I was put in mind of this today...

[maleghasty]

...so I thought that I would share it ->

Neil Gaiman Addresses the University of the Arts Class of 2012 from The University of the Arts (Phl) on Vimeo.

I hope that you enjoyed it as much as I did. :-)

Comments

[mr-h-r-hughes.livejournal.com]

Gaiman ! *shakes fist*

[maleghast.livejournal.com]

What's up mon ami - you no-likey the Dream King?

[mr-h-r-hughes.livejournal.com]

I think he's a bit of a pretentious cock who keeps spitting out the same tropes, often not original ones but one just far enough of the mainstream for it not to get noticed.
Plus he's often set up alongside Alan Moore and keeping in mind I'm not a screaming comic fanboy and even though The Wizard or Northampton is inconsistant, awkward, lazy and has his own particular obsessions he still has more talent in his weirdly long little finger nail than Mr Gaiman shall ever posess.

[maleghast.livejournal.com]

Fair enough; I have enough respect for your opinions and intellect to want to file this particular subject in "agree to disagree", is that ok?

[mr-h-r-hughes.livejournal.com]

Absolutely

(note to self kill the heretic)

: )

[maleghast.livejournal.com]

I think that you are referring to Scientology, seeing as his father was the highest ranking Clam Worshipper in Europe until his death, and Mr. Gaiman's sister is in the cult and his ex-wife is a believer? I had a similar reaction, but he has publicly denied any involvement with Scientology (anymore), in an interview with the BBC in 2010 iirc, so I have relented. I suppose he could have been lying, but I choose to believe that he wasn't :-)

Having said all of that, totally respect you taking a stand on it; The Church f Scientology is a hateful organisation.

[mr-h-r-hughes.livejournal.com]

I'd heard that his denial was a bit fudged and didn't sound convincing. Not heard it myself, just what other have said.

[maleghast.livejournal.com]

I agree, knowing definitively is probably unlikely. He had the balls (or front, you decide) to publicly disavow his involvement, that's good enough for me.

I have no agenda to persuade other people that it should be good enough for them and completely respect your decision to remain sceptical :-)

[maleghast.livejournal.com]

I think it was fudged, in that he didn't want to drag his family into the discussion, nor openly criticise them for their beliefs. I didn't say he'd taken a truly principled stand against what I agree is a deeply sinister organisation, just that he had personally stated that __he__ was not involved.

Frankly it might have been an outright lie, but (see above on your other comment), I love his work, I love the work of his current wife and (thin though it may be) I am going to cling to whatever I can to persuade myself that he's not "in" the Clam Cult any more, because I want to believe that he's "out".

I'm really not trying to persuade anyone else, I promise.