Reykjavík Grapevine - 17.07.2009, Blaðsíða 2

2
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 10 — 2009
Cover illustrations:
Köddi
Printed by Landsprent ehf. in 25.000 copies.
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Hafnarstræti 15, 101 Reykjavík
www.grapevine.is
grapevine@grapevine.is
Published by Fröken ehf.
Editorial:
+354 540 3600 / editor@grapevine.is
Advertising:
+354 540 3605 / ads@grapevine.is
Publisher:
+354 540 3601 / publisher@grapevine.is
Publisher:
Hilmar Steinn Grétarsson
hilmar@grapevine.is
Editor:
Haukur S Magnússon
haukur@grapevine.is
Journalist:
Catharine Fulton / catharine@grapevine.is
Contributing Writers:
Sigurður K Kristinsson
sigurdur@grapevine.is
Florian Zühlke / f lorian@grapevine.is
Sindri Eldon
Marc Vincenz
Sigtryggur Baldursson
Valur Gunnarsson
Irina Domurath
Eiríkur Örn Norðdahl
Dr. Gunni
Hildur Knútsdóttir
Hugleikur Dagsson
Lóa Hjálmtýsdóttir
Editorial Interns:
Jonathan Baker Esq
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Joyce Guzowski
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Paul Nikolov
paulnikolov@grapevine.is
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Jón Trausti Sigurðarson,
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Valur Gunnarsson
The Reykjavík Grapevine is published 18
times a year by Fröken ltd. Monthly from
November through April, and fortnightly
from May til October. Nothing in this
magazine may be reproduced in whole or
in part without the written permission of
the publishers. The Reykjavík Grapevine
is distributed around Reykjavík, Akureyri,
Egilsstaðir, Selfoss, Kef lavík, Ísafjörður and
at key locations along road #1, and all major
tourist attractions and tourist information
centres in the country.
You may not like it, but at least it's not
sponsored. (No articles in the Rey-
kjavík Grapevine are pay-for articles.
The opinions expressed are the writers’
own, not the advertisers’).
So we got this letter:
Dear editor,
Like all ordinary, decent visitors (and
potential visitors) to your beautiful
country, we are surprised and disgusted
to see the widespread and quite
unnecessary use of the 'F word' in your
Reykjavik Grapevine.
Before you react with the 'F word' to
denigrate us, and the other vast majority
of foreign readers who agree with us
(particularly older readers - the ones with
the time and money to visit Iceland), just
ponder how much you are going to need
us tourists to boost your failing economy.
Also, your attempts to divert attention
away from the continued disgraceful
slaughter of whales ("Too cute to eat?" -
issue no 8) by pointing to the slaughter
of "cute" lambs and "clever" pigs are
flawed. Why? Because it is no defence of
anything to claim that there is something
else bad or worse.
Is a murderer or abuser let off his
crime by pointing out that other people
are also murderers or abusers? Anyway
"ugly" (to use your epithet) farm animals
are at least reared for the purpose and
do not require chasing with explosive
harpoons to drag them to their deaths.
To attempt to justify whaling as
"traditional" is also irrelevant. It was
for long traditional to enjoy the beauty of
wild birds and animals by stuffing them
and displaying them in glass cabinets,
and to publicly hang, draw and quarter
criminals. Times and customs change
and move on. We know better now. We
are in the 21st century.
You scoff at foreigners' sentimentality,
confusing it with compassion, decency
and respect. Anyway, it is better to be
labelled sentimental than sadist.
As for your faux pas in referring to
the "sissy American tourist", cannot
you realise the effect such language
might have on the tourist trade you will
increasingly need?
If this is your gratitude to visitors
and your wildlife heritage, we don't
know where we will be spending our
money next year, but it certainly won't be
Iceland.
Graham Bell
On behalf of the passengers of a cruise
ship which circumnavigated Iceland
in June 2009.
Dear Mr. Bell,
Thank you for your interest, and your
letter.
Now. To address its contents:
Neither I nor anyone else in the
Grapevine's staff has ever used the word
'Fuck' to denigrate any of our readers. If
you'll find the word 'Fuck' in our paper,
it is because someone from our stable
of writers has deemed 'Fuck' the best
word around to express whatever they are
interested in expressing. We are not big
on censoring our writers - neither their
opinions nor their vocabulary.
