doom and gloom fill my room
It just keeps getting worse. Let's continue with the tweets.
Let that sink in. We sincerely regret you felt that way. Not an honest "We're sorry", not even "We have made mistakes in the past, but we feel sure that we can move forward and learn from those mistakes". No. This is a specific dodging of any blame. Worse, this is an abuser's apology. Hey, baby, I know I hit you, but you made me, you realize that, right? This is a Quisling's take on accepting responsibility. This is midway between "You're wrong, but hey, think what you want" and "Hey, sure, maybe we raped you, but come on, you were asking for it with that dress". It's insane that any media company, no matter how small, is pulling this nonsense in 2018.
But keep that in mind moving forward.
Thinking I'm stopping here for now, especially as it's getting harder to access the tweets from March. If I suddenly jump to Aprille in future entries, that's why.
March 25th, again:
"After some digging for details on #ChangeTheChannel I found this list. Hoo-lee crap."
~~Tallor "Seriously Though" Daniels (@TallorDaniels), linking to a document that basically rehashes the Not So Awesome doc, but adds more disturbing details, with links
"This is horrifying and way worse than I initially expected. #ChangeTheChannel"
~~Andrea律 @Fairycon2018 (@andrearitsu), responding to the above tweet
"Things that Channel Awesome’s Management has pulled according to the #ChangetheChannel folks coming out..."
~~Kaylyn Saucedo (@MarzGurl), linking to a Tumblr document with a whole host of links to read
"Another good summary. Just ...holy shit." ~~Andrea律 @Fairycon2018 (@andrearitsu), responding to the tweet above
"A ton of sexual harassment, expecting actors to do rape scenes without consulting them, mistreating actors to the point of them FAINTING ON SET...Though I think now is a good time to mention the apology:
Just, dear god.
~~Andrea律 @Fairycon2018 (@andrearitsu), remarking on the revelations in the document
"I'll be working on a pretty elaborate and in depth #changethechannel video, If there's anyone who has something to share, my DMs are open. #channelnotsoawesome #channelawesome #somuchfornostalgia"
~~Vee Infuso (@TheSIJW), about the two videos I've already linked
"Anonymous said: I've been trying and struggling to wrap my ahead around the crux of the #ChangeTheChannel issues..."
~~Kaylyn Saucedo (@MarzGurl) linking to a Tumblr post with additional info
"Once upon a time Juu and I made a show called Under the Cel Shading in a vain attempt to get on Channel Awesome. We were rejected. On one hand this means I have no #ChangeTheChannel stories to tell you. On the other hand, thank god I have no #ChangeTheChannel stories to tell you."
~~Lord Day-Lick (That's DAH-LECK!!!) (@RealLordDalek) on the controversy
"hearing about #ChangeTheChannel is pretty jarring. i used to be a long time fan of CA as a young teen/young adult. i stand in full support of everyone who's left. i'm waiting to hear about people like brad because i really have appreciated his work in the past"
~~Bay Erickson (@bay61296) commenting, and at this point, Brad Jones has already said he stands with the site
"Wow. Linkara announces his leave from Channel Awesome and they just delete every trace of him from the CA website. In the old days, they would let them have "Farewell Videos" and keep the vids up. Now it seems like everyone is chopped liver."
~~LadyPhoenix (@LadyPhoenix7777), the tweet which came before the one below
"Like, how disrespectful can you be? After all the work and years and loyalty, the moment Linkara says he goes -- how does CA respond? By making it look like Linkara never existed on CA. That is such bullshit. #ChangeTheChannel"
~~LadyPhoenix (@LadyPhoenix7777), on Channel Awesome's typical way of dealing with lost contributors--by dumping every shred of content uploaded to their site and erasing them digitally as much as possible
There's one line in the entire piece--which, by the way, was first thrown up Aprille 2nd, but which I think is relevant to be thinking about as we're going through the Twitter feed--which says "we sincerely regret you felt that way".
Let that sink in. We sincerely regret you felt that way. Not an honest "We're sorry", not even "We have made mistakes in the past, but we feel sure that we can move forward and learn from those mistakes". No. This is a specific dodging of any blame. Worse, this is an abuser's apology. Hey, baby, I know I hit you, but you made me, you realize that, right? This is a Quisling's take on accepting responsibility. This is midway between "You're wrong, but hey, think what you want" and "Hey, sure, maybe we raped you, but come on, you were asking for it with that dress". It's insane that any media company, no matter how small, is pulling this nonsense in 2018.
But keep that in mind moving forward.
Back to March 25th:It just keeps...getting...worse.
"THREAD: The information that’s come to light in the wake of #changethechannel has shook me on multiple levels: as a human being trying their hardest to convey the greatest amount of sympathy and empathy they can with a black hole vortex of a heart..."
~~Jacob Witmer (@Remtiwitmer), starting a thread on the controversy
"...as a dedicated fan who feels like their trust has been betrayed by the content producers they wanted to believe were good people..."
