Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me' - Gawker Comments

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

Trackback — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 21:16:59 EDT

Monster Hospital by Alex Carnevale A hospital bed is a parked taxi with the meter running. - Groucho Marx So my dad had a biopsy today. I took the day off from work, evidently to get my mom a baked potato when she was hungry. Hospitals seem pretty much like Grey’s Anatomy to me.

Trackback

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

johnb505 — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 12:45:32 EDT

RE: R.O. Butler's response to your posting his "private e-mail to his grad students:

Dear Prof. Butler:

Have you never heard of YouTube? Can you explain how an ostensibly bright guy such as yourself could have been so dumb as to think that your personal (I'm not going to get into any other adjectives here; my time is limited) e-mail to friends and grad students would not end up on-line in full public view?

By the way, my brother has a Pulitzer Prize (for journalism) and his wife doesn't. She has somehow managed to overcome the ignominy of that and - can you believe it? - she hasn't left him!

johnb505

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

ColdEskimo — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 01:08:14 EDT

I woulda laughed at this had it appeared in the New Yorker's "Shouts and Murmurs" column.

But it happened in real life, and so I laugh harder.

No, I mean, I spewed soda, and it hurt.

Oh, it rules to be human sometimes!

ColdEskimo

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

ColdEskimo — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 00:59:46 EDT

Gawkah:

According to his Wiki, The Bub, is not a 50. He's more like 62. Which makes him less like Ted (age 68) Turner-playing-(abusing) grandfather-figure in what way?

Funny that TB didn't bother to correct that inaccuracy when he had clearly given a particularly close reading of your close reading of his text.

I guess he supposed we woulda made the Bob-playing-(abusing) grandfather-figure connection thing a nano-second earlier than we actually did.

ColdEskimo

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

Blair Waldorf (formerly socalsnarkstress) — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 20:00:03 EDT

It's official, he has no penis.

Blair Waldorf (formerly socalsnarkstress)

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

StarlingSlipstream — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 14:30:02 EDT

I hate how he dehumanizes a circle jerk...

StarlingSlipstream

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

Sargasm — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 13:44:12 EDT

@clickable:

standing ovation

Sargasm

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

clickable — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 02:17:16 EDT

Mr. Butler, you sanctimonious, self-righteous fuck. A decent man does not exploit his wife's troubles and setbacks to accentuate his own accomplishments. A chivalrous man does not publicly conduct a post-mortem of his failed marriage for the edification of persons who were not parties to that marriage. A man of honor does not confide his wife's sorrows and misfortunes to others, and certainly does not then encourage them to use that information as so much grist for the gossip mill.

I feel sorry for your wife, and sorrier still for anyone whose happiness depends on you. What you did was appalling and I cannot believe you were anything but disingenuous when you said that you honestly believed that your email would not rapidly be disseminated far and wide, beyond the circle of your personal acquaintances. You should be ashamed of yourself.

/ I'll be darned if that loathsome cad won't be back to brood over every comment in this dehumanizing, creepy circle jerk.

clickable

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

Seeräuber Jenny — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 23:05:13 EDT

"There were three of us in this marriage [me, her, and the public at large, whom I invited in] so it was a bit crowded."

Understand now why getting one's intimate letters returned is such a big deal in 19th century novels?

Wish there was an equivalent for emails.

Seeräuber Jenny

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

ellagood — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 21:07:37 EDT

if you are worried about what the inhabitants of Tallahasse think about you, it's time to admit you have no dignity...oh wait...too late.

honestly, dude, we were kinda on your side and in awe of your passive-agressiveness.

now you are just a douche with a maltese.

ellagood

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

marblefaun — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 18:39:15 EDT

OK. We know that the elderly should not be allowed to write break up letters. OK. The elderly should use paper and pens. No letting them use email or IMs.

I raise a toast to the grad student who gave the world a glimpse into the sad world of Mr. Butler. Gawker needs a new T-shirt.
Maybe a play on the Mountain Dew tagline for the Dewberry Affair.

marblefaun

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

Phineas Poe — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 18:23:20 EDT

@iambillgates: I'm from the Midwest...what's a "cockalorum?"

Phineas Poe

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

El_Gato — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 16:39:46 EDT

too bad part of that photo of him with his dog was cut off -- specifically the part that shows the jar of peanut butter in his other hand.

El_Gato

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

minx — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 16:39:38 EDT

"Creepy little circle jerk of self-righteousness" or Self-righteous creep jerks off…in email he wants to "inadvertently" get around the entire campus to cast his wife as a neurotic (dehumanized) and him the hero (greater than human). Please, Tom Wolfe, (who did not win a Pulitzer) satirize this in your next novel…

minx

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

sheistolerable — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 16:30:01 EDT

@Pope John Peeps II: Peeps, you're wrong. But a propos former comments, stop by chez Tolerable if you need a hug and some whiskey.

sheistolerable

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

irishbreakfast — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 16:05:17 EDT

good lord: if the man had any self awareness at all, even a microscopic particle, he would have said "no comment." WTF does he expect? I've listened to NPR for a long time, and Alex Chadwick only sounds that incredulous when he's interviewing government lifers and/or convicted felons. On the up side, he (and she) have the stuff of many many future novels here.

