Is Gawker’s Brian Moylan Really A Sick, C*nty, Animal-Torturing Serial Murderer?
January 4, 2011 in Blog Circle-Jerk
Oh the internet – how wonderful you are, allowing us to say the worst possible things to people that it’s highly unlikely we’ll ever meet. I don’t know if Ian Spiegelman of Gawker fame has actually met Gawker contributor Brian Adams Moylan in person, but Ian certainly seems to know a lot about Brian. Ian apparently knows a lot about Brian, the dirty birdie.
Brian’s piece about hating actresses has brought in about 46,000 views across the GawkerMedia empire (I know it was pushed via Jezebel, anyway) which makes it a reasonably popular hate-filled listicle post. The usual comment free-for-all from a lot of people I don’t recognize. Although one particular comment did stand out:
Then there was this. I’d like to personally thank Ian for introducing me to the phrase “cunt-basket”, which is now also the name of my new Latvian Thrash Metal/Jungian-centered Folk music crossover band.
Isn’t the internet fantastic?
Thanks to BellTolls for the throbbing, late-night tip.
OUTING AN ANIMAL-TORTURING SERIAL MURDERING BLOGGER BREAKING NEWS UPDATE
It seems that Remy Stern spluttered out his brandy and dropped his cigar down the front of his smoking jacket because of the great offense caused by Ian ranting, and has deleted his comments. Just as well someone was there to capture the moment!
Woolie said on January 4, 2011
Fucking fantastic.
Belltolls said on January 4, 2011
In late breaking news, Weegee’s Bored just wrote: “Welcome to Gawker Classic” which made me snort. What I don’t get is the vitriol (mostly from women) for actresses. Yes, Julia Roberts and Paltrow are popular choices to hate, but it looks like every single actress present and past is on the list of over 1600 comments. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
VirusWithShoes said on January 4, 2011
I wouldn’t want to be an animal around Brian Moylan right now.
VirusWithShoes said on January 4, 2011
I’m still laughing at “aunt-sprinkles” though.
VirusWithShoes said on January 4, 2011
How many people has Brian actually killed?
I could do with an exclusive.
Weegee\'s Bored said on January 4, 2011
I expect this will be my second execution. I do love Ian having told Denton to “shave with a shotgun” though. I think it was just two years ago.
VirusWithShoes said on January 4, 2011
Latvian Thrash Metal/Jungian-centered Folk crossover music is the next black Lady Gaga/Justin Montana.
VirusWithShoes said on January 4, 2011
Weegee\’s Bored wrote:
The anniversary always seems to come around so soon!
DieterTheMasseur said on January 4, 2011
You could cut the homoerotic tension between Spiegelman and Moylan with a knife.
Weegee\'s Bored said on January 4, 2011
@ Weegee\’s Bored: Well, Wordsmoker draws a smarter crowd and reads better these days.
Belltolls said on January 4, 2011
@ VirusWithShoes:
Ian was kind of doing The Aristocrats there –which was nice.
VirusWithShoes said on January 4, 2011
DieterTheMasseur wrote:
If they’re not doing it already, they will be tonight, and possibly all the way through to tomorrow afternoon, with perhaps only vitamin water for sustenance.
Senor Wences said on January 4, 2011
If we’re not supposed to hate actresses based on their faces, what criteria are we supposed to use to hate them?
Unfun said on January 4, 2011
That’s pretty good stuff.
VirusWithShoes said on January 4, 2011
@ Belltolls:
This should be read out at the forthcoming “Roast Of Alan Denton”.
Perhaps by PeeWee Herman.
VirusWithShoes said on January 4, 2011
Unfun wrote:
I was thinking of you while I screen-grabbed it. Knew you’d appreciate it.
Unfun said on January 4, 2011
VirusWithShoes wrote:
The first interaction on Gawker I had with Ian, he said “Fuck your mother, and if she’s dead, fuck your father.”
Weegee\'s Bored said on January 4, 2011
Unfun wrote:
I apologize for, in a different post, having predicted that Angelina Jolie will eventually age into “an anorexic pug.”
Unfun said on January 4, 2011
@ Weegee\’s Bored:
What? I’m seeing chihuahua. She has no girth.
