Combating Toxicity in Paleoart

[ITdactyl]

Liam Elward (of PrehistoryByLiam) and Brian Engh have recently shared their thoughts about the toxicity in the paleo online community - particularly the conversations related to paleoart.

https://www.deviantart.com/prehistorybyliam/journal/Combating-Toxicity-in-Paleoart-793605118?fbclid=IwAR2W7D3pZr9t3wUkVnDsLns8og1y1lTygfoWIuZRW96DYLHuj3aQP1Ex6cI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJHbtYhMQUI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaPaYiYKhAg

'Just wanted to know this community's thoughts on the matter.  Over my 700 posts, I have left a few harsh critiques for some figures and artwork, and so I'm not declaring my agreement with the views listed above just to come clean.  (As a buyer/consumer myself) I totally understand the notion of dissing an end product to send a message to the maker, so that they would (in turn) stop producing the artwork/item that we object to.  But it's also good to be reminded that people exerted effort to produce those items, and there are better (re: more constructive) ways to provide critique.

Thoughts?

*edit: I've added the reaction podcast of Joschua Knuppe

[Ravonium]

While I agree with much of what Brian and others are saying, I'm surprised this is only being discussed in this community now.

[Halichoeres]

I have been guilty of being kind of a jerk about reconstructions I didn't approve of from big companies, although I try to be kind to individual artists. It's easy to forget that big companies employ individual artists.

I'm going to keep talking smack about Ty***nosaurus, though. To heck with 'em.

[ITdactyl]

I'm going to keep talking smack about Ty***nosaurus, though. To heck with 'em.

"ran" had to be censored?  Thank you.  Made my day. LOL

Taking Brian Engh's art... I'm not a fan of the "cock's comb" on his Diplodocus, or the feather beard on his Brachiosaurus - but I never felt the need to raise my dislike.  However, that just makes me realize my bias more... as I haven't reigned in my dislike for a lot of Schleich figures. 

I'll aim to be better.

[suspsy]

I think the best thing for all of us to remember at the end of the day is that we are the ones who are choosing to be offended by certain artwork that is otherwise perfectly harmless. It's not easy. Certainly isn't for me.