UNBELIEVABLE

I couldn't believe it when I read it. I'm still not sure... is it really true? Are people this uptight and do others really cater to ONE complainer? I have this issue at work. Why does one loud mouth (usually the annoying sort) get what they want when the polite kind people of the world do not? For example: we have a policy at the bookstore that the book can only be returned 2 weeks with a receipt. OF COURSE the loud, obnoxious people get what they want. THEY can bring a book back a month late and get a refund. THEY can spill coffee on the book and have a lame excuse and get store credit. THEY get what they want because no one feels like dealing with them. The kind, polite person simply says, "okay," when their book is 3 days past the 2 week deadline and leaves. I try hard to accomadate those nice people and make exceptions and do NOT make exceptions for the obnoxious ones. But most often the obnoxious type are the ones who get their way. They'll ask to speak to a manager and so on. Sad, but true.

But here's a good example in the publishing world (if this indeed did happen):

I read this on Mo Willem's blog. This is what he wrote:

"I was asked by the folks at the CBC which runs the Children's Choice Awards to make a funny little video filled with the kernels of wisdom I'd attained during my tenure as host. I had two. They involved me mispronouncing Judy Blume's name and wearing a tuxedo without pants.

The CBC was overjoyed when I handed in the film a month or so back.

The idea was to run the film at the start of the event, but the CBC folks were so excited they decided to post it on-line before the day before where, fortunately, it was seen by someone who was offended by authors mispronouncing Judy Blume's name and wearing a tuxedo without pants. It was pulled from the internet.

Faced with the question of whether it should run at the event as planned, was, however, an easier call. As an advocacy group for kids books and their creators, they had to choose between a video they liked by a former host or cave to a complaint. Obviously, they caved. The awards ceremony audience is, after all, filled with impressionable editors, agents, and publicists, some of whom are in the their early 30's. Exposing them to an author mispronouncing Judy Blume's name and wearing a tuxedo without pants could be traumatic."

To read the rest and to watch the short video go here.

Sometimes I just don't understand.