosplay group: no one cosplays alone, and every group includes one person who is not in costume whose job is tell people who are misbehaving to piss off. Playing dress-up should not require a damn escort. There are also problems specific to DragonCon (which I'll talk about more later), and those can't be ignored either; and yet, overall the party culture at DragonCon seems to be a net positive thing for most of the people to whom I spoke.
In fact, the strong feelings that many of the attendees have about the con, and cosplay in particular, were really quite moving. The number of people who told me "this is the only place where I feel like I can really be myself, where I really feel free" was remarkable and bittersweet. It might seem silly for someone to equate self-actualization with being able to shamelessly parade around while dressed as a vulcan, but hearing these people talk I was reminded of the punk club I loved when I was in high school. I wore costumes no less ridiculous there, and that place changed my life for similar reasons. I'm eternally grateful to have had a regularly available place where I could not only go and be/do whatever I wanted without worrying about what was "normal", but be around other people who were being/doing the same. Many of these con-goers only get that kind of release a few times a year because their professions, communities, or whatevers require them to spend most of their lives in stealth mode, pretending to be someone who isn't a weirdo.
...and then they come to the con, and no one cares that he's dressed as an elf, and everyone is in awe of her home-made storm trooper armor, and thousands of pressure-cooker lives all blow their tops at once. The reason DragonCon becomes a giant debaucherous party at night is because it's all these people purging a year's worth of toxic dignity from their systems, and I can totally dig that.
...But It Has Its Problems
However, there are two things that have led people I know to at least strongly consider never attending, and whether one agrees or not, I think they're both important for anyone who is considering going to know about.
(Update: This issue has since been resolved) The first is actually old news, but I hadn't heard about it until @dromeda posted something about it, ironically just as I was returning home from the con. This article from Atlanta Magazine describes some serious allegations against one of the con's co-founders, Ed Kramer. Now, it's one-sided, he's innocent until proven guilty, etc etc, but it seems very thoroughly researched, and the hoops the guy has jumped through to avoid going to trial alone make me question his character, and that's where things get messy because, if I'm understanding this correctly, he's still contractually entitled to a share of the con's proceeds. The con has, to its credit, done its best to distance its self from Kramer, going so far as to make him sue to get his share from 2011, but the suit was successful, so if nothing changes attending DragonCon is effectively putting money in the pockets of a man who seems bent on hiring expensive lawyers to screw with the justice system (so far, at least according to the article, he's managed to delay bringing his case to trial for over a decade). EDIT: a user on Tumblr has posted what looks to (non-lawyer) me a decent summary of why the legal situation between DC and Kramer is more complicated than some of the con's critics have been assuming.
The article does end on a hopeful note, suggesting that he may actually have to stand trial some time soon, so hopefully this will be resolved by next year. If not... Idunno.
The con has been mired in scandal and controversy for a long time over this, and though Kramer has had some very vocal defenders (comment from the article "It's time for SF fandom to stop enabling criminal behavior, closing ranks every time someone in fandom gets nailed for a crime. Sandusky and Paterno have nothing on this crowd" ...youch), the concom seems to want very much to have nothing more to do with him and move on.
...which is why the other move that's pissed people off seems so bizarre.
So, there's this grassroots movement in fandom called The Backup Ribbon Project. Created in response to a sexual harassment incident at the 2008 DragonCon, the idea is simple: the creator of the project makes free ribbons that say "BACKUP" for fans to wear.
From the site:
The DragonCon concom had some concerns about this, primarily that someone might infer from the presence of a ribbon that a person is trustworthy, allowing for a "wolf in sheep's clothing" situation.
The thing about this is, I kind of get that concern. Kind of. I mean, it's not like anything remotely like this has actually happened to my knowledge, and it kind of requires someone to be phenomenally stupid, but I can see how they would be concerned about maybe appearing to sanction a movement that is pretty much outside their control. What I don't get is their response to it. Rather than working with the backup project so that it can work in a way that addresses the con's concerns, they basically say (paraphrasing here) "You don't need backup ribbons, we've totally got everything covered; don't worry your pretty little heads about it", the reasons why this is a spectacularly stupid thing for a con with as problematic a history of harassment and outright (alleged) sexual abuse as DragonCon to say should be pretty obvious, and anything more I could say about it is in my response to their post.