Now that you mention it, there were
a lot of 'Fucks' in issue eight of the
Grapevine. A brief glance through the
paper shows the word 'Fuck' is used at
least three times, once in a headline and
everything.
I can agree that this is maybe too
many 'Fucks' for the average decent and
older and wealthy reader. We are sorry
for that, but do remind you that you are
free not to read our free paper. However,
in light of your complaints, we have
decided to try our best to not use the word
'Fuck' at all in this issue. So I hope that
does you well.
Your next complaint seems to revolve
around the views of a fairly recent
addition to our writing staff (and one I
am very excited to have on board, I might
add), Ms. Hildur Knútsdóttir, who wrote
the article "Too cute to eat" regarding
the recent news that puffins are down in
numbers as of late.
To paraphrase you: Ms. Knútsdóttir
attempts to divert attention away from
the continued slaughter of whales by
pointing to the continued and large-
scale slaughter of various other animals
that is continually condoned by the
Western nations that condemn whaling.
Her argument is flawed because it's
no defence of anything bad to point to
something that's equally bad or worse.
Furthermore, defending whaling by
pointing to the fact that it is traditional is
a flawed argument, because other things
now deemed unacceptable are traditional,
too.
Firstly, I would like to assert that Ms.
Knútsdóttir is free to form and hold her
own opinion. While I haven't been able
to reach a solid stance on whaling (and
in fact harbour some very strong doubts
about the act), I happen to agree with the
journalist that a lot of people's view of
the act (including yours) is simplistic and
hypocritical. Why the focus on whaling,
if not for the reason that they're totally
cute and smart (and I remind you - the
whales being harvested are no longer
considered endangered)? They probably
mass farm pigs and chicken right near
your house, and the mass farming of pigs
and chicken is a truly deplorable practice.
Mass-farmed chickens spend their whole
lives crammed in tiny cages. There are
all sorts of verified horror stories. At
least whales get to enjoy a life of freedom
before they're caught - I cannot say the
same for the contents of your fridge
(unless you are vegan, in which case I
take it all back).
As for tradition: Americans and
Canadians still harvest whale based on
tradition (look it up). And have you even
considered bullfighting? Sheesh. You're
lucky Ms. Knútsdóttir didn't bring up
the long-standing Western tradition of
waging wars, of mass murder (lest we
forget all the torture you guys seem to be
into at the moment).
This is all beside the point, though.
Agree with her or not, why should Ms.
Knútsdóttir not be entitled to her opinion,
and why should we refrain from printing
it? Why should she not be able to point
out that some of the nations and folks
that criticize whaling continually support
other very comparable and “equally cruel”
practices? She makes an argument; she
signs her name to it. If you disagree,
write a real argument and send it in, I will
gladly print it.
I do, however, agree that it's better
being labelled sentimental than sadist.
This is very true.
Lastly, our "sissy American faux pas"
was written by our American intern.
Neither she nor us as a publication like
to make broad judgements on folks'
character or intentions (unlike, say, your
wealthy, normal self), but we will grant
ourselves the rights to be amusingly and
verbally annoyed at whomever we feel
like. Be they wealthy and respectable or
whatnot.
Besides all of the above, your
entire point kinda disgusts me. Are
you implying that because Iceland is
currently undergoing economic hardship
we be stripped of our freedom of speech,
that we can no longer foster independent
opinions? That we should be careful not
to offend the rich tourists that might out
of the benevolence of their hearts see
fit to visit us and sprinkle some of their
precious money around?
Good sir, I hope you do not reflect the
majority of our "ordinary, decent visitors"
- 'cause if you do, and we offend them
away: good riddance, I say. What sort of
colonialist douchebag are you, anyway?
We at the Grapevine do not represent
Iceland as a whole, nor do we claim to.
In fact, I hope nobody does (least of all
our president). However, we are naturally
grateful to every single one of you
"ordinary, decent, wealthy visitors" to our
country, and wish you all the best. But
we won't change for you, and we will not
become timid.
All my best, sincerely,
Haukur S Magnússon
Editor // Reykjavík Grapevine
Editorial | Haukur Magnússon
Haukur’s 10th Editorial!
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