The May 15th Statement

[Moritz]

Hey everyone, I haven't really been checking the websites for a while, but I just went to Escape Pod and Escape Artists and found this one:
https://escapeartists.net/2021/05/15/ea-stands-in-solidarity-with-the-palestinian-people/

I feel absolutely floored. I had expected that an organization that supports diversity and has such wonderful stories would not stoop so low as to suggest antisemitic websites.

I'm fine with supporting the Palestinian people, but you really need to check which organizations you want to support. BDS is basically "Kauft nicht beim Juden", and that colonialization rhetoric by the other website is a nice attempt at reframing history, which is ridiculous. Maybe next time include a Patreon drive for HAMAS if you want to go that way.

Damn, I just had lunch and I am feeling sick now, because I feel betrayed.

I'll need to seriously reconsider my donations, my current project about Escape Pod, and even listening to this podcast.

[VTDorchester]

I've been working backwards through the EscapePod catalogue, and am approaching the end of my journey.
I've decided to stop reviewing at episode 750.
This was a fairly arbitrary decision, in terms of which episode number to stop at, but
I have also begun to feel that EA is supporting and promoting policies as a company with which I don't agree and that as a result, perhaps my attention is better spent elsewhere.

I was willing to ignore the sometimes-political statements by the hosts as individuals, they should of course enjoy their freedom of speech, and of course I expect writers will sometimes have a political outlook different from mine, however, I don't feel all that comfortable (or especially welcome) when, as a company, political stances are promoted and presented as something that of course all listeners will be happy to hear and support in turn. (To be fair and honest, I would probably be more comfortable if I agreed with more of these political statements!)

I am here to enjoy stories. I am not here to support political declarations in to which I have zero input and which I may personally oppose.

Moritz, you are not alone in feeling that perhaps Escape Artists has drifted from what I, at least, thought was their core purpose - to share quality stories with the world, while supporting writers.

We might be in a minority, but it is important that Escape Artists be aware they may be losing some listeners due to some of their policies.

I remain grateful to EA for maintaining a catalogue freely available to listeners, I am glad they continue to produce stories, I am impressed by the financial dedication they have shown towards their writers and narrators, and I do not regret being a listener/reviewer (particularly over the past year and a bit) - they have provided a good deal of entertainment, and I thank them and all the writers, narrators, hosts, and production people for their artistic efforts over the years.

I am simply another person questioning if I should continue to support EA into the future given some of the company's political policies and messaging, which I have become more aware of as I've listened (and read) my way through the past years.

When I first began working my way through EscapePod's back catalogue, I entertained notions of going on to work through PseudoPod as a future project. I do not think I will be doing that now. 

[Bdoomed]

Admittedly I'm not very informed about the whole situation, but there's a very big distinction to be made between being antisemetic and anti-Israel, and from what I can tell neither of the sites linked are antisemetic. BDS is not out to boycott anything Jewish, rather they're boycotting Israeli companies that are complicit in the atrocities committed against the Palestinian people.

"The BDS movement calls for a boycott of all the products of all Israeli -- and international -- companies that are involved in Israel’s violations of Palestinian rights. Virtually all Israeli companies are complicit to some degree in Israel’s system of occupation and apartheid. Some of our biggest economic boycott and divestment campaigns are against companies that operate in illegal Israeli settlements in the Occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem."

And as a Jewish American, I'm pretty about it, to say the least.

EA is and has been pretty unabashedly political for a long while now. We're made up of an international, interfaith, diverse community of writers and artists. As a publisher of contemporary fiction, EA also must interact with contemporary politics, and they have long been committed to sharing the voices of the under-represented. This isn't the first political statement they've issued and it won't be the last.

I don't speak for management, but I can't imagine I'm off-base here.

[Scuba Man]

This could potentially become a significant issue. I would urge EA to keep the site apolitical (Individuals have the right to post their views on their own non-EA sites).

I’m looking at the posting date - May 15, 2021. If this matter resolved itself, please ignore this post. Respectfully, PN. 12:30 p.m. EST, July 10/21.

[Languorous Lass]

Scuba, what would you consider the "matter" having "resolved itself"?

[Scuba Man]

Scuba, what would you consider the "matter" having "resolved itself"?

Good morning, Languorous Lass. Yes, it is (and it was a tempest in a teapot at that!).