Whatever happened to "Limelight" magazine?

Post by George Shelps
Which was edited by David Totheroh
and Bonnie McCourt.
Indeed, what has happened to Ms
McCourt? She used to lumber out
onto the group every so often to
lambaste me.
I miss it.

I recall Ms. McCourt only posting once and I don't remember you being
mentioned by name. And I miss LIMELIGHT, too.

George Shelps

2006-06-30 15:52:28 UTC

Post by George Shelps
Which was edited by David Totheroh
and Bonnie McCourt.

Indeed, what has happened to Ms
McCourt? She used to lumber out
onto the group every so often to
lambaste me.

=A0=A0=A0=A0I miss it.
=A0=A0=A0=A0I recall Ms. McCourt only posting once
and I don't remember you being
mentioned by name.

You're right. She complained about
what I was saying, but didn't mention
my name.

Richard Carnahan

2006-06-30 16:36:00 UTC

Post by George Shelps
Which was edited by David Totheroh
and Bonnie McCourt.

Indeed, what has happened to Ms
McCourt? She used to lumber out
onto the group every so often to
lambaste me.

I miss it.
I recall Ms. McCourt only posting once
and I don't remember you being
mentioned by name.

You're right. She complained about
what I was saying, but didn't mention
my name.

What she wrote way back in 1998 was:

Although I never contribute to this discussion group, needing to put my
limited
time and energy into LIMELIGHT, I was delighted when this chat group
was
formed, and I have been a lurker here since the beginning. I know most
of you
who do participate, and have learned much from the discussions here.
But over
the past several months things have degenerated to an appaling, and
infantile
state on which I feel I must comment, because it is so upsetting to me.

What really focused this for me was the fact that I got an e-mail from
a guy
the other day asking if there was a place on-line where he could learn
about
Chaplin. I had to think long and hard before I told him about this chat
group,
and when I did, I prefaced it with a disclaimer about the terrible
behavior
here, saying that I could only hope that "new blood" might give you
all
something to pull you out of this HELL you've created. It made me
realize that
I am ashamed of you-of being associated with such a petty, negative
group of
people.

You call yourselves Chaplin fans. You seem to agree that the films the
man made
were wonderful. You seem to disagree about him as a person. Well I'm
not a
member of the Chaplin-can-do-no-wrong crowd. Mr. Chaplin did much in
his life
that could be considered "wrong." All I can say is, he, like
everyone else,
made mistakes. He was a HUMAN BEING-a human being who not only
survived a
potentially devastating childhood, but who also went on to survive
something
even more potentially destructive-fame, fortune and power at a very
young age.
(And don't discount this. I have seen, up close, the destructive
potential of
fame and power, and we all could make a list a mile long of those who
*didn't*
survive. How many movie stars of today do you think are "nice"
people?) I dare
say *none* of you could have survived that anywhere near as well, and
what's
more, I'd like to see you hold yourselves up to the impossible,
super-human
standards you set for Mr. Chaplin. Whether you agree with his
"political" views
or not, the man honestly and publicly spoke his mind about things he
truly
believed, and he paid dear consequences for those beliefs. He lived his
long
and productive life by his own rules, and that's what really pisses
you off.

And you members of the Chaplin-can-do-no-wrong crowd, I'm
particularly ashamed
of you. Didn't you learn from Joyce Milton (who has made a career out
of it!),
that there are petty frustrated people in this world who can only
empower
themselves by tearing down others who have really accomplished things?
They've
dragged you down to their level, diverted you with their constant
"I'm not, you
are" infantile game. This guy who e-mailed me was not interested in
LIMELIGHT,
he wanted to talk about Chaplin on-line. And THIS is the only forum he
will
see, something more akin to a 3 Stooges movie!! Why would anyone want
to
participate here? Why would anyone want to learn more about a man, if
this is
how the people who are his *fans* act, how they treat each other? Why
would
anyone want to spend their time wading through the muck in all these
hateful
posts that contain only name-calling and back-biting? WHY DO YOU WASTE
YOUR
TIME LIKE THIS? YOU'RE DESTROYING THE JOY CHAPLIN BROUGHT TO THE
WORLD!

