Vic Mignogna

[Gligarman]

I've been touched inappropriately as a child and an adult and I've always been a considerably large guy. It doesn't matter what you look like, there's no excuse. If you think Vic's behavior is acceptable I hope to God you never breed.

[ABED]

The principle of "innocent until proven guilty" only applies to the law. I do like to suspend judgment until I've gotten enough of the picture. I've read these allegations for years and in my experience, where there's smoke, there's fire. Even if only one is true, that's one too many.

[Saikyo no Senshi]

Huge yikes. Thanks for that eldoremassi02. Guess ANN will always be ANN.

[JulieYBM]

Agreed. The idea that size matters to assault victims is toxic masculinity at its worse. Assault is assault and we must respect victims even if they can bench press whatever.

[laserkid]

BEFORE the ANN article I was viewing the accusations with skepticism due to lack of evidence, so I DO understand the innocent until proven guilty mindset here, no one should be joining in a mob action based on accusations alone.

Between said article (with photographic evidence) and his own statement on the matter, you can't really still be saying that.

You can come down on dude's inappropriate with exceptionally poor judgement or a predator, depending on your views I guess, but you can NOT come out of that article with 'innocent until proven guilty' - the article HAS proof.

[eledoremassis02]

Going thru the comments on the ANN article and just ran into this....

Back in 2011, Sean Schemmel put his hand under my skirt at Anime Midwest It happened in a hallway after one of his panels. Sad This doesn't have anything to do with Vic Mignogna, but it seemed appropriate to share it in this thread.

https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/bbs/ph ... c&start=45

Seeing as Schemmel is openly liking kickvic hashtags, I'm not 100% sure how to feel about this, but I feel it should be looked into.

[Apollo Fungus]

Oh dear...

I admit that I've no real familiarity with the guy's work due to not watching any of the shows where he's in the dub cast, so maybe it's really easy for me to say this, but YUCK. If this is to be believed (and I'm inclined to believe it because who in their right mind would make any of this up, especially considering the pictures), then the man's a total creep. I don't care what he himself has to say on the matter*; nothing you say can justify or excuse the fact that all of that behaviour is inconceivably gross and awful in ways that many people can articulate far better than I.

*What he did have to say lost all credibility as soon as he said "I'm NOT homophobic! Some of my best friends are gay!". Yes, he actually said this, and it amazes me that there are still some folks who think using this phrase is perfectly fine and doesn't immediately signal that whatever you're trying to say is total hogwash.

However, I'm chiming in because I want to try and pre-empt the inevitable "author vs the art" discussion: the one where people try to insist that there is only one right way of dealing with the fact that a creator (or in this case, a voice actor) of something you like is a terrible person - and that way is to separate the art from the artist and continue to enjoy the work as is, respect the influence it had on culture, etc.

Disregarding the fact that trying to insist there's a wrong way of dealing with this sort of thing is pretty awful in its own right (hey, instead of telling people to find a better way of dealing with the actions of a terrible person, why not tell the terrible person to stop being a terrible person?), I feel like there's a point in the conversation that gets ignored far too often, which is the individual's ability to cope with the situation - YOUR ability to cope with the situation.

There's a tendency towards a group mentality in most social scenarios: that what the majority thinks is what everyone thinks, and the same should apply towards what people say and what people do. But that idea can't work for every single individual in the same way; because every person is different, every opinion they have is their own, and they will perceive every scenario or context in whatever way that THEY will see it.

On the one hand, I'd like to say that people should easily be able to distance the scummy actions of a creator from their work and be able to enjoy it just as they did before. However, it has to be acknowledged that every person has their own experiences, thought processes and opinions that influence what they think, what they say, and what they do. You could present two people who lived the same lives with the exact same scenario, and they're gonna react in very different ways because inside, they're very different people.

And in relation to the "art vs artist" debate, there are certain things that can make an individual really uncomfortable to the point of making the work damn-near impossible to endure. It's not that they want to think about, say, Orson Scott Card being a homophobe while reading his novels or experiencing adaptations of his work - like it's something that they should do for the sake of self-righteousness or "mah principles". It's more that they are literally unable to stop thinking about that, for numerous reasons that apply specifically to them, and it becomes impossible to experience those works without having that thought constantly nagging at their mind.

