Update, 7 June, 11:55 AM: Camel City Dispatch has the latest minor developments on the story.
Update, 4 June, 10:23 AM: WRAL has pressed Representative Holloway on the WASP 101 story, who has said he’s just another man in a Brooks Brothers tie:
Monday night, offered the chance to reconsider his denial, Holloway declined.
“I’ve just made the only comment that I’m going to make, and that’s it. I’m going to stick by what I said. I don’t really see it as news or a story, so we’re just finished with it.”
Holloway said the coincidental similarities between himself and “Richard” prove nothing.
“One thing I would point out is how many brown dachshunds are out there, how many Brooks Brothers ties are hanging on the rack at a Brooks Brothers store,” he told WRAL. “I’m 5’10”, I have brown hair, I’m white. There’s a hundred million people who could look just like me.”
What about the North Carolina politics link?
“I haven’t even read [the blog,]” Holloway said. “Again, I stick with what I said. Do whatever you will, write whatever you will. I’m done with it.”
An audio clip of Holloway being asked about WASP 101 can be heard here.
* * *
WRAL of Raleigh, NC has reported on Ivy-Style.com’s post from earlier today. The news organization writes on its website:
Both [Holloway and Richard] have a dachshund named Governor. Both work in North Carolina politics. Their ages are the same, as are their birthdays, and Richard is Holloway’s middle name.
Chensvold also points out that photos of the second writer on the blog, “Kipp,” bear a strong resemblance to Holloway’s legislative assistant.
And later:
Reached by phone, Holloway said he hadn’t returned Chensvold’s calls because he had no idea what the caller was talking about, and he had been in budget meetings all day. He’s one of the House budget chairmen.
“We’ve had all kinds of strange phone calls,” he laughed.
Asked why someone would accuse him of authoring the fashion blog, Holloway said he didn’t know. “I guess I’m just his victim of the day,” he said.
* * *
Update: Friday, 5:41 PM: Complex reports on the latest developments.
Update: The Atlantic picks up the story.
Update: Saturday, 9:41 AM: Regular readers of WASP 101 will recall that “Richard” used to boast of having been offered a college basketball scholarship.
Now Ivy-Style.com has discovered that a week before “WASPgate,” Representative Holloway played in a hoops game with other North Carolina politicians, and was apparently pretty good. According to the News-Observer:
… Rep. Bryan Holloway, a King Republican, dished the rock from the point, racking up assists and hitting clutch outside shots…
Update, 10:01 AM: Prep blog fallout: WASP Decor shuts down in wake of WASP 101 outing. Boxing The Compass does the same.
Update Monday, 11:42 AM: Greg Flynn continues to dig up the most damning photo evidence.
Update 3:24 PM: Why would anyone want to go into politics? NC media does a lengthy hatchet job on Holloway for a variety of suspected behaviors. “Our goal with this piece,” the reporter tells me, “was to open the window on this guy to local voters in Stokes County. They have a media vacuum there, so Holloway has operated with no one watching him.”
So, that is that. I figure he has a lawyer and now you need one.
Am I missing something? Why would Christian need a lawyer? All he did was point out striking similarities between Richard and Bryan. No accusations were made, therefore no libel. Don’t need a lawyer, or to be a lawyer to know that. Once again, bravo for your work.
I sense the same aspirational stink, so out of keeping with the ideal aspired to, about all blogs in Richard’s category including this one. Perhaps in our recognition of and repulsion from it, we read an absolving element of class. But a poor turnout (in Richard’s case) of the same vanity is no less egregious than a good one (in your case Mr. Chensvold), unless style is all that counts. To style’s counting for al least something, cheers.
A fascinating take-down, if a little Angletonian in its obsessiveness. I’m worried that this may frighten off Richard and send him scurrying to some backwoods hidey-hole. His rich absurdities, malapropisms, and invincible ignorance have provided us with much pleasure over the decades. Who can forget his posts re: his plump wife’s breasts, his attacks on English majors, his love of Cracker Barrel, and his overall jackassery? In short, he is the Karl Pinkington of fashion-related blogs. May God have mercy on his soul.
