Sour Grapes
Posted By Kathleen David on April 24, 2007
The first time I found myself embroiled in controversy at a Science Fiction convention was in connection to the costume contest. Some friends of mine entered in the category that they were told by the Masquerade Director to enter in after talking to the MD. They won Best in Show and a couple of other awards. Someone afterwards cried Foul because my buddies ran a make-up business and did some work for film and television. They did disclose this to the MD and they decided that since there was little make-up involved and this was the first convention they had ever entered, that they should enter in the journeyman category. The convention backed the MD but the MD’s name got smeared by the disgruntled contestant (who’s costume was a retread of something they had done two years ago) and the MD gave up on running the Masquerade which was too bad since they were very good at it.
I can remember that the Stringers had a hard time of it since they also ran a costume rental shop. None of the costumes that they wore at conventions were costumes that they rented out since they built them for themselves to be shown at the conventions. I always figured as long as I was not competing against them since I was not in their league, I didn’t have a problem with this.
More recently there was a complaint about the use of a word that they thought that one of the members of our group had said. The word we really used had been used 3 sketches in front of us. Again it was a complaint against us from someone who didn’t win anything and had problems with the guests of the convention entering the Masquerade and had previous complained that we had an unfair advantage because the one of the judges was related to one of the people in the sketch. When in reality we were shooting ourselves in the foot because the judge would recused themselves from our entry making it harder of us to win.
On one of the doll groups I am with, there was a BIG discussion that I will give credit to all participants that it didn’t come down to name calling with the exception of one person who really had a burr in her saddle about how a doll show was juried. I learned a lot about the cut throat tactics used in those sorts of shows and the underhand tricks and cronyism that are just part of the doll circuit. There was also a big discussion that was a little less civil on an art board after DragonCon started telling people where they stand.
I have lost out to others in all kinds of venues. My reaction is more “oh well” rather than trying to figure out how the other group “cheated”. Now there was one occasion when I did have information that was relevant to the rules of a contest and an entry that I passed onto the person in charge so that things could be fair to everyone. Some did call it sour grapes at the time but once the whole story came out, those same people thanked me for coming forward. I have protested what I saw as a bad call or asked for more information as to why the call was made but I have always tried to be polite about it.
I am grateful for people willing to talk about a judgment call that doesn’t make sense.
My philosophy has always been “Whatever”, because I’m a rather small player at both costuming and art shows, though I’ve been in several. Any hobby/club-like organization is full of whiners & backstabbers – the Dog Show circuit is notorious. There have been times where I’ve gritted my teeth because I spent months on something wonderful to lose to a 10-year old who sewed something himself, but that’s the name of the game. Only once have I really felt cheated, and it was very obviously a screw-up in the reading of awards – no first place was given. I shrugged it off and was happy with a workmanship award; if I’m not in it for the fun, then why am I there?
WHen we were packing to move, I came across a copy of a letter I wrote to a friend in 1995, sour-graping about a costume contest that – like you wrote – didn’t seem fair because an author/guest’s children took both first AND second place. Then I laughed myself silly when I realized who the winners had to be – KG & RG – who are now friends with my kids. Everything comes full circle.
When my son was three, we entered a costume contest in a small, local convention. He was wearing a homemade Star Trek uniform and dark, upswept eyebrows and a curly mustache.
First place was $100.00 and the audience voted with their applause. My son clearly had the loudest response. They gave him a toy and gave the $100.00 to someone else saying it was a costume contest, not a cuteness contest. Fortunately, he loved the toy and the $100.00 prize meant nothing to him. They should have clearified the rules before the voting, not after.
I’ve heard comments recently to the effect that fans seem to have become meaner in recent years. I wish I could disagree, but I’ve seen too many cases of people ripping into other fans because of some perceived slight.
For what it’s worth, I was in the audience for the presentation with the disputed word, and even sleep-deprived and dehydrated (nasty, nasty stomach bug), I clearly heard the real, non-offensive, word that was actually spoken. My jaw hit the floor when I heard about the complaint later.
People really need to get over themselves.
Paul