What an arrogant son of a b...
Posted by: Bill Cable 02.27.08 12:01am
A lot of good things came out of Toy Fair 2008. Hasbro has an impressive Star Wars line-up. We should be loving quality product all year long.

But the really interesting thing that came out of Toy Fair was a rather comical instance of haughtiness on the part of one "D_Martin" from Rebelscum. He wrote up his official Toy Fair wrap-up, and couldn't help sticking his thumb in the eye of all the inferior people who had the nerve to attend the event alongside him.

His rant begins:

"On the media front we saw a lot of new faces, and the lack of familiarity did have its own intrinsic problems. You see, when it comes to visiting the bigger companies, the Internet media is often are bundled [sic] in with the fan sites and pushed through like a bunch of sweaty cows with cameras."

The implication here is that Mr. D_Martin of <Thurston-Howell-voice>the Internet media</Thurston-Howell-voice> was forced to share space with the fan site plebeians. I suppose <Thurston-Howell-voice>the Internet media</Thurston-Howell-voice> should be treated in a much better manner. They should get their own private tour of the facility... a few days before the riff-raff! And they should be served sangria, and a caddy should be provided to carry around all their equipment!

Let me make you aware of something, Mr. D_Martin. You photograph TOYS for a web site named REBEL SCUM! You don't work for Reuters! You are the fan sites! The fact that you think of yourself as <Thurston-Howell-voice>the Internet media</Thurston-Howell-voice> makes you a laughingstock! I mean damn... are you even paid to do this crap? I'm not talking "Phil covered the cost of my flight" paid, I'm talking "Phil cuts me a paycheck twice a month" paid. If you're spending your free time to volunteer to do this without being paid, you yourself are nothing but a fan. So get the hell over yourself.

OK... he continues:

"Those of us who have been photographing beside one another for years (I'm referring to you Steve, Adam, Paul, and Mike) have built a good rapport and have learned to work together and through common courtesy and respectful communication. As such, all of us get good photos."

Good photos of toys. Not really something to boast about. They sit still for you. The lighting is constant. We're not talking anything the NPPA is going to give you a plaque for here, buddy.

He wraps up his complaints with:

"This year we had a slew of would be photojournalists who were only concerned about their own photography and their lack of experience and respect for others slowed the process completely. To all these people, I really can't stress how much they can improve their ability to work through a display by learning their equipment before an event. Practice makes perfect, and with rooms full of toys in your houses all you need is the will to take the time to learn your craft before jumping into the photo pits"

I think what Mr. D_Martin fails to understand is that most people who attend these events have actual lives. Some of them have spouses and children. Some work full-time jobs. As such, most don't have hours to waste "practicing" photographing their "rooms full of toys." Sure... people should be competent with their equipment before arriving. But this sort of better-than-thou attitude really smacks of undue arrogance. When Mr. D_Martin failed to emphasize is that every attendee received a flash drive containing professional photographs of just about every item Hasbro showcased. In fact, every one of Mr. D_Martin's "good photos" was completely unnecessary! They gave us the highest-quality, highest-resolution photos we could ever want, taken by photographers who actually earn a living from their craft. Of course they're not <Thurston-Howell-voice>the Internet media</Thurston-Howell-voice>. No... they're much better!

I'd be remiss not to point out one other glaring example of Mr. D_Martin's love of himself. In the previous paragraph he bemoans the lack of a Sideshow presence. He states:

"Their absence meant that I altogether missed out on their new products (since reporting TF means no time to surf the net) and seeing my pals. ... So to Brant, Brock, Tom, Heath, Scott, Seth, Anastasia, and Monty (and anyone else who I might be missing) that I've enjoyed seeing every February, I hope that you all make it out next year!"

What Mr. D_Martin was really saying her was "Look at me... I'm on a first-name basis with all the people Sideshow sends out to media events! Ain't I the coolest??" Classy there, D. Real classy.

To close, I have a message for Mr. D_Martin. You really need to take yourself a bit less seriously, brother. We all know RebelScum gets the most hits. We know they have all the ins with LucasFilm. Philip has built an impressive empire... but it's still only a fan site. It might be the most popular one out there, but that doesn't make it something else. And until your photos and reports start being distributed via the Associated Press rather than RebelScum, you're not a member of <Thurston-Howell-voice>the Internet media</Thurston-Howell-voice>. You're just a volunteer in an obscure, rather insulated little hobby, just like the rest of us.