Filed under: Ana Marie Cox, Wonkette, Nick Denton, BHDC, Megan Carpentier
The first female Wonkette editor since Ana Marie Cox left Wonkette in 2006 has been unceremoniously let go from her position — and she’s hurt, claiming that her former bosses are “morons.” Meanwhile, some Big Head DC spies close to the situation claim that sexism may be involved.
Megan Carpentier, a D.C.-based lobbyist, recently left her lucrative lobbying position to write for Wonkette after anonymously freelancing for the site for several months. Along the way, she has burned several bridges (by her own admission) in the lobbying community, and she is not likely able to go back to that profession for work. In a plea on her personal Web site, she claims she needs to get drunk badly.
Many Wonkette commenters are outraged by her unexpected dismissal. They seem to agree with our earlier assessment that Carpentier had become the new soul of the site in her few months on the job. However, Gawker Media millionaire Nick Denton, in the midst of high-profile news stories alleging his blog empire has jumped the shark, apparently did not agree.
Behind the scenes, tongues are wagging that Gawker Media has become a hostile workplace for female employees. “If you’re not a gay man at Gawker, you’re screwed,” one former editor who asked to remain anonymous told us this morning. “And if you are a gay male at Gawker, you’re screwed, too. By Nick Denton’s penis. Literally.”
While Denton did not respond to our requests for comment on this matter, our tip box has been flooded with questions today asking whether we’d consider hiring Carpentier to write for Big Head DC. Honestly, she’s a good writer, but we definitely can’t afford to pay Denton dollars at this point. Still, we’d love to help her land on her feet — if our readers would like to see that happen. So, like the good people of South Carolina, it’s time for you to vote:
Earlier: Wonkette Editor Exits Gracelessly After Only Few Weeks; Gawker Empire Again In Shambles

Nick Denton doesn’t like women. Why am I not surprised?
Greg Wasserstrom and I were also fired. I have no idea what Layne or Denton were thinking, but firing Megan was a huge mistake.
So, Liz Gorman was also fired?? Why has this not been updated on the Wonkette masthead??? Asshats.
Greg has been given a shot to audition for Gawker this weekend, and may be able to save his job. Carpentier (and, apparently, Gorman) were not given this same opportunity.
sure, you want Wonkette’s sloppy seconds.
Confused as to why they let a talent like Megan go at a time when they’re obviously struggling. Confused more as to why they let her quit her lobbying job only to fire her a few weeks later.
Join the ban on commenting on Wonkette.
I didn’t know she was a bloody woman until after we hired her.
I’ve lurked Wonkette since 2005, but never felt adequate in my snarkiness to join. After Ann Cox left, it seemed to become a little too predictable, but I loved the AL feature when they added that. And when you came into your own Megan it was like a breath of fresh air!
I have no idea what the fuck Denton et.al., were thinking but this was a royal fuckup. The NYT magazine article suggests that Gawker’s lost its cred and no one of any quality wants anything to do with his stupid ass. This seems to confirm it.
Megan, I’ll still follow your posts wherever I find them. You’re the real deal. Take care.
DeSwiss
They want to reduce her to freelance status on the “girl” site, Jezebel.
Tell your sponsors to step up, BHDC, and make this happen.
I’d like to see her join the team, if only as a sort of rebound fuck.
In doing some insomniac research, this is clearly not limited to Wonkette. Nick Denton has fucking blown up the Gawker mothership itself.
For example: post in early January regarding gross-out stuff, located at http://gawker.com/340901/descriptions-of-goatse-2-girls-1-cup-and-other-gross+outs-that-hopefully-youll-never-watch — which followed a culling of major staff. The comments on this particular post are vicious. All of this has been document in the NYT (hattip to whoever posted this in the farewell post).
After this, I don’t even know why Megan would want to even consider going back to Jezebel. Nick Denton has become… unsound.
We were just alerted to the following blog, a commenter support group for those who miss megan:
http://homofascistsarmy.blogspot.com/
How could Ken Layne have done this for Nick after Ken has been fired by Nick himself? And how can Jim go on there after being a friend to Megan?
Denton uses commenters as a mode to get free content to line his pockets with gold, so strike away. When you strike, he loses money. And you should have the writers you want, since you already work for free.
