MovieChat Forums > Spencer Treat Clark Discussion > Mad as hell

Mad as hell

posted 21 years ago by terabthia2
9 replies | jump to latest

Once upon a time when computers were young, you had intelligent well-reasoned discussion and communication between people on any given subject. That was maybe nine or ten years ago. Now it is 2004 and every Tom, Dickhead and Harry and their kids have access to a computer. The result is a stench of mindless, mean-spirited crap that eminates from any given discussion board about any given subject (with rare exceptions). Case in point: The IMDB discussion boards. IMO, the absolute WORST most HORRENDOUS decision the IMDB folks made was opening up every discussion board to any moron or jerk with access to a computer (which includes just about everyone). I'm posting here on the Spencer Treat Clark board because what I see pisses me off. For a number of different reasons which I'll spell out here. Maybe it's just because I've been a fan of his for quite a while and think he's a wonderful, excellent talented young actor who could very well mature into a wonderful, talented excellent young actor. If you think "he sucks" or whatever, fine. But I have no idea where you're coming from. But that's not really my beef here. Let's start with "bucketofjustice". You say you know Spencer? And how about you, Mr. or Ms. "Whataboutjohn"? I don't know whether you two are the real thing or just jealous jerks trying to get attention. Either way, SHAME ON YOU!! THAT is what the real insidious nature of bulletin boards and message boards concerning young actors and public figures boils down to. Some jealous jerk who knows someone who knows someone who knows someones friend who has a girlfriend who has a cousin who... etc. etc. Saw actor X beat up a helpless cripple. Who saw him drink until he passed out at a bar at age 13. Who says he has sex with everyone and everything under the sun. Or to quote Ms. Whataboutjohn is a "stoner". And so congrats to both of you...I don't know the truth about either of you but I do know you have tainted my fandom of Spencer with your comments. You have put the seed of doubt in my mind. Even if what you say about Spencer it true, I won't turn away from him as a fan. Either way I think you are both just a couple of petty, jealous, a******s who don't like the fact that someone in their school or in their community has a talent which other people have responded to. I first saw Spencer in "Arlington Road". My favorite role of his was "Unbreakable". I thought he did a FANTASTIC job in that. He projected both a deep sensitivity and a regular-kidness that I thought was really good. Spencer has always projected sensitivity and kindness. Sadly, of course, this may or may not have any bearing on reality. If what you say about Spencer is true, that he really is a jerk and a "stoner" then that would make me very very sad and disappointed. But it still wouldn't make me not want to be a fan of him, though. And, of course if what you two say is 100% false and you're just a couple of liars than SHAME ON YOU even more since you don't care one what about the consequences of your actions. Maybe Spencer knew on some level that he had a "sensitive" image. Maybe people thought certain things about him because of that. If that were true then what a HUGE tragedy. Here was a kid with a rare talent and all people can do on this pathetic message board is walk all over him. In acting, it's all about image. The image may not be the same as reality and that's always been a struggle with me in my years of fandom of young actors. It's hard enough being a kid and a teenager. It's even harder being a famous one. So, whether or not you really know or are acquainted with Spencer, or whether or not he really is a jerk or a nice person IRL, or whether or not he smokes marijuana (I sure hope and pray he doesn't), his privacy still should be respected.
Finally, if you think I'm weird or wacko or even worse, I really don't give a rat's rear-end. I'm not some pervert. But I'm also not a teenybopper girl who thinks she can just write everything and get away with it like most teenybopper girls nowadays think they can. And who uses all those stupid pseudo cute idioms and misspellings like "u" and "ur" and "l8r" and "OMG" and all that stupid idiotic CRAP. Young actors deserve better fans than this. Sadly, I think the reason most celebs are so paranoid nowadays is because they all think all fans are psycho stalkers (especially male ones though the stalker stories I hear about in the news are almost always exclusively female.) As an adult male fan, few things piss me off more than this. Except creeps who have nothing better to do than to smear and walk all over an actor that happens to be one of my favorites and one I wish well. There's enough crap and misery in the world, bucketofjustice and WhatAboutJohn. We don't need any more from you. Spencer's performances have been, when I have seen them, a brief refuge from that crap and misery, believe it or not. Your cynical, mean-spirited, jaded adolescent minds may think otherwise but it's true. I hope you both can live with yourself and sleep at night. There. I've got that off my chest. And three thousand jeers to the IMDB for allowing these stupid message boards to exist. It was just fine before they were here. Sometimes if it ain't broke, don't fix it!

