This isn’t a post to shit on Neil Gaiman. It’s also not a post to defend him.
I’ve listened to all five episodes of The Tortoise podcast, and I’m left with the impression that Gaiman is a dysfunctional guy and that his repeated behavior falls in a gray area somewhere in the middle of being an asshole and breaking the law.
His work has meant the world to me since 1989 (my entire adult life), and reading this news sucks hard. The one silver lining is that this is the last time this can happen. I decided a long time ago that making creators your heroes was a terrible idea, because they always turn out to just be people (and people, obviously, are always more disappointing than heroes).
But he’s been a hero of mine for 35 years (again, my fault), and this news sucks. He’s too old and too smart to be completely clueless about how shitty his behavior is, even if his autism hinders his ability to read people and situations correctly. I’m far too ignorant of how the law works in this country, let alone New Zealand or Great Britain, but I suspect it’s likely that he hasn’t broken any laws (*). THAT DOESN’T HELP AT FUCKING ALL.
So, what now? I guess I have to see if I can still read his work without cringing. It might take a little time. I can still read Hemingway and that guy was a fucking asshole. But (and I am NOT equating these two scenarios) it’s kind of impossible to watch Lethal Weapon after hearing audio of Mel Gibson dropping several N-bombs in a racist rant. Ugh.
What a colossal. Fucking. Bummer (**).
* And hey, maybe this is one of many reasons our laws should be reconsidered?
** I understand that my disappointment pales in comparison to what some of these women have been through.