[NEohioPAL]Goodbye from Mike and ike

[David J. White]

Everyone,

I don't think I've ever posted to this list before, but I have to weigh 
in on the side of those who say "lighten up".  I subscribe to several 
different lists covering different topics of interest to me.  Not all of 
the individual postings interest me, and a few of them actually annoy 
me.  So I simply delete them.  That's the price of being part of a 
community such as this.  Each one of us has the right say something; we 
also have a corresponding right to choose not to listen.

I have known Jeff for several years and have worked with him on a number 
of shows.  His sense of humor is unique, to say the least, and I have to say 
that not all of his work happens to appeal to me.  He is also a man of 
strong opinions.  But he certainly provides a voice and perspective that 
are by turns thought-provoking, aggravating, amusing, annoying, 
enlightening, and any number of things in between.  I think our 
community is a richer place for having his voice in it.

What I find particularly troubling about this fracas is that I thought it 
had been settled several months ago, when it was decided that Jeff would 
always put "Mike and Ike" clearly in the subject line so that those who 
were interested in those postings could find them, and those who disliked 
them could ignore them.  Frankly, I think I deleted as many as I read 
over the course of the past year; usually it depended on how much 
interest I had in going to see the show under discussion in the first 
place, or how much time I felt I could devote to persuing my e-mail.  But I 
always had the option to read them if I wanted to.  Why is the solution 
agreed upon before -- to identify the posts clearly in the subject line 
-- no longer good enough?

I'm sorry to hear that some people might have been offended by some of 
the things Jeff has written.  I'm even more sorry to hear that some 
people have reacted so intemperately.  I suppose part of it is that 
sometimes it's hard to know quite how to take Jeff's humor, and it helps 
if one actually knows him and has a sense of his tone.  Those who don't 
know him or his style can be forgiven for misinterpreting it.  But there 
are ways of bringing up these concerns politely and with consideration.  

The Northeast Ohio performing arts community is a relatively small one, 
which is why so many of us know each other, either personally or by 
reputation.  I think we need to encourage greater participation, not 
discourage it.  Again, part of freedom of speech is the freedom to choose 
not to listen -- or read -- if you don't wish to.  Please don't deny the 
rest of us the opportunity to continue to read something that has become 
a familiar feature of this list, just because you happen not to care for 
it or happen to have been offended in some way by something that you 
read.  After all, a great part of what we do is calculated to offend 
people, as a way of getting their attention and provoking their 
thoughts and reflection.  What's good for our audiences is good for us as 
well.  

Best regards,

David J. White

-- 

DAVID J. WHITE, M.A., M.L.I.S. 

Assistant Cataloger, Library            Associate Lecturer
Western Reserve Historical Society      Dept. of Classical Studies,
10825 East Boulevard                        Anthropology & Archaeology
Cleveland, Ohio  44106-1777             The University of Akron
Phone:  216-721-5722 x271               Akron, Ohio 44325-1910
Web:  www.wrhs.org                      Phone: 330-972-7875/7859
E-mail: djwhite at acorn.net               Web: www.uakron.edu/csaa
        dwhite at wrhs.org			E-mail: albinus1 at yahoo.com   

"Sed fugit interea, fugit irreparabile tempus."  Vergil, *Georgics* III.284.