Yes, I'm very angry, but you know, I feel better now. And don't
bother to waste
your time composing any slings and arrows to direct at me, because no
matter
what you write I will not respond. Instead of putting your mental
powers
towards composing an argument, or calling me inventive and vicious
name, you'd
be better to spend your time thinking, for a change, about what I've
said,
because, in any case, I will not reply. I'm taking my cue from my
hero-I'm
speaking my mind, realizing there will always be puny people who will
try and
twist words and feel the need to tear things down, and I'm moving on.

Actually I'm going back to working on LIMELIGHT, which I realize I
have been
neglecting because I have been questioning why I bother to put myself
through
all that effort for a bunch of people who act so shabbily towards each
other.
But you know what? I realize I've got to do it, even if it's just
for myself.
I've just picked myself up out of your slime pit, and like my hero,
I'm
brushing myself off and walking off down the road to a better place.

Who wants to join me?

Bonnie McCourt
Editor of LIMELIGHT, the quarterly publication of the Charlie Chaplin
Film
Company, a society of Chaplin ENTHUSIASTS

James Neibaur

2006-06-30 16:47:02 UTC

Richard Carnahan 6/30/06 11:36 AM

Post by Richard Carnahan
Although I never contribute to this discussion group, needing to put my
limited
time and energy into LIMELIGHT, I was delighted when this chat group
was
formed, and I have been a lurker here since the beginning. I know most
of you
who do participate, and have learned much from the discussions here.
But over
the past several months things have degenerated to an appaling, and
infantile
state on which I feel I must comment, because it is so upsetting to me.
What really focused this for me was the fact that I got an e-mail from
a guy
the other day asking if there was a place on-line where he could learn
about
Chaplin. I had to think long and hard before I told him about this chat
group,
and when I did, I prefaced it with a disclaimer about the terrible
behavior
here, saying that I could only hope that "new blood" might give you
all
something to pull you out of this HELL you've created. It made me
realize that
I am ashamed of you-of being associated with such a petty, negative
group of
people.
You call yourselves Chaplin fans. You seem to agree that the films the
man made
were wonderful. You seem to disagree about him as a person. Well I'm
not a
member of the Chaplin-can-do-no-wrong crowd. Mr. Chaplin did much in
his life
that could be considered "wrong." All I can say is, he, like
everyone else,
made mistakes. He was a HUMAN BEING-a human being who not only
survived a
potentially devastating childhood, but who also went on to survive
something
even more potentially destructive-fame, fortune and power at a very
young age.
(And don't discount this. I have seen, up close, the destructive
potential of
fame and power, and we all could make a list a mile long of those who
*didn't*
survive. How many movie stars of today do you think are "nice"
people?) I dare
say *none* of you could have survived that anywhere near as well, and
what's
more, I'd like to see you hold yourselves up to the impossible,
super-human
standards you set for Mr. Chaplin. Whether you agree with his
"political" views
or not, the man honestly and publicly spoke his mind about things he
truly
believed, and he paid dear consequences for those beliefs. He lived his
long
and productive life by his own rules, and that's what really pisses
you off.
And you members of the Chaplin-can-do-no-wrong crowd, I'm
particularly ashamed
of you. Didn't you learn from Joyce Milton (who has made a career out
of it!),
that there are petty frustrated people in this world who can only
empower
themselves by tearing down others who have really accomplished things?
They've
dragged you down to their level, diverted you with their constant
"I'm not, you
are" infantile game. This guy who e-mailed me was not interested in
LIMELIGHT,
he wanted to talk about Chaplin on-line. And THIS is the only forum he
will
see, something more akin to a 3 Stooges movie!! Why would anyone want
to
participate here? Why would anyone want to learn more about a man, if
this is
how the people who are his *fans* act, how they treat each other? Why
would
anyone want to spend their time wading through the muck in all these
hateful
posts that contain only name-calling and back-biting? WHY DO YOU WASTE
YOUR
TIME LIKE THIS? YOU'RE DESTROYING THE JOY CHAPLIN BROUGHT TO THE
WORLD!
Yes, I'm very angry, but you know, I feel better now. And don't
bother to waste
your time composing any slings and arrows to direct at me, because no
matter
what you write I will not respond. Instead of putting your mental
powers
towards composing an argument, or calling me inventive and vicious
name, you'd
be better to spend your time thinking, for a change, about what I've
said,
because, in any case, I will not reply. I'm taking my cue from my
hero-I'm
speaking my mind, realizing there will always be puny people who will
try and
twist words and feel the need to tear things down, and I'm moving on.
Actually I'm going back to working on LIMELIGHT, which I realize I
have been
neglecting because I have been questioning why I bother to put myself
through
all that effort for a bunch of people who act so shabbily towards each
other.
But you know what? I realize I've got to do it, even if it's just
for myself.
I've just picked myself up out of your slime pit, and like my hero,
I'm
brushing myself off and walking off down the road to a better place.

