Rob, if you look at the Pegasus Bylaws, this is the first thing you're going to see:

Filk Community Definition

1. In order to participate in voting for the Pegasus Awards, you must be a member of the filk community.

2. To be eligible to receive a Pegasus Award, a Nominee (or at least one composer of a collaborative work) must be (or have been) a member of the filk community.

3. Anyone who exhibits an interest in the filk community can be considered a filker.

Exhibiting interest can be shown by, but is not limited to:

* Filking at sf/fantasy conventions
* Attending filk conventions
* Attending house sings
* Participating in online boards/discussions/mail lists/webrings pertaining to filk
* Discussing filk and filk related issues with other filkers

You know what? Filk has defined its terms, and rejects all other fannish music which does not meet it on its terms. So has Dementia. If I came to Dementia with my acoustic guitarist and my sweet mournful little seasonal monarchs cycle, you would laugh me out of the room. And that would be entirely justified, because hey, not playing Dementia. Filk is bigger and more flexible than that, but y'know what? You still have to meet a community on its terms.

Yes! Filk exists for itself! So does EVERY community, EVERY activity! Filk does not 'fail music' because I can't nominate songs from Dr. Horrible for the Pegasus Award. Filk does not 'fail fandom' because Dementia can't sweep the leg of an award that ninety percent of the fannish world has never heard of.

Why didn't more Dementia make the ballot? Because it's never been heard in California. Because it's never sent anyone to attend the UK con and expose the International filk community to its goodies. Because you, Rob, are the only Dementia artist I've even seen outside OVFF. I consider you a filker. I consider Luke, whom I've met at OVFF, a filker. I don't cast all the votes for California...and just as you don't like the sad, I don't always like the funny.

Personal tastes + regional accessibility do not = fail. You continually trying to turn this discussion about a community that has accepted you and said 'you can play in our treehouse, please don't smash our toys' into chanting 'fail fail fail' = fail.

Also? You say you've witnessed complaints about too much JoCo? Well, I've witnessed complaints about too much Fish, too much of me and Vixy, too much ose, too many sad songs, too many sing-alongs...a circle is a fickle thing. Sometimes it wants cake, sometimes it wants pie. And wanting cake is not failing filk. Wanting cake is natural.

Filk doesn't say 'oh your funny people with their electronic backing can't come play.' It says 'if you want us to eat your pie, you must eat our cake.' There is nothing wrong with that.