Entry tags:

Worldcon Wanker
The links speak for themselves--short form:

According to Patrick Nielsen Hayden, Harlan Ellison apparently groped Connie Willis onstage at the Hugo awards.

Rachel Manija Brown has her own run-in with Mr. Ellison.

Cristalia calls for a "fatwa" against him.
(there are several more links at the bottom of this entry)

Maradydd offers face punching.

Posting in fandom_wank because as far as I can tell, it's not going to wait to explode, especially with cristalia's post, much less Mr. Ellison's actions.

EDIT:
~~The photo is here, fourth one down...but at least Morena Baccarin is pretty. /shallow~~

BASTARD SON OF EDIT: The photo that I originally saw doesn't seem to be on that page anymore. But Morena is still pretty.

UPDATE OF EDIT: Some discussion of Connie Willis' reaction at Elizabeth Bear's journal.

UPDATE OF BASTARD SON: Harlan aplogizes. And it sounds (kind of) sincere. And he mentions JF specifically. And I boggle.

Edited to read in chronological order.

HARLAN ELLISON
- Tuesday, August 29 2006 12:19:50
REPLY TO LYNNE BATIK:

Would you believe that, having left the Hugo ceremonies immediately after my part in it, while it was still in progress ... and having left the hall entirely ... yet having been around later that night for Kieth Kato's traditional chili party ... and having taken off next morning for return home ... and not having the internet facility to open "journalfen" (or whatever it is), I was unaware of any problem proceeding from my intendedly-childlike grabbing of Connie Willis's left breast, as she was exhorting me to behave.

Nonetheless, despite my only becoming aware of this brouhaha right this moment (12 noon LA time, Tuesday the 29th), three days after the digital spasm that seems to be in uproar ...YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT!!!

iT IS UNCONSCIONABLE FOR A MAN TO GRAB A WOMAN'S BREAST WITHOUT HER EXPLICIT PERMISSION. To do otherwise is to go 'way over the line in terms of invasion of someone's personal space. It is crude behavior at best, and actionable behavior at worst. When George W> Bush massaged the back of the neck of that female foreign dignitary, we were all justly appalled. For me to grab Connie's breast is in excusable, indefensible, gauche, and properly offensive to any observers or those who heard of it later.

I agree wholeheartedly.

I've called Connie. Haven't heard back from her yet. Maybe I never will.

So. What now, folks? It's not as if I haven't been a politically incorrect creature in the past. But apparently, Lynne, my 72 years of indefensible, gauche (yet for the most part classy), horrifying, jaw-dropping, sophomoric, sometimes imbecile behavior hasn't--till now--reached your level of outrage.

I'm glad, at last, to have transcended your expectations. I stand naked and defenseless before your absolutely correct chiding.

With genuine thanks for the post, and celestial affection, I remain, puckishly,

Yr. pal, Harlan

P.S. You have my permission to repost this reply anywhere you choose, on journalfen, at SFWA, on every blog in the universe, and even as graffiti on the Great Wall of China.

HARLAN ELLISON
- Tuesday, August 29 2006 12:26:56
CONNIE WILLIS'S LEFT BREAST, REDUX

Did I fail to mention, I am 100% guilty as charged, and NO ONE should attempt to cobble up mitigating excuses for my behavior? As with everything else I REALLY DO (as opposed to the bullshit that is gossiped third-hand by dolts), I am responsible for my actions 100% and am prepared to shoulder all consequences, instead of shunting them off to Vice-President ScaryGuy.

Adultly said, Yr. pal, Harlan

HARLAN ELLISON
- Tuesday, August 29 2006 12:28:31
REDUX, REDUX'D

This may be what killed vaudeville.

he

HARLAN ELLISON
- Tuesday, August 29 2006 12:31:1
REDUX TERTIUS

How's chances of me playing either the "I'm an old man and my brain is leaking out of my ass" card ... or ... even better ...

"I'm an old Jew and this is just another example of anti-Semitism because all you goyim are pissed that Jews really DO control the whole world."

I can go either way.

Yr. pal, Harlan

HARLAN ELLISON
- Tuesday, August 29 2006 12:43:2
ONCE MORE INTO THE BREACH

On a more serious note: if, in fact, Connie (or Courtney, or Cordelia) were/are/might in any way be offended by this latest demonstration of give'n'take jackanapery between Connie and Harlan (now in its longest-run on Broadway), you may all rest assured I will apologize vehemently, will crawl to Colorado through broken glass and steaming embers, and beg her (their) forgiveness. I need no one to prompt me.

Harlan Ellison, a friend of Connie Willis

(Read comments) - (Post a new comment)

	slackerbitch 2006-08-29 10:48 pm UTC (link)
	UPDATE. Harlan has - apologized? At least, commented on the whole deal. panghule who reposted it in comments to pnh's blog here. It's worth a read if only because he name-checked journalfen in it, twice. (Reply to this)(Thread)

	puipui 2006-08-29 11:25 pm UTC (link)
	Holy shit, he did name-check JF twice. Wow. And now I have to wonder how he heard about this specifically. I mean, with barely over 120 responses, this is hardly the largest of wanks ever, you know? (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

mister_terrific
2006-08-30 01:08 am UTC (link)

Because someone informed him explicitly that it was on Fandom_Wank.

poogy <noemailsorry@stupidmandatoryfield.com>
adelaide , sa - Monday, August 28 2006 23:36:22
Australia
Ummm just letting you know that gropegate has made it to the fandom wank community over at journalfen and they are doing their usual mockity mock mock. 50 replies so far.