FTA: “Rep. Holloway was also unwilling to confirm whether he had ever flown on a friend’s private jet for the sole purpose of eating at the Ralph Lauren Rugby store restaurant.”
Also, Richard deserves credit for his willingness to engage his tormenters.
You must give him credit of that, Bruno. That’s something Chensy will never do.
-Dick Banger
Sheik: I forgot the ludicrous nugget about the plane. But it just renforces the notion that Rep. Holloway is a national (or at least internet) treasure worth protecting, defending, and/or preserving.
BAM!
That is Richard. One evening a year or so ago he inadvertently posted a photo where he didn’t crop his face, then removed the photo once he realized his mistake.
Comment by gregflynn — May 30, 2013 @ 10:21 pm
Despite Rep Bryan Holloway’s protestations it looks like photos of Wasp101 were take on Holloway’s stoop.
http://gregflynn.wordpress.com/2013/05/30/bryan-holloways-stoop/
It has to be him. ‘Kipp’ has actually posted pictures of herself with her face clearly showing – she actually had a ‘reveal’ post – and SHE is DEFINITELY his legislative aid.
Also, if you will go to his facebook page you will see one of his ‘likes’ pages is Suzanne Marques – she’s from Los Angeles and he talked about her in several of his blog posts.
To ‘Trad in NH’: Stoop is such an unWASPy term. Can we call it Richard’s front stairway?
Richard posted a shirtless photo of himself a few years ago. What are the odds that photo makes an appearance in the next election?
Very odd story! I’ve been reading Ivy-Style for a few years and never knew of this guys site. Christian, I’m curious why you went after him. Did he dis your blog?
@Cranky Yankee
I was just reposting a post from the other thread. However in this case I think stoop is appropriate.
This can’t be Richard. There’s no mention of his basketball scholarship on his biography page:
http://hollowayforhouse.com/Background.htm
Nor, may I add, is there any mention that his father went to Yale. Richard would surely have noted–probably even campaigned–on that.
Clearly all the other similarities are pure coincidence.
@Anon
Lol, the Yalie chicken farmer!
So how long before the NC press calls bs and presses this guy on this? For goodness sake there are photos at the Reps home? Will he continue to deny?
How would Richard afford all his clothes on a $14k state representative’s salary? Is he just living on his wife’s inheritance or something? (Incidentally, that would probably be the WASP-iest thing Richard ever did.)
To ‘Rep101’: “To earn is human, to inherit divine.”
Well Misti must draw a salary as an English teacher, right? Apparently she never proofed Richard’s posts!
Indeed, Cranky. It’s funny that all this time Richard never recognized his only claim WASP-iness.
*to WASP-iness, that is.
Maybe it is him. Here’s Rep. Holloway trying to use a big word (“Benefactor”) and failing:
http://www.hollowayforhouse.com/pdf/2012-08-23_legislative_news.pdf
Pure Richard.
Christian,
A few things:
1. This scandal has to be called “Brooksgate,” right?
2. The film adaptation of how you broke Brooksgate: “All the Representative’s Menswear”?
3. Who’s going to play you, Richard, Worthington, Crawford, Russell Street, etc.?
4. Worthington was your “Deep Throat” on this, wasn’t he?
Greg Flynn with the most damning side-by-side photo comparison yet:
http://gregflynn.wordpress.com/2013/05/31/the-man-in-the-madras-shirt/
Comment by Rep101 — May 31, 2013 @ 9:39 am
How would Richard afford all his clothes on a $14k state representative’s salary?
————–
That’s $14k per month. He grosses about $167,000 per year, and gets $559 per month for expenses.
Some might recall that “Richard” always claimed that he wore Brooks Brothers “Milano” fit trousers. To “prove” that he isn’t “Richard”, Mr. Holloway might post a video of himself trying on a pair of Brooks Brothers “Milano” trousers. As we have all heard before “If the pants don’t fit, you must acquit”.
