The kids at Radar are deducing things again (wrongly). It’s cute.
Alternative, longer title after the jump:
Why did a couple of notoriously fickle Radar workers (they wear a lot of hats) get mad after Big Head DC correctly reported (by Radar’s own admission) that Sam Donaldson’s phone number appears multiple times in the “DC Madam’s” records? Was it because they falsely and foolishly thought that Big Head DC was obligated to share scoops with them since Big Head DC’s editor sometimes threw tidbits of juicy gossip their way? Or was it because they hadn’t developed the connections in D.C. necessary to procure the information themselves and then expected once Big Head DC’s editor spent hours gathering and researching information on his own that he was somehow betrothed to them? Or do they believe that Donaldson’s number just happened to get in those records by mistake, time after time, and that the story was a non-story, as, it seems, the Huffington Post believes (even though the Huffington Post falsely reports that a “single telephone call” took place)? And that ABC News didn’t try to cover up that mistake?
Guess we’ll never know.
Wow. Add Radar to the ever-growing list of publications Rob has a grudge against. How many more bridges are you planning on burning here, Rob?
Ugh, one has to be willing to report the truth — we don’t play favorites here. Sorry.
Rob, please. This has nothing to do with the truth. It never did. This blog inexplicably picks on certain targets — DCist, Wonkette, FishbowlDC, Politico, Radar, etc. And while you try to play it up like it’s fair commentary, you’ve had very direct links to most of these sites. So, to everyone but yourself, it comes off as what it is: petty personal attacks.
Ugh, you must know how the media works. A discussion about bias could be applied to any outlet. I mean, you could say nothing that The Politico publishes can be trusted because Jim VandeHei (one of its chief editors) is married to Autumn Hanna, who was a chief henchwoman for Tom Delay for years. You could say Nick Denton (owner of Wonkette) can’t be trusted when he reports on Scientology because he once had a relationship with one of its top devotees that went sour. You could say Maer Roshan (owner of Radar) can’t be trusted, business-wise, because his publication has folded multiple times and his own staff members admit behind the scenes that there’s a huge money crunch at the publication today, and it may be forced to go online-only. You could talk about Sommer Mathis being biased against Big Head DC because we pointed out some time ago that she wrote on her personal blog that she had an affair with a married man. You could talk about FishbowlDC, too, but why would you want to?
The difference between us and the outlets you mention is that we allow you to often peek behind the curtain as part of the show. And it entertains you. So, the job is done.
I’d love for you to let Big Head DC readers peek behind your curtain. Who are you? Why do you keep coming back if it disgusts you so? Why are Big Head DC’s haters so intrigued, month after month?
Also, you should see the stuff we haven’t published yet. It’s going to be fun. Stay tuned.
There’s a difference again, Rob. Sure, there is bias built into every media outlet, but not the type you exhibit. Yours is personal, and very obviously so. More than that, you only seek to peek behind the scenes of those that wrong you somehow. And more than any of those publications, you lob petty attacks at many media personalities, and many of the attacks are just for the sake of insulting them. That’s, well, lame.
At the end of the idea, you may dislike the stuff that’s out there and you may want to expose some of what goes on behind the scenes. That’s fair. But the way you do is simply misguided. Your writing often smells of revenge, plain and simple.
And yes, I do come back. Why? Because blogs are insightful for one reason: you can see someone publicly expressing their insecurities, angers, and personal vendettas. And if there is one thing you do well, it’s produce all of those in hefty quantities.
I honestly don’t know what you want from me, Ugh. You admit you are engrossed, but you want Big Head DC to stop doing the features that engross you most? Then what? On to posting my nudie shots?
Why did Radar pretend the Donaldson story was wrong when it linked earlier the same day to the story under a different congratulatory post?
Oh, please continue doing what you do. It’s weirdly satisfying to watch someone destroy themselves and burn all the bridges the way you do. Plus, your sock-puppet commenters are a riot.
BTW, what ever happened to your contributors? Did they jump off the sinking ship that is BHDC?
Ugh, whose storyline is it that I’m “destroying” myself? In what context? Professionally? I’m doing better than ever and always looking for growth and to do better. That’s the secret behind my professional curtain… Personally, there have been some health-related challenges in my family this year, yes, that gossip is true, and these challenges have often been emotionally draining. Fortunately, I view writing as an outlet, and I have been able to do it in abundance.
I don’t know what you mean by sock puppet commenters unless you’re simply trying to foster an untrue narrative. But, do it. It’s fun for you. And some people get a kick out of that narrative, so, yes, I like the idea, too.
