RE:Present dangers to transhumanism

Kathryn Aegis (k_aegis@mindspring.com)
Sat, 28 Aug 1999 10:21:12

Chris Fedeli:
>You can bet that if we ever become important enough to get sound bytes on
the six >o' clock news the press will never fail to include a reference to our shockingly >dated demographics in their description of transhumanists. I can hear it already >: "The spokesperson for the Extropy Institute, a group that is comprised 99% of >white males, made the following statement...."

They might get that far, but they are definitely going to pick on the interview subjects first. A few weeks ago, I completed a round of 'hotseat' training, where the trainers put you in front of a camera, under the hot lights, and pepper you with hard questions to answer. I have grey eyes and blonde hair, and this became an issue immediately. Rough transcript:

<Kathryn sits on stool, camerman does adustments>

ME: ok, I'm ready

<snickers in back of room>

ME: What?

AUDIENCE: Nothing.

INTERVIEWER: I'm going to ask a few questions about cloning, which is a hot topic these days.

<laughter in back of room>

ME: WHAT?

BACK OF ROOM: You look like the Aryan Martha Stewart.

TRAINER: It might be good if you didn't talk about genetics, cloning, or anything else that might bring up the image of a 'master race'.....

Kathryn Aegis