Reply To: One forum to rule them all
I’ve slept on it, and I’m still angry about this flat-out accusation of being “materially obsessed” and not caring about the music.
I don’t know what the ports of call are on JCCC3. I don’t really know who the performers are beyond JoCo and Paul and Storm. I don’t have “junk” that I am “stockpiling” for the next cruise.
I’m going for the other Sea Monkeys, because Sea Monkeys are the most loving, supportive, accepting group of people I have ever been in. The first time I got on an airplane after more than a decade of flying phobia, Sea Monkeys were cheering me on and sending me suggestions for a playlist of airplane songs for my iPod. Sea Monkeys made me a video and put it on YouTube out of love and support. When I’m upset or depressed and I say something about it on Twitter, Sea Monkeys are the first people to comfort me and try to cheer me up. Sea Monkeys have rallied and supported me while editing my first novel and now trying to get it published. Sea Monkeys basically funded other Sea Monkeys’ staterooms and travel by supporting one another’s businesses and crafting ventures and have been first in line to help one another with creative and professional works.
Because of the cruise, and because of the community of fans that has become more active and more robust as a result of the cruise, Sea Monkeys are recruiting more fans to buy music and come to shows. Sea Monkeys are recording audio and video of shows and uploading them so others can share. Sea Monkeys are putting together all kinds of other creative projects that are solidly rooted in the music. I’m not at all suggesting that Sea Monkeys are the only fans who do this — just because we are so connected to each other, we are maybe more visible.
Like @tmentz1 said, cruise threads are in the minority for active threads on the forums now. There are far more active threads that are not related to the cruise. So I really don’t know where this anger and judgement is even coming from.
I understand being frustrated that a lot of people are talking about an event that is too expensive, too far away, or scheduled at the wrong time of the year for everyone to be able to attend. But characterizing Sea Monkeys as a bunch of materialistic, shallow jerks who don’t give a crap about anything but hoarding souvenirs is sadly, blatantly false. I mean, look at just this thread. Before it turned into name-calling, it was all about how to be most sensitive to the whole community and make the most people happy.