The National Forum   Donate   Your Account   On Line Opinion   Forum   Blogs   Polling   About   
The Forum - On Line Opinion's article discussion area



Syndicate
RSS/XML


RSS 2.0

Main Articles General

Sign In      Register

The Forum > Article Comments > Philistines of relativism at the gates > Comments

Philistines of relativism at the gates : Comments

By John Hookham and Gary MacLennan, published 16/4/2007

Shakespeare v 'Big Brother': the radical philistines have taken the high culture v low culture distinction and inverted it.

  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. 3
  5. ...
  6. 7
  7. 8
  8. 9
  9. Page 10
  10. 11
  11. 12
  12. All
As a research student at QUT, I'm underwhelmed by Noonan's defense of his PhD. If your confirmation document does indeed state that you intended this piece to be confronting and provocative, how is that you're shocked to be confronted and provoked after the first showing of your work? In all your defenses thus far - on this forum, and in The Australian newspaper - you've merely restated the aim of your work, which is apparently to "give a voice to disabled people." When someone tells you it doesn't, with constructive argument, you can't just say, "well, yes it does, leave me alone", and sit by while your criticisers are hauled through a disciplinary tribunal for speaking out about something they see as wrong. As a filmmaker, you're ethically accountable for your work, even in the production stages, and as a PhD student, you're accountable to the university, to students, and to the public. If you really believe your work isn't a display of the CI faculties tendency towards moral relativism, then why not take John and Gary's arguments on and prove why not? If you really believe your work "gives voice" to people with disability, then why can't you defend how exactly it does that? Did you seriously expect to present a thesis called Laughing at the Disabled and not expect it to generate some debate and disagreement within the CI faculty and wider community? Anybody who works with disabled people understands the complexity of that work, and knows that transperancy and accountability are part of social responsibility. Queensland Advocacy Incorporated has even expressed their concerns about your project, and I think that in itself suggests it's time that you defend yourself publically and politically. If you're unwilling to show your film to concerned parties, which strikes me as pretty weak, considering you're so adamant that it is what you're telling us it is - then it's about time you at least explained why and how your studies and your film are ethical and relevant, and how exactly they're empowering.
Posted by postpostmodernity, Tuesday, 22 May 2007 7:26:42 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Further, how is that you're positioning yourself as the victim here? Gary and John are the ones facing suspension without pay, and the possible ending of both their academic careers. And your supervisor, Alan McKee, was the one who made sure this would happen. All this talk of giving people a voice when you're supporting the silencing of robust academic debate.
Posted by postpostmodernity, Tuesday, 22 May 2007 7:46:45 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
“Postpostmodernity” (aka John or Gary) is clearly not a research student. A real research student would never support the approach these academics have taken in admonishing and attempting to sabotage another research student’s work. A real research student would never support being forced to explain and defend their unfinished work to the public. A real research student would not have the time to write such irrational nonsense.
Posted by another fictional research student, Wednesday, 23 May 2007 5:10:44 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
I didn't think I'd have to defend the fact of my actual candidature to you, but I guess I shouldn't be surprised to see your reaction here is just another apolitical defense of your just so misunderstood uncompleted piece, and demonstrative of your complete lack of backbone to take on intellectual and moral debates. You haven't taken on a single one of the arguments in Gary and John's article, any of the statements by concerned disability organisations and academics and disability activists from QUT's own Humanities faculty, or any of the arguments I presented, and to me that suggest you don't have the capacity to do so. As a student and a staff member, I understand it to be my obligation to explain and discuss my research work on all levels: with my supervisors, with ethics committees, with my friends, my family, and with the wider community as a whole. If my project was something as contentious as 'disability comedy', I would expect to have to explain myself at every level. You were happy to showcase and promote your work in an undergraduate lecture, but not now, which suggests to me you're aware your work won't stand up to the scrutiny.

Further, if you think research students are unconcerned with this debate, then you should start paying closer attention to what's going on at your own university. Over two hundred students, a combination of undergrad and postgrad, held a rally last week to support Gary and John's right to free speech and academic freedom.
Posted by postpostmodernity, Thursday, 24 May 2007 12:29:46 AM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Whoever you are, “postpostmodernity”, please stop engaging in this supposedly scholarly forum and focus on your research. You say: “I didn't think I'd have to defend the fact of my actual candidature to you”. You still haven’t. You still don’t have the backbone to put your name to your post. I think if you’re going to personally insult someone and viciously attack their research, you should have the courage to tell us who you are. Further, I note that you believe “over two hundred students, a combination of undergrad and postgrad, held a rally last week”. That’s laughable. There were 60 at most and hardly a postgrad among them. Most were Gary and John’s non-student cronies. The rest were impressionable undergrads who have been misinformed, manipulated and distracted from their studies. I do not intend to engage further in this pointless exchange: I have fictional research to do. It’s a comedy project about two bitter, twisted little academics who travel around Australia in a funny car and try to change the world, one university at a time. Funny, huh?
Posted by another fictional research student, Thursday, 24 May 2007 11:40:08 AM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Cant we all just get along? Stick to the topic and leave the personal attacks for politicians. Everyone is entitled to express their opinion, and subsequently, to have that opinion debated. The rest is unnecessary.
Posted by MelDiva, Thursday, 24 May 2007 11:46:17 AM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. 3
  5. ...
  6. 7
  7. 8
  8. 9
  9. Page 10
  10. 11
  11. 12
  12. All

About Us :: Search :: Discuss :: Feedback :: Legals :: Privacy