Right. I've held my tongue on this for some time, because really-- hasn't there been enough drama going on in the dA Lit Gallery as it is?

But a few things of of late have just gotten far too far up my nose to ignore. There's a new wave of commentary starting up about that old chestnut "elitism", just when it seemed to me that the Lit community had reached some kind of general state of relative peace, for once, and I am damned well not going to be quiet this time and watch that peace devolve into the same sort of unpleasantness we've experienced before. I'd rather see the community pick the scab off this old wound once for all, so that peace might hope to continue.

It's commentary like this --- right here--- that gets my goat. And I'll tell you why.

deviantART --IS-- quite obviously a community. A very large and wonderful and diverse community, full of people from all walks of life, artistic genres, levels of skill and also opinions. To me, the beauty of dA is just this rich diversity, the fact that all these many people co-exist in one place. Spice of life, & etc.

So, that's my opinion. Yay for diversity. That said, I will add another opinion that brings me to my point here--

In that vast mix of people, there will those more intently focused on quality of craft than others. Because that's their thing, their spot in this wild mixture of people. And I assert that they deserve the right to hold that opinion --- which is not at all a bad one--- without being put down and vilified for it.

That's my beef here. I do not see --how-- it is at all possible for all the members of the lit community to become some homogenous, happy-clappy clump of people who all agree on the same thing and all hold the same opinions and all want the same thing from the community.

It's sort of kooky to expect it to be that way, isn't it. As one of those people who --does-- care passionately about writing, who --does-- care about helping people get better at writing, I am vastly upset to find this "elitist" label being thrown about again. Nothing good ever comes of it, except amusement for those who want to stir things up or make themselves look righteous, for their own selfish reasons.

Is there any other reason for crying "elitism" right now, than simply wanting to stir drama? Is that what Lit needs? Not in my opinion.

I'm not here to vilify anyone in particular, however, but to appeal to the Lit community to please, please, stop buying in to the "elitist" thing, especially when it's so very often applied to people who devote many hours and dollars and much passion to helping other people here.

To give ust a couple of further examples of why this attitude is annoying me:

I've seen with my own eyes someone post a link in a Lit chat, ask for honest crit, and then scream "elitist" at the poor person who donated their time to critting, for finding genuine fault with the piece and offering the advice asked for. GEEZ. Why ask for crit in the first place, if you don't want it?

I've also gotten a lot of flak for the terrible crime of owning a private chatroom, in which craft is all-important and unwillingness to improve bad work is unwelcome. What, I should be shot for deciding what goes on in my own chat? Or who gets to be in there? How would YOU feel, if someone barged into YOUR chat and called YOU a name and then told you how to run it?

Okay, so the people who focus on promoting good crafting in Literature aren't going to cheer loudly for badly-spelled romantic fanfic or telly beginner's poems. Some of them might offer less than glowing crit or opinions about others' work. Some may even act like pretensious, judgemental asses. But you know what?

As long as they aren't breaking site rules, there's no law against them doing so, or having that opinion.

But on the other hand, there's a lot of people who write for themselves or don't believe crit is helpful, or for whatever reason do not share the opinions of the craft-oriented folk. Some of them might not want to be like the people who are craft-focussed. That's their right, too. Isn't it?

But if there was a posse of folks running about calling ALL of those people collectively, "illiterate dumb-asses", and who got loudly cheered for announcing "OH LOOK, AN ILLITERATE DUMB-ASS" every time someone voiced an opinion they didn't agree with well, that'd just cause trouble. And be downright nasty, yeah?

How is that --any different-- than labelling other people "elitist"?

To dismiss ALL of the people who do work hard at craft as "elitist" and then demand the "elitists" all stop being "elitist" (whatever that actually is supposed to be) and be whatever the one crying "elitist" wants them to be-- it's kind of over the top drama-seeking stuff, isn't it?

I think everyone should respect everyone else's --right-- to find thier own place in this community, and to hold their own opinions, as long as they are not breaking site rules.

There's a pile of stuff happening on dA that I don't agree with, and often speak up about, because it's stuff that --in my opinion-- is not helping people grow as writers, or the image of the site. Others disgree. Good! I'm glad we're not all alike. But I'm gonna start a public campaign against people who don't focus on craft because of it.

And if you're wondering why I'm making noise like this about this whole thing-- anyone remember that stupid "down with elitists" campaign a couple years ago? Man. Let us NOT have a repeat of that, please.

If people --truly-- believe we should all just get along, then WHY stir up anger and feeling so very regularly by hooting on about "elitism"-- when you know, you really could just focus on whatever it is you're doing, and accept the fact we're not all the same, and never will be, and that there's room for ---everybody--- here?

So let's really not put up with this sort of childish rabble-rousing, hey? Let's show some --real-- respect for the community and celebrate its differences as well as the points on which it agrees.

I say there's room for the people who are devoted to improving their skills, and those who are not, and everyone in between. We DO NOT all have to agree, or even get along, as long as everyone's observing site rules.

I say the word "elitism" causes more damage to morale than all the harsh critiques and snobby opinions put together, because it not only disrepects whole sector of the community, but promotes an horrible "us-vs-them" as well as the erroneous idea that lack of craft as something to be proud of. (Oops! Could you tell I'm one of those evil "elitists"? Bad Salli! You may spank me later.)

How about we don't sink back into that nasty old swamp of bitching about "elitism" and yeah....just get on with what we're all doing, without causing a public riot about the fact that people are ** shock horror** different from each other.

That's all I have to say. Peace out.

-- Sal