Is that Karma, or What?
A few days ago, Lloyd Grove of the Daily News
wrote a gossip item about yours truly that struck me as truly trivial. First, I can't imagine why anyone would want to read about me in a gossip column. (The definition of a slow news day.)
Moreover, the item in question was silly even by gossip column standards—even though, to be fair, Lloyd wrote about the episode, which involved a leaked e-mail, sympathetically.
(I didn't read it—I've learned not to read things about myself that I suspect will make me cranky—but some friends did, and told me about it.)
When Lloyd first e-mailed me about the item in question, I called him and said, "Lloyd, this is so silly. Who could possibly care? I'd appreciate it if you just let this go."
He said, "I don't think I can withhold this from my readers." As if they were dying for "news" about me. Although they had previously managed to get by just fine without it.
I've been mentioned in gossip items a few times over the years, and one thing that turns my stomach about the process is that I never know how to respond. When the incriminating/embarrassing matter is put to you, do you say nothing? Or try to laugh it off? Or fight back aggressively? I hate just being put in the position.
In this case, I wanted to say nothing at all. Lloyd argued that that was the wrong way to go, because a lighthearted response would make me look like a good guy with a self-deprecatory sense of humor. (Far from the truth, but there you are.) Of course, a response helps his column by creating a tit-for-tat, so the suggestion was in his self-interest. But the argument is kind of true, too. Giving a jokey comment makes you look like a good sport about it all. Even when you're fuming inside.
So I thought about it and e-mailed Lloyd an attempt at humor, which in retrospect I don't think was funny at all. I don't know if he even used it.
Anyway, I read today that Lloyd himself has been the victim of a leaked e-mail from his boss to the managing editor of People magazine.
Lloyd's boss describes him as a "fucking idiot" and adds that "his page is stupid."
Ouch. Unhappy as I was to be written about by Lloyd, I wouldn't wish that on anyone, except maybe Donald Trump.
Nonetheless, in an egregious act of narcissism, I choose to believe that this is the result of karmic equalization.
Having said that, I guess the incident will give Lloyd a pretty strong case for a large golden parachute when the time comes.....