Unfun said on January 4, 2011
@ VirusWithShoes:
LOL.
Unfun said on January 4, 2011
@ Unfun:
This LOL was in response to the Pee Wee Herman roast thing. Goddamnit this reply function is confusing me.
Unfun said on January 4, 2011
@ Senor Wences:
How about hate them for punching you in the nads?
poisonville said on January 4, 2011
Those were good times.
Belltolls said on January 4, 2011
I kind of understand Ian’s anger, I mean that post is constructed to create a feeding frenzy of women on women hatred. It’s scary!!!!
Unfun said on January 4, 2011
@ Belltolls:
It is, extremely scary actually. I just admitted to partially-hating Natalie Portman based on her beauty, so I went into this with a fair mind and an open heart, but wow. Am I really supposed to sit there reading the comments of 300 idiots about which woman they hate for no reason based on how she looks? That is basically what Gawker is now, very many idiots being like “I HATE Renee Zellweger’s face! She is so annoying!” Unfunny.
VoxPopuli said on January 4, 2011
I wish Ian would stop holding back and tell us what he thinks for once.
poisonville said on January 4, 2011
@ Belltolls:
Yes, I just read the post now. It’s offensive and cynical.
sfbirdie said on January 5, 2011
@ Belltolls: I think it has to do with women being super competitive forces of nature.
I don’t like Julia Roberts, but it isn’t because of her looks, it’s because of her holier than thou demeanor. However, I wouldn’t save I have a burning hatred in my blackened heart. That’s just ridiculous.
Unfun said on January 5, 2011
His comment actually gets better the second time around. Someone should give him a free blowjob for this. I’m not volunteering, mind you. No.
uncivilly obedient said on January 5, 2011
I love January Jones’ face.
Weegee\'s Bored said on January 5, 2011
@ Belltolls: The last time I looked there were nearly 1800 comments, approaching Montauk Monster levels.
sfbirdie said on January 5, 2011
@ Unfun: Yes, hating someone for their looks is ridiculous, but, to be honest, I guess I’m a little guilty of disliking Renee Zellweger. However, I’d never say I HATE her. I’m pretty disgusted at the amount of people who, from their comments, seem to have incredibly nasty, pent up hatred for someone based on their looks. How does hate like that work? Is it merely a reflection of how they truly feel about themselves?
Unfun said on January 5, 2011
@ Weegee\’s Bored:
Yeah but except those comments were FUNNY.
poisonville said on January 5, 2011
@ Weegee\’s Bored:
But not Foxy Brown levels.
DieterTheMasseur said on January 5, 2011
@ poisonville:
11,369 comments, the most recent added a month ago — Foxy Brown was truly one for the history books.
Chillbear Latrigue said on January 5, 2011
uncivilly obedient wrote:
I find it to be one of her best attributes. I don’t think that she’s a bad actress either. I think her character on Mad Men is a weak and her role is devoid of good lines. Maybe if I saw her in anything else, I could see whether or not she has any talent.
Weegee\'s Bored said on January 5, 2011
@ poisonville: You just inspired me to go over there and bring the thread into the new year.
DieterTheMasseur said on January 5, 2011
@ Weegee\’s Bored:
So make that 11, 370!
katekate is squared said on January 5, 2011
I think my favorite thing about this is that Ian gets to say things like this and yet still has an active commenter account, and a star, to boot. It shows me that there is, in fact, justice in the world.
Weegee\'s Bored said on January 5, 2011
@ katekate is squared: He laid low for a while.
Senor Wences said on January 5, 2011
Unfun wrote:
Unless it’s Sandra Bullock punching you in the nads. Dee-lish!
Belltolls said on January 5, 2011
I forgot, I have a star.
“So in summation, fuck this post and its gleefully awful participants.”
Reply
belltolls promoted this comment
Rene Sance said on January 5, 2011
Ruh-roh. Gawker’s EIC removed Ian’s comment from the original post and moved it to the purgatory of #obnoxious.
Chillbear Latrigue said on January 5, 2011
Rene Sance wrote:
Free Ian Spiegelman!
Belltolls said on January 5, 2011
@ Rene Sance:
Ian finally lost his star.
katekate is squared said on January 5, 2011
Well, that was fast. Now I just have to follow him around and promote all 2 of his comments each year.