(This might not prove anything, as “Richard” never looked like he could wear Brooks Brothers “Milano” fit trousers.)
While Dick Richards, my favorite sobriquet for the blogger in question, can be praised for his willingness to engage the highly deconstructive commentaries, his handling of the mini-scandal is atrocious. It is a fair assumption that the majority of the posters here took glee in pillorying WASP 101, the voters of NC have no idea what posted on the site. He has created a vacuum of information that a skilled political operative can fill with innuendo and doubt. Moreover, he did expose himself on the site in response to questions about his weight and fitness. Surely someone will collect the pieces, drive a wedge between him and his wife and infer that the blog was more than just a hobby between him and his legislative assistant who, it should be noted is a slightly more attractive version of his more than ample wife. What does Rep. Holloway have to hide? We know. But the voters have just as much the right.
Henry:
No, that’s $14k/year. He gets paid monthly.
From http://www.ncleg.net/ncgainfo/educational/funfacts/legpay.html
“every other member of the General Assembly shall be paid an annual salary of thirteen thousand nine hundred fifty-one dollars ($13,951) payable monthly, and an expense allowance of five hundred fifty-nine dollars ($559.00) per month.”
Also see the sidebar on the Wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Carolina_House_of_Representatives
State representatives usually have a “real” job on the side.
Wow. Sunk by madras! How does he deny it now?
NC press are you paying attention?
Christian, you should be ashamed. I don’t know or care anything about “Richard” or “Holloway” or whoever he is. You should stick to writing about men’s fashion on this blog and avoid this type gossip.
This is distasteful business. I feel confident that a real “WASP” would have the good sense to stay out of this. You and Richard are forever linked in the same slime pit now.
I have a sick feeling after wasting my time reading this grocery store checkout line quality reporting. What’s next for the Ivy Style blog, “Gay Elvis found alive and making out with Bill Clinton clad in GTH pants at Martha’s Vineyard”.
I second Mr Forsyth’s comments. CC dragged all of us in to the muck in this slap-fest. It should have been remedied in private.
Holloway Watch: Time to come clean
http://gregflynn.wordpress.com/2013/05/31/holloway-watch/
Normally those FNB guys are just worth laughing at. But this time they many have it right. One them points out that Richard of Wasp 101 resembles Rep.Holloway merely because he has stolen the senator’s publicly available photographs .
http://forums.filmnoirbuff.com/viewtopic.php?pid=272044#p272044
Wasp101 was terrible, all evidence points to Holloway being Richard, and there are legitimate arguments to be made that he had no right to privacy.
But all that said, this is shameful trash. Chensvold had his own pretensions. I don’t think one can have spent much time on this site without finding misty-eyed nostalgia about the days of gentlemen of Yale, etc.
A gentleman doesn’t have to defend his actions with “I’m only asking questions” or a cadre of commenters expounding on privacy expectations in the internet age. A gentleman wouldn’t lower himself to exposing an inferior and harmless enemy, in the process turning his publication into a gossip rag. The base instincts of the internet clearly surpassed any higher motivations in this case.
The noble references to the truth are especially galling, as if Ivy Style is some sort of bastion of traditional journalism. And finally, as others have noted, why the respect for an anonymous tipster who, by all indications, is a profoundly obsessive creep? All evidence indicates that this is motivated by a childish spite. It is obvious to anyone that Chensvold’s blog was superior in just about every respect to Wasp101. I was always amazed that Chensvold took such an interest in Richard, but never would have expected him to stoop thus.
There’s nothing unethical (much less illegal) about pointing out that a pseudonymous blogger looks to be the same person as a politician. I’d add that just a few days ago Richard was begging “Russell Street” to share some embarrassing stories about Chensvold. It hardly seems like he has room to complain.
Also, I’d like to think that the “flying to Georgetown for lunch at Rugby” story is Richard’s fantasy of how lobbyists curry favor with politicians. One day, Richard, one day…
@AM Trausch
“Shameful trash” certainly comes across as rhetorical overkill, which makes it seem like you’re the one with an agenda.
