​When Asking Questions Becomes the Problem

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Over the past several weeks, I have been asking questions about the two Farrah Fawcett statues being developed in South Texas. My questions have focused on how these projects came together, who was consulted, how the imagery was selected, what role various organizations may have played, and what records exist documenting those decisions. Because these statues are intended to become permanent public representations of Farrah Fawcett, these are reasonable subjects for inquiry.

I never expected everyone involved with the projects to answer every question I submitted. Organizations can decline to participate in research, and there are many legitimate reasons why someone may not want to respond. They may not have the information, may not be authorized to discuss a particular issue, or may decide that they do not want to comment. I can accept that. What I did not expect was for my supposed relationship with other organizations to become part of the response.

After I submitted a series of questions to the Rockport Cultural Arts District about the development of its Farrah Fawcett statue, including whether individuals or organizations connected to Farrah had been consulted or informed, Jennifer Day responded that they were not aware of any official role or spokesman designation I had with the Fawcett family, Friends of Farrah Fawcett, the Farrah Fawcett Foundation, or the Blanton Museum. She then stated that they were not answering my extensive questions and referred me to their website and social media for additional information. The immediate problem was that I had never claimed to represent any of those organizations.

I submitted the questions independently as part of my research into Farrah Fawcett’s career, legacy, and public representation. At no point did I state that I was speaking for the Fawcett family, the Foundation, Friends of Farrah Fawcett, or the Blanton Museum. Asking whether one of those organizations had been contacted or consulted does not mean I am speaking on its behalf. Those are two completely different things.

For example, if I ask whether the Farrah Fawcett Foundation was informed about a statue project, I am asking a factual question about how that project developed. I am not making a statement for the Foundation. Likewise, asking whether the Blanton Museum had any involvement does not require an official relationship with the museum. A researcher should be able to ask whether an institution participated in something without first proving that he represents the institution being discussed.

Another problem is making assumptions about someone’s connections when those connections are unknown. I volunteered with the Farrah Fawcett Foundation for approximately four years. I also have an agreement with them involving several Farrah Fawcett Milton Greene images that I own the copyrights to and that have been made available for use in Foundation merchandise. This does not make me a spokesman for the Foundation, and I have never claimed that it does. However, it shows why it is unwise to assume someone’s relationship with an organization when the full history of that relationship is not documented.

More importantly, none of this should have been necessary for me to explain. My connection to the Foundation has nothing to do with whether I am allowed to ask questions about a public statue. The inquiry should be evaluated on its own merits. If the questions are unreasonable, explain why. If the information is not available, say so. If the organization does not want to answer, decline. The discussion should not shift from the substance of the inquiry to an implied challenge over who the person asking is supposed to represent. That is where I believe the response became unnecessarily defensive. 

Unfortunately, one of the easiest ways to avoid a difficult inquiry is to divert attention toward the person making it. Who are you? Who do you represent? What authority do you have to ask this? Those questions may be relevant in some situations, but I do not believe this was one of them. I was not requesting confidential family information or pretending to act on behalf of an institution. I was asking how two public memorials came into existence.

These statues are not private works that will remain inside someone’s home or studio. They are intended to exist in public settings and become part of the way Farrah Fawcett is represented and remembered. For this reason, questions about who commissioned them, how the imagery was chosen, who was consulted, how the artist was selected, and what documentation exists surrounding those decisions should not be treated as unusual or improper.

I have decided to preserve my questions, records requests, and the responses I receive as part of the public record on my website. This record will include what was answered, what remained unanswered, documents that are produced, and any corrections that become necessary as new information comes in. That is the fairest way to approach the subject because readers can see what was actually asked and how each organization or individual chose to respond.
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I am not asking anyone involved with these projects to agree with my criticism, nor have I ever claimed to speak for anyone connected to Farrah Fawcett. I am researching two public statues and asking how they came into existence. Those questions should be judged by their substance and by the available evidence, not by an official title I never claimed to have.