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[–] Starduster 21 years ago

I sort of arrived here and found this thread by accident. I was clicking on a few actor links and ended up seeing this thread. It touched emotions I have myself.
theninthwave:
Thank You for your balanced perspective. Truely it is a shame that we see so little of that balance here on these boards. I DO understand some of the emotions that triggered this theme; mainly because I have experienced them myself. I have felt an urge to lash out in frustration at times. I understand what "terabthia2" is saying.
We are given freedom of speech and expression. Freedom carries with it, some sort of responsibility. Even in the mainstream press and media, responsibility is being taken lightly. Mainstream media seems to take no responsibliity for their content anymore; and no responsibility for any (re)action it causes.
Needless to say, when such a responsibility is simply handed out to anyone and everyone, the situation gets far more ugly. As you pointed out, an anonymous entity feels no responsibility for his actions whatsoever.
What we have on the boards, largely is not a sharing of opinions or ideas. If a person does indeed try to voice a REAL opinion or idea, it is generally responded to in some form of mindless attack on the persons character. The idea is to attack the messenger not the message.
Real thought provoking messages are in short supply here. What we end up with here is some sort of mindless thread that sets off a game of verbal volleyball. There are no rules and no winners. In other words, they are pointless.
The mindless attacks have no boundaries. They attack movies, actors, directors, writers and just about anything else. The attacks get personal. Its not just the persons work that is attacked. Most attacks come from those who know little or nothing about the people they attack. Once a "victim" is established the goal is to gang up and crucify him/her. Again, the basis for such an attack may be meaningless.
In the case of young actors/actresses I find this even more dispicable. Nobody is required to love each and every actor or actress or the roles they play.
The field of child actors is a lot more competative than one may think. There are far more kids (actors) that are not working, that those who are working.
We see many "one time" roles for many of them. Those who are lucky enough to get second or third roles in films are often treated to some bad material to work with at times. Most kids are not lucky enough to get prime roles presented to them on a regular basis, so they take what they get sometimes and make the best of it.
They are not in "control" of anything in most cases. It is up to the casting director to find suitable kids for the parts. It is up to the director to select ones that can do the best job. The kids audition; sometimes hundreds of them. Only one gets the part. If he/she dosnt fill the bill, who is to blame?
When the child (or adult for that matter) acts, the director should know what he is looking for in any given scene. If it isnt right, they do it again until it is. If the finished product is bad, are we always to say that the actor is at fault, or is the director at fault for not correcting deficiencies and demanding something better?
I think a lot of kids have more potential than we see in many of the films they are cast in. In most cases the ones with little or no talent dont even make it to the big screen, unless its just a background of "filler" role. The ones that get second and third roles, usually have something that the directors are looking for in the part. We may not always agree with their decisions.
To use this as a "kid bashing" board is tacky and tasteless. Agreed, those who actually graduate to adult actors (they are the minority) will probably be treated to bashing and tabloid journalism soon enough. If a kid stays out of trouble and scandles, I see little reason that they should be treated to tabloid journalism at all. Likewise for the insulting tasteless remarks in a discussion board.
Since IMDB is responsible for content here, at least to some degree, I think they should take a look at how the boards are ultimately being (ab)used. Maybe what is needed is a better means of monitoring and registration. I have seen too many cases where a person who has abused the boards, has had their postings deleated by IMDB, only to resurface with a similar screen name and resume their abuse. This should not be happening.
This sort of abuse gives these boards a "seedy" appearance, and basicly ends up diminishing their credability. Once this happens, I feel that I am joining "terabthia2" in saying; "why were these boards created to begin with" and are they serving any intended purpose?

*****STARDUSTER*****

[–] Black_Knight-1712 21 years ago

Great work Ninth Wave, your balanced view is refreshing.
To Terabthia, I can see where you're coming from in many ways. You just have to look at the boards from Haley Joel Osment and the kids from Harry Potter to see how bad some people attack the kids. But this happens on almost all actors boards. What you have to remember is that not everyone on these boards is a troll. There are some very serious and intellectual discussions that are often started on the movie boards. However, it is a flaw of the human condition that we always seem to remember the negative things before the positive.
Was it a bad idea to set up these boards? My opinion is no, simply because it allows the potential for the aforementioned intelligent discussion to take place on a relevant site. The people at IMDb didn't do poorly by setting these up, it is just unfortunate that the trolls that inhabit these boards have nothing better to do with their time than to make up nasty things about people.
P.S. I am all for free opinion, and I don't mind if people post that a certain actor or film is bad in their opinion and I will respect them. It is the people that say "so-and-so got drunk" "That guy bashed someone up" "Mr X is a drug dealer" that I can't stand.

[–] WhatAboutJohn 21 years ago

Keep in mind. From the start i said someone told me he was a stoner. I have no proof of this. For all i know he's the perfect kid and has never touched drugs. And i have never doubted his acting abilites. I think hes very talented and was great in Mystic River and Gladiator.