Feel totally free to delete this post BTW, I probably would if it was my forum.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	amasaglajax 2006-08-30 01:18 am UTC (link)
	God, what fucking is it with people and their need to scurry along and inform subjects of wanks that they're being wanked about? There is enough wank WITHOUT all that nonsense. It's so kindergarten. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	ealusaid 2006-08-30 05:07 am UTC (link)
	Dude, forget HP Book 7. Harlan Ellison vs. FW would be the Wankopalypse. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	amasaglajax 2006-08-30 07:25 am UTC (link)
	Haha, oh God, a bunch of greasy internet nerds and unapologetic fat housewives (and I say that with all due love and respect) against an old cranky molestor. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	(Anonymous) 2006-08-31 10:31 am UTC (link)
	...Is it wrong that I took a second to figure out which side was which? (Reply to this)(Parent)

	puipui 2006-08-30 02:12 am UTC (link)
	tired sigh (Reply to this)(Parent)

tehrin, now comes in "frothy indignation" and "manic bubblegum pink"

tehrin
2006-08-29 11:46 pm UTC (link)

That gives no indication that he is going to put in the effort to change his behavior. This is a sorrowful attempt at trying to appease an audience by telling them what they want to hear whilst lacking in sincerity.

The only word I can think of to describe that apology is the word "pathetic." I'm with the anony-mousie below. Riding off groping a woman in public as being an infantile and harmless joke and that we all should be laughing at it is lame. It is certainly infantile, but it is not harmless or cute or funny. Its demeaning and it does not excuse the the fact that it was made at HER expense.

I don't care if he is a super famous author. Receiving many awards and having a well known name doesn't make that OK. I'm not even really in SF fandom and don't really consider myself much of a feminist, but I'm fuming here.The way that sentence was constructed, it gives the impression that Ellison thought she was inviting him to grab her breast like it was some kind of privilege to be felt up by him and I can't believe that. If he really did call and apologize, kudos for him. I am not buying it.

Now if you excuse me, I need to clean myself up. *gets the mop* Yay for the name-check.

(Reply to this)(Parent)

	(Anonymous) 2006-08-30 12:20 am UTC (link)
	That apology confuses me. Not the wording, just the fact that he even made a half-assed attempt at an apology in the first place. It's Harlan Ellison! Has he ever apologized for anything ever before, even half-way, in public? (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

(Anonymous)
2006-08-30 12:38 am UTC (link)

I guess people who don't take the trouble to practice on the small things never get good at apologising for the big things.

I'm in two minds over his apology. Obviously he recognises his wrongdoing now far more than he has during many other quite serious altercations when he has been an absolute pig and made no apology. Which means he must recognise this as different somehow? But how is it different to him? Obviously not because of the kerfuffle... he's weathered worse. He must genuinely think he has done something wrong that must be apologised for... but damned if his apology is transparent enough to really pick out what he is really saying sorry for. You don't make references to nakedness and puckishness while apologising for a sexual assualt (albeit a relatively mild one) unless the sexual assault aspect wasn't really what you feel sorry for? He can't possibly be feeling sorry for being generally a bit of a yob, because he's never been sorry for that before. WTF is going on? What am I not getting in my reading of his apology.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

(Anonymous)
2006-08-30 12:53 am UTC (link)

Honestly, I've thought about it some more, and I think he's probably sorry that a) he pissed off and/or skeeved out Connie Willis, b) he has, in the past, been pretty feminist (often while being an ass, even), so not immediately recognizing the implications of a man assaulting a woman like that probably registered pretty high on his "Oh fuck me I'm a hypocrite"-meter, and c) . . . honestly, Susan probably kicked his ass as soon as she found out.

I'm betting it was more a) and c) than b), but I wouldn't be surprised if b) played into his apology at least a little bit.

(Reply to this)(Parent)

wankprophet
2006-08-30 01:11 am UTC (link)

It must have been the fatwah that got to him. Once your ass gets fatwahed, you know some nutjob is gonna try to kill you. So he apologized. If Rushdie had Harlan's common sense, he would have done that immediately and gone out for a conciliatory O'Douls with the Ayatollah. Instead, he had to spend the next dozen years showering with a couple beefy bodyguards.

Harlan is a truly wise and great man. But a very tiny one. Very, very tiny.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	(Anonymous) 2006-08-30 01:15 am UTC (link)
	. . . maybe he likes showering with beefy bodyguards. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	wankprophet 2006-08-30 01:44 am UTC (link)
	Given his penchant for dating suicidal female models, I doubt it. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	mercutia 2006-08-30 08:23 am UTC (link)
	...not that that has to stop any RPS writers in the house. Not that I would ever, ever suggest such a thing. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	tehrin 2006-08-30 07:43 pm UTC (link)
	I was overclempt, but then a spooged and got over it. The apology was still shit. But then, there is the question of how public is the internet. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	shakeandbake 2006-08-30 01:40 am UTC (link)
	"Yeah, I apologize, that tit-grab sure was wrong! I deserve all of your reproaches! ALL of them! "(Tee-hee!)" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	puipui 2006-08-30 02:06 am UTC (link)
	Surely it can't be all that surprising that his apology makes him sound like as much of an asshole as everything else he's ever said, can it? (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	leto 2006-08-30 02:54 am UTC (link)
	Well exactly. And all of the gossipgossip now, everyone jumping into the story is amusing too. When an asshole is an asshole, I never know why people are surprised. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	littleshebear 2006-08-30 03:33 am UTC (link)
	Tee-hee! You, out of my brain. That's exactly the reaction I had on reading that "apology." Really, all he said there was "I'm a bad, widdle boy, tee hee!" Urgh. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	tehrin 2006-08-30 07:34 am UTC (link)
	That surmises it very well. You win. (Reply to this)(Parent)

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