Regarding your “gentleman” remarks, this is a straw man of your own creation, based on the premise that Ivy-Style.com is a vehicle for my presenting myself as a gentleman, when that is not the purpose of the site, and is something which you would be straining to prove through examples.
As for the “bastion of traditional journalism” remark, the site is in fact run by a traditional journalist with an 18-year track record, and the standards that come with that are what differentiate it from the other trad-hobby blogs.
Finally, the suggestion that I have “respect” for my source is absurd. I neither have respect nor disrespect. He provided me with a news tip that certainly appears to be accurate, and I have honored his request to not disclose his identity. Whether he is an obsessive creep — in the eyes of you or anyone else — is of no concern.
Presumably, Holloway shut down his blog because his constituents might find the subject matter offputting. Being outed as a the author of a blog that celebrates WASP-iness, a subject matter tied to elitism and privilege, would be a bad career move for most Americans. That said, I still see no reason to believe his blog was in any way misogynistic (a word that continues to lose its sting due to misuse). Can someone provide some example of Holloway’s woman-hating ways?
@Christian
I don’t think AM Trausch is guilty of constructing a straw man argument. Regardless of the purpose of your blog, wouldn’t you rather act like a gentleman than a cad?
Sinple question Christian. Did Bryan Holloway attempt or ever try to unravel your personal life? Not your “Ivy Style’ or “HuffPost” life…. but your personal life? Because that’s the only way I could see you actually feeling good about yourself by going after his “offline” personna. Before you attacked “Richard” which was cool because I mean who hasn’t, and that “alter ego” probably deserved it. However, the reality is now there’s a guy in REAL life with a REAL family who more than likely is gonna have problems due to all of this. How are you fine with the possible ripple effects Bryan will face….just because you didn’t respect “Richard’s” menswear blog…..A MENSWEARBLOG for crying out loud. And I like you thought WASP 101 was just as dumb and idiotic. It’s funny….everyone’s “attaboy” comments and explanations of the “Ivy culture’s” vendication of this remind me of the famous “Nick Carraway” quote
““They were careless people, Tom and Daisy — they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made…”
CC,
I appreciate the response, and I’m afraid you’ll have to take my word that I don’t have a dog in the fight. I was wrong regarding the traditional journalism remark, and you are correct. I will take your word regarding respect.
However, I think the gentleman point stands. It is true that you have not used this site to promote yourself as a gentleman, nor have you claimed the title, but I think much of the content speaks of a respect for the ideal, which was nowhere in sight today. Beyond this, I still consider it something worth aspiring to, and until today your blog was marked by a professional spirit. Your previous attacks on Richard (which may have been on point) would lead a reader to believe that today’s work was the result of malice, and malice towards a figure both you and this corner of the web knew to lack your talent and stature at that. It is nothing to be proud of, indeed, it’s shameful.
The vast majority of this site is so well done- that’s what makes the long history of sniping at a silly blog like Wasp101, and today’s unveiling, so disappointing.
Are your advertisers aware this stopped being a style blog and became an ego-induced rant? I really didn’t like Wasp 101 – or anything Rugby, but this has been too much about YOU. Most of us don’t give a shit about you; we came here for the clothes and a smattering of humor. If it broadened our horizons or inspired something, so much the better. Over the last two days you stopped the style and went petty. So, you had a beef with another blogger; so what? It has now become: I had a car accident, I’m pissed with another blogger…Really? You think we are going to keep coming to this page for personal rants. Sure it’s your blog, but don’t expect to succeed in this vein. The other guy’s blog sucked; he’s an elected official (and perhaps undeservedly had a blog rated higher than this blog) and probably makes more money. So what? You should have been classy and taken a page from the old Ivy way and kept this rubbish out of the public eye. Instead it became your personal vendetta against a loser then a rant against those of us who felt you could have shown better judgment. Don’t fault us for criticizing you, you’re the guy who treated an asshole to an outing becoming an asshole yourself. No class move.
