On Open Letters and Cans of Worms

Chuck Norris Ate My Baby wrote about the tiff over Let's Get Dangerous' Open Letter to Gorezone, which appears to not have been received all that well. I'm surprised, however, that an offensive position has been returned, instead of addressing the points of Jamie's critical opinion expressed in his open letter. To call its contents defamatory and slanderous is stretching things a tad silly. Here's the open letter so you can make up your own mind. Let me know what you think with your comments.

Not to kick Jamie any more, but his grammar needed a bit of proofing, too (you Brits are weird with grammar). I'd like to see Gorezone (and readers of Gorezone) respond to his critical assessment regarding this one issue. If any of you have read the issue, can you corroborate or disagree with Jamie's critique? Civilly.

Here's Jamie's Open Letter To Gorezone (with some additional commas, typos corrected, and my personal observations in bolded italics sprinkled here and there. One last note: it is rather ironic that a blog called Let's Get Dangerous actually lives up to its name.

Congrats on that Jamie.

 

"Dear GoreZone Magazine,

"Firstly, well done for having a glossy and fairly nice looking magazine that has managed to stay afloat during a climate almost designed to make just that very difficult. It is definitely an achievement that a niche magazine has kept on keeping on, and I salute that.

"I first bought GoreZone about a year, maybe a year and a half, ago when the mag was still in its relative infancy and I was thoroughly disappointed (I did the same thing and felt a little disappointment: just not my cup of tea really). So I decided I would stick to Fango. But then yesterday, I saw the mag in a shop in Manchester and spotted a review of Enzo Castellari’s Bronx Warriors movies. So I figured I would give it another whirl.

"Now, I am not one of these guys who gets all heated about grammar and spelling but come on, this is just ridiculous (okay, I thought you said you weren't the type to get all heated about grammar?). I’m assuming that none of your articles get proofread at all as the level of grammar and spelling really is atrocious. Which is something that needs to be rectified if you are going to continue calling yourself “The world’s most upmarket horror entertainment magazine” (bit of a jump here, but I'll stay mum: still just expressing concern, not slander). Basic spelling and grammar are an absolute must for any professional-looking publication, and when you skip on it it makes you look like a bunch of amateurs. And if some Mary Whitehouse type were to pick up the magazine as fodder for her latest crusade against people having bloody fun then she would probably think the horror community is a bunch of uneducated degenerates fixated on big boobs (yet people still read the Weekly World News: go figure*).

"And so in lies my main problem with GoreZone: I don’t like that you assume that all horror fans want to see bikinied-up girls flaunting it around (dear Gorezone: Jamie's on his own with this one). I’m a red-blooded male gorehound who loves the ladies, but when I pick up a horror magazine I want to read about what gory flicks are coming soon and about classic genre flicks that get our jugulars pumping. If I am honest the reviews are well written for the most part, and the features go into some level of depth which is good. Now just sort out the content.

"Females are maligned in this genre we love as pure eye-candy, or examples of pure evil (I agree, but it sells movies and issues because enough males want to see it). This is the most progressive genre in the world (have you seen the DVD shelves, lately?), the genre that showed women can be heroes with films like the Night Of The Living Dead remake, but even though people are striving to make something more of the genre, other people (such as yourselves) are dragging it back down (an argumentative stretch here: which people are striving for what? Get your notes ready). For example, in your Christa Campbell VS Joe Bloggs piece, the question “Are big breasts accessory or necessity?” is thoroughly unnecessary, and Christa’s answer pretty much set the women’s movement back god knows how far “The bigger the better no? You have to get their attention somehow…” (sadly, she's right, whatever we dislike about it: my question is, was this intended as a satirical article?)

"It just really seems like “the world’s most upmarket horror entertainment magazine” is Nuts for horror fans (or even the celebrity obsessed Heat), as opposed to “Vogue for horror fans” as you have printed on your cover.

"Now I’m no prude, I love the movies of Fred Olen Ray, Jess Franco, Russ Meyer and Jean Rollin but with Women In Horror Recognition Month on the horizon, lets just try and remember that there is more to women than lumps of fat on their chests (damnit, okay, but it won't be easy: I'll second the notion. Oh, wait, the month's over!). Be as progressive as the genre (still not seeing that progressive genre yet) allows, and focus more on the horror that all your readers love (you can't presume to know what all of Gorezone's readers would like) as opposed to the scantily-clad ladies (which I assume appeals to at least a percentage of your readers). Imagine what could be accomplished by a truly “upmarket” horror publication from the UK, that focused on movies and the genre rather than the interchangeable commodity that are actors (I don't think actors would like that sentiment: they work hard at horror, too.) that would truly be an achievement!

"So GoreZone please: more horror, less half-naked girls (again, dear Gorezone, this is Jamie's personal request only, and he did say less, not none)
Regards,
Dangerous Jamie"

*Just so we're clear, I find Weekly World News a hoot, though I try not to read it in public.

Comments

[Max]

"I must admit they hit the nail on the head with Cheney: he is a robot. I don't know how they saw through that one."

Well, you got me there!

Unless you mean ANOTHER Cheney is a robot...whirrrr...robot...bot...whirr...

[dangerousjamie]

Oh my god, you disagreed with me! That must mean you are a ***** and a ****. Of course I jest, thanks for this, I appreciate a bit of good natured criticism. Maybe I should have said "This can be the most progressive etc in etc etc" because it certainly can at times, even in T&A laden slashers, there is usually a final girl. There is plenty to read in final girl mythos, but mostly, to survive that girl has to fight back become empowered. I'm no feminist crusader, but if you were too imagine every killer hacking off teen girls as an apparition of male chauvinistic rage, then final girl is a true equal. How about the scene in Night remake (like I mention in the article) when Barbara decides to stop being a sniveling little girl, takes off her skirt, and puts a pair of pants on!
All the best horror movies, even the popcorniest affairs are rife with symbolism and depth.

I digressed but whatever, also you're right, I can't assume what the readers of GoreZone like, but it would be fair to assume they like horror movies, wouldn't it? That was my sentiment in the piece.
Thanks for your comments, and your support, it means a lot that people can read my blog and disagree without threatening to "run me out of town".

[jmcozzoli]

Max, yes the Weekly World News is meant to be bizarre and goofy, which is why it's fun to read. But I must admit they hit the nail on the head with Cheney: he is a robot. I don't know how they saw through that one.

[jmcozzoli]

Chuck, I think he's referring to the remake, though I've not seen it.

[Chuck]

I have nothing to say about anything he said besides the fact I don't think Night of the Living Dead (assuming he means the original) shows that women can be heroes considering Barbra is a catatonic pain the arse most the way in it lol

[Max]

Dear John--

Great re-reading this "open letter" here, with your added comments. I'm with you that one can appreciate the beauty and sexual attractiveness of women in horror WITHOUT defining women in horror strictly in those terms. Don't women and gay male viewers appreciate the physical attractiveness of male characters? Of course they do. That said, the genre as a whole ISN'T defined by its progressiveness. It's often a power and erotic *fantasy* genre, not a dramatic and literary genre with fantastic elements. It's usually pop cultural fare, not pure high art. That's why it's popular!

Both sexes have their own versions of this stuff. "Twilight" comes to mind.

However, I gotta disagree with you on the WEEKLY WORLD NEWS. It's MEANT to be viewed as humorous fiction. I cannot credit the idea that any but a handful of the most gullible and naive view it as "reporting."