irishbreakfast

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

grouchydogowner — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 15:40:26 EDT

Excuse me, I didn't realize that he had the monopoly on circle jerks.

grouchydogowner

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

shesaidwhat — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 15:23:24 EDT

correction: of themself -- although we may be dealing with multiple personalities --

shesaidwhat

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

iambillgates — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 15:16:42 EDT

Oh my. There are so many wonderful things about this parry and repost that I hardly know where to begin. thank you, thank you Bob Butler for believing that a woman two decades your junior could truly love you unto eternal bliss. Thank you Dewscary (have ya seen the pics) for making your way up the BOBO (bourgeois bohemian) ladder in that most old fashioned of ways, on your back, and the backs of the more talented. And, certainly I shant forget the irascible Mr. turner. So proud, so sanctimonious, but more importantly, just so darn rich . . . and with that flair. My lord, he is a gem. But, let me not forget the most important thanks of all. GAWKER.COM, you rule and have made a grateful new friend. Some of these comments are so delightfully wicked, and the others so astonishingly pompous and self-serving. I can hardly determine who is yet the biggest cockalorum in this most delectable meal.

iambillgates

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

shesaidwhat — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 14:55:20 EDT

On NPR Alex Chadwick just said that he talked to Elizabeth Dewberry who told him that she had read the email that was sent to Butler's graduate students but that she had not approved it and that there are inaccuracies in it.

It is a hard not to feel a little sorry for Butler. He truly believes in himself as the great prize winning artist who has the gift of insight that allows him to get to the truth about people. He's very self-righteous about his motivations. It is interesting to see a writer who has so little sense of themselves as an unreliable narrator.

If this were fiction it would be hilarious.

shesaidwhat

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

the cajun boy — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 14:52:25 EDT

is it just me or does this whole thing sound like something straight out of a wes anderson movie?

the cajun boy

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

GirlCat — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 14:39:58 EDT

The NPR interview. Oh my God. I cannot listen to this and yet I cannot stop. He's either a complete sociopath or he has had a major breakdown. If the man has any friends, they really need to step in and get him into seclusion and medication.

GirlCat

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

TedSez — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 14:34:44 EDT

@Sargasm:
Here's a link to the NPR interview:
[www.npr.org]

TedSez

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

jazzy — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 14:33:15 EDT

The NPR thing...it's awful.

See for yourself.

jazzy

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

DayJobWoman — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 14:30:02 EDT

And on the NPR show (Day to Day), Alex Chadwick said he'd asked Elizabeth Dewberry about her reaction to the e-mail. According to him, she said she'd seen it but hadn't approved it, and that it contained "inaccuracies."

DayJobWoman

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

Mediahohoho — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 14:29:39 EDT

@Phineas Poe:
Ah, yes, the sweet sadistic pleasure of the murder ballad. Rap aint got nothin on this shit, yo:

Down in the willow garden where me and my love did meet
There we sat a-courting my love fell off to sleep
I had a bottle of burgundy wine which my true love did not know
And there I poisoned that dear little girl down by the banks below

I drew my saber through her which was a bloody knife
I threw her in the river which was an awful sight
My father often told me that money would set me free
If I would murder that dear little miss whose name was Rose Connelly

Now he sits by his old cabin door a wiping his tear-brimmed eyes
Mourning for his only son out on the scaffold high
My race is run beneath the sun the devil is waiting for me
For I did murder that dear little girl whose name was Rose Connelly

I mean, seriously how many ways are there to kill a bitch? No mention of the poodle, however.

Mediahohoho

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

depardoo — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 14:25:50 EDT

@KarenUhOh:

As I Lay Dying of Shame

Spot Light in August

Dewbury, Dewbury!

depardoo

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

The Dewd — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 14:11:48 EDT

Well...there's the whole money and power aspect of it.

Or you could blame it on her lack of intestinal fortitude.

Whatever helps you sleep at night.

The Dewd

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

Sargasm — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 14:08:38 EDT

I just heard Butler on NPR trying to defend himself. Gawker apparently has a link at npr.org now. This is your $10,000 winner.

Sargasm

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

Seanibus — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 14:08:16 EDT

is THIS the same two-timing poodle? What a tramp:

www.miamibookfair.com/2006/media_2006/2006_author/Dewberry_Elizabeth.jpg

Seanibus

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

dango — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 13:57:35 EDT

Cluster fuck >>> circle jerk

dango

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

LaPretentieuse — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 13:56:22 EDT

"...to explain an event that, if not explained, would be spun in ways that would unfairly make Elizabeth look bad. ..."

Five Potential Liz Stories That Butler's E-Mail Superseded:

5) En tant que ecrivaine, Elizabeth, c'est nulle.

4) Liz really left Bob for Margene...and Nikki...and Barb...

3) Bob is to Dick Diver as Ted is to Tommy Barban

2) The true purpose of Liz and Ted's Argentina trip can best be summed up in the phrase, "Elizabeth Full of Grace."