What’s “Richard” accused of? Having bad taste? Indulging in fantasy? The exposé seems a little overblown. Pure click-bait. Maybe Buzz Feed will pick you up and you can post Ivy listicles.
I agree with WFB. I’m disappointed with the way CC handled this.(especially from someone who just had a near death experience) I wasn’t aware of the feud between Wasp 101 and this blog and no one has shown any evidence that “Richard” was anything more than a harmless dick. Not a “racist” or ” misogynist” and certainly not in Russell Streets category.
“If you catch the computer monitor you’re presently seated in front of in the right light, you’ll notice a reflection of yourself. The web is merely a mirror of it’s users, who can use it for good or ill, depending on their impulses.” – Christian Chensvold
Often good or ill, Jack, comes down to point of view.
Poor Richard. I don’t know anything about his district, but I wonder if he represents rural people in NC, who would have a total disconnect with the content of his blog. It’s unfortunate that he’s taken it down and is now clumsily trying to conceal his passion for garish clothing combinations. He was trying too hard to sell himself as someone to the manor born. I’m sure he was blissfully unaware of what an epic failure he was in portraying himself as landed gentry. Blissfully unaware, that is, until his cover was blown. I think the detective work involved in that is something of a misguided intervention. Every family, including our sartorially obsessed one, needs its crazy relative to pop out now and then to amuse us. Sadly, this no longer seems possible.
FNB has less than a few dozen posters including the numerous multiple personalities of that psychotic Russell “Sybil” Street. Who gives a flying preppy what they think?
Great to see Christian’s blog doing so well these days especially after all the hard work he’s put into it over the years.
WFB is right: of the last 5 posts none have anything to do with Ivy
Clothes blogging disputes are so bitter and vicious because the stakes are so low.
Rep101,
Oops! Thanks for the correction.
Maybe “Richard” thrifts his clothes. Maybe he has a successful side business. Maybe his wife has money.
While his constituents may care about how he can afford his lifestyle of conspicuous consumption, I sure don’t.
I wonder how long it took for Christian to convince himself that his hands were clean before he clicked the publish button.
I’m of the opinion Rep Holloway and Richard are two diff people. But I do suspect they are brothers or close relatives…That would expain everything quite tidily…
Why multiply entities beyond necessity? You might as well say that there’s some mysterious third individual, posing as both Holloway and Richard. Maybe it’s Worthington.
Surely, Christian and “Richard” have beef (or, in this case, beefrolls?), but I think the statements against Christian’s integrity are mostly unwarranted. Skimming the critics’ comments, it seems that the major claims are that this is a petty, ad-hominem attack, that (as someone said either under this post or the original one, “outing” “Richard”) “the ‘punishment’ does not fit the ‘crime'” and that Christian is attempting to soil a man’s life and reputation over an online rivalry; finally, that Christian has cut against the honor code of WASP America. I take some issue with these.
The first claim is not entirely invalid. Clearly, Christian and “Richard” have a rivalry. Yet when related to the second point, I think people are misunderstanding what’s happening here. Christian has made clear that he doesn’t like Richard, and may even be consciously attempting to embarrass him–but is his aim to ruin the life and career of the man behind the curtain? I think not. Is that outcome a possibility? Probably not. Someone else also mentioned that, even supposing Richard is Holloway (I suspect he is), the man’s constituency is probably not going to pay much attention to this. It’s also been mentioned that Holloway also likely has other methods of securing himself financially. And, even if Christian’s reporting leads to a referendum, what’s so wrong about that? I suspect that many of you who have condemned Christian are just as eager to condemn the behavior of President Clinton, or Rep. Weiner. If Holloway did anything wrong, either in the eyes of his constituency or legally, then there’s some basis for a claim in favor of bringing his sins to light. The alternative is to drop sensationalist reporting about public officials’ personal lives, which is an equally valid position.
The final point is that Christian is out of keeping with WASP norms. But I have yet to see him proclaim himself as a WASP, an old boy, a member of the Eastern Establishment, etc. I think this condemnation can be summarily dismissed. And anyway, it’s 21st-century America–I think we can give old WASP ethics a rest.
