You see, this is what happens when you drink the Koolaid and get the vapours about dissenting opinions.
ninepounddictator: Toxic Female Friendships
One of your Koolaid friends goes and does this and none of the Koolaid Moms has the cojones to tell her what she did is really, really dumb. And now it’s too late because even if she takes it down, it’s still had 24 hours to become the talk of le tout Toronto.
I’m guessing the Koolaid Moms didn't say anything about this because that would have been an unsupportive value judgment and value judgments are really, really mean, unless they are about Tearfree and other mean, mean people who need to desperately get a life.
But, you know what? Tearfree totally believes in value judgments because there is absolutely no point in having values if you’re not going to use them to make judgments. Think about it. What other use is there for values?
So some advice, Koolaid Moms. Next time you see that one of your cult has gone and doing something damagingly dumb – and let’s hope it’s not Rebecca again – ask yourselves: “What would Simon Cowell say?”
31 comments:
Wow, reading your site is like reading a toronto based gossip mag.
I feel like I'm indulging in a nasty habit when I visit.
And you finally figured out how to link. Kudos.
Yeah, I know. I feel kind of nasty too.
Feel free to leave your opinion on Caitlyn Flanagan if you want to up the intellectual ante make it all a little less Bonnie Fulleresque
A post on Eckler's blog will be the talk of all Toronto - even if up for only a short 24 hrs? In what universe, circle, cult?
Seems like there are different kinds of Koolaid, Tearfree. What flavour are you drinking?
Umm, Urban Mummy, your universe, circle, cult
http://badladies.blogspot.com/2006/03/blog-bashing-spelling-fascist-meanies.html
Tearfree
You just made me howl out loud over my morning coffee. And Urban Mommy, perhaps it is not the talk of wherever you're from, but I work in the Toronto media, and I must have had that nasty anti-McLaren post e-mailed to me by about 50 other journalists -- a few of whom work at the Globe, and two of whom work in management at the Globe. So yes, Tearfree, you are correct, it was the talk of Toronto media circles, anyway. And Eckler is so incredibly dumb that she thinks any publicity is good publicity, which is why she linked to Tearfree.
But what she fails to realize this time is just how decidedly she has just screwed herself and her career.
Anonynous, plz feel free to e-mail my URL around to all your media friends. If the Globe is looking for a new Mummy Blogger after yesterday's events, Tearfree is available.
Umm, Tearfree, according to anonymous, it may have been the talk of YOUR circle, but the blogosphere is bigger than Eckler. And HBM's post was more about blogtards (sometimes refered to as asswipes) than it was about the Eckler's post.
I must say, I find it fascinating for you to label blogging mothers as mindless followers when you (and perhaps anonymous too) worship at the church of Eckler. You clearly think she is super influential and powerful - especially in the little universe where you live. Er, sorry, given that you are a Torontonian, make that the biggest, most important universe. Why do you pay so much attention to someone you claim not to like and thus, presumably, not admire? It really comes off as petty and jealous. Really.
Oh, and I hope my comments help make your day. You seem to crave the dust-ups in the comments. I confess, me too sometimes. So, a gift for you. Welcome to blogging.
Watch you language, Urban Mummy. I've already warned Something Blue. There's no potty-mouthed Mummy, faux street vernacular allowed here!
Urban Mommy
If there's anything that gets me pissed off, it's ridiculous Toronto-is-the-centre-of-the-universe accusations the minute anyone mentions the word Toronto. Grow up, for God's sake. I don't happen to believe that the city I live and work is the centre of the universe. I just happen to be passing along the information that in Toronto media circles, anyway, that post was making the rounds.
Petty and jealous? Yes, I will admit media types are uniformly petty and jealous about Eckler. Here's why: she is untalented. Her only talent is getting attention for herself. Paris Hilton also has that talent. Does anyone admire Paris Hilton as an actor, an artist, anything? No. Are people frustrated and annoyed that Paris Hilton has made a name for herself? Fuck yes, because she is a soulless no-talented headcase. This is why journalists in Toronto have such trouble with Eckler. That is what's going on here -- continuing utter disbelief that someone with absolutely no skills, not even an ability to spell or string together two coherent sentences, manages to continue to fool people. Many of us have worked with her personally, have had dealings with her, or have spent time with her at news events. We know of what we speak.
You Mommies have drunk some real powerful Koolaid.
You are lucky that Eckler posted you. Else no one would have read you.
News Flash: The Globe hired her because they know people will read her.
The more you flaunt Eckler, the more Eckler there will be. And Eckler knows this. She is way smarter than you think.
You bit.
Anonymous #1,
1) you are simply adding to the Eckler empire.
2) If I can't say *sswipe, you shouldn't be saying f**k
3) grab a sense of humour. I live in the centre of the universe too, and swim in the media industry pool too.
I thought Eckler moved to Calgary.
