A Conversation between a Lemming and an Ookpik
LEMO
Lemming Erroneous Myth Overturners
Standing tall for lemmings since 1951.
To whom it may concern:
It has come to our notice that the Montreal 2027 bid for The World Science Fiction Convention is perpetuating the myth that lemmings commit mass suicide by jumping from cliffs during migration. This erroneous view of lemming behavior was based firstly on a Kornbluth short story published in 1951 and on the 1958 Disney movie White Wilderness where the producers wanted a "dramatic" scene and stampeded hundreds of lemmings to their deaths. This act of horrendous human cruelty popularized the myth that persists to this day. In actual fact lemmings do not follow each other off cliffs and are very good navigators and swimmers, so the migrations result in relatively few deaths and none from a mass exodus "following the leader" over a cliff. Additionally you use the phrase Edge Case in your presupport nomenclature. The use of the word "edge" in conjunction with lemmings, is considered deeply offensive. In conclusion, we ask that you change your terminology and desist in perpetuating the invidious myth of lemming suicide.
Thank you.
A Lemming
Arvicolinae Lemming
Delineator
LEMO
Reply from the Ookpik representative
To LEMO
℅ who it may concern
My friends,
We granted the lemming the title given to our most common of our supporters. While this does sound somewhat low-value, it is contrarily—highly prized by the Montreal 2027 bid and its other supporters. Granted the Ookpik level does indeed come with more benefits and perks and there are several deviations from the Ookpik level that offer … less benefits but at a more affordable price. And as we all know, it takes several lemmings to feed an Ookpik.
What you should take away from this my friend is that truly, we are all in this together. If the lemmings suffer, so too the Ookpik. Regardless of your level of support, we rely on everyone voting for the choice of site selection at the 2025 Worldcon.
At no point do we assume or even promote the concept that lemmings will rush to the edge of a cliff to commit suicide. Instead, we are implying that, by giving you the lowest level of support, lemmings prefer their own company, and group together to enjoy common topics; much like the average Worldcon supporter. There are many of you and few of us. This is the way that it always has been. For if we are too numerous, the average opinion would be lost. Without the mass of supporters, such as yourselves, we cannot make the bid succeed, gather information and (hopefully) host a successful convention. But I get ahead of myself.
In regards to the edge case, we refer to those who want to give us money yet not visibly support us in our endeavors. Truly this is an outlier in the average Worldcon attendee, would you not agree? While I am sorry you see it as a slur, the intention was not to link it to the horrible “invidious” myth, but rather to imply it would be incredibly rare for a lemming to take this support level.
We stand with you, my friend, in decrying this myth of running off a cliff. For what lemming in good conscience would take a hat and toque out on a day they intended to not return home? And indeed—look at the cute way we’ve depicted your kind—revealing the wintery weather of our common home. Perhaps enjoying a leap during the migration your kind and mine enjoy yearly.
Sincerely your friend,
B. Scandiacus