Maybe this is a little “Star Enquirer”-esque, but–no offense–journalism is always bordering on fluffy and sensationalist, if not well within the confines of such descriptors. I think it’s important to realize, though, that Christian’s tone seems sort of playful. He didn’t tell Richard to post anything misogynistic or pro-WASP, or to take his blog down in shame, nor did he even tell the man to run a blog in the first place (if a politician wants to run an anonymous blog–assuming this is Holloway’s blog–then he ought to be more diligent in covering his tracks, and in remaining PC). Christian’s acting on information he received and is presenting it. That’s kind of worthwhile. Whether reveling in the drama of his opponent’s downfall is also worthwhile…that’s an issue for him to address personally, and it does not really concern us as readers.
Technically, Holloway is just as much a WASP as MacGeorge Bundy. Sure, his family farms pigs, but that’s one way to keep out what is considered in the southern country-club circuit to be the religiously undesirable. And sure, his clothing fetish is a little common, a little cheap, a little too non-ironically loud. In our democracy, however, anyone is entitled to be a wannabee-snob and a fool, and then to lie about it. The GOP should run Holloway for the Senate and ensure that he is admitted to the most exclusive country club in the D.C. area. Then he will finally have a chance to learn about clothes.
I would like to add a note of sanity here. The first amendment gives you the right to say whatever you want. It does not give you the right to say it anonymously. If you choose to have a blog, you also choose to not be anonymous.
Leon Joseph Bechet
Time for this d-bag politician to resign.
Thank you, Ironchefsakai, for some common sense. Thank you also, Bespoke Lawyer, for some more.
Now that Doofus Number One has been taken care of, can we get back to our regular programming? I’m getting a little sick of all Bryan Richard “WASP101” Holloway, all the time. At least get him off the top of the page, please!
Maybe a nice piece on Fred Egan “Preppy Trainwreck” Castleberry, Doofus Number Two? 😉
Christian, time for a survey!!!
I’ll leave the questions to you. Seems there are those who view your actions as low form while others sing high praises. A survey may be telling or dare I say, revealing?
Some readers of this blog don’t care at all about the truth and are more interested in bashing Christian.
That fine filly of his sure would like great in a blue dress…
My son was a better womanizer than you, Bill.
And he had better taste.
Don’t misunderestimate him.
From FNB:
“…The fact that WASP 101 was actually a ‘lifestyle’ blog filled with a lot of braggadocio and sexual posturing, including alluring pix of probably underage ‘preppie’ girls, will be overlooked, as will the fact that Dick the WASP was a totally phony persona–a North Carolina farm boy and Appalachian State alum–posing as a sort of American brahmin.”
http://forums.filmnoirbuff.com/viewtopic.php?pid=272062#p272062
Joseph P. Kennedy,
There’s something to what you’ve just quoted.
What is being missed is the strong creepster element of WASP 101. “Richard’s” pretension was not nearly as off putting as were his sociopathic ramblings.
This is what should be focused on.
Lesson to Richard: “Computers – Allowing humans to make more mistakes faster, than any other time in history.”
I got a kick out fo reading WASP 101 at first because I thought it was a spoof. Just some random guy wearing his “preppy” outfits in various mis-matched ways. Some of what he had to say was interesting, some seemed self-serving in a bragging way, but over-all somewhat harmless. Until I starting reading how some “anonymous” reader would always make vulgar and rude responses toward people and responses he did not agree with. I suspected that it was the author of the blog. Now, I am sure with my instincts. Not saying that this is “illegal”, for lack of a better statement. Just saying that it seemed odd.
“Richard” knew what he was getting himself into by creating his blog, WASP 101. When a person stoops to anonymity to bad-mouth someone (which “Richard” regularly did on his blog), then one should expect karma to eventually come full circle.
As far as being a “gentleman” and not “stooping low” to expose Richard, that’s just an excuse to allow someone to continue to go on being a jack-ass. Too many people around here simply allow people to go on being idiots, unchecked, saying whatever they wish about someone in a “below the belt” demeanor. I believe Chensvold is the gentleman who just decided to deliver the resulting T.K.O. to end it all for once.