And I don't just say this from a place of sympathy; I know where you're coming from. There are certain shows, films, games, even websites that I can never go check out - and it's because at some point, they mentioned or featured certain topics or individuals which bother me so much that I can't stop thinking about them until I end up rather depressed. I don't begrudge people who don't mind so much and can enjoy those things for what they are; I just don't want to be reminded. That's the best way I've found so far of dealing with that, and it's a way that only really works for me in particular, because I know myself enough to realize and accept that.

Which takes me back to the point of... well, you. Forget society, forget the rest of your community, forget the opinions of those you respect: what do YOU feel about this? Do you think you can watch anything starring Mignogna without his actions colouring his work? Or does it weigh too much on your mind, that you can't enjoy anything he took part in like you used to?

This is not a question intended to provoke a particular reaction or judgement: more of introspection and giving you the space to figure out how you feel. And it's incredibly important to emphasize that however you feel, that's okay. Everyone has their limits, especially their emotional limits, and you should never be ashamed of not being able to deal with certain things; and that includes not being able to separate the art from the artist. That's just how you are.

If you can enjoy the work regardless of whatever its creator may have done, that's great. But if you can't, that's great in its own right. You at least know that much about yourself, and with that knowledge, it can help you to take steps to deal with things in whatever way works best for you, and specifically you, whether it be now, or at some point in the future, or maybe never. If nothing else, I like to think that you'll find a way to at least carry on with your life as best you can.

I believe in you.

[Robo4900]

If you want to get into the best way of responding to this, and talking about stuff like the "author vs the art" idea, then I'd at this point like to say -- probably my preferred solution would be if Funimation sever ties with him, bring in a new casting for Broly as soon as possible, and have the new guy redub Mignogna's lines for the DVD/BD release of the movie.
They're going to need a new guy for any future videogame appearances etc. anyway, and if the guys at Toei decide to bring him back in Super again, and they have time to do that before the April release of the DVD/BD, so... It could be done.

That's just my two cents on that particular part of this.

[MasenkoHA]

I An A-list actor, from what I have heard of him has been getting away with gross behaviour for years.

Calling an anime dub voice actor, even a prolific one who is a big name in that specific niche, an A-list actor is being incredibly generous. But I digress.



Anyways from what I understand Mignogna being a bit of a creep has been an open secret for years.



And the whole “innocent until proven guilty” thing people are boasting about? Please. This isn’t one jilted ex making a claim this is MULTIPLE people who have nothing to gain from accusing a C-lister your average Joe that doesn’t live on anime diet has ever heard of

[TheZFighter]

That article... the pictures... urgh. Horrible.

[ShadowBardock89]

If you want to get into the best way of responding to this, and talking about stuff like the "author vs the art" idea, then I'd at this point like to say -- probably my preferred solution would be if Funimation sever ties with him, bring in a new casting for Broly as soon as possible, and have the new guy redub Mignogna's lines for the DVD/BD release of the movie.
They're going to need a new guy for any future videogame appearances etc. anyway, and if the guys at Toei decide to bring him back in Super again, and they have time to do that before the April release of the DVD/BD, so... It could be done.

That's just my two cents on that particular part of this.

I totally can see this happening.
And not just redubbing the Super: Broly film, but also the three Z Broly films (since Toei is re-releasing all the films, albeit with censorship).

I am a little surprised Michele Specht has not said anything, since Mignogna was engaged to her.

[Robo4900]

If you want to get into the best way of responding to this, and talking about stuff like the "author vs the art" idea, then I'd at this point like to say -- probably my preferred solution would be if Funimation sever ties with him, bring in a new casting for Broly as soon as possible, and have the new guy redub Mignogna's lines for the DVD/BD release of the movie.
They're going to need a new guy for any future videogame appearances etc. anyway, and if the guys at Toei decide to bring him back in Super again, and they have time to do that before the April release of the DVD/BD, so... It could be done.
That's just my two cents on that particular part of this.

I totally can see this happening.
And not just redubbing the Super: Broly film, but also the three Z films.

I don't think they'd do the original three. Those are older works that can stand as-is, as older works made years before any of this came out, but the new one is super-new. It's not out on home video yet, even... It's happening right as these allegations are happening. I think that's the only way we'll see any redubbing.

I don't think we'll see his work on Kai as Butta being redubbed either, for the record, though I imagine all future appearances will officially be going to Sabat going forward, similar to how IIRC many of the video games have done things.

