Nelson Branco invaded my privacy On Gold Derby

[JONNYSBRO]

Well I will tell you this that as you saw on Gold Derby that Nelson Branco first of all is total wack job. I am done with debating him and anything he says. Then he did something totally invasive as a board member, he worked for theenvelope.com and then proceeded to go through my personal info I registered with and post my email address without my permission. That IMO is a total invasion of privacy. You would think all the personal info you would register with would remain sacred. He had the absolute gall of finding my info because he thought I was someone he knew or someone that he knew that was after him. To put my email address without my consent is just abhorring. I have contacted Gold Derby about it because NO member of any board should feel there personal info will be disclosed without there consent or permission. Your personal info should be scared, that is like posting your credit card number for everyone to see online. This reveals the type of critic that Nelson Branco is and what a quack he is as well.

[Southofnowhere]

Did u talk to a Lawyer?

[Toups]

Just proves that he's unprofessional. I hope the networks wise up to this guy.

[MarkH]

Please excuse this post. I am worried, actually, about the stability of this columnist. Those of you who hate arm-chair analysis should move on .

I have seen at least three such message board conflagrations involving this reporter. I was in one of them, and I have posted about that previously.

I actually have concerns, as a human being, for this columnist. JONNYSBRO, I am not excusing what he did to you--which is inexcusable. But I think it is a symptom of something. Much as Carolyn Hinsey was derided for self-defeating behavior (it was claimed she harmed others because she felt so lousy about herself), I suspect that the same kind of processes are going on with this Canadian columnist.

1. Expressed depression and atypical grief reaction. The columnist has written--in his column (I think last time in an interview with Daniel Goddard) that he is suffering atypical and pathological depression. Specifically, he is having an intense and delayed grief reaction to the death of his partner. This has harmed his ability to form new attachments (that is what he said in his interview, I am just paraphrasing).

I suspect that this depression is at the root of some of his self-defeating behaviors. Because he is angry at the world, he takes it out in certain forms.

Now, in an early Tvguide.ca column (I wish I had it to quote), the columnist said he was NOT a journalist. He said his goal was to stir up interest. Indeed, in his exchange with JONNYSBRO, he referred to himself (again, I am paraphrasing) as an editorialist.

Interestingly, however, the thing that seems to have stirred his ire with JONNYSBRO was the questioning of his credentials as a JOURNALIST!

2. Extreme defensiveness, especially when questioned as a journalist. So, the attack--culminating in the improper release of email address--was a defensive over-reaction to the columnist feeling challenged as a journalist. A good analogy would be a man who feels his penis is inadequate or too small...suddenly critiquing the male organ of other men, or grandiously over-representing the size of his own. The columnist clearly has a deep-seated feeling of inadequacy. The columnist also feels undervalued by the soap press...and perhaps cheapened by his association with the soap press...and this leads to odd explosions. The derogation of Marlena Delacroix (which may or may not be fact based, but regardless--the public lambasting is beyond the bounds of usual and appropriate behavior, and is therefore indicative of a problem) is an example. The odd rant on the relative merits of American versus Canadian journalism. Each of these are typical behaviors of a person low in self esteem, striving to elevate him/herself but making others seem inferior.

In the case of the columnist's attack on me, it was in a usenet thread. One of the posters there referenced the columnist's frequent public expressions of "mock lust" for male actors in his column, and used that to say that the columnist's opinion of actors was formed on the basis of sexual appeal. That was an inappropriate thing to say, IMO...but you can see how the door was opened by the columnist's own tendency to discuss men as lust objects. It seems that the columnist must google himself to see what people everywhere are saying about him?

3. Quick escalation of defensiveness to public threat. Nonetheless, the columnist was highly offended by (note the common theme) questioning of his journalistic practices. The columnist quickly threatened to 'write up' the usenet thread as an example of 'what is wrong with with internet posters, and why soap executives disregard them'. Note, again, the similarity to what happened with JONNYSBRO. A public threat was made (in JONNYSBRO's case, it was acted on).

4. Attention getting narcissism. There is one other arc of concern, and that concerns the grandiosity and narcissism. In the JONNYSBRO thread, the columnist provides a list of all the "great" scoops he has provided over the past few months, even accepting responsibility for the dismissal of an exective producer. The columnist claims he has staved off certain firings and storylines by putting them in the public domain. Thus, the columnist has a strong sense of influence and power, and wishes to be recognized for such.

Now, let us put this together:

- expressed depression and atypical grief reaction

- extreme defensiveness, especially when questioned as a journalist

- quick escalation of defensiveness to public threat, and even acting on that threat...which exceeds the boundaries of acceptable behavior

- attention getting narcissism, as a way to feel like a star (and heal the low self esteem within). "Read me on Friday, I'll have all time scoop for you!"