Rightly deserved, because I have read some of the things “Richard” has posted about Chensvold and others.
Had “Richard” been a gentleman and not “ruffled” so many feathers, he’d probably still be posting photos of himself on his blog about his “preppy” outfits, shopping excursions to Brooks Brothers, or his “country club” lifestyle.
I agree with DSF. Anyone can be a wannee-snob and a jack-ass and run around lying about it but ultimately “red flags” will be raised and people will murmur and speculate…and will dig deeper to expose so that they can understand just why something doesn’t “add-up” with someone and how they are portraying themselves.
Like my grandfather used to say: “Go with your instincts…If it smells like bull-shit, it probably is!”
Nature abhors a vacuum . . .I predict that before too long a Richard-like reincarnation–ZombieWasp101–will emerge to fill a screaming void. Given the media rumpus over Richard’s outing, it may even be possible to monetize ZombieWasp101.
@Bruno Wick
Why not ask Richard under what nom de plume he intends to appear next:
wasp101blog@gmail.com
Christian, feel no remorse….you did the world a great service.
In my opinion, the most troubling aspect of this entire scandal is that it only appears our tiny sphere of trad-loving gentlemen of the internet seem to care. And that’s cause for concern for two reasons:
First, aside from the small story noted here from WRAL.com, I have found no other reporting on the scandal. And on the WRAL story, there is no mention on the true grievances of WASP 101’s ramblings–that he was a bigot. Instead of following the trail to realize the people have elected a supremacist, and then giving this information to the people so that they may elect a better representative, we have a story simply accusing him of blogging about fashion. A non-crime. The result is that no one cares aside from the typical political trolls accusing him of prancing about in nice clothes for the camera on tax dollar time.
Second, the comments on this article and its predecessor have been some of the worst hypocrisy I have seen in some time. It is irrelevant that Holloway is a Baptist from the South and your family is full of good Anglicans in New England. The truth is that being a WASP no longer guarantees a high level of social standing, and is therefore ridiculous to argue about. Our last presidential election was between an African-American and his Catholic running mate, and a Mormon and his Catholic running mate. Our Supreme Court does not have a single Protestant. Among the top four congressional leaders, only one is a WASP–Mitch McConnell, who is married to an Asian-American. You can count Senator McConnell out if you plan on being as harsh on him as Rep. Holloway, given the Senator’s Southern, Scotch-Irish heritage. Patrick Leahy is from Vermont, but is mixed Irish and Italian.
In my view, it is fine to dress as an Ivy graduate in 1950s America, but this childish one-upmanship is drivel. You may be a WASP, but it doesn’t give you the right of bigotry any longer. Even in your passive, “He’s doing it wrong, my family does it as such…” way.
There is a notion that the anonymity of the internet, being able to write under whatever name, being able to assume whatever identity, lends itself to a coarsening of discourse. People write things they ordinarily wouldn’t for fear of shame or fear of being held accountable. And I suppose “Richard” posted a few things, many things, he wouldn’t have if his posts were signed, “Rep. Holloway.”
Mr. Chensvold’s posts these past two days, written under his own name, with apparently no sense of shame, are the exception that proves the rule.
The fact that early on he wrote an appalling column about how he successfully plotted to steal a girlfriend from another guy by spreading misinformation and false letters was enough for me. Whether it was fiction or truth, it demonstrated that “Richard,” whoever he is, is no gentleman and has no sense of ethics.
Richard did not just claim to play college basketball, he claimed to be the best in his division and claimed to set records and have a 44 inch vertical jump or something ridiculous like that.
Seriously, did no one archive his ridiculousness?
What about the story of him throwing his fat neighbor out for kicking his dog – and he claimed his neighbor was the same picture which Complex exposed as also used in a campaign add.
Shouldn’t the good people of NC know that their elected official scammed women for dates, hangs out with notorious womanizer imaginary friends (what was his imaginary friend’s name, Wentworth or something?), and accepts private airplane rides?
