Ha, ha, you criticized my book! How funny! Wait, you were serious?
(This was written by my friend StickyKeys. I'm posting it for her because she doesn't have a JournalFen account.)

Pamie's at it again!

Who: The Infamous Pamela Ribon, BFF AB Chao, Hubster Stee, and "Patrick"

When: A few days ago

Where: Book reading f. Pamie & AB at Barnes & Noble at the effing Grove in LA.

What: DRAMA! evidently.

Why: Well, that's where it get's a bit tricky...

Pamie was reading excerpts from her book "Why Pamie's Books Suck" (creative license) and later she shared some negative reviews she'd received with the crowd. One such review was written by Patrick, a long time Pamie reader, evident online friend, and also member of said audience. Patrick has this to say about the experience,

(Found here.) "...So I went to pamie's reading tonight, and after she read a couple of chapters (of a book I didn't like and said so on this board), she had her friend AnnaBeth come up and read negative reviews of her work. One of which was mine.

Well, a heavily-edited version of mine. She took a few phrases from my review, as if to say, "so some people don't think I'm awesome! Isn't that a SCREAM?!" I waved to her when she read it and she said, "Patrick! I can't believe you're owning up to this review!"..."

Upon seeing this negativity, Pamie responded in the thread with this,

(Found here.)"...Hi, Patrick. Hope you don't mind me filling in where you left a few blanks.

The LA reading was going to be filled with friends and internet friends, so I knew there wasn't going to be much of a Q & A. It's way more nervewracking for me to perform in front of friends than complete strangers. The invite I sent to my friends said, "Let's pretend we're fancy." I brought gifts for pamie.com readers. But for my friends who came all that way to watch their book-writing geek friend talk to them like we don't know each other? I had to do something just for them. Since they were going to be on their best behavior, I brought my own hecklers. Some of my friends really enjoy making fun of all things pamie.com, mostly teasing me about the squeedom some people reach when it comes to me...

So I brought some printouts from Trainwrecks and this site, because that was going to make them gasp and laugh and all those things that make Trainwrecks and this site popular. And what I said was, "Before you buy the book, you might want to know that not everybody likes it. People I know and have met in real life, just like you, go on the internet to talk about how much they don't like the book. And I'll have Anna Beth Chao read those words right now." At the JournalCon 2002 panel, Anna Beth did basically the same thing, by asking questions to me like, "Why do you think you're so special?" Except this time I didn't have to write the questions myself.

We didn't mention Trainwrecks or The Usuals by name or the names of any of the posters, so I was surprised when Patrick raised his hand as we read that he thought the book was really not good, that I learned everything about romance from Tiger Beat, and that it was a complete waste of time and money. I'll admit the moment after I said, "I didn't think you'd raise your hand, Patrick! Um, he wrote that." and then stee said, "And then he came!" it was a little awkward, but... i think it was the collective sound of all my friends thinking, "That's AWESOME."..."

(bolding mine)

Patrick responds with this:

(Found here.)"...I did not speak up once during the entire event, until you pulled my critique (after a hate-mail letter saying that the reader hoped you never bore children, I might add), and owned up to a legitimate critique of your book. I did not like it. I attended because I like Pamie, the blogger. I don't know Pamela Ribon, the person, except from what's available online, but friends invited me (and I heard you saying, "Thanks for inviting Patrick!" to my friend Carol later on), and I decided I'd come to hear you tell the story.

And I laughed. Your reading was much funnier than the narrator in my head. Doesn't mean I still like the book. I stand by my critique 100%, but if all you wanted to do was have some wine with your many managers (as you pointed out to me when I asked about the much more interesting-sounding book about a woman who tries to redeem her image/karma), friends, and groupies, then take Lynda's suggestion and go to a pub.

There'll always be critics in the audience. I'd think someone who has been in show business as long as you have might have learned that, but perhaps things are different in LA. ..." (bolding mine)

But it doesn't stop there! Patrick, Pamie, and even effing Anna Beth engage in a back and forth debating the ins and outs of what really happened ("I was ambushed!" "I didn't know you would be there even though I knew you were invited and in the area and would probably show up, but seriously, I HAD NO IDEA!" "But I have a "source" that told me that they told you!" "I'm not even going to dignify that with an answer! No, really, I'm never going to mention that!")

The article gets mentioned on Trainwrecks prompting emails from Stee, more vitrol and ire from Anna Beth & Pamie, a bit of backpeddling from all parties involved ("We've exchanged emails Patrick!" "We have? Do I even know you? What's your name again?"), and lots of advocating from both sides, many of which don't know either party ("Who the hell is this Pamie chick and why should I care about her?" "I don't want to talk about the Pamie thing, but I know writers who have been heckled at their readings and it's SERIOUS BUSINESS!")

Good times.

ps. Dee dee dee

Yeah, that's who Pamie writes for.

Sources: TUS

Trainwrecks

(Editor's note: Pamie doesn't have a Wiki article, but she should. She gives an explanation for her "red stater" insult here:

By the way, I’ve lived in as many red states as blue, and nothing makes me bristle more than when someone claims a joke is too smart for a “red-stater.” I know that insult toward me is coming from the infamous TWoP recap where I vented some serious frustration (and then took a much-needed break from recapping). If you re-read it, you will see that I wasn’t calling anyone a red-stater as an insult. I was venting that at the time I was working for a show [Mind of Mencia] that said I was writing jokes too smart for the red states, and it infuriated me. I’ve lived in more red states than blue in my life, and I know it’s a bullshit excuse. Tell me it’s not funny or tell me you don’t get it, but don’t tell me that people in gigantic areas of this country aren’t smart enough to understand why what I wrote makes me laugh.

Okay, sure, Pamie, but you do realize that nobody could guess that reading your recap?)

ETA: Pamie, Stee, and AB Chao are all past and present TWoP recappers. Pamie also writes - wrote? - Mind of Mencia and her two original novels, which apparently suck.