1) Ted promised Liz's grandfather a part in the movie version of "Cats" in exchange for some "light housekeeping duties."

LaPretentieuse

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

KarenUhOh — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 13:56:04 EDT

@TedSez: It's what William Faulkner might have written if he'd spent more time watching 'Knots Landing."

KarenUhOh

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

TedSez — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 13:42:24 EDT

@RonHogan: I still say that e-mail is a great piece of literature.

Though people would appreciate it more if it were a short story rather than a memoir.

TedSez

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

depardoo — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 13:39:19 EDT

"What a creepy little circle-jerk of self-righteousness you're running." Was he looking in the mirror when he said that?

"... both of us are easily dehumanized". Why would that be, Bob? Might it be because sending that e-mail seems barely human?

depardoo

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

VenusCloacina — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 13:26:47 EDT

@RonHogan: Yes. He's a good writer, and a smart one. And very insightful about the psychology and motivations of his characters.

That's what makes his behavior here so disappointing, I think.

VenusCloacina

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

GirlCat — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 13:22:47 EDT

@KarenUhOh: You are my one, true love.

GirlCat

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

RonHogan — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 13:18:08 EDT

Boy, I am so glad I ran that as a blind item, so I don't have to deal with Pulitzer-winning hate mail.

(But, echoing the sentiment above, he is a good writer, at least the stuff New York publishers pay him for.)

RonHogan

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

swedish fish jr. — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 13:03:38 EDT

@ThomasPynchon: I prefer my mini-horse to the high one. Although a high mini-horse would be great, come to think of it, so long as it shared the goods.

swedish fish jr.

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

VenusCloacina — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 12:54:54 EDT

@ThomasPynchon: Hey guys, remember! VC is a WRITER if you forgot the 87 times she told you about it. And she's probably not as successful as, say, Butler OR Dewberry, because she seems to spend the majority of her days commenting on Gawker posts.

Less successful than Butler, for sure. I'd have to look at BookScan to see if I'm more successful than Dewberry.

And I don't "spend the majority" of my "days commenting on Gawker posts"; I just type really fast. But thanks for the flak, fuckstick! By the Robert Olen Butler standard, I should be weeping with joy right about now.

VenusCloacina

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

hhpeterson13 — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 12:53:29 EDT

I wonder why the Bichon Frisee is smiling seeing that he/she's held by one of the smarmiest and most deluded people on the planet.

hhpeterson13

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

jeweltones — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 12:49:45 EDT

For some reason all this "back-when-I-was-dumped" reverie-mongering makes me want to monger my own "back-when-I-was-dumped" reverie. To wit: Back a few years ago, a gentleman I'd been friends with for about 20 years before dating him dumped me so profoundly and in such a spectacularly cavalier manner that, upon being breezily informed, I could only muster a "Um -- uh -- I -- that is -- but." To which he responded, while looking at his watch, "Look, babe, write a country song, ok?" And left. To this very day, I cannot feel one bit sorry for myself whenever a breakup occurs. I just remember the guy's words and end up laughing.

Hopefully, this douchewad's (is that a word yet?) email will have the same effect on his lovely wife.

jeweltones

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

ThomasPynchon — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 12:48:35 EDT

Team Pope!

Hey guys, remember! VC is a WRITER if you forgot the 87 times she told you about it. And she's probably not as successful as, say, Butler OR Dewberry, because she seems to spend the majority of her days commenting on Gawker posts.

Does anyone here, her included, actually give a serious moral fuck about how a writer most people on earth haven't read deals with his hilarious divorce outside of noting its hilarity and perhaps laughing? Or does everyone here just want to circle the wagons around dear infallible Gawker, climb up on their own high horses, and get shrill?

ThomasPynchon

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

KarenUhOh — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 12:46:54 EDT

Did this many people read his last book?

KarenUhOh

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

Liberace — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 12:36:58 EDT

Guy made sure the Times covered his marriage to this chick. Why can't Gawker cover the bust-up? How, exactly, is this unfair? 'Cause he is not able to ultimately manipulate it?

Liberace

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

Withnail — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 12:34:07 EDT

I got this guy's number.

He has to play it off as outraged after the "unintended" leak so it looks like he still believes that someone, anyone thinks that the email wasn't a giant FUCK YOU, CRAZY to his ex-wife. Which it of course was. "Put down your coffee," indeed.

He talked to Page Six, for God's sake. He's not exactly hiding out in the woods like Salinger.

Withnail

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

BinkysDream — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 12:27:07 EDT

I have to take issue with the guys choice of words (he is a writer, no?) The OED defines righteous as: Of persons: Just, upright, virtuous; guiltless, sinless; conforming to the standard of the divine or the moral law; acting rightly or justly. Circle-jerk I see, but self-righteousness is kind of anti-thetical to the gawker commentator ethos. Know your audience, my friend.