I doubt she's screwed her career. She has a story in Chatelaine magazine this month and said she was working on two books.
How many years do we have to hear she is ruining her career? What, a decade? Sheesh.
You are apparently getting to her, TearFree, although I don't think that's your intention.
See her blog today.
Yeah, I know. I do a FAQs post and then she does a FAQs post.
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
Also, catch the divine Ms. Eckler's post at the end of the comments section.
You go, conspiracy theorists!
Whoops, forgot the URL
http://badladies.blogspot.com/2006/05/wtf-wednesday-now-with-more-cursing.html
Ahh yes, the play-dumb routine. She's really mastered it!
Urban Mummy, did I get that straight -- you're telling Tearfree to get a sense of humour?
Jessica said: "I doubt she's screwed her career. She has a story in Chatelaine magazine this month."
QED
I'm not sure what your point is. You are disagreeing that there are indeed toxic female friendships? Or you are stirring up controversy to perpetuate this cultish mommy blogging thing?
I'm all about debate, but I don't see the story here.
Does there need to be a story?
I for one am here to rant. It is cathartic.
What is really making me laugh -- and it is so typically Eckler -- is the suggestion that all the naysayers in here are jealous of her.
Jealous of what, exactly? Jealous of not being able to write or spell? Of being soulless and shallow? Of being unable to get hired by any Toronto or Calgary newspaper and so being forced to start up the same kind of blog that any 'tard with a computer can start up?
What I feel while watching this whole train wreck unfold is not jealousy, but delight. Delight that with her own hand, every day, Eckler is revealing herself to be the utter dumbass that editors who have dealt with her over the years have always known her to be. Can't write, can't spell, can't stop herself from getting personal, can't get hired. If anyone was having any second thoughts about not hiring her, just a quick look at her blog has reassured them that they made a very smart decision. And that has, in fact, been going on in this newsroom since she started that crap blog --we dodged a very very large bullet.
Oh, Calgary Herald Mole...Do you even pick up Saturday's Globe and Mail? She's had a column in there for months. Does she even live in Calgary?
Calgary Herald Mole, thanks for the western perspective. We were taking some heat for being Torontocentric even though Tearfree is not GTA-based.
Urban Mummy will be happy to see the diversity here.
Errr, Eckler ... I mean Calgaryheraldmolemybutt... a six-inch freelance piece once a week in the Globe is just that. Not full-time employment, moron. Spit out the Koolaid!
Yes, she lives in Calgary. She is there almost permanently now that she can't get a job in Toronto. And Calgary Herald Mole is correct -- a freelance gig is not employment, butthead.
yeah, reject, the kool-aid/tear-free your ip address shows up as montreal area. anyhoo, you are so clever. and edgy. i'm sure you are already in the top 100 of some list. and new leader of the anti-koolaid/pro stirring-the-pot/cant-we-all-just-agree-to-not-get-along anti-cult cult... oh, i'm so confused!
Tearfree is flattered that you want to know more about her, but she prefers not to be outed.
She sees herself as one of those 18th century women writers with pen names whose talent isn't recognized until after she's dead.
She is not jealous of name-brand writers and doesn't want to end up never being able to go out like Jennifer Aniston or Angelina Jolie.
here's an different point of view -- a business one.
i don't love, or even especially like rebecca's new column in the globe and mail. however, i also don't hate it. i just tolerate, or skim it or ignore it.
the only thing it has done for me (as an avid globe reader) is bring me to her blog (and then decide that her blogging was a detriment to her possible future career prospects. (But i guess that doesn't matter to her, otherwise she might try to moderate herself on her blog.)
I have also read mclaren's column and had a much stronger reaction -either hated her point of view or loved it, but ALWAYS appreciated her writing style.
what i do wonder though, is how ecklery's blog fits the globe brand. seriously. i don't see the connection at all. she will be toast in a few months. she's wasting space there, that could be taken up by advertising. Because the GLobe reader doesn't care about rebecca's kid. actually, most normal people don't care about other people's kids.
And that's why they all started blogging. God help us -- do it online, but please don't bring it to my beloved paper.
here is something interesting, deirdre/tearfree/rejectthekoolaid ... i was telling a friend about this whole bitchfest/smackdown and urged her to go to ninepounddictator and read the post that finally drove me from that blog, shrieking in dismay and horror. it was entitled "mothering high" and laid bare eckler's frightening lack of maternal instinct. she boasted about not spending any time with her child and couldn't manage to get up in the morning with the poor kid when she had her first nanny-free night with her. it was really quite a shocking post and it also prompted the woman who does postcards from the mothership to bolt and never return.
strangely enough, the post has been deleted!
no need to post this comment here -- i just thought it was telling that eckler quietly nuked the post that she took so much heat over. i predict she will quietly delete the toxic friendship one as well at some point. just alerting you.
Thanks for the scoop, Jacy. We need alert Mummy blog readers like you if this thing's going to work out.
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