Xref: utzoo news.groups:8087 news.misc:2738
Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!looking!brad
From: brad@looking.UUCP (Brad Templeton)
Newsgroups: news.groups,news.misc
Subject: Matt Crawford speaks out on RHF editorial policy
Message-ID: <2963@looking.UUCP>
Date: 17 Mar 89 09:17:33 GMT
Organization: Looking Glass Software, Waterloo Ont.
Lines: 88


As part of Karl Denninger's campaign against me, he has promoted
Matt Crawford (matt@oddjob.uchicago.edu) as a potential new moderator
for a replacement moderated humour group.

To promote him, Denninger has reprinted Crawford's mail, where he
promises that he will continue my policy of not judging the politics
in the jokes, just how well they are written as comedy.

While I admire Mr. Crawford's statement, I have reason to doubt it.
I thought I would reprint for you a few of Mr. Crawford's own words
on the subject, written during the debate on Jonathan Richmond's
complaints about the famous ventriloquist joke.

If Mr. Crawford has changed his mind on this matter, it's quite a
change.  I congratulate him.

>From: matt@oddjob.uchicago.edu (Matt Crawford)
>Newsgroups: rec.humor.d,soc.culture.jewish
>Subject: Re: RACIST JOKES ON REC.HUMOR.FUNNY
>Date: 15 Nov 88 19:00:14 GMT
>
>brad@looking (Brad Templeton) writes:
>) So I'll make the same call here.  Send me your jokes that make fun
>) of racism, anti-semitism, national socialism, etc.  They have to be
>) funny, of course.
>
>Hah!  Double hah!  This from the guy who begs for anti-liberal jokes
>when he has to give in and post an anti-conservative joke, but passes on
>the very feeblest of anti-liberal jokes with no added comment.
>
>And from the guy who posted an unrotated "joke" advocating assassination
>of Jesse Jackson.
>
>This guy is as biased as they come, short of a white robe.  I fully
>support the suggestion made earlier to replace him.
>
>				 Matt

Later, when the RHF 1988 jokebook was announced, with an 800 number
available for orders, Matt posted this gem:

>From: matt@oddjob.uchicago.edu (Matt Crawford)
>Subject: Re: USA and overseas ordering information for the "1988 R.H.F Annual"
>Date: 22 Nov 88 21:00:04 GMT
>
>funny@looking (Funny Guy) writes, in rec.humor.funny:
>) (This posting is a companion to the announcement of the 1988 annual, which
>) should have come first.)
>) 
>) How to order the 1988 rec.humor.funny annual from inside the USA and
>) overseas: ...
>) 		Toll Free Ordering
>) 
>) You can dial 1-800-265-2782 from within the continental USA to order.
>
>
>Dear, dear.  Does anyone remember the "auto-dialing Falwell" crusade?
>
>

Finally, he decided to call for my removal as moderator of the group.
(This article talked about both the book and racism issues.  I have
retained the parts relating to accusations of racism.)

>From: matt@oddjob.uchicago.edu (Matt Crawford)
>Subject: Recall vote on rec.humor.funny moderatorship?
>
>....
>
>This, couple with the recent outrage against him being discussed in
>whatever.jewish, plus my own opinion (and that of several others I have
>corresponded with) of his handling of rec.humor.funny prompts me to make
>a very serious call for his removal as moderator of rec.humor.funny.
>
>I see three distinct issues to consider.  There have been ethnic slurs
>which may have overstepped some peoples limits of acceptibility, such as
>the currently controversial Jewish joke and the "kill-Jesse-Jackson"
>joke of a few months back.
> .....
>On the other hand, one might take the position of protecting minority
>rights and argue that some specified number of votes against retention
>should suffice for removal, regardless of the number of votes for
>retention.
>
>				Matt Crawford
-- 
Brad Templeton, Looking Glass Software Ltd.  --  Waterloo, Ontario 519/884-7473