BinkysDream

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

Phineas Poe — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 12:25:01 EDT

@Mediahohoho: Good one. On the other hand, Bob Olen might be walking around the house, clutching that yippy poodle and mumbling the lyrics to The Knoxville Girl to himself:

"I met a little girl in Knoxville
A town we all know well
And every Sunday evening
Out in her home I'd dwell
We went to take an evening walk
About a mile from town
I picked a stick up off the ground
And knocked that fair girl down;

She fell down on her bended knees
For mercy she did cry
Oh, Willie dear, don't kill me here
I'm unprepared to die
She never spoke another word
I only beat her more
Until the ground around me
Within her blood did flow."

Phineas Poe

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

mathnet — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 12:23:13 EDT

Come to think of it, Butgelina has a nice ring to it. . .

mathnet

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

A.Twafeletta — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 12:22:32 EDT

@Lucia Toledo: & @fileunder: the only things surrounding Tallahassee are trees, swamps , a few gators (they'd rather be in Gainesville) and the distinct sound of the banjo in Deliverance.

A.Twafeletta

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

swedish fish jr. — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 12:12:11 EDT

That picture alone makes me want to hate the man. Oh, and the e-mail. That too. Both scream 'smug wienie.'

swedish fish jr.

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

fileunder — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 12:06:25 EDT

Only in Tallahassee, kids, only in Tallahassee.

fileunder

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

lefty — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 12:06:03 EDT

Move along, people. There's nothing to see here after Heartbreakturnip explained it all. Bravo, HBT.

lefty

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

whatever — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 12:03:42 EDT

Venus--you're are fabulous, and spot on.

I can only add that, she was probably weeping for 2 reasons: the first in frustration that he still doesn't get it, and the second in relief that soon it won't matter anymore.

whatever

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

Mediahohoho — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 12:02:15 EDT

To answer what seems to be the question du jour, i.e., is it possible to be on the receiving end of a harsh dumping and curtail the desire for revenge, even if only verbal, I will say this. My last (please God) experience with this could have gone many ways. But what I ended up doing was discovering bluegrass music, an artform that gives one a seemingly endless array of material into which one can channel both grief and rage. I will provide a mere sample of the kind of songs that kept me afloat as I sang them relentlessly throughout 2004 and 2005. It's the last verse of a song from a guy named Bruce "Utah" Phillips (admittedly, more folk than bluegrass, but who cares). He wrote it after getting a "Dear John" letter during the Korean war.

If the ladies were blackbirds
And the ladies were thrushes
I'd lie there for hours in the chilly cold marshes
If the ladies were squirrels
With their high, bushy tails
I'd load up my shotgun
With rock salt and nails

Sing it with me, Bob, and let the healing begin.

Mediahohoho

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

VenusCloacina — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 12:01:52 EDT

@powelton: Extra points if he videotapes himself writing it and posts it on the Internet.

VenusCloacina

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

Products Will Save Me — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:58:52 EDT

@concerned citizen: and I REALLY want to silkscreen the above photo above the Sharpie text.

Products Will Save Me

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

powelton — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:57:14 EDT

I just hope to God that Robert Olen Butler sends you another reproachful e-mail in response to today's Gawkfest.

powelton

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

JiggyMavis — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:48:32 EDT

"Circle jerk"? That's a little 1980s, Bob.
How about "creepy little bukkake of self-righteousness"?
That is more inclusive, more gender neutral, more loving. More you, Bob.

JiggyMavis

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

Editrixter — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:47:54 EDT

I hate the fact that I was in a meeting and missed the start of this post's comments.

@VenusCloacina: Brava. You're articulate, classy, and fierce. Can *we* get married in Vermont?

Editrixter

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

katastic — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:47:44 EDT

Can you send him a free Douche' shirt? Perhaps that would heal the wounds.

katastic

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

MadameDecline — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:47:32 EDT

I think she was weeping WITH RELIEF because the world finally gets to see what kind of a dickwad she was hitched to. I wonder if Ted will sue because he's been labeled a "Gramperv."

MadameDecline

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

Steverino — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:46:30 EDT

I'm going to back away slowly from this one. Apparently, Pulitzer winners are too proud to hire publicists.

The Wiki page update is kind of creepy.

Steverino

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

Drew Kerr Jr. — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:45:23 EDT

Did it even occur to this guy to wonder if maybe, just maybe, his trusted inner-circle grad students leaked his highly private email because he's an ASSHOLE and they CAN'T STAND HIM?

Drew Kerr Jr.

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

Products Will Save Me — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:44:39 EDT

@Phineas Poe: @1974: Me too! Hanes and sharpie party... I think the "creepy" point will really be driven home with the homemade look.

Products Will Save Me

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

Sarcastro — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:43:48 EDT

@VenusCloacina: If I could draw, I would spend the remainder of my days executing a series of rattlesnake-in-a-wimple illustrations.

Sarcastro

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

sassypants — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:42:59 EDT

@VenusCloacina: Amen, sister! Well done.

Peeps, yes, it is absolutely possible to not indulge your vengence fantasies when someone hurts you. It's called being an adult. Quite honestly, if I was married to that smug, passive-aggressive asshole, I'd leave him for Teddy, too.

