HOWEVER, I do every once in awhile get a snarky comment from people using the "Anonymous" name tag because they are too scared to use their real name and have an actual conversation about the entry in question. I never claim to know everything about silent film stars, but I know how to do research and dig up as much as I can about someone that was famous 80+ years ago. I am all for having a constructive conversation about disagreements or discrepancies about a star or even about what I wrote, but if you write it under "Anonymous" and do so in a deliberately mean way, no.
I had this lovely comment left on my entry about Elmer Clifton:
"Elmer Clifton was gay, Jessica, so accept it and get over it. You try and make it sound as if he were some straight stud who enjoyed playing the field and had lots of female sex partners. You're mistaken. It was well known in gay Hollywood (then and now) that he was gay and this is why he never married."
Lovely, right? So, please let me respond to this charming person front and center.
Show me some proof. I have not seen a shred of evidence that Elmer was gay. If he was, then fine, but show me the proof. Anything. Until then, you have no basis in calling me out, especially in a way that makes it sound like I am pining for Elmer every day and refuse to accept that he could have been gay. And, I don't know many people who have ever even heard of him, so I think it is intriguing that people in 'gay Hollywood' nowadays would OBVIOUSLY know he was gay.
Also, next time you feel like calling me out for my apparent inability to accept a silent, good looking actor was gay, use your real name and e-mail me like an adult instead of acting like a bitchy teenager.
Thank you, and I look forward to NOT hearing from you again.
Sincerely,
Jessica
So, let us forget this ugly business and continue on to our mission of remembering silent film stars. I am currently digging up some information on Mack Sennett Bathing Beauties because I just adore them. Stay tuned for the first installment of that!
Awesome, Jessica!! I know, without a doubt, that you do a ton of research on our beloved Silent Stars prior to publishing it on your blog. Anonymous needs to learn to stand behind his/her comments and use their name or shut the hell up. You were way too polite in your reply.
ReplyDeleteAnne in Colorado
Thank you Anne! And I agree, if you are so confident behind what you say, then stand in front of it! But,...NOPE!
DeleteMore power to you! You have a keen and excellent grasp on all the great and not so great silent film stars (They are all great). You research and explore all you can and if you don't know, you say it. I love your blog and love reading it. Ignore the haters...they are not worth any typing.
ReplyDeleteThank you Birgit! It is people like you that keep me writing more and more entries. Thank you so much for your kind words!
DeleteHi Jessica, I'm sorry I'm using Anonymous but I am a tad challenged when it comes to the computer and it's the only thing it will let me use. My name is Barbara and you were nice enough to e-mail me once. First off that was a great response to a totaly knob. Not sure why people have to be that way and your right so what if he was gay and who cares! Also where is this proof? I'm quite thrilled you will be doing some Bathing Beauty profiles, I too adore them, no clue why but I have always been fascinated by them. I have a book that used that stated something along the lines, they will forever be young mermaids standing on the edge of the sea!! I always wanted to know what happened to them, some I know are more famous than others and we know about them so I'm really excited you will be doing some digging and hopefully finding more about these lovely young mermaids!! Thanks again for you site, I really enjoy coming here and losing myself for a bit.
ReplyDeleteThank YOU Barbara for your support and your kind words about my blog. They mean a lot and are really what keep me going on future entries.
DeleteAnd I love the quote about mermaids on the edge of the sea! They were so beautiful and so much fun, how can you not love them??
Hear, hear! Good reply. The cowardice of people who deliberately call themselves Anonymous (Barbara, you are not one of them) is an indication of empty words. Dishing it out is different from taking it.
ReplyDeleteThank you, John!
DeleteGreat post Jessica :-) Who cares if these stars were gay, straight, or whatever. I do enjoy reading about their private lives because it's so interesting but 90 years later it's impossible to tell what's fact and what's a rumor. Your blog is always one of the best researched!
ReplyDeleteThank you!! :)
DeleteI love your blog. Ignore the whiners, if they don't enjoy the blog, they should go somewhere else. I appreciate all the research you do and the great photos you find. I've learned a lot about people who have, unfortunately, been largely forgotten. Keep it up! Lots of us love your hard work!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I really appreciate the kind words, especially from fellow silent film fans.
DeleteThank youuuuuuu!
Ignore the trolls who love to post unseemly comments. Your blog is amazing. I've been a fan of silent films forever and enjoy your posts immensely, having found information here on many silent film figures that I was wishing I knew more about. Whether Elmer was gay or straight, here's hoping his love life was a happy one...and we can still appreciate the allure of someone so handsome, gay or straight! Keep up the great work, Jessica!
ReplyDelete