Okay, fess up – which of you Quillbloggers organized the party?

Y’know, although I’m no fan of Rebecca Eckler’s, the blogger’s obsession with her is very creepy.

This is the one article of Rebecca Eckler’s where I have actually been on her side.

I find Rebecca Eckler, both her terrible writing and her disgusting personality, entirely objectionable, and so I try to afford her as much of my time and thoughts as she deserves, which is none. Any blogger obsessed with her would be better off finding something he enjoys and focusing on that. Unless he enjoys his hatred, which is entirely possible.

There is something actually disturbing about this story, though. A public figure, like Eckler, equating having such outspoken critics to being a teenager beset by bullies is only further evidence of her shitty, solipsistic attitude. This woman has given her reading public ever reason to assume she is self-absorbed, self-important, possessed of an unearned sense of entitlement and crippled with a retarded sense of sympathy for others.

Release the hounds, I say.

If beck-ecks would just get to it and publish Six Weeks to Panties, then–with the help of the book’s deckled edge and a smartly designed matte/spot-UV-finish cover–then people would lay off and understand her to be the intellectual lion that she is. Just like it happened with L-Mac.

Wow.

Paul, for someone who claims not to think about her at all, you certainly have a lot of venom.

And to the good people at Quill & Quire: Is this sort of character assassination really appropriate for what is meant to be an industry forum? Debate is one thing, but “disgusting personality . . . shitty etc.” this is just hate mongering.

She’s “crippled with a retarded sense of sympathy for others” is she? Not showing a lot of sympathy yourself there, Paul. (You know her that well, do you? Or do you just think about her all the time?)

Seriously folks, this is out of hand.

(I can’t believe I’m defending Rebecca Eckler!)

“Um,” I understand your reaction to the strongly worded comments above, but Paul makes a very good point about the almost breath-taking irresponsibility of Eckler comparing herself (an adult, a public figure) to a teenager (a child, a person with no career-based implicit understanding that s/he will be publicly discussed) being bullied. Bullying is a serious topic; Eckler is making light of it, in my opinion, in her article.

To temper the whole debate though, I wanted to say this: surely at least a measure of her wannabe “Sex and the City”/ditzy/litigious persona is just that — a public persona that she has adopted in order to increase her profile. Call me an optimist, but I really want to believe no one could be that vapid 24 hours a day. I’m sure that in the privacy of her own home, she’s a pretty normal person (…hopefully).

I still can’t believe she got the space in a national magazine to write this, and was *paid* for it. Will Maclean’s publish my next piece on how a bartender once took too long to get me a drink? I’ll compare it to the waiting times in Canadian ER rooms just to make it seem like it’s a real news piece, and not just me whining.

Just like Eckler says, there are probably only 2 of you writing all these negative comments and hiding behind them. Cyber bullying is a serious issue and affecting more women bloggers beyond Rebecca. Some have now even faced death threats for simply having an opinion. You don’t have to like her, but to write such mean things – you all most know on some level that is not okay. Like traditional bullies in the school yard, I believe cyber bullies are covering their own insecurities.

And if these comments are moderated, then the good people at Quill and Quire should show some respect about posting personal attacks on an industry forum. A lack of professionalism at work here I think.