The fact that he claims that the soon-to-be-ex was 'weepingly grateful' or that she gave him permission to write all of that personal shit about her is crap in my opinion. I'm certainly not in a rush to believe him...at all. Just a little more of his self-congratulating on what a delightfully self-actualized being he is. Bullshit! That email was supposed to humiliate her. He just sounds pissed that he now looks like a complete prick. I mean come on! He basically said that she's leaving him to become a part of a brothel!

sassypants

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

dado — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:42:41 EDT

welcome to dumpsville. population: Bob

dado

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

GirlCat — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:42:38 EDT

@irishbreakfast: But, I'm not! I just keep my business off the damn street.

GirlCat

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

KarenUhOh — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:42:34 EDT

@mathnet: Joan of Arc burned my steak.

KarenUhOh

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

Phineas Poe — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:35:51 EDT

@1974: I so want that t-shirt!

Phineas Poe

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

karion — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:33:27 EDT

@Pope John Peeps II:
Amazing what a difficult breakup will do for your sense of empathy, isn't it?

@Mediahohoho:
Spot the fuck on.

karion

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

jazzy — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:32:44 EDT

Dear Bob,

Let me teach you about something called sarcasm.

Lesson 1: when I tell you I'm crying tears of joy that thousands of people know about my childhood abuse, my intestinal blockage, and my leaving you to become one of several girlfriends of Ted's...I'm being sarcastic.

Love,

Liz

jazzy

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

oneninesevenfour — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:32:30 EDT

Can we get a "Creepy little circle jerk of self-righteousness" t-shirt? Or am I going to have to make this with a hanes and sharpie?

oneninesevenfour

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

HowDareThey — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:32:07 EDT

That poodle belongs between two sesame seed buns.

HowDareThey

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

irishbreakfast — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:31:06 EDT

@GirlCat: you must be very young: look away, now!

irishbreakfast

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

Diglett — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:30:22 EDT

Total delusional dickwad this man is, yes, but overall, this would have been much more interesting if it were JSF taking up with Jane Fonda.

Diglett

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

Tippy and Bad Girl — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:28:24 EDT

I think the big lesson to take from all this: gossip about Pulitzer Prize winners will bring Gawker more traffic than Julia Allison posts! Please, lesson learned?

Tippy and Bad Girl

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

kjc9 — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:28:17 EDT

@Phineas Poe: Probably worrying about his own future bowel obstruction at the moment.

kjc9

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

dado — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:28:17 EDT

Robin Williams and Professor Lambeau had the same issue, re: Fields Medal

dado

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

Itsjustcatnip — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:26:44 EDT

Oh and Bob, you totally look like a grandpa.

Itsjustcatnip

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

Phyllis Nefler — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:26:43 EDT

"Things happen, people change" is what Amanda said.

Phyllis Nefler

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

Phineas Poe — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:25:10 EDT

I'm sorry...straight guys don't clutch at fluffy dogies like that. Where's Micheal Vick when you really need him.

Phineas Poe

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

VenusCloacina — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:23:20 EDT

@LolCait: Mother Teresa cut the crotches out of all my underpants. She was a rattlesnake in a wimple, that one.

VenusCloacina

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

mathnet — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:22:35 EDT

@LolCait: Bob had better hope she still has an intestinal blockage.

mathnet

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

Moff — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:22:21 EDT

@VenusCloacina:

1. High horse = "Have you ever really, like, looked at your hooves? I mean like really looked at them? Ohhh, man, pass the oats."

2. "Moustouch."

Moff

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

stew — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:21:26 EDT

@IBentMyWookie: the coffee in the nose, it burns so...

stew

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

Itsjustcatnip — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:20:51 EDT

Actually he just forgot to get a picture of the dog (who he gets in the settlement!!1!) into the first letter.

Itsjustcatnip

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

Curse_of_NursePornstein — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:20:49 EDT

There was absolutely nothing "high road" about that awful e-mail. He's now likely experiencing the same shame he intended Dewberry to suffer. Had the missive been less creepy-awful, perhaps some compassion would be in order. As it stands, just deserts and so on.

Curse_of_NursePornstein

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

LolCait — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:20:32 EDT

@mathnet: Gandhi pooped in a bag, lit it on fire, and left it on my porch after I dumped him at the Harvest Dance.

LolCait

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

Mediahohoho — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:19:47 EDT

@heartbreakturnip: Best post I've read in a while. Thanks.

Mediahohoho

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

josh speed — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:19:30 EDT

@londonhackwatch: you know, when someone wins a Pulitzer, you never stop fucking hearing for the rest of your life they won a Pulitzer.
Cf. Jennifer Jason Leigh's character in The Hudsucker Proxy. So fucking annoying.

josh speed

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

GirlCat — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:18:03 EDT

I am still having a hard time believing that this all really, truly happened. Did a grown, well-known and presumably civilized man REALLY send an e-mail to his employees (c'mon, that is the status of grad students) detailing the intimate reasons for his upcoming divorce? I can sort of deal with the fact that the Kids These Days are oversharing attention whores, but this guy is my mom's age. Has he never been in therapy? How can someone so old-looking be so very adolescent?

GirlCat

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

Products Will Save Me — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:17:47 EDT

@Pope John Peeps II: Self control makes it possible. He abandoned that in spades at "put down your coffee or you might spill it."