Wonkette fired Megan, WHY???? And kept the lame Paultard boys instead? DO NOT GET?
WHY? That is the question. It can’t be for lack of money, can it?
it was fun while it lasted, but we will all find our place again.
fuck you, you corporate morons. we laugh at the stupid at wonkette…now you are the stupid we’re laughing at. i’d rather read bill o’reilly than your sophmoric, frat boy articles. it was ok, only because you had megan, a real journalist, smarter, funnier and more talented than all of you put together.
i will miss wonkette..but it’s not wonkette without megan.
looking forward to megan’s star rising, and may gawker sink like the fucking titantic…in 3 hours.
Liz, you should get your job back, and Greg, and Megan. We Wonketeers will march on a road of bones. http://homofascistsarmy.blogspot.com/
I don’t usually read and never post on here, but someone left the link on my blog. Thank you all for the supportive comments.
But, I wanted to defend Jim for a second, which is really why I’m commenting. He’s a great writer, a good friend and a fantastic co-worker and I like and respect him and his work a great deal. He’d be an idiot to fuck himself over and quit. We spoke and hung out last night and I encouraged him to stick with it and to not to take what happened to me too much to heart. He had nothing whatsoever to do with what happened, so please don’t hate on him.
I understand what you’re saying about Jim, Megan. I just am really pissed at the hierarchy there right now. It’s not right. And I want a girl like you there.
Don’t you want a girl like her anywhere?
But especially at Wonkette - agreed.
Thanks for checking in, Megan. Jim is lucky to have you. For now. ;-)
By the way, Megan, do you think the people making the sexist charges are off base? I know Greg was fired, too, but he was given a different opportunity than you and Liz, it seems…
well Wonkette is feeling the love of the HFA right now… hits are waaay down considering it is supposed to be liveblogging the NV caucuses.
Keep the faith Megan, and thanks BHDC for providing support.
…firing a 31-year-old who had taken a considerable career risk (along w. a huge pay cut!) to take a thankless political blogging job is shitty; firing that person after three months of pretty excellent work is really just insane. And yeah, I can’t blame you for spending your time with the NYRB because that shit will not eat your brain. But let me be earnest for a sec: it is too motherfucking easy to slam Jezebel. We do like 55 posts a day and have to cover celebrities/beauty/sex/magazines because that is our “mission.” We have a few angry strict constructionist feminists and a whole bunch of boring “let me tell you about the time I tried the the suchandsuch diet” blatherers gumming up the comments right now, but all in all I think it’s good that it exists and I’m kind of even proud that we’ve managed to write about such an array of topics and I hope that Megan can be a big part of that effort.
jim should quit. this could have just as easily been his ass on the line.
I have dipped into Jez a bit more, and with Megan there, you can bet I am going to spend more time there… she may be just what that blog needs. I say everybody give it a chance!
Megan is a dyke.
I’m just throwing a quick note in here to say that neither the “Peteykins” nor the “PSP” commenting above are me. Furthermore, the “inside” info on this matter certainly doesn’t correspond with what I know.
Don’t you think it’s time to stop defending Wonkette, Princess Sparkle Pony?
This is actually an accurate comment. Peter only found out recently when I emailed him as a heads up. He was excellent to work with and a true gentleman and wouldn’t sell anyone out because he’s a classy guy. Period.
i support Megan, that’s all.
without megan’s unique female perspective it’s just “wonk”…
p.s. rob, when the hell did you start working saturdays?
When you lie with dogs…
Maybe some of Rob’s ‘career power’ rubbed off on her.
I’m really sorry Megan was let go. I’ve really enjoyed her writing on Wonkette.
It’s probably for the best that you can’t afford her, Rob. I don’t think she’d like being one of your Big Head All Stars. Going from Wonkette to BHDC would be like going from The NY Times to the Penny Saver.
Sometimes the Penny Saver has more integrity than the New York Times, IMHO.
who gives a shit about wonkette…
who gives a shit about wonkette.. i think you have a chip on your shoulder…. loser
Denton had nothing to do with the firing besides being complicit via silence in the matter. 100% Ken. Just so everyone can put their ire in the right place.
Good luck to Megan, who deserved better than this. I can understand why the other two were fired, but not Megan.
All this blog intrigue can be avoided by putting all the behind the scenes crap up front, like JuliB.com did.
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