[eledoremassis02]

If you want to get into the best way of responding to this, and talking about stuff like the "author vs the art" idea, then I'd at this point like to say -- probably my preferred solution would be if Funimation sever ties with him, bring in a new casting for Broly as soon as possible, and have the new guy redub Mignogna's lines for the DVD/BD release of the movie.
They're going to need a new guy for any future videogame appearances etc. anyway, and if the guys at Toei decide to bring him back in Super again, and they have time to do that before the April release of the DVD/BD, so... It could be done.
That's just my two cents on that particular part of this.

I totally can see this happening.
And not just redubbing the Super: Broly film, but also the three Z films.

I don't think they'd do the original three. Those are older works that can stand as-is, as older works made years before any of this came out, but the new one is super-new. It's not out on home video yet, even... It's happening right as these allegations are happening. I think that's the only way we'll see any redubbing.

I don't think we'll see his work on Kai as Butta being redubbed either, for the record, though I imagine all future appearances will officially be going to Sabat going forward, similar to how IIRC many of the video games have done things.

Problem is, this has been an open secret for years (but most people never made the brolly/vic connection until recently) but I'm not sure if even then redubbing should be a thing (I guess for perhaps re-releases?)

Id wait and see what happens as well as, Tempest (ANN Publisher & CEO) has stated there are more (this could be the tip of the iceberg)

We know about a lot of other terrible people in the industry. We've known about them for years.

Both Tempst post about other inside known "terrible people" and an ANN user who posted their own encounter with Schemmel where he acted inappropriate have really been ignored and I feel their both important to the bigger narrative here. The Cons apparently knew about Vic, who else? Sure Schemmels on the #kickvic but it's also come to light that he's hated Vic for at least a while now to have made a parody of him https://twitter.com/Mista_Brendo/status ... 5881473024. Heck, this may have been a one time only thing (which is still not ok and should be dealt with)

This could become the #metoo for anime. But (and this partially hypothetical) does go in to other DB VA's, what would happen to the show and old/newer releases?

[Robo4900]

Problem is, this has been an open secret for years (but most people never made the brolly/vic connection until recently) but I'm not sure if even then redubbing should be a thing (I guess for perhaps re-releases?)

I dunno. We've never had a situation like this before, so I have no idea how exactly it should/could be addressed. I'm sure Funi will figure out some reasonable way to address it.

Id wait and see what happens as well as, Tempest (ANN Publisher & CEO) has stated there are more (this could be the tip of the iceberg)

We know about a lot of other terrible people in the industry. We've known about them for years.

Both Tempst post about other inside known "terrible people" and an ANN user who posted their own encounter with Schemmel where he acted inappropriate have really been ignored and I feel their both important to the bigger narrative here. The Cons apparently knew about Vic, who else? Sure Schemmels on the #kickvic but it's also come to light that he's hated Vic for at least a while now to have made a parody of him https://twitter.com/Mista_Brendo/status ... 5881473024. Heck, this may have been a one time only thing (which is still not ok and should be dealt with)

This could become the #metoo for anime. But (and this partially hypothetical) does go in to other DB VA's, what would happen to the show and old/newer releases?

If there's more big stuff coming, I'm dreading it, but I hope it all comes out asap so it can be dealt with, and we can all move on.

As for how it would affect other Dragon Ball VAs and new/old releases, it'd depend on the actor. If it's someone like Mignogna, who's had a couple of small roles in the past, and has one or two roles in current media, the older roles probably will be left alone, but the newer roles would be recast, possibly redubbed for home video. If it's someone like Nadolny, who used to be in the show but isn't in any current stuff, it won't affect any home releases, I imagine. If it's someone integral like Schemmel, I'd guess they'd just have to find a new actor, bring them in from that moment on, and given the magnitude of stuff Schemmel's on, they simply wouldn't be able to cover it all with the new guy. Even if they wanted to, say, release Super with his roles replaced for consistency, it'd still be inconsistent with Kai, and it's major roles, so... It's difficult to say.

[Freeza Soldier #156]

Going thru the comments on the ANN article and just ran into this....

Back in 2011, Sean Schemmel put his hand under my skirt at Anime Midwest It happened in a hallway after one of his panels. Sad This doesn't have anything to do with Vic Mignogna, but it seemed appropriate to share it in this thread.

https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/bbs/ph ... c&start=45

Seeing as Schemmel is openly liking kickvic hashtags, I'm not 100% sure how to feel about this, but I feel it should be looked into.

It’s unfortunate, but with the years worth of detailed stories and the recent photos and such, I can believe the Vic stuff. The Schemmel comment...not really buying that one. Just posting a passing comment like that in the middle of a thread, no real story with it just “dude put his hand up my skirt.”