~~Jacob Witmer (@Remtiwitmer)
"and as an aspiring video artist who was directly inspired by what they saw as a groundbreaking artist’s collective which turned out to be built on a bunch of myths and lies."
~~Jacob Witmer (@Remtiwitmer)
"The utter abuse that was inflicted on creative people in the name of “art” is despicable, and has completely changed my perception of how I’ve viewed some of my major creative influences."
~~Jacob Witmer (@Remtiwitmer)
~~Jacob Witmer (@Remtiwitmer), linking to an image of what he said somewhere else?
"My first ever video “Witmer’s Rant” was a 100% ripoff of the Critic. When I started seven years ago, I had one major goal I wanted to accomplish: Create work of my own that was good enough to hopefully one day attract the attention of the people I looked up to..."
~~Jacob Witmer (@Remtiwitmer)
...and maybe if I was incredibly lucky, work with them in the creative space where they worked and creative something amazing together."
~~Jacob Witmer (@Remtiwitmer)
"That dream is shattered now, and that’s because it’s been exposed as such: a nice dream. The reality is far more bleak."
~~Jacob Witmer (@Remtiwitmer)
"Stories of shady contracts, mismanagement, intentional lack of financial and promotional support for their supposed “team” of fellow creatives, coerced sexual harassment in the workplace which was all swept under the rug..."
~~Jacob Witmer (@Remtiwitmer)
"...many things which sadly flash me back to my brief flirtation with managerial work at a radio station last fall. And how horrible major issues were simply ignored there too."
~~Jacob Witmer (@Remtiwitmer)
"My support goes out to all the producers with Channel Awesome who were treated to such abuse over the past ten years for simply being inspired to be creative and daring to ask for compensation and recognition for it."
~~Jacob Witmer (@Remtiwitmer)
"You all deserved a better hand than what you were dealt, and hopefully your raising public awareness of all the shit you dealt with will result in massive reform on the way creatives on the internet are treated by people who are supposed to be their fellow creatives."
~~Jacob Witmer (@Remtiwitmer)
"Not gonna lie guys, this one really hit me hard, and I’m not even directly involved with what’s occurred. I really gotta look over what I’ve done and created over the past seven years and reassess what and who I’ve been doing it for."
~~Jacob Witmer (@Remtiwitmer)
"I’m still proud of the work I’ve created so far, but knowing now that I was fueling myself off of a giant lie has really made me question what I was in this for in the first place, wether or not it was really worth it, and see what’s left."
~~Jacob Witmer (@Remtiwitmer)
"I also want you all to make a promise to me: If I’m being - or have been in the past - a shitty person to any of you for the sake of getting my work done, PLEASE CALL ME OUT ON IT! Like seriously."
~~Jacob Witmer (@Remtiwitmer)
"I’ll react with indigence and anger because I have low self-esteem and a massive ego which will both be taking a chunking, but it’s the only way I’ll learn to be a better person."
~~Jacob Witmer (@Remtiwitmer)
"I’m dedicated to the work I do, and want to make sure what I create is the best it can be, but I also don’t want to be a garbage trash-heap of a human just for my own selfish desires."
~~Jacob Witmer (@Remtiwitmer)
"The one major thing I’ve wanted to create in both the way that I work, and the material I put out is a sense of community. A feeling that everyone is welcome, and anyone can do this."
~~Jacob Witmer (@Remtiwitmer)
"Because that was the message I was fed when I first started out; and just because the people who fed me that message turned out to be full of shit, that doesn’t mean I want to be."
~~Jacob Witmer (@Remtiwitmer)
"@thecinemasnob I respect you and you're a good guy, but #ChangeTheChannel is happening & it's a confusing and upsetting time 4 everyone I’m sure. I don’t envy position you’re in. So many feelings that everyone is trying to resolve/work out. @channelawesome"
~~Vincent Perrone (@futuremoview), talking about Brad's statement about standing with the Walkers
"#ChangeTheChannel once featured my abuser
~~Madison H. (@CynderMizuki)
"I guarantee it's probably exactly whom I am thinking it is, because he had a reputation for it. I just became a social pariah for outing him for it. But I've been a lot better off without the people whom defended and covered for him. I'm sorry you were abused."
~~The Villainess Misha Mayhem (@Misha_Mayhem), replying to @CynderMizuki above
"I’m curious to see if we’re talking about the same person because if we are I think you are the first other one I’ve found"
~~Madison H. (@CynderMizuki) replying back
"Hey, #ChangeTheChannel, this just may be an avenue worth exploring... you know, if you’re all not too busy bragging about being blocked by the CA Twitter account in here.
"If the accused is who I think it is, some of you owe me a big fucking apology."
~~BannedTheSaurusRex (@TheyCallMeTXT), talking about Cynder's tweet above
Thinking I'm stopping here for now, especially as it's getting harder to access the tweets from March. If I suddenly jump to Aprille in future entries, that's why.
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