I also note that this is episodic...there are flashes of particularly extreme behavior. All this makes me worry that the columnist is not so stable, and is at risk for even worse exacerbations.

It is ironic, because I have really enjoyed the column (in a Perez Hilton kind of way...I shouldn't look, but I find it compelling). But I am genuinely worried for a man whose column I enjoy. I worry that he is headed for a fairly significant fall. For example, the Gold Derby behavior could lead to the loss of a gig. It may not be a big deal to him...but it definitely seems like a not very healthy behavior.

[EastMA2]

I'm sorry this happened Jonnysbro. He is a total nut. When he ranted about how Barbara Bloom made sure he wasn't let into the CBS Emmy party - you just KNEW that there were 2 sides to that story and she had good reason to not want him there. His latest stuff about Ellen Wheeler is crazy. I'm no fan by any means of what she has done to GL, but what he posted as a conversation was just wrong.

[marlenadlc]

I'd like to go on record that the above pyschoanalytic analysis is NOT by the person who writes the "On the Soap Shrink's Couch" weekly at my site, marlenadelcroix.com. Our column is for fictional soap characters only! This person's actions are not a case for analysis (or theraputic 'excuse.') This is a professional problem, and maybe a legal one. The whole thing is just very sad.

So darlings, can we stop this thread/ugly incident before anyone else gets hurt? I have classes to teach and work to do and I am sure all of you do too. Soap operas are for watching, not for living!

Marlena DLC, a.k.a. Connie

[EricMontreal22]

Havign read the thread where he attacks you, what I really don't get is how he justifies it in his mind. He says you guys aren't on a level playing field so he has every right to post your full name iand information because people have his? Ummm *WHAT*? Where the Hell did that come from and how did he think you were hiding behind some sort of identity or something and pciking on poor him who's "not hiding" is beyond me

[detroitpiston]

Can somebody link me to the thread?

[dragonflies]

Sounds like you should contact an attorney, he had to have violated some kinds of laws.....

[MarkH]

I have long respected and admired your columns, Connie. I am happy to cease and desist, and planned to anyway.

My only small quibble is this: I understood this to be an open forum for discussion, and my contribution was made in that spirit. I'm always a little averse to anything that has a chilling effect on discussion, even though I have said what I have to.

Let me say, from a professional perspective, that I respectfully disagree vis-a-vis whether "analysis" (not in a formal sense) is appropriate in the case of this columnist. I am not sure why you mentioned the "Couch" column on your site in relationship to my posting? I never made the claim to be that person. I suspect there is a point there that my tired mind is not grasping tonight....

In any event, I do stand by my perspective that there is MORE than a legal and professional issue here. I think there is also a psychosocial issue, and I have made my point about that.

[Ann_SS]

I'm not surprised. It is clear from reading his column that he is mentally unstable. Sure he has a superinflated sense of himself and his general importance, but most concerning is that his rants, attacks, tantrums, and wild accusations come off paranoid at times. This is why I never understand why people get so involved in his assertions that usually turn out wrong as hell and seem motivated by his vendetta of the week. Even Hinsley understood her dependence on the networks and was far more controlled and politic in her columns. Whatever the reason for his problems, Blanco needs to be treated by good psychiatrist.

[Toups]

Here you go, DP.

http://goldderbyforums.latimes.com/eve/for...m/646103212/p/2

[marceline]

I didn't quite get that either. There's no reason one would read your analysis and immediately think of the "Soap Shrink." I thought maybe there's been a post deleted in there somewhere that I'd missed. Apples and oranges IMO. But...

I actually wanted to commend you Mark on a thoughtful, concerned analysis. I've always just chalked Branco up to being a tweaker but I even mentioned last week that I thought his recent columns had been increasingly frantic. I can't help but wonder where TV Guide stands on all this.

There seems to be something interesting and disturbing happening throughout the genre. It feels like its coming apart in increasingly Springeresque ways: Hinseygate, Higleygate, the merry-go-round of writers changes, and now this latest Victoria Rowell interview. This isn't a business, its "The Real World: Soapville."

[KSlater]

I'm appalled at what I just read on Gold Derby. Branco stepped over the line by posting your private information. For that, he should be fired from his job. There is no excuse for his behavior -- none.

I cannot believe anyone in the entertainment industry actually entrusts this man with anything.

[Ann_SS]

It is possible that this has always been going, but with the Internet the info previously kept with the soap world is better filtered to soap fans. Of course, an alternative thought is that more and more unstable people are now part of the soap world making it more explosive.