As for contributors: They have other jobs, too. They contribute when they can. I root for them to all be rich, so they can blog for me for free, like Arianna Huffington gets her pals to do. Instead of posting ridiculously long comments on the blog, you could even start a column here. And you wouldn’t even have to pay me a dime.
Well, good for you. But this much is true: your petty attacks on other journalists and bloggers aren’t doing you any good. You may not like those folks for some reason, but trying to tar them in public just makes you look vindictive.
Focus on gossip; fine. But why attack individuals? What has Anne Schroeder done to you to merit the name-calling? And Sommer Mathis? Patrick Gavin? Now that’s a guy that you just try and go after for EVERYTHING, including the same spelling mistakes ou yourself have made. It just seems that you hate these people, and will stop at nothing to get back at them for some perceived injustice they have caused you.
I hate none of them. True, though, I don’t choose to go have drinks with them at The Palm. But that means nothing in terms of my like for them. I choose to go out to drinks with VERY FEW people at The Palm. Pat, Anne and Sommer longed to make themselves personalities in the DC media world — and, now, they have gotten their wish in some small way. And, interestingly (you figure out why), some people have gotten a kick out of our coverage of them, which, incidentally, reminds me, Big Head DC has been rather light on that front lately. Simply, I disagree that exposing their biases and poking fun at their shortcomings hasn’t done me any good. In fact, it’s helped build a brand.
OMG. All sorts of publications have all sorts of time-to-time spats with one another and cover each other without “playing favorites.” ONLY BIGHEADNOTALENTDORKWHOCAN’TKEEPAJOB pens epics of crybaby resentment months after they happen. Pathetic! BUT LOLZERS!
Well, saying they have drinks at The Palm is obviously using an extreme and exagerrated example to try and make a point against them. And anyhow, haven’t you been one to try and mingle with the media glitterati? Aren’t you trying to break into that world? And does it make the people in that world somehow bad and worthy of name-calling? Admit it — if you could, you’d be hanging with the and The Palm, too. You’re no anti-establishment blogger, especially considering the obvious evidence that you want in to that establishment.
Again, it just seems like you’re jealous and angry, and willing to use your blog against them. Go ahead and critique their work, but critique it for reasons beyond spelling mistakes. And drop the name-calling. Because while you this is building a brand, it’s actually just building an edifice that can just as easily come crashing down on you when someone uses the tactics you have on them against you.
Build a brand? With whom? Your pretend commenters? HAHAHAHAHA. Newsflash: NO ONE PAYS YOU ANY HEED, MIND, OR RESPECT. We’re all just laffing at you! LOLZ!
Ugh, I’ve drunk many times at The Palm — just not with Anne, Pat or Sommer. It’s not that hard to do. Just go there and pretend you’re important. I am friends with very few in the “media glitterati” — and it’s probably best to keep it that way. But I’m more than willing to make fun of their excesses along with mine. If you knew me, you’d know that. Of course, this blog would be a much different creature if I chose to write about my excesses all day. (Which is what today is turning out to be — yes, one excess of mine is to try to figure out why you - or anyone, for that matter - cares so darn much about protecting Pat, Sommer, Anne or anyone like them.)
My best guess is that you have a dog in the fight — maybe you’re friends with one of them and know him or her to be a great person in private? I don’t know. But the people who tend to get the most riled about Big Head DC usually do have some masked bias. Take the above commenter, “LOLs,” for instance. He works for Atlantic media, is friends with several of the people we critique regularly, and he won’t just out and say that, nor why he is angry with me. He doesn’t want the illusion of him being an average “non-elite” reader to be broken.
I’m not protecting them because I know them personally, I’m simply advocating on their behalf because they can churn out entertaining, interesting, and provocative content on a daily basis without resorting to name-calling. Are they perfect? No. Have they wronged anyone that I know, purposely and/or publicly? No. Do they have drinks at The Palm? Maybe. But why would that make them any different than you are? I remember one famous picture you posted of yourself with Chris Matthews at some party. Isn’t that you trying to seem important? You’re throwing rocks in a glass house here, Rob.
You know what the worst part of this is? Your old writing for other publications was pretty good. It’s once you became an insufferable attention-monger willing to do anything to get attention that things went downhill.
Ugh, how would I report on these people if I didn’t sometimes go into the pits and actually see them in person? (Or have other people do it for me.) Yes, pictures are taken at parties. I think I mentioned to Chris’ wife just after that pic was taken that she should leave him, move to NYC and try to become a correspondent on the Today show. She seemed to like the idea.
