Apparently the announcement of Forrest J Ackerman's death that has been posted in various places was premature. He's very ill, but "hasn't decided to leave us yet." Reports from the Acker-mini-mansion are that he's in no pain, but that it's a day to day situation.
He has never, to my knowledge, been ashamed of his passion, or afraid of looking silly in pursuit of it. He is an example to us all.
There's up-to-date news, and an address to send cards to, on the
Classic Horror Filk Board (Freudian slip there--I mean of course the Classic Horror *Film* Board). Skip to the end of the thread in case events have overtaken us.
This has resonance for me at the moment, because I just last night watched a clip from The West Wing on Youtube. I don't know which episode it was from, but it was Josh reprimanding a staffer for wearing a Star Trek pin in the office, and in explanation, he said something like this:
"I'm a fan. I'm a sports fan, and a [something] fan, and a Star Trek fan. But here's what I don't do. 'Let's list our favourite episodes. Let's list our favourite galaxies. Let's list how often our favourite galaxies appear in our favourite episodes.' That's not being a fan, that's having a fetish."
This left a nasty taste in my mouth, as you can probably imagine. Usually when Josh behaves like a smug git, he gets slapped down. I don't know if it happened this time, because this is one of the episodes I haven't seen, but I bet he didn't, because that is how fans appear to non-fans. Our passion, to them, is confused with obsession, and somehow mixed up with something sexual, and thus made to appear ridiculous and obscene at the same time. Everyone gets a free pass to be smug about the science fiction fans. And we don't fight that enough. We never did. We take it on board, and do it to each other.
When Forry does leave us, who will stand in his place?
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