VirusWithShoes said on January 5, 2011
@ Chillbear Latrigue:
He’s like the Julian Assange of Gawker commenting.
rocknrollunicorn said on January 5, 2011
@ Chillbear Latrigue:
You simply must see a movie called “Taboo.” January Jones is terrible in it. The entire movie is a trainwreck but I found it fun to watch. I may have been slightly drunk (I usually am), so please don’t hold it against me if it is simply terrible.
LipstickLibrarian said on January 5, 2011
@ DieterTheMasseur: 15, 877. A good 10K are about Bjork, Harry Truman, ranch dressing, and unicorn rape.
SarahHeartburn said on January 5, 2011
@ Belltolls:I understand disagreeing with a sexist, puerile* post. I don’t understand and never have understood his anger. Internal or external chemicals, I suppose.
*I love having a chance to use “puerile.”
SarahHeartburn said on January 5, 2011
@ SarahHeartburn:and for someone who purports* to scorn Gawker, Ian wastes a lot of emotional energy on those comments.
*”Purports” is fun too. God, I’m on a roll.
Weegee\'s Bored said on January 5, 2011
SarahHeartburn wrote:
Some of my thought on Sarah Palin have been pretty furious. You get that way sometime.
Unfun said on January 5, 2011
Well thankfully it’s preserved for posterity here. Good work Virus. Yeah, it’s way over the top but any comment that calls Denton a “puddle of vomit” is win in my book.
irishbreakfast said on January 5, 2011
Good lord. I go to sleep at a reasonable hour and miss all this?
1) I’ve always thought Brian–or at least his Gawker persona–was a misogynistic creep, and I don’t click on his stuff.
2) I love Ian, even though the last time I visited his site I got a Trojan (heh). I find him to be precisely the same wherever he comments, and I love that. No holds barred. There’s usually a very good point under all the vitriol.
3) I’m starred on Gawker but forgot my password and since the security debacle haven’t wanted to go back. Maybe I could back up KateKate on the Spiegleman watch
4) Aunt sprinkes!!!!!
5) Virus: your presentation of Remy cracks me up
PREVIEW!!!!!! I LOVE EVERYONE!!! PREVIEW IS BACK!! Now give us the editing tag thingys, love.
SarahHeartburn said on January 5, 2011
@ Weegee\’s Bored:I’ve read lots of your posts and I’ve never seen anything that comes near Ian’s JoePesci-itis.
BookishLookish said on January 5, 2011
Ian S. is a lover of women and will eviscerate the very lowest of men: a newly minted little faggot who fears and despises females. Amen.
Glad he went there, I have lost the stomach. The only way I am going to post anything on Gawker ever again is by spitball. And by that I mean I am going to tramp on down to their offices with my little straw and unload.
Weegee\'s Bored said on January 5, 2011
@ SarahHeartburn:
It’s the arthritis. I can’t type as fast as I used to.
SarahHeartburn said on January 5, 2011
@ BookishLookish:If he is a lover of women, his response to belinibubbles above is uncalled for.
BJonston said on January 5, 2011
“Cunt-basket” as the name of Virus’s new Latvian Thrash Metal/Jungian-centered Folk music crossover band is just one of the funniest things I have ever heard. That made my week. Absolutely magnificent. Bravo!
BJonston said on January 5, 2011
Maybe something like this:
-Hey, what’ya doin’ this weekend?
-Actually, I’m going to an awesome concert on Friday night. “Alan and the Dickweasels” are playing at the Hat-shell. And guess who’s opening for them. “Cunt-basket,” the new Latvian Thrash Metal/Jungian-centered Folk music crossover band!
It’s gonna be awesome!
BJonston said on January 5, 2011
@ Senor Wences:
Their tits, perhaps?
BJonston said on January 5, 2011
***Crickets***
DahlELama said on January 5, 2011
These are the kinds of things that remind me just how much I am not part of the Gawker Good ‘ol Days. Ian who?
DahlELama said on January 5, 2011
(I am sort of kidding. I know who he is, but I came to Gawker after he left and thus have never read any of his posts, comments, or apparently epic rants. This was kind of delightful, and I say that as someone who doesn’t even hate Brian Moylan.)
