Guest DeputyHawk Report post Posted September 17, 2002 i work part-time as a freelance reviewer for my local paper. tonight i was sent to see some local punk bands, and the review is due in about five hours for tomorrow's early edition. basically, the whole thing degenerated into violence and bloodshed, and the mental bass player of one of the bands told me if i gave them a bad write-up he would "hunt me the fuck down." do i a----write a truthful bad review baring in mind many of the people there were complete psychopaths, and the odds of them 'hunting me the fuck down' are actually rather high. b----compromise myself and give them a good write-up, even though the playing, the atmosphere, and the venue were all absolutely horrible. c----write no review, pack the job in (which pays appallingly anyway) and try to get work from another publication, baring in mind i would have no chance of getting a recommendation from my present editor after this. i'm leaning towards c) at the moment because i am a coward, though any additional advice anyone can offer would be well received. cheers. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Sandman9000 Report post Posted September 17, 2002 Depends. Are you bigger then that bass player? And just how bad do you like your current job? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Bosstones Fan Report post Posted September 17, 2002 My advice is this: go ahead and write your stinging review and to hell with the (potential) consequences. Trust me, as someone who wrote for the campus newspaper in college, you'll feel like shit as a reviewer if you give in and compromise whatever integrity/pride you might have in your work because you'll feel like you cheated the reader. Odds are, the guy who threatened you was just talking trash (perhaps in the hope of getting you to write a good review), so just say the hell with it and write whatever you want. If you're really concerned about the band(s) seeking "revenge" on you, then you might mention it to your editor and see if what, if anything, he suggests. You could also write under an assumed name. The bottom line is: don't let the prick control you. You have the right (and duty, as a journalist) to write whatever you feel is the truth. And under no circumstances should you give up this job; writing jobs are fairly hard to come by...especially with no good word-of-mouth working in your favor. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest LooseCannon Report post Posted September 17, 2002 A. Please, this is easy. No one's gonna hunt you down. But if you're that easily intimidated by people, you *are* in the wrong business. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest DeputyHawk Report post Posted September 17, 2002 very much not bigger than the bass player. i like my current job okay - was seeing it as a stepping stone to getting work with a better paper or magazine, but if i just fuck off i might get myself blacklisted from some secret editors cabal. i'm hoping if i do go that route, all a future editor is going to care about is looking at any work samples i send in. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest J*ingus Report post Posted September 17, 2002 Write a scathing review of them, focusing on what fucking idiotic psychopaths they are, and make a big deal about the threat, and how if ANYTHING happens to you in the near future that these guys are to blame for it. If they're that crazy, it might not matter what you write, they might decide that you're dissing them. Get their true selves out in the open. And readying yourself for possible violence might be a good idea. I forget if firearms are legal in Scotland, but pepper spray, a stun gun, a baseball bat, or a nasty-looking knife (or all of the above) would be acceptable substitutes. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest DeputyHawk Report post Posted September 17, 2002 A. Please, this is easy. No one's gonna hunt you down. But if you're that easily intimidated by people, you *are* in the wrong business. i'm thinking this. normally i wouldn't think twice about it, but the guy had just smashed some little punk kid in the mouth and knocked a fair few of his teeth out. it's quite a shit situation to be in. should maybe write a genuine shit review highlighting the violence then explain the situation to the editor and let him make a judgement call on it. hmm. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest LooseCannon Report post Posted September 17, 2002 Yes that is the thing to do. Talk to your editor about it. I also like Jingus' idea of mentioning the death threat in the review. Don't make a big deal out of it. But mention it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest DeputyHawk Report post Posted September 17, 2002 okay. jingus, liked the suggestion of mentioning the threat in the review more than the neccessities of carrying pepper spray, knife and/or baseball bat. firearms are indeed illegal in scotland. crossbows however ... i just can't be fucked with the idea of looking over my shoulder for some asswipe who's got more aggression than talent. it's just a friggin review in a local tin-pot paper, ferchrissakes. anyway, thanks for the feedback, i'll see what comes out of my shaken brain. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Incandenza Report post Posted September 17, 2002 So if we never see you again, we'll know why. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Leena Report post Posted September 17, 2002 A. If you ever plan on being a serious writer, you got to have some balls. Definitely should mention the death threats. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest KingOfOldSchool Report post Posted September 17, 2002 I don't know if I got this reply in time to change your mind or affect things, but you should go with.... A. Get some courage, and do right by your journalistic integrity. Put together a truthful and accurate column, maybe even allude to the threat as well, maybe that'll scare him off a bit if he was being serious in the first place. I reckon that the guy who told you that is full of shit anyway. But you should watch your back and be prepared, even if the most you'll get is a light ass-kicking. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest DeputyHawk Report post Posted September 17, 2002 well, the scathing review is done, complete with notes of the violence surrounding it. included an addendum to the editor saying the whole experience sucked ass and i don't believe the bands deserve any sort of press coverage whatsoever, but my job is done and i leave it in his hands. cheers for helping me do the right thing. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest DJ Jeff Report post Posted September 17, 2002 Damn, I was late. Anyways, I was just going to say write whatever you feel like, and too hell with that punk ass band member. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest DrTom Report post Posted September 17, 2002 Even though it's too late now, I would say A unequivocally. Reviewers should always write with the truth in mind, and any editor worth his weight in floppy hats will tell you the same thing. I would have certainly mentioned the threat, and posted the bass player's name and as much public information as I could about him in the article. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest DeputyHawk Report post Posted September 17, 2002 to hell with him indeed! thank you, dj jeff. that girl you like was here earlier ... EDIT: affirmation appreciated too, tom. no smilies for you though. you gotsta earn em. d'oh! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