No, Anne, Pat and Sommer do not have any desire to be subversive with the subjects they are writing about. I do. That’s why their content is all too often the exact opposite of “entertaining, interesting, and provocative.” They have become part of the mess they cover, and they seem to enjoy being part of it. I likely know them better than you, if you really don’t have a dog in any fights, as you say.
The attention that comes my way is good to build the brand of Big Head DC, but it does little for my own ego. Yes, I admit, I enjoy seeing the business succeed.
Oh, and my “old writing” for “other publications” continues on, Ugh. I can do more than one thing. And it’s still “pretty good,” thanks.
“They have become part of the mess they cover.” How so? It’s an easy claim to make, but back it up. And do it with more than throwing insults at them.
You’re someone who was rejected by those media “elite,” a group you so desire to be a part of. Now that you’ve been rejected because you’re just not a very nice or honest guy, you’re pissed off about it. But had you not been rejected, you’d be a card-carrying member of the group, buying rounds at The Palm and carrying on about how important you really are.
Three easy examples. Anne regularly promotes her old boss’ work, so he will continue to feed her tips from his old sources in DC because she hasn’t been able to build an inroads with these people in the first place (not sure that her bosses know the extent of her dependence). Sommer knowingly cheated with a married man only to later regularly call out such behavior by politicians in this city. Pat stabs his “good friends” in the back in order to promote himself.
Who has rejected me? With all of this rejection that you and one other commenter on here think I face, then why is my inbox filled with party invites, blog business development questions, tips and invitations to freelance?
That’s not saying that rejection and criticism isn’t important. It’s a healthy part of life, and helps me want to strive to do better — and to understand where my real strengths and interests lie. For instance, I miss regularly doing education reporting. I think the presidential candidates have done a sorry job of talking about education this season, and it’s a topic I would love to do more on. I didn’t realize I had this passion until doing it for a while, leaving, realizing I missed it, and then slowly coming back to it. But this blog isn’t going to be an education reporting blog.
And yourself, Rob? For all the things you mention about them, you surely have some hidden skeletons too. And nothing you claim they do affects the quality of their work, does it now? Sure, it means they might be hypocritical, but you surely are too. The difference is that you spend your time throwing insults at them, probably in the hope that no one will bother to loon into you and say, “Hey now, these guy has some dirt that he’s never owned up to.”
It’s funny that you mention all those party invites and blog business development questions. Didn’t you try just a few minutes back to tar the media elite? You’re still part of that group, like it or not, so your bashing other people for it is, well, hypocritical.
“Who has rejected me?”
The Hill. The Politico. RADAR.
“With all of this rejection that you and one other commenter on here think I face,”
Hey, now! “You and one other commenter” represent your blog’s readership! Don’t shrink that “brand!”
“…then why is my inbox filled with party invites, blog business development questions, tips and invitations to freelance?”
Because yr inbox is imaginary! I can do that too! ZZZZZZZAPP! OMG, look! My inbox is filled with ponies! Wheee! Look at meeee. I’m riding my new ponies! I’m growing a brand! I’m giving angels their wings!
Their work is affected by hypocrisy, Ugh, which is why you need to stay here and continue to learn the myriad of ways. I’m pretty boring, actually, Ugh — you won’t find that I once had a strange affair with a presidential candidate’s daughter in exchange for secrets, for instance. You desperately want there to be skeletons, but the only ones you’ll find in my background are probably that of dead relatives. I try hard not to be hypocritical, too — well, unless it’s to make a point.
And re: the invites, etc., it’s how I choose to act on them that matters to me. And you don’t know how I’ve chosen to act.
LOLs, I quit the Hill to work at Capitol Leader. The management at Capitol Leader (Politico) changed and I disagreed with the new leaders’ decision-making and biases (esp those of Jim VandeHei), so I left to do my own thing. One thing I did was freelance for Radar for a couple of months. Radar got mad when Big Head DC scooped them on a true story about Sam Donaldson’s phone number appearing multiple times in the “DC Madam” phone records. I’d hardly consider Radar as rejecting me. Rather, I quit submitting pieces to them. I wasn’t under contract.
“I try hard not to be hypocritical, too — well, unless it’s to make a point.”
Hmm. Interesting. So it’s ok for you to be hypocritical, provided you want to make a point? So why is it bad for Sommer’s past indiscretion’s to deny her the chance to comment on the public life of an elected official? Are all journalists and bloggers expected to be saints? And how can we trust you;re any different than they are? Have you ever stabbed someone in the back to get ahead? I bet you have.