Weegee\'s Bored said on January 5, 2011
@ DahlELama:
When I joined the party in 10/07 under my real name Ian had just become weekend editor at Gawker. I was executed in March or April of 08, a couple of weeks after getting a star, but screamed at Denton via email and was let back on, this time as nightwatchman_flamekeeper, from a Tom Waits song. But Ian broke my balls so relentlessly over what he considered something suggestive of a Saturday morning kids show that in summer I came up with Weegee’s Bored. In December of 08 there was a massacre in which both Ian and Sheila McManus, a staff writer and generally adorable person who everyone loved, were fired. Ian unloaded on Denton, including the much (by me) admired “shave with a shotgun!” There commenced a mass exodus of commenters, including most of those now writing for/commenting at Wordsmoker. I drifted back, being an occasional quisling. But I’ve been spending much less time there lately following the Wordsmoker re-imagining.
BTW, Ian Spiegelman is an accomplished professional writer and novelist with a truckload of credentials.
MisterHippity said on January 5, 2011
Brian is a good guy who doesn’t deserve this kind of nastiness.
His post was simply a satire on a common pop-culture phenomenon: Women hating on actresses. If you didn’t find it entertaining or funny, fine … but I don’t understand where all the hostility is coming from.
As for Ian, I met him a few years back and he seemed like a nice guy at the time … but as comments like this make clear, he apparently has some bizarre anger issues. He usually vents this kind of rage toward Nick Denton, whom he used to work for, so I guess it’s kind of a super-intense “I hate my ex-boss” thing. But now that he’s starting to direct the same irrational vitriol toward present-day Gawker writers, I find it obnoxious and kind of scary.
Weegee\'s Bored said on January 5, 2011
MisterHippity wrote:
I think that Brian is a good writer. I enjoy his posts. I don’t know anything beyond that.
Unfun said on January 5, 2011
@ MisterHippity:
I don’t think we can ever analyze something like this without taking into consideration one important fact – sexism still exists. Would this post have been less acceptable if it was “which black person do you hate for (insert stupid reason)?” No it wouldn’t. So why is it okay if it has to do with women-hating? Maybe that’s overly simplistic but just as cannot talk about race in this country without taking into account the history of the subjugation of black people in this country, you cannot (in my view) analyze something like this, which is clearly riffing on issues and notions relating to gender, without acknowledging that sexism exists, violence against women is endemic in this country, women literally starve themselves to death to look a certain way, etc.
Pop culture phenomenon or not, this post was hateful towards women, and the rabidity of the comments was what really scared me, not the angry reaction of someone clearly disgusted and appalled by the naked sexism of it all.
Unfun said on January 5, 2011
Pardon all my glaring grammatical errors, I’m at work and this site makes my computer run super slowly.
Unfun said on January 5, 2011
I said in this country like 15 times. I think my point was somewhat clear at least though.
Belltolls said on January 5, 2011
@ MisterHippity:
I don’t think Brian’s post was a satire except in that it could be viewed as a satire of how a blogger can create a firestorm by carefully manipulating his audience and get views. I remember the days at Gawker when writers/editors would actually fucking weep at comments which shamed or attacked groups or classes or people. Weep! Now, it is the mandate. I look forward to more posts at Gawker where I can safely vent my hatred of retards, blacks and oh…let’s throw in children.
BJonston said on January 5, 2011
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LL9O0B0gzZE
irishbreakfast said on January 5, 2011
@ Belltolls:
I think “carefully manipulating” is generous: this was throwing chum into a sea full of sharks.
I had forgotten those early days and those early writer/editor responses–how they did work. It was a gentler time.
But no, you can only hate women and a select group of men. Thus far. With the page hits BM got for this piece, expect many more in this vein to follow. I didn’t notice, but if it’s cross-listed on Jez it’ll firestorm there, too, and that’ll seal the deal. Fuck it.
Belltolls said on January 5, 2011
@ irishbreakfast:
Well, I didn’t want to say that they bussed-in You Tube commentors for the event.
MissPeacock said on January 5, 2011
@ Unfun:
You know, I honestly didn’t look at it from this perspective, but I think you make wonderful points. Thanks for the other view.
