<<Fiona wrote: << Actually to me it sounds ironic. Wendy expressed a view of Deliverance quite different from the Gospel According to Lysator, and, good heavens, she got attacked for it. So did Neil, Dana and I for agreeing with her. Under those circumstances, I'd be a bit bitter too... >>

Well, now, in fairness to those who are accused of "attacking" Wendy, I think it should be pointed out that the Deliverance thread was a lively, interesting, and congenial debate (in fact, one of the best we've had in some time). It wasn't til Wendy became insulting (beginning with the "Wolf at your door" message) that there began to be a certain amount of resentment at her insistence that if we couldn't see sexism in "Deliverance" we must be stupid.

<<Fiona wrote: << Now, what bothers me personally about serious (like Neil I'd avoid the word "intelligent") conversations going silly is that often it's not a natural progression, it's a hijacking. To give a (semi) fictitious example, some people can be having a discussion on, say, themes of class struggle in "Weapon," and then somebody else, who hasn't participated at all up until this point, will launch in and say "Ooh, I think Carnell's accent is dea sexy! What's everyone else think?" And there's the whole prospect of further serious discussion gone to pot. >>

Yes...it's true threads get hijacked. But that's just a fact of life on the lyst (on any list). But there is an easy solution...hijack it back.

That's what debate is - give & take, back & forth.

I've been on this list a lot of years now and it still amazes me that these kind of confrontations still pop up. I must say, though, that the Wendy thingy is not nearly as stinging is the SuperStud thingy.

<< Fiona wrote: << The astonishing thing about the Deliverance thread for me was seeing people who don't normally participate in the "serious" discussions take up cudgels. >>

Hmmm, which people would that be? From my experience on this list, those members who post regularly post on all variances of threads. I'm really not sure what you mean by your comments above.

Are you saying those who normally lurk came out to protest being insulted?

Courtney