Also, the invites. So it’s bad if they get them, but it’s ok if you do, because you have the right judgement as to how to respond to them. I call BS on this.
There is one big difference between you and then, and this is why we trust them over you. They have bosses, and they respond to people who need to have the public trust on their side. Sure, they’re only human and make mistakes, but this is their livelihood. You’re just another blogger, and there have been a few instances where your reporting has seriously been questioned, not to mention your ability to be even somewhat professional.
Oh, if only that were true! But we both know it’s not!
Still, I’m unlike many people. You get comments all the time from people who wish you’d stop this blog. Didn’t someone predict you wouldn’t be here in a year? Well, I hope you stick it out here on your blog. Even though you suck so extraordinarily! Even though you lack even a little bit of wit or talent! Even though this whole thing exists only to help you wreak your pathetic dumb revenge against all the people who rejected you, and who continue to reject you.
Hell, I hope you blog here in obscurity for years! I hope this blog outlives me! That way, I can live out my years knowing that your brand of pollutant will stay here and never bother anyone else. I still remember that scary, scary countdown, which seemed to suggest that you’d conned some other organization into letting you join them. I was so happy when that countdown stopped and I knew you were stuck here. I despaired the first time I saw your byline at RADAR, but when I read their emphatic dismissal of your services, I rejoiced, I sang!
I get scared when a day passes and you haven’t posted, because every day you are here is a great day for the whole world. I know you are stuck, unhappy, and unemployed. I hope that never changes. I hope you never, ever find an exit. Not ever!
Sommer shouldn’t have chosen to go into journalism, or blogging, or whatever it is she does, if she didn’t want to be scrutinized for bad things she’s done that she herself has written about online. And she definitely shouldn’t be hypocritical about other people cheating when she herself has done it.
I’ve been stabbed in the back a few times so that others could get ahead, but have never have pulled the knife out to use it so that I could succeed. I try to succeed in more interesting ways than that.
Call BS on whatever you want, re: invites. Patrick, Anne and Sommer LONG to be photographed at these parties. I long to go unnoticed (when I’m working).
You must be quite young to think someone needs to have a boss to be trustworthy. Bosses are too often corrupt, Ugh, and individuals have the responsibility to be trustworthy. With or without bosses. If you don’t trust our scoops, fine, then get them somewhere else, from the boss of your choosing.
LOLs, you are truly fascinating, and you have developed a fantasy about me. I’m not at all flattered, but I must admit I like the power you ascribe to little old me.
Well, I think this argument has run it’s course. Beyond being petty and vindictive, you’re also fully convinced that you’re somehow better than they people you constantly insult. But at the end of the day, you’re just pissed that you’ve been outright rejected by the media “elite” you seek to join so badly. They’re bad when they go out; you’re somehow above the fray. They have skeletons and dirt; you’re pure and innocent. Nothing they do is good; everything you do, criticism from good sources notwithstanding, is ground-breaking.
Worst of all, you’re self-serving and a shamless self-promoter. I’ve never come across a blogger that so regularly publicizes his own traffic, even though you have in the past criticized people that do the same thing. It’s quite sad, Rob.
And thus, Ugh returns to an old false narrative about me on my own blog after I have spent an afternoon humoring Ugh with truths. And, yet, dear readers, we are no closer to knowing who Ugh is, nor what makes Ugh tick.
Come one, come all, step up to the Big Tent to watch Ugh return one day again!!!
It’s not a false narrative, Rob. The archives of this blog and your past projects alone provide enough supporting evidence.
From your shameless self-promoter: Above is Ugh, the famous Big Head DC commenter!!!!!!
Indeed I am famous. And I kept you from posting any good content. Oh wait, it’s just the usual dribble we can expect on this site!
You also shut up the sockpuppets, Ugh! LOLS!
Good point! Where are all of Rob’s readers? Oh yeah. They don’t exist. LOL.
Ugh! You should start your own blog RIGHT HERE IN THIS COMMENT STREAM! It would quickly become more popular than the host. LOLZIES!
I want my own blog on here, too.
Hey, I don’t think BHDC is exactly badgering Anne Schroeder, Patrick Gavin and Sommer Mathis on this subject alone. The main reason they’re covering them at all is because their mogul-like aura is slipping. Theirs is a business story, with a personal adjunct. They’ve had an easy ride with the press for years, because they’re witty, and give good quote, and know the bosses. And I don’t want BHDC to be part of that: if a story is pretty much common knowledge around town, why shouldn’t it be published? I’m sick of the coded language that most publications use to signal something to the insiders, while keeping the general reading public in the dark. Not here; not by Big Head DC.
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