[wjbraden]

Not sure the complete removal of alleged me-too perpetrators from their work in past media is the best way of going about things. I think it just leads to more drama, more divisiveness, and detracts away from the true message of the movement, which is putting an end to sexual abuse and misconduct. I think it is also unfair when an entire production is completely removed or canceled due to one's persons actions, and could even be viewed as form of censorship. I believe at some point you have to separate the art from the artist, and put a statue of limitation on things. Don't get me wrong, the metoo movement has done an excellent job for taking down some of the worst of the worst in all sorts of different industries, and it's going to take a lot more effort to change our cultural narrative to crack down on sexual abuse and misconduct. Unfortunately, for all the good the movement has done, I it has I think it has also led to a kind of hysteria, pointing of fingers and false testimony that has impeded upon the judicial process. Allegations should be examined seriously and properly, not guided by social media rumor mills. Those suspected of wrongdoing should be innocent until proven guilty.

Also (and I mean this in the most respectful way possible), I am somewhat taken aback by Mr. VegettoEX's decision to restrict some users from voicing their genuine views and opinions on this matter, especially since this forum is typically allows for very broad and liberal discourse in all matters, as long as they are respectful and remain on topic. I do wish you would reconsider your decision to restrict these dissenting and different opinions as we move forward in this topic.

[ABED]

I think it depends on a lot of different factors. For instance, if it's relatively easy to do, why not get rid of the history? It's like how WWE dealt with footage containing Chris Benoit after the double murder of his wife and child. It's FAR easier to distance themselves from his history than it is Hulk Hogan.

[WittyUsername]

Going thru the comments on the ANN article and just ran into this....

Back in 2011, Sean Schemmel put his hand under my skirt at Anime Midwest It happened in a hallway after one of his panels. Sad This doesn't have anything to do with Vic Mignogna, but it seemed appropriate to share it in this thread.

https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/bbs/ph ... c&start=45

Seeing as Schemmel is openly liking kickvic hashtags, I'm not 100% sure how to feel about this, but I feel it should be looked into.

It’s unfortunate, but with the years worth of detailed stories and the recent photos and such, I can believe the Vic stuff. The Schemmel comment...not really buying that one. Just posting a passing comment like that in the middle of a thread, no real story with it just “dude put his hand up my skirt.”

I mean, I know Schemmel has been known to be kind of a dick sometimes, but from what I understand, there hadn’t previously been any stories about him being inappropriate. The account of the person who made that claim is just barely a month old, so at the moment, it doesn’t seem especially credible, at least not on the level of the Vic Mignogna stuff.

Anyway, if these kinds of discussions end up being the norm around here, I think I’m going to have to take a step back from the Dragon Ball fandom. I’m burned out enough on stories of sexual misconduct as it is.

[wjbraden]

I think it depends on a lot of different factors. For instance, if it's relatively easy to do, why not get rid of the history? It's like how WWE dealt with footage containing Chris Benoit after the double murder of his wife and child. It's FAR easier to distance themselves from his history than it is Hulk Hogan.

As Winston Churchill said, "Those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it." Also, there have been many people in the art world who did not have the greatest of moral character, such as Pablo Picasso for instance, and was known to be a horrible womanizer. Despite this being well known in the art community and beyond, we have not moved to take down all his painting or sculptures because of his conduct. While his reputation is not viewed in the best of light, the art remains, as his art had nothing to do with his actions and personal life. I think the same should apply across all media.

[ABED]

I think it depends on a lot of different factors. For instance, if it's relatively easy to do, why not get rid of the history? It's like how WWE dealt with footage containing Chris Benoit after the double murder of his wife and child. It's FAR easier to distance themselves from his history than it is Hulk Hogan.

As Winston Churchill said, "Those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it." Also, there have been many people in the art world who did not have the greatest of moral character, such as Pablo Picasso for instance, and was known to be a horrible womanizer. Despite this being well known in the art community and beyond, we have not moved to take down all his painting or sculptures because of his conduct. While his reputation is not viewed in the best of light, the art remains, as his art had nothing to do with his actions and personal life. I think the same should apply across all media.

It depends on the severity of the crime. When you say womanizer, do you just mean he sleeps with a lot of women? In terms of this issue, it's not an issue of erasing actual history, it's replacing an actor's performance. That's not the same as a history book leaving out the Holocaust.

I think it's reasonable that a company would want to distance themselves and not be seen as promoting an artist who has serious allegations against them.