Weegee\'s Bored said on January 5, 2011
@ Belltolls:
Or Huffpo.
gerbilsinlove said on January 5, 2011
I remember Ian from the Olden Days, and miss the freedom to be more relevant and biting that we had back then. Now, you’re constantly in fear of losing your star (I have one) or being banned for being out of line by a smidgeon.
I saw this post, and let it go. It was repetitive and uninteresting, to say the least. Now, I’m sad I missed all the fun!
Belltolls said on January 5, 2011
@ gerbilsinlove:
Let me catch you up. A lot of people HATE Julia Roberts.
gerbilsinlove said on January 5, 2011
@ Belltolls: And apparently, Nicole Kidman and Jessica Alba. I kept seeing the same names mentioned, and no solid reasons for any. Well, that’s not true. I really do hate Rene Zellwegger’s face a lot. But I’m glad so many people got to vent! Woo-hoo!
MisterHippity said on January 5, 2011
@Unfun & @Belltolls: While I respect your perspectives on this, i honestly had an entirely different interpretation and reaction to Brian’s post when I read it. I didn’t view the intent has hateful toward women at all. I just thought he was recognizing a common trait I’ve seen all over the internet — people *love* to hate on certain pretty actresses for some strange reason. The same syndrome does not seem to apply to pretty male actors. So he was noticing a pop-culture syndrome and commenting on it.
I can’t count how many times I’ve read a post about Claire Danes, for example, and read comment after comment spewing vitriol in her direction. “I hate her so much!” “That bitch stole Mary-Louise Parker’s boyfriend!” “I hope she dies!” etc. etc. It’s always baffled me … these people don’t know Claire Danes. Why do they hate her so much? I think Brian was just musing on the same observation, and trying to make light of it.
But that being said, it’s obvious that several other folks had a very different reaction, so I guess it’s all subjective. I I’ll just agree to disagree with a lot of you, and bow out of this thread as gracefully as I can.
saythatscool said on January 5, 2011
CAN’T….STOP….LAUGHING!1! !
Ian remains a great writer. Brian is just remains.
Belltolls said on January 5, 2011
@ MisterHippity:
Mr. H. I would buy everything you said here except that these are the last two mini-paras of Brian’s post.
” Let’s not forget, hating is so much easier and so much more fun than than loving. Finding creatively mean things to say about January Jones’ Emmy dress can amuse for hours, but saying you like something she wore is so boring. There’s only one way to say that!
So, let’s have it: which actress makes you recoil at the very sight of her? Feel free to explain it, if you can. But don’t worry if you can’t. Sometimes these things are just irrational.”
I don’t mind clever, but encouraging Standing On The Street Corner Screaming as a sociological experiment does not seem like a good idea.
BookishLookish said on January 5, 2011
@ SarahHeartburn: That dumb little clam needed a bit o’ schoolin’, and though it would not be my MO, I do not care to interfere with Ian when he is in his fury. It is just too entertaining.
BookishLookish said on January 5, 2011
@ saythatscool: Emmis.
Belltolls said on January 5, 2011
Fuck. Boner is already crying.
Belltolls said on January 5, 2011
Which Retarded Characters From Movies Do You Irrationally Hate?
Blackoops11: You know who I hate? Rainman. Shit, I don’t know how Tom Cruise kept from punching him in the face every time he whined about getting underwear at K-Mart.
Cornpone338: I hated Lenny in Of Mice and Men. Always with the fucking rabbits. I would have drowned him in a creek and let the WPA crew find him…if they ever would!
Seethisfinger924: Fuck that Sam guy. I HATE HIM! How could he take care of a kid? He can’t even wipe his own ass! I HATE HIM!
Nina Hagen said on January 5, 2011
I want to start hating on Jewish heavy metal musicians and Muslim celebrity chefs. Am I in the right place? Oh, and fuck those Pentecostals on The Biggest Loser.
Unfun said on January 5, 2011
@ MisterHippity:
SCREW YOU HIP YOU CUNT-HATING BEYOTCH!!!!!!!!!! I’m just kidding, you know I love you.