I am not supposed to be laughing at this, am I?

George Shelps

2006-06-30 16:44:59 UTC

Quite a rant!

I wonder if she had enough energy left
afterwards to produce the magazine.

Maybe that's why it shut down?

Richard Carnahan

2006-06-30 17:16:22 UTC

Post by George Shelps
Quite a rant!

Yes, you're still licking your wounds eight years later. Poor boy.

George Shelps

2006-06-30 20:04:55 UTC

Post by George Shelps
Quite a rant!

=A0=A0=A0=A0Yes, you're still licking your wounds
eight years later. Poor boy.

Not at all, Dickie. I hardly remembered
it. I just recalled it as being slighly
crazed and your revival proves that.

I'm not surprised that "Limelight"
went out of business with an unstable
chick like that running it.

Richard Carnahan

2006-06-30 21:02:01 UTC

Post by George Shelps
Quite a rant!

Yes, you're still licking your wounds
eight years later. Poor boy.

Not at all, Dickie. I hardly remembered
it. I just recalled it as being slighly
crazed and your revival proves that.
I'm not surprised that "Limelight"
went out of business with an unstable
chick like that running it.

It's hard to believe that you're the same guy who e-mailed me almost
nine years and scolded me--gently--for my Internet behavior. I'd
gotten into a minor tiff with Bill Warren in the Hitchcock newsgroup.
Who knew you'd turn out to be...what you are?

David Totheroh

2006-06-30 21:18:43 UTC

Post by George Shelps
Quite a rant!

Yes, you're still licking your wounds
eight years later. Poor boy.

Not at all, Dickie. I hardly remembered
it. I just recalled it as being slighly
crazed and your revival proves that.
I'm not surprised that "Limelight"
went out of business with an unstable
chick like that running it.

What's next, George? You gonna kick my dog to try and get back at me?

Post by Richard Carnahan
It's hard to believe that you're the same guy who e-mailed me almost
nine years and scolded me--gently--for my Internet behavior. I'd
gotten into a minor tiff with Bill Warren in the Hitchcock newsgroup.
Who knew you'd turn out to be...what you are?

George Shelps

2006-06-30 21:45:30 UTC

Post by George Shelps
I'm not surprised that "Limelight"
went out of business with an unstable
chick like that running it.

What's next, George? You gonna kick
my dog to try and get back at me?

Now why would I want to do that?

David Totheroh

2006-07-01 04:49:40 UTC

Post by George Shelps
I'm not surprised that "Limelight"
went out of business with an unstable
chick like that running it.

What's next, George? You gonna kick
my dog to try and get back at me?

Now why would I want to do that?

That's a question only you can answer, if you've got the guts to be
honest with yourself.

George Shelps

2006-07-01 05:32:19 UTC

Post by George Shelps
I'm not surprised that "Limelight"
went out of business with an
unstable chick like that running it.

What's next, George? You gonna kick
my dog to try and get back at me?

Now why would I want to do that?

That's a question only you can answer, if
you've got the guts to be honest with
yourself.

Do you own a dog?

David Totheroh

2006-07-01 21:18:40 UTC

Post by George Shelps
I'm not surprised that "Limelight"
went out of business with an
unstable chick like that running it.

What's next, George? You gonna kick
my dog to try and get back at me?

Now why would I want to do that?

That's a question only you can answer, if
you've got the guts to be honest with
yourself.

Do you own a dog?

Do you own a sense of decency?

George Shelps

2006-07-01 21:47:32 UTC

Post by George Shelps
Do you own a dog?

Do you own a sense of decency?

And just how would you be able to recognize that?