Products Will Save Me

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

VenusCloacina — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:16:01 EDT

@grandmoffbastard: Molestache?

VenusCloacina

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

mathnet — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:16:00 EDT

@Pope John Peeps II: Don't be so hard on yourself. When I broke up with the Dalai Lama, he keyed my car.

mathnet

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

VenusCloacina — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:15:45 EDT

Also, "high horse" != "high road".

VenusCloacina

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

Moff — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:15:37 EDT

@LolCait: I think it's a moustache thing.

Moff

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

VenusCloacina — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:15:04 EDT

@LolCait: In his mind, he's not a Grandpa. He's a whole 5 years younger than Turner, after all!

Oh, and Peeps, my darling: I would absolutely say that to Mr. Butler's face. Now, I don't know him, but I have met him at least once, and will probably meet him again.

VenusCloacina

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

crotchety — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:14:12 EDT

@Pope John Peeps II: Sure he's hurt. But instead of all this fakery he shoulda just said, "Elizabeth is a faithless bitch who never got over my having a Pulitzer when she didn't and she rejected ME to go be part of some old guy's harem? I hurt."

THEN I would respect him, maybe even sympathize.

crotchety

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

KarenUhOh — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:13:57 EDT

You don't broadcast from a roof with Mr. Microphone that your soon-to-be-Ex is a chronic abuser groupie and bowel obstructee (Whose bowel was obstructed by. . .wait for it. . .TED F'IN TURNER!!) then complain, when word gets around, that your neighbors lack comprehension of dignity.

KarenUhOh

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

LolCait — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:12:37 EDT

I'm so confused. Judging by the photo, how was this guy not grandpa-ish enough? What's going on here?

LolCait

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

VenusCloacina — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:12:06 EDT

@Pope John Peeps II: That's why I wrote the word IM-POSSIBLE in this situation. Because it's NOT POSSIBLE to avoid the temptation to hurt someone who has done damage to you

Actually, it is. It's completely possible. And it's completely possible not to be an utter passive-aggressive douchebag.

Nor am I ever "vulgar". "Vulgar" is sending a mass email about your soon-to-be ex-wife's intestines.

VenusCloacina

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

tylercoates — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:11:40 EDT

My favorite thing about this is how entirely blameless he is. To wit:

1. Her grandfather's abuse caused the attraction to Ted Turner / the divorce.
2. Her first husband was also an abusive asshole.
3. That damn Pulitzer, too! Damn that Pulitzer!
4. Did I mention the granddaddy issues?

How DARE you Gawkers poke fun at an innocent man?!

tylercoates

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

Pope John Peeps II — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:11:40 EDT

@Pope John Peeps II: And everyone try to remember that she apparently GAVE him PERMISSION to use all these personal details in an email that she KNEW full well was going to be sent.

This thread is boring now. I'm going back to writing about Queen songs. And reading Dinosaur Comics. And White Ninja comics.

Pope John Peeps II

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

crotchety — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:11:11 EDT

@VenusCloacina: God bless.

crotchety

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

londonhackwatch — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:10:06 EDT

Actually, I thought it was more like an icky reach-around of smarmy pseudo-sophistication but what do I know? I never won a Pulitzer.

londonhackwatch

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

heartbreakturnip — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:10:06 EDT

I don't care if he did intend that e-mail for a select group of friends and others, or the entire world. What he had to say was the kind of thing that, perhaps -- perhaps -- you share with your closest of friends over coffee or a beer or something. And, probably, that close friend would say,

Bob, that whole grandfather theory is just weird. I'm not so sure about that. Don't you think money, travel, and so on might also have something to do with it? And anyway, if the grandfather theory is true, it doesn't say much about her own attraction to YOU, Bob, who at age 50 married her at Tavern on the Green when she was barely 30. So, I'd steer away from that whole line of reasoning for your own good. It makes it sound like she dumped you for a richer and better looking molester. You don't want to be the ugly molester, Bob.

Instead, Bob Butler decides he's too busy to actually have, ahem, actual human and humanizing contact with the few people who he wants to know the gorey details, and so he sends out an e-mail with instructions to go forth and spread the story as he's told it. The assertion that Elizabeth Dewberry wept with gratitude about that e-mail is either a huge lie or more proof that she's got corn bread for brains, which has long been suspected. In either case he does her no favors, which puts the lie to his assertions of love and gratitude and so on.

And if the e-mail recipients were so close, so dear and human to him, that he would share such personal details with them, how come he couldn't predict that at least one of them would forward it on to the world? Clearly, there's at least one person who needed to know about Dewberry's intestinal distress who, in fact, he did not know very well at all.

Let's cut the bullshit: creative writing staffs are notoriously catty, backbiting groups of malingerers who love talking about each other. Robert Olen Butler was merely trying to get ahead of the spin and win the gossip battle. Bob Butler has always perceived himself as something of an otherworldly saint figure, but this latest is just so much crap.

By the way, he's not a crap writer like some have alleged -- he's pretty damned great if you ask me. Writers like him should write more and talk less.

heartbreakturnip

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

HeatherNumber1 — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:08:49 EDT

Gossiper.com is just some lame straw site getting people to download software. Strike three, Butler!

