#neil gaiman vulture article

[fastenyourseatbelts]

I had hoped sleeping on the Neil Gaiman article would make me feel a little better about the whole situation, but it hasn't. I feel heartbroken, angry, and betrayed. He's a deplorable human being who was fully aware of the harm he was causing so many women and was doing it anyway; kept "apologising" without any effort to change his behaviour; "he'd die rather than change." I cried through that damn article - cried for the women, whom he took blatant advantage of, and for his son, because god, I don't know what kind of life that child must be leading. Fuck you, Neil Gaiman. Your fans, all those who loved you, deserved better. Shame on you.

For anyone who's managed to escape the storm, don't read the horrific Vulture article if it gets too much. Be sure to look at the trigger warnings first. It's a graphic horror, centered around a violent, gaslighting abuser. You don't need to read it - the allegations made on the podcast are incriminating enough. Do not put yourself through it if you don't feel up for it emotionally.

Finally, this has reignited the discussion around the separating the art from the artist. This is the part that has broken me immensely, because GO and Sandman aren't things I can let go of easily, and fandom in these two spaces was seemingly inextricably linked to Neil. So to anyone trying to make sense of it all, I recommend The Leftist Cooks' video about heroes and Neil Gaiman. It was released around a month ago, so it doesn't work with the huge amount of incriminating information we have now. But their pain, their analysis, and their conclusions remain relevant. I've been holding on to one thing they said - "instead of looking for the soul of the artist in their art, try to find the soul of the art itself." They also talk about the concept of moral capital, and how Neil had it- and took advantage of it. We couldn't have seen it coming - it isn't our fault. The fact that we hold him accountable for his nightmarish crimes is enough.

Finally, separating art from the artist is as economic as it is abstract. So I'll just be pirating all that stuff from now on, I guess. It feels like a weak parting shot. But I'm only human, and I cannot disengage from media I loved so dearly. And that's okay, I think. Every single one of us was betrayed. So fuck the author, but love what he created. A text can literally be interpreted many ways after all, as the Vulture article demonstrates too. Take care of yourselves, y'all :')

[animebw]

Jesus fucking Christ.

I hope Neil Gaiman rots in prison for the rest of his miserable life.

[iliterallydecepticanteven]

Well. Time to go hit Neil Gaiman with a truck.

[opheliasflorist]

I'm starting to look at a lot of male artist that I've loved over time through this lens of Neil Gaiman's absolutely heinous acts. Especially the ones who've made a career on telling the stories of women. Like Robert Eggers, or Alex Garland. What have they done? Am I going to find something horrible about them that makes me unable to watch Nosferatu or Annihilation?

I know there are good men out there, and good creators, and it isn't fair to conflate them all. But in a cultural moment like this, it's hard to trust my own taste. I'm just furious. I'm wondering, what other signs am I missing? Who is the next snake in the grass? Who else is hurting someone who doesn't deserve it and using their money and power to cover it up? Is it someone whose art shaped me as a person?

And the shittiest part is, he won't be the last. There WILL be others. We've all known this for a long time.

Does anyone have a positive take I can borrow to get me through the night?

[nic-coughlan]

neil gaiman and amanda palmer are evil.

evil is a word loosely thrown around these days and they're the type of evil you read in horror fiction books that you tell yourself aren't real but they are. they're the vilest most abhorrent creatures and no justice will ever be enough for their crimes. i've never wanted two people to suffer for their actions more than those two and i hope and pray to whatever is listening that they crumble into dust.

[minmos]

ladies and gentlemen i fear we may have lost the war against rape culture

[sixty-silver-wishes]

from the Neil Gaiman Vulture article

[cfcreative]

Fuck Neil Gaiman.

And Amanda Palmer.

And anyone who supports either of them after this.

[atreefullofmonkiesonnitrous]

With the original podcast about NG, I wanted more info before I decided. Sadly, now I have it. :-( He is clearly not at all the person he projected here and elsewhere, which breaks my heart.

But I feel there is a difference between this and JKR for future engagement.

With HP there was always stuff in the text that was off, and finding out about her made it clear those weren't innocent mistakes. (Anti-semetic goblins, happy slaves elves, Umbrige implied r*** to death, many more)

That was what made me want to disengage from the content, in addition to not providing money. Removing the artist didn't save the art.

With NG his works talk a talk he didn't walk. Here removing the artist leaves behind art I still love. I will not give him anymore money, but I still love the works. And of course GO is TPs as well.

[dearopheliaimsorry]

I can't separate the art from the artist

I am so sorry to all the women who have come forward, including Scarlett Pavlovich, Brenda, Katherine Kendall, Kendra Stout, Rachel, and Caroline. I hope you all can truly find solace in each other and peace going forward.

I was never a Gaiman fan. At one point I wanted to be, but I never read more than half of Good Omens, and I've never seen how Coraline ends. That's the extent of my knowledge of him, but I liked his fans and the fandoms he created. I still think those people are so funny, insightful, and creative.

After reading the Vulture article, I want to burn my copy of Good Omens.

I am never finishing it. I just can't do it.

To everyone who has not read the article, I recommend it with caution. It is difficult to read, and you don't have to read it. Heed the content warning.

I'm speaking on this because sexual assault, rape, and child abuse, alleged or not, are important to discuss and try to prevent.

Stay vigilant and know that you are not alone. No matter who you are, your gender, your race, your sexuality, or your nationality, etc, take care of yourself and your loved ones to the best of your ability. Do not fall into complacency.

I have been able to separate the art from the artist in the past. For example, I have read a lot of classic literature, and Lord knows these classic authors' beliefs and actions were often harmful. But their life and death in a 'different time' has always been enough for me to acknowledge their issues and still consume their art.

I can't do it this time and to everyone else who can't, it's okay. And to everyone who enjoyed his art, that's okay too. Those who are deciding the art belongs to them in true death of the author fashion, that's okay and I understand. We can only move forward and hope that justice is served and everyone affected gets peace and support.

-Cassie

[13lizardsinatrenchcoat]

One of the most vile and unethical pieces of journalism I've ever read was a report on a man who sexually assaulted children which included IN THE ARTICLE the drug and dosage he used to render them unconscious.

I still think about that shit all the time. Maybe I'll write a second letter to the editor about it.

[completelyboredandconfused]

neil gaimen what the fuck

[xiaofenhua]

Neil Gaiman es una de las mayores decepciones de mi vida, su escritura fue parte fundamental de mi formación, y enterarme de las asquerosidades que ha cometido a pesar de todo ello, me da mucho asco y coraje

a quemar todos los libros y cómics, fue una farsa

[unic0rnsandmurder]

I thought my heart had finished breaking, but now it is shattered into powder.

[fayrobertsuk]

Unmastered

My heart goes out to everyone recounting their horrendous experiences in that Vulture NG article, and anyone triggered by the many, many gruesome scenarios it depicts.

Seriously: if you haven't read it yet, the list of trigger warnings can be best summarised as: pick one, it's probably there.

Fucking hell. Those poor women.

My thoughts remain many about this, as they have been since July, but no longer complex - I'm not even going to have his books on my shelves anymore. Not saying anyone else has to do this, but I'm done.

That goes for the (many) ebooks and audiobooks too.

(This is not to say I didn't believe the victims - quite the opposite - or that I was going to continue to buy his books, but I thought I was okay having the ones I had on display. Nope. Turns out absolutely not.)