David B. Pearson

2006-07-01 23:50:44 UTC

I very much miss the LIMELIGHT newsletter/magazine.

unknown

2006-07-02 00:30:47 UTC

Post by David B. Pearson
I very much miss the LIMELIGHT newsletter/magazine.

As do I. And people who don't know what an enormous effort went into publishing
it shouldn't be so quick to condemn.

David B. Pearson

2006-07-02 11:23:14 UTC

Post by unknown

Post by David B. Pearson
I very much miss the LIMELIGHT newsletter/magazine.

As do I. And people who don't know what an enormous effort went into publishing
it shouldn't be so quick to condemn.

Indeed, I've been involved in many dozens of such projects.
Not one of them could be called easy, and most were hellish.

Doug Sulpy

2006-07-02 14:29:09 UTC

Post by unknown

Post by David B. Pearson
I very much miss the LIMELIGHT newsletter/magazine.

As do I. And people who don't know what an enormous effort went into publishing
it shouldn't be so quick to condemn.

Richard Carnahan

2006-07-02 16:23:08 UTC

Post by unknown

Post by David B. Pearson
I very much miss the LIMELIGHT newsletter/magazine.

As do I. And people who don't know what an enormous effort went into publishing
it shouldn't be so quick to condemn.

Post by unknown
what has happened to Ms
McCourt? She used to lumber out
onto the group every so often to
lambaste me.

Everyone knows what he was up to.

George Shelps

2006-07-02 16:55:44 UTC

Post by David B. Pearson

On 1 Jul 2006 16:50:44 -0700, "David
B. Pearson"

I very much miss the LIMELIGHT
newsletter/magazine.

As do I. And people who don't know
what an enormous effort went into
publishing it shouldn't be so quick to
condemn.

By "people who don't know," I presume
you mean George, who did not in any
way "condemn" the publication. All he
did is ask what's going on with it - a
question which could easily have been
answered by David.
=A0=A0what has happened to Ms
McCourt? She used to lumber out
onto the group every so often to
lambaste me.

=A0=A0=A0=A0Everyone knows what he was up to.

Doug is correct. I obviously didn't "condemn" the magazine. I think it
was good work actually.

David Totheroh

2006-07-02 18:02:12 UTC

Post by David B. Pearson

On 1 Jul 2006 16:50:44 -0700, "David
B. Pearson"

I very much miss the LIMELIGHT
newsletter/magazine.

As do I. And people who don't know
what an enormous effort went into
publishing it shouldn't be so quick to
condemn.

By "people who don't know," I presume
you mean George, who did not in any
way "condemn" the publication. All he
did is ask what's going on with it - a
question which could easily have been
answered by David.
what has happened to Ms
McCourt? She used to lumber out
onto the group every so often to
lambaste me.

Everyone knows what he was up to.

Doug is correct. I obviously didn't "condemn" the magazine. I think it
was good work actually.

How would you know? You never bought a single issue.

George Shelps

2006-07-02 18:07:16 UTC

Post by George Shelps
Doug is correct. I obviously didn't
"condemn" the magazine. I think it was
good work actually.

How would you know? You never bought
a single issue.

People whose judgment I respect
told me it was good.

What's yer beef, Totheroh? I didn't
dredge up Bonnie McCourt's post,
Carnahan did.

I had forgotten how crazed it was.

Richard Carnahan

2006-07-02 20:07:25 UTC

Post by David B. Pearson

On 1 Jul 2006 16:50:44 -0700, "David
B. Pearson"

I very much miss the LIMELIGHT
newsletter/magazine.

As do I. And people who don't know
what an enormous effort went into
publishing it shouldn't be so quick to
condemn.

By "people who don't know," I presume
you mean George, who did not in any
way "condemn" the publication. All he
did is ask what's going on with it - a
question which could easily have been
answered by David.
what has happened to Ms
McCourt? She used to lumber out
onto the group every so often to
lambaste me.

Everyone knows what he was up to.

Doug is correct. I obviously didn't "condemn" the magazine. I think it
was good work actually.

How would you know? You never bought a single issue.

LOL! I should have known it.

Doug Sulpy

2006-07-02 20:35:26 UTC

Post by David Totheroh
How would you know? You never bought a single issue.

LOL! I should have known it.

Does the fact the George didn't subscribe to "Limelight" bar him from
asking about its current status? Or, perhaps in your rule book, he's
not even allowed to mention it.