Despite all this, though, the Backup kerfluffle is not a reason I would reconsider attending in the future. First, I still hope the concom will take the hint from the waves of negative feedback attached to that post and use the intervening year to craft a more reasonable policy for 2013, but even if they don't, I think their move has resulted in the concom looking like asses and exactly nothing else. They were, to their credit I guess, not stupid enough to attempt to actually prevent people from wearing BACKUP ribbons, and one person even started making BACKUP buttons, just to address any potential confusion (since the con does use ribbons for official purposes). So I'll be sure to be wearing one next year, and that will be that. I understand the actions of the concom undermining people's trust in the con, but the truth is if enough of us care, all they have to do is stay out of the way. Btw, anyone reading this may consider it an invitation to request my "big guy standing nearby" services whenever they are desired.
Next post I'll move on to some nicer stuff: Highlights!
Short version: I had a much better time than I anticipated, to be honest. I started what I hope may turn into a really cool project, accepted an award on behalf of a podcast I'm proud to have taken part in, met a lot of interesting people, saw some amazing sights, and was given a lot to think about, not all good, but net-positive IMO.
First Impressions
It took me about a full day just to get used to being at DragonCon. When I decided to go I had no idea just how massive it is, and even after arriving it was still hard to take it all in. Current estimates for this year's attendance are 45-50 THOUSAND people, spread across five of the biggest hotels I've ever been in, all of which were booked solid months in advance. It's overwhelming, but in a good way if you're into that sort of thing (and there's always a hotel room to flee to when you need it).
DragonCon Culture: Joyful Celebration of Nerddom or Shameless Pit of Debauchery? Embracing the Power of 'And'
In terms of the cultural feel of the con, the most surprising thing to me was how much DragonCon felt to me like Arisia writ (really, really) large. For those not in the Boston area, Arisia is one of our local cons, with about
juldea!) attendees in one hotel. I sometimes describe Arisia as a giant nerd party that also has a con going on-- that's not to dis the con at all, which has lots of fun stuff and is organized by a talented and dedicated staff, but even with all that the social and... let's call it "public displays of unashamed nerdery" element feels as or more important than the formal programming, and that's a good thing. DragonCon, despite being one of the largest cons in the country, retained the same sort of feel despite also having superstar guests and all the other trappings of a major convention. Indeed, apparently DragonCon has a bit of a... reputation as a "party con" or, to put it another way "pit of debauchery where desperate nerds go to get plastered and try to hook up with one another". And you know, to a certain extent, based on my experience that's a fair cop. There's more to it, but that element was definitely there. DragonCon at night is a sight to behold. My hotel's common spaces never had less than 100 people, and that low point didn't come until around 6 am. The rest of the time there were 500+ dancing, drinking, carousing, flirting, and more. Hedonism Bot would have felt right at home (there was even someone cosplaying him).
But while others seem to sneer at the con for this, I don't. Well, not much at least. Any situation that combines thousands of people, alcohol and sexual tension has problems that can't be ignored. I heard fewer stories of harassment than I'd feared I would, but still too many (and even witnessed one myself). One female friend who has been going for years has two rules with her cosplay group: no one cosplays alone, and every group includes one person who is not in costume whose job is tell people who are misbehaving to piss off. Playing dress-up should not require a damn escort. There are also problems specific to DragonCon (which I'll talk about more later), and those can't be ignored either; and yet, overall the party culture at DragonCon seems to be a net positive thing for most of the people to whom I spoke.
In fact, the strong feelings that many of the attendees have about the con, and cosplay in particular, were really quite moving. The number of people who told me "this is the only place where I feel like I can really be myself, where I really feel free" was remarkable and bittersweet. It might seem silly for someone to equate self-actualization with being able to shamelessly parade around while dressed as a vulcan, but hearing these people talk I was reminded of the punk club I loved when I was in high school. I wore costumes no less ridiculous there, and that place changed my life for similar reasons. I'm eternally grateful to have had a regularly available place where I could not only go and be/do whatever I wanted without worrying about what was "normal", but be around other people who were being/doing the same. Many of these con-goers only get that kind of release a few times a year because their professions, communities, or whatevers require them to spend most of their lives in stealth mode, pretending to be someone who isn't a weirdo.
...and then they come to the con, and no one cares that he's dressed as an elf, and everyone is in awe of her home-made storm trooper armor, and thousands of pressure-cooker lives all blow their tops at once. The reason DragonCon becomes a giant debaucherous party at night is because it's all these people purging a year's worth of toxic dignity from their systems, and I can totally dig that.
...But It Has Its Problems
However, there are two things that have led people I know to at least strongly consider never attending, and whether one agrees or not, I think they're both important for anyone who is considering going to know about.