HeatherNumber1

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

Mediahohoho — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:08:36 EDT

Hey Bob,
The next time your trophy wife dumps you and you're afraid that your grad students will be surprised by this, just send out an email saying something like: "Yes, it's true. We split. I'll be happy to tell you what happened if you bring a bottle of scotch and some decent weed by the manse. Thanks, Bob.

Save you a lot of scrutiny on the old series of tubes.

Mediahohoho

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

Pope John Peeps II — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:08:30 EDT

@VenusCloacina: Hey there Missy. You might want to back that trainload of indignity up some, and try to remember that since you don't actually know these people, it comes across as pretty vulgar that you're so in his face.

That's why I wrote the word IM-POSSIBLE in this situation. Because it's NOT POSSIBLE to avoid the temptation to hurt someone who has done damage to you. Of course he failed. Of course he was weak. It's what we do. Barring breaking up with the Dalai Lama, who would shrug and say "when you shrug off attachment, life is an ephemeral mystery worthy of fascination", everyone fucks it right up the wall at the end.

Pope John Peeps II

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

Moff — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:07:37 EDT

@IBentMyWookie: Well, our being assholes and his being an asshole are not mutually exclusive. But as far as our assholeness goes, it's not like we're keeping it a big secret.

I'm sorry. We are jerks, but there are plenty of times I've been in the middle of composing an email, or a text message, or, yes, even a Gawker comment, and have stopped, thought "Is this really something I ought to be putting in writing?", decided it wasn't, and gone back to reading Dinosaur Comics. I can't excuse our behavior; but it's almost as difficult to excuse the winner of one of the craft's highest honors for failing to grasp some of the most fundamental qualities of the medium that is the written word.

Moff

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

Astro-Nom — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:05:48 EDT

@Pope John Peeps II:

Peeps, I know you're dealing with your own break-up, but I'm sure you're not going around telling people your exes personal details in an attempt to place all of the blame squarely on her shoulders while trying to sound like you were and still are supportive of her.

This guy gets no sympathy for passive-aggrassive douchebaggery.

Astro-Nom

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

ModestProposal — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:05:46 EDT

I prefer circle-jerks of self-loathing. Self-righteous masturbaters are too judgmental.

ModestProposal

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

c_webb — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:05:33 EDT

And let's hear it one more time, folks: "But though he has several girlfriends, it is a very small number..."

This guy can't even SEE the high road from where he's standing. He's just got his poodle in a twist because Gawker out-"sneered" him.

c_webb

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

Curse_of_NursePornstein — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:05:23 EDT

Did I call it? I called it! I so called it!

Curse_of_NursePornstein

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

irishbreakfast — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:05:06 EDT

@Pope John Peeps II: oooo, he "took the high road" by TALKING TO PAGE SIX ABOUT HOW HIS WIFE WAS "WEEPINGLY GRATEFUL" FOR HIS EMAIL?
no.

irishbreakfast

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

youreabigjessie — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:05:04 EDT

I'm increasingly disturbed by the dog-clutching, myself. Please note also dewberry clutching dog and the related friend clutching brace of dogs . Old Bob was pointedly specific about the fact that he gets canine custody; can we count them as singlefiers even though they're not stuffed?

youreabigjessie

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

Queen of the Passive Aggressives — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:03:53 EDT

Dehumanized? I think one of Ted's ranches is chock full of 2 legged fillies!

Queen of the Passive Aggressives

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

benmaimon — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:03:31 EDT

Elizabeth is Cuckold-My-Pulizer-Flaunting-Hubby-With a-Daft-Superannuated-Billionaire Hot!

benmaimon

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

dado — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:03:29 EDT

I wonder if Bob ever thought "circle jerk" would be a part of his Wikipedia profile, as it now is.

dado

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

DavidWatts — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:03:26 EDT

I went to school in Tallahassee, and I can assure you that there are no actual people there.

DavidWatts

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

Sargasm — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:03:14 EDT

So, if they leave Tallahassee, are they no longer actual human beings? But how can that be, if we already dehumanized them? I'm confused.

Sargasm

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

KarenUhOh — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:02:58 EDT

Careful, Fluffy. I think he's eyeing your rug.

KarenUhOh

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

Sara Benincasa — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:02:11 EDT

Obvs, it was totes a private e-mail, but a vengeful twentysomething aspiring novelist leaked it because he got a B- on his paper for Carver and Achebe 101. Do you think the grad student who leaked it can get kicked out of the program? 'Cause if R.O.B. only sent it to a handful of people, it's gotta be pretty easy to figure out who done it. What if some bespectacled Ivy Leaguer slumming it post-grad in Tallahassee doesn't get his MFGay? Has the missing 8th Foer sibling gone to the dark side?

Sara Benincasa

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

sexbot — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:02:06 EDT

Mr. Turner is probably better for her in the longrun. Media moguls tend to know when to shut the fuck up; masochistically egomanical writers never do.

sexbot

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

Lucia Toledo — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:01:01 EDT

For readers who don't know Florida all that well: "around Tallahassee and in other places" is a very funny line.