So, David, what's the current status of "Limelight"?

Richard Carnahan

2006-07-03 02:49:17 UTC

Post by David Totheroh
How would you know? You never bought a single issue.

LOL! I should have known it.

Does the fact the George didn't subscribe to "Limelight" bar him from
asking about its current status? Or, perhaps in your rule book, he's
not even allowed to mention it.

Since when was this about LIMELIGHT subscriptions?

Post by Doug Sulpy
So, David, what's the current status of "Limelight"?

Probably better than George's first marriage.

George Shelps

2006-07-03 06:41:59 UTC

Post by Doug Sulpy
So, David, what's the current status of
"Limelight"?

=A0=A0=A0=A0Probably better than George's first
marriage.

I guess that's supposed to upset me, eh?

Well, Dickie, you're the one who
reprinted Bonnie McCourt's post
that reveals her as a major loon.

Richard Carnahan

2006-07-03 14:52:00 UTC

Post by Doug Sulpy
So, David, what's the current status of
"Limelight"?

Probably better than George's first
marriage.

I guess that's supposed to upset me, eh?

Does it? You've been attacking others through surrogates for years.

George Shelps

2006-07-03 17:25:00 UTC

Post by Doug Sulpy
So, David, what's the current status
of"Limelight"?

=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0Probably better than George's
first marriage.

I guess that's supposed to upset me, eh?

=A0=A0=A0=A0Does it?

Nope.

You've been attacking others
through surrogates for years.

Totheroh committed
slander against me on 2 occasions,
recently calling me a draft dodger.

As I have pointed out many times,
I was targeted by DT and others
for my dissent about Chaplin's
Cold War troubles and they have
resorted to the most scurrilous personal
attacks.

I have never gone on the offensive
without provocation.

I came here with a positive feeling about Chaplin, thinking that his
1972 return to America had ended the "era of bad feelings."

But no! Here was a fever swamp
of cranky leftism and Cold War
revisionism. When I challenged it,
personal attacks followed.

Doug Sulpy

2006-07-05 13:31:28 UTC

Post by Doug Sulpy
So, David, what's the current status of
"Limelight"?

Probably better than George's first
marriage.

I guess that's supposed to upset me, eh?

Does it? You've been attacking others through surrogates for years.

Whatever that means.
But, you know, I'm wondering...

What's the current status of "Limelight"?

David Totheroh

2006-07-05 14:21:47 UTC

Post by Doug Sulpy
So, David, what's the current status of
"Limelight"?

Probably better than George's first
marriage.

I guess that's supposed to upset me, eh?

Does it? You've been attacking others through surrogates for years.

Whatever that means.
But, you know, I'm wondering...
What's the current status of "Limelight"?

Why now? You never bought an issue either.

Doug Sulpy

2006-07-06 02:26:00 UTC

Post by Doug Sulpy
What's the current status of "Limelight"?

Why now? You never bought an issue either.

Irrelevant.

I just wanted to see if you could answer a simple question without
being argumentative.

David Totheroh

2006-07-10 05:10:40 UTC

Post by Doug Sulpy
What's the current status of "Limelight"?

Why now? You never bought an issue either.

Irrelevant.

It's not irrelevant. It's an honest and truthful observation which begs
the question, if you weren't interested when it was available and in
print, what is it that makes you care now?

Post by Doug Sulpy
I just wanted to see if you could answer a simple question without
being argumentative.

I'm quite capable of doing so, as my posting record will indicate.
However, an honest evaluation of the context of your question clearly
reveals it was hardly a "simple question." If you want to continually
shackle yourself to Shelps both ideologically and attitudinally, you'll
get the response that deserves.

George Shelps

2006-06-30 21:42:40 UTC

Post by Richard Carnahan
It's hard to believe that you're the same
guy who e-mailed me almost nine years
and scolded me--gently--for my Internet
behavior. I'd gotten into a minor tiff with
Bill Warren in the Hitchcock newsgroup.
Who knew you'd turn out to be...what
you are?

That's because since then I have
encountered slanderers like Moran,
Totheroh and Kuriyama and scum
like Bachusio.

Peddle your petty moralizing elsewhere.

John Aldrich

2006-08-23 00:24:41 UTC