"Don't try to make sense of this." This is good advice. When I try to make sense of Ms. Rice's "the rules are for other people, but not for me because I'm Anne Rice!" attitude, my head feels like it will explode. I wonder if she has any idea how ludicrous she sounds?
It's so funny they want anonymity for themselves but not on Amazon or Goodreads. Bloody hell! We all know the REAL thing they want is the names of the so-called 'bullies' so they can be tracked down and harassed! THAT'S why some of us use pseudonyms.
No kidding! If Anne Rice really wants everyone to use real names then she has to want it for her friends, too. No exceptions. She certainly gave no exceptions to those who claimed they had reasons for reviewing under pseudonyms. Her response was: If you won't use your real name, don't review.
I wonder why her response to Granny Goodwitch wasn't: If you're not going to use your real name, don't post on my FB page?
I think it's sad that despite all of her success, despite being culturally significant in a way very few people ever manage to be, despite everything, Rice seems so very dependent on sycophancy for her continued peace of mind.
I've long had a theory that when you are an addict and you quit, it becomes necessary to fill the hole with something else. A 'properly' recovered addict will replace it with everything, but the danger is (and will always be for an addict) that the crutch desires replacement. It might be something just as damaging (like cocaine), or it might be something benign but damaging (like jigsaws). Or it might be sitting up on the internet, obsessing about reviews and bullies.
My tin-pot psychologist hat is firmly in place here, but I see a lot of the traits of the addict in her behaviour. This isn't normal. It's damaging, and it's damaging to her.
I agree with you. She reminds me very much of Michael Jackson, who reputedly only kept people who would tell him what he wanted to hear.
I think having people who constantly tell you how wonderful you are and how much you mean to them, without being willing to tell you when you're wrong (or if you do, you won't be listened to) is one of the most dangerous things that can happen to a person, especially a person who seems to have been predisposed to this type of behavior.
I wonder why her response to Granny Goodwitch wasn't: If you're not going to use your real name, don't post on my FB page?
I've long had a theory that when you are an addict and you quit, it becomes necessary to fill the hole with something else. A 'properly' recovered addict will replace it with everything, but the danger is (and will always be for an addict) that the crutch desires replacement. It might be something just as damaging (like cocaine), or it might be something benign but damaging (like jigsaws). Or it might be sitting up on the internet, obsessing about reviews and bullies.
My tin-pot psychologist hat is firmly in place here, but I see a lot of the traits of the addict in her behaviour. This isn't normal. It's damaging, and it's damaging to her.
I think having people who constantly tell you how wonderful you are and how much you mean to them, without being willing to tell you when you're wrong (or if you do, you won't be listened to) is one of the most dangerous things that can happen to a person, especially a person who seems to have been predisposed to this type of behavior.