Lucia Toledo

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

rubyruby — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:00:39 EDT

Sorry, wait. I thought that everyone knew that email is never truly private? Did he really think an email would remain so? Maybe I worked for the federal government too long, but even I know that email gets around to all sorts of audiences, intended or not. This guy needs email etiquette 101. Jerk.

rubyruby

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

Clarence Rosario — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:00:14 EDT

No no no. Elizabeth is the one joining the circle-jerk.

Clarence Rosario

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

StrategicallyPlaced — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 10:59:15 EDT

Is there an office pool on which Gawker staffer gets assassinated first? I'm in.

StrategicallyPlaced

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

VenusCloacina — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 10:58:55 EDT

@Pope John Peeps II: y. He's doing the best he can in an impossible situation, and trying to take the high road dealing with his wonky former spouse and her creeparoo billionaire boyfriend.

How was that email "taking the high road"? His wife's childhood sexual abuse and intestinal blockages (not to mention her supposed jealousy of his Pulitzer, which I highly doubt) were none of his graduate students' business. Nor were the relationship agreements she and Turner have.

If he had sent an email that said "Elizabeth and I have separated and are being divorced," that would be the high road.

Implying that his wife left him for someone who reminded her of Molestin' Grampa/because she's a moneygrubbing whore/because she's OH SO JELOUS of his precious Pulitzer/and anyway she's just going to be one of his stable, so there--that's pissy.

Committing that to writing and sending it to graduate students in English--a group of people well known for their gossipy nature--was irresponsible as well as pissy.

VenusCloacina

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

IBentMyWookie — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 10:57:50 EDT

The caption to that photo, as per his livejournal which surely exists (you just effing know it does):

I know that this sort of thing can easily become distorted through hearsay and idle gossip, so I want you to hear it from me first.

This morning when I tried to rouse him out of bed, Mr. Fluffykins refused to get up and accompany me on our morning constitutional. I knew that there had been problems, but I thought that our devotion to one another would heal the wounds that had been caused by the overzealous ball-cupping of one of the judges at the Tallahasee County Fair Dog Show. I though that my love would be enough to help Mr. Fluffykins forget the pain of that past fondling, and that together we would forge a new future....

IBentMyWookie

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

ConnPossible — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 10:57:39 EDT

Oh my goodness. Total Eric Schaffer.

ConnPossible

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

BadUncle — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 10:56:43 EDT

Hey Bob, people that don't want the probing speculum of public scrutiny don't put their feet in email stirrups and start yelling about their issues. The Clue Phone is ringing with an offer for you to tell "personal friends" personal news in person.

BadUncle

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

dado — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 10:56:37 EDT

Are gawker and gossiper mutually exclusive? I'm not sure where to set up camp.

dado

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

ThereMustBeAPony — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 10:55:22 EDT

Sorry dude, your charge of "dehumanizing" rings kinda hollow. Aren't you the same guy who framed your soon-to-be ex-wife's intenstinal blockage as the catalyst for her existential epiphany!?

ThereMustBeAPony

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

TedSez — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 10:55:12 EDT

Well, yes.

But it's the nature of e-mail that it gets forwarded. It's the nature of news that it gets published.

Our job, such as it is, is to remember that people in public life are still people. So, once again: Sorry, Julia!

TedSez

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

KarenUhOh — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 10:54:36 EDT

@VenusCloacina: BravfuckingO.

KarenUhOh

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

KarenUhOh — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 10:54:00 EDT

@LolCait: And I'll ask you, too. You're probably interested as well, Wookie, having attended an inter-species marriage.

KarenUhOh

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

VenusCloacina — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 10:53:52 EDT

It had its intended effect around Tallahassee and in some other places where she and I are actual human beings.

To humiliate her with your false expressions of concern and your sharing of profoundly personal information about her? Not to mention your insinuation that her attraction to Turner is because of her childhood abuse (look in the mirror, Bob, you're a Grandpa figure yourself)?

I hope it didn't have its "intended effect", you passive-aggressive fuck. Even though she seems to be a douchenozzle as well, nobody needs that kind of shellacking. I'm glad I don't have your nerve in my tooth.

What a creepy little circle-jerk of self-righteousness you're running.

That's quite a compliment coming from you, Bob. Let us know when you get that Pulitzer Prize for Creepy Circle-Jerks of Self-Righteousness you so richly deserve.

VenusCloacina

Robert Olen Butler Says His Mass Email Was 'Intended Strictly For Those Who Personally Know Elizabeth And Me'

Pope John Peeps II — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 10:53:34 EDT

Well, he's not wrong.

I've got a lot of sympathy for the guy. He's doing the best he can in an impossible situation, and trying to take the high road dealing with his wonky former spouse and her creeparoo billionaire boyfriend.

I feel less sympathy for the snark-assed grad student who started forwarding this to all his buddies while sucking down a pabst, masturbating , and dog-earing his copy of "On the Road" to that one page where people burn like roman candles (which everyone does. yeesh.). With any luck, he'll get his.

Pope John Peeps II