(Update: This issue has since been resolved) The first is actually old news, but I hadn't heard about it until @dromeda posted something about it, ironically just as I was returning home from the con. This article from Atlanta Magazine describes some serious allegations against one of the con's co-founders, Ed Kramer. Now, it's one-sided, he's innocent until proven guilty, etc etc, but it seems very thoroughly researched, and the hoops the guy has jumped through to avoid going to trial alone make me question his character, and that's where things get messy because, if I'm understanding this correctly, he's still contractually entitled to a share of the con's proceeds. The con has, to its credit, done its best to distance its self from Kramer, going so far as to make him sue to get his share from 2011, but the suit was successful, so if nothing changes attending DragonCon is effectively putting money in the pockets of a man who seems bent on hiring expensive lawyers to screw with the justice system (so far, at least according to the article, he's managed to delay bringing his case to trial for over a decade). EDIT: a user on Tumblr has posted what looks to (non-lawyer) me a decent summary of why the legal situation between DC and Kramer is more complicated than some of the con's critics have been assuming.
The article does end on a hopeful note, suggesting that he may actually have to stand trial some time soon, so hopefully this will be resolved by next year. If not... Idunno.
The con has been mired in scandal and controversy for a long time over this, and though Kramer has had some very vocal defenders (comment from the article "It's time for SF fandom to stop enabling criminal behavior, closing ranks every time someone in fandom gets nailed for a crime. Sandusky and Paterno have nothing on this crowd" ...youch), the concom seems to want very much to have nothing more to do with him and move on.
...which is why the other move that's pissed people off seems so bizarre.
So, there's this grassroots movement in fandom called The Backup Ribbon Project. Created in response to a sexual harassment incident at the 2008 DragonCon, the idea is simple: the creator of the project makes free ribbons that say "BACKUP" for fans to wear.
From the site:
If you take a Backup ribbon or you wear a Backup t-shirt, you are promising one very simple thing: You WILL help out anybody being harassed. Gender, orientation, presentation is irrelevant. You WILL find a way to help, whether by directly intervening, getting help from elsewhere, or simply listening the person being harassed. You WILL be there for them. You WILL accept that they believe they have been harassed. You WILL NOT question them or doubt them, You WILL give them whatever help they wish.
No judgement. No exceptions. We got your back.
The DragonCon concom had some concerns about this, primarily that someone might infer from the presence of a ribbon that a person is trustworthy, allowing for a "wolf in sheep's clothing" situation.
The thing about this is, I kind of get that concern. Kind of. I mean, it's not like anything remotely like this has actually happened to my knowledge, and it kind of requires someone to be phenomenally stupid, but I can see how they would be concerned about maybe appearing to sanction a movement that is pretty much outside their control. What I don't get is their response to it. Rather than working with the backup project so that it can work in a way that addresses the con's concerns, they basically say (paraphrasing here) "You don't need backup ribbons, we've totally got everything covered; don't worry your pretty little heads about it", the reasons why this is a spectacularly stupid thing for a con with as problematic a history of harassment and outright (alleged) sexual abuse as DragonCon to say should be pretty obvious, and anything more I could say about it is in my response to their post.
Despite all this, though, the Backup kerfluffle is not a reason I would reconsider attending in the future. First, I still hope the concom will take the hint from the waves of negative feedback attached to that post and use the intervening year to craft a more reasonable policy for 2013, but even if they don't, I think their move has resulted in the concom looking like asses and exactly nothing else. They were, to their credit I guess, not stupid enough to attempt to actually prevent people from wearing BACKUP ribbons, and one person even started making BACKUP buttons, just to address any potential confusion (since the con does use ribbons for official purposes). So I'll be sure to be wearing one next year, and that will be that. I understand the actions of the concom undermining people's trust in the con, but the truth is if enough of us care, all they have to do is stay out of the way. Btw, anyone reading this may consider it an invitation to request my "big guy standing nearby" services whenever they are desired.
Next post I'll move on to some nicer stuff: Highlights!
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no subject
Date: 2012-09-05 03:32 pm (UTC)I think you covered the D*C negatives well here.
no subject
Date: 2012-09-06 12:25 am (UTC)When I went to Dragon*Con I had fun but I found that it is difficult to experience more than one or two programing tracks. So for people who have multiple interests like Gaming, Podcasting, Filking, Literary, etc. it is tough to go to a little of each.
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Date: 2012-09-06 11:47 am (UTC)