SarahHeartburn said on January 5, 2011
@ BookishLookish:Why is she a dumb clam? What she wrote seems reasonable to me.
I liked Ian as a Gawker editor, and I’ve had agreeable exchanges with him. But he reminds me of the kind of guy who gets into a bar fistfight to protect his girlfriend’s honor and ends up hitting his girl.
Nice guy with serious rage issues. The niceness doesn’t excuse the meanness.
Vaquero said on January 5, 2011
Once while having sex with Brian Moylan, I donkey clocked him. That’s a true fucking story and you know it.
poisonville said on January 5, 2011
@ Unfun:
Your point was clear, in this country, anyways. It’s funny–actually, truly sad–that the proof of the sexism of the post was its effectiveness. “Who here just hates women, like for no fucking reason?” And thousands of people take the time to type “me!”
Belltolls said on January 5, 2011
@ Vaquero:
Dear Vaq.
irishbreakfast said on January 5, 2011
Anyone (ahem) know how many comments we need to break the current WS number-of-comments record?
@ NinaH: anytime you want to start hating on Gene Simmons, I’m there. I can think of ~2 dozen reasons without mentioning his physical appearance. Muslim celebrity chefs don’t bother me much.
SarahHeartburn said on January 5, 2011
@ BookishLookish:Clam?
BookishLookish said on January 5, 2011
@SH: No, “dumb little clam.” Say it, it is fun.
SarahHeartburn said on January 5, 2011
@ BookishLookish:No, it’s creepy and bitchy.
Nina Hagen said on January 5, 2011
@ poisonville: Just like all those people who parsed Hillary Clinton’s ankles because being President or Secretary of State really hinges on a great pair of gams and in their absence, there goes the free world.
saythatscool said on January 5, 2011
@ SarahHeartburn: I gotta disagree. Bitchy and creepy is a woman-hater like Brian Moylan getting universal adoration from the Kirkland Signature set that is the current Gawker commenteriat. That said, who cares anyway? The new commenter reaction to Ian in that thread with their mouthbreathing jaws agog at a great rant is pure entertainment for the whole family.
irishbreakfast said on January 5, 2011
@ saythatscool:
Yep, I’m with you. It was a guilty pleasure.
What I like about “dumb little clam” is that it sounds like something Jimmy Cagney would say. To anyone.
To paraphrase Harriet, sometimes it’s not all about you.
“you” being SH, not “you” Say. The second “you,” that is. The first “you” was Say, not SH.
Mama Penguino said on January 5, 2011
I was FB friends with Ian for a while until the fear and anxiety from worrying he might attack something stupid I’d written caused me to unfriend him. I’m sure he’s never noticed as I’m hardly on his radar, but I gotta tell you, I find him highly entertaining when he’s shredding someone else. I’m just far too fragile a flower to take the chance, myself.
irishbreakfast said on January 5, 2011
100!
(that’s acceptable to say, right?)
Belltolls said on January 5, 2011
@ saythatscool:
Go easy on Kirkland. I got a lot of their fine bulk products here. Easy on San Francisco Bay coffee too.
Belltolls said on January 5, 2011
@ Belltolls:
Actually, I don’t really care. I JUST WANTED TO BE COMMENT #101!!!!!!!!!
Weegee\'s Bored said on January 5, 2011
MisterHippity wrote:
I hear you. I know a wonderful, smart, accomplished and generally sensible woman who is fixated on hating Kathy Lee Gifford, someone who has not been worthy of attention of any sort in decades.
SarahHeartburn said on January 5, 2011
@ saythatscool: I repeat; Ian’s response to belini bubbles was creepy. And infantile. And I’m outta here.
metoometoo said on January 5, 2011
Brian Moylan is my least favorite blogger. His posts nearly always strike me as lazy and thoughtless, and frequently misogynistic.
MilitantRubberDucky said on January 5, 2011
I’ve never read anything by Moylan (or Ian, for that matter), but that post makes me want to give him a hay maker in the baby maker, and buy Ian a shot.
@ Caitlin:
Hi! *wavies*
BJonston said on January 5, 2011
@Caitlin: I am in love with your avatar.
metoometoo said on January 6, 2011
@ BJonston: My avatar is blushing and says thank you.