A post from Boxing The Compass in light of Ivy Style’s recent outing of Richard from WASP 101:
http://yankee-whisky-papa.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-problem-solution.html
The Problem, The Solution
A fellow blogger recently emailed me and asked whether or not I planned to come out of hibernation and resume the blog. I responded by saying that not blogging is actually emerging from hibernation. Between the malware attacks and a few creepy internet stalkers, I am a bit hesitant to do much more.
A day or two ago, I was sent a link to the blog Ivy Style, authored by Christian Chensvold. In the blog post, he reveals another web-sleuth’s stalker-bounty by posting the name and portrait of another blogger who wished to remain anonymous. The source of his animosity seemed to be little more than a dislike for the other fellow’s blog. Instead of simply choosing to not read it, Ivy Style’s author repeatedly took the low-road, dedicating countless pages to petty sniping and rallying a cowardly army of keyboard losers in a circle of self-gratification.
Not posting one’s identity on the web serves to both protect one’s personal interests (family, job, social life) and to keep the ideas and writings focused away from the author and on the writing itself. One of the reasons I have intentionally walked away from all of this is because of a series of emails I received asking me about my family, with links to the website for my son’s school. The email was ‘anonymous’.
Offline, it is common for bloggers to send one another personal emails, and “Richard” was no different, having entrusted a few of us with his true identity. But we honored his wish and mutually respected obvious self-set boundaries.
Back to Ivy Style…
Unable to let go of his childish obsession, Chensvold sought to direct his malicious and blood-thirsty cadre of trolls, snoopers, and bunny-boilers to the actual personal identity of the author behind the oddly named blog WASP101. With the operating ethics of a tabloid photographer, he published “Richard’s” details, knowing full-well that his small band of laptop-hunched lonely souls would also immediately begin their own cyber-tormenting.
Several people questioned his motivation and professionalism (since he regularly voices contempt towards the “amateur bloggers”) and he took the most gutless hand-wipe of a path possible:
“Let me once again clarify that I merely presented strange coincidences and behaviors here. I did not seek to prove something I’m not in the position to prove.”
The simple fact is that a clothing blogger wanted to remain anonymous, and was not allowed to thanks to the efforts of a purportedly “professional” blogger.
In the end, the joke may be on Ivy Style, because it now turns out that all his theories about the true lifestyle of Richard were wrong. Richard gets the last laugh, because he was revealed to be quantifiably popular, genuinely charismatic, and socially confident. That must sting more than a little for Chensvold.
And all because of a clothing blog.
—
The way I see it, this will be my last post. I hate to end on so sour a note, but it seems that there are far too many readers of men’s clothing blogs who feel that operating a blog automatically evaporates one’s right to privacy, though commenting anonymously on those blogs should somehow remain a protected entitlement. In my world it does not, but I suppose that I have been naive. These sick perverts somehow consider one’s entire family as fair targets as well, so with that in mind, I am stepping fully into real life by ending this blog.
I have enjoyed the very real friendships that I have made through this, the parties, the visits, the dinners, and every invitation that I was able to accept, and I will continue to enjoy those friendships, hopefully for the rest of my life. If you find yourself near Boston, I hope that we might raise a glass (of anything) together, and interact as humans were meant to, without the interference or distraction of a lighted computer screen. If you see the drinks flag flying in the late afternoon, please stop by. You’ll know it when you see it.
—
That milky warm sea breeze from the Atlantic blows in with the smell of salt, and the city is quiet. A starling nips off a sprig of rosemary from my potted plant on the roof-deck, cocks his head, and flies off. Don’t drop it you thief, it means the world to me.
-Yankee-Whisky-Papa
Nonsense. Whether the general principles you hold on internet anonymity, it’s clear that Richard and Christian were engaged in a mutual game of trying to embarrass the other. Richard was, up until his “outing,” actively trolling for stories about Christian to post on WASP 101. That was the exact subject of one of his very last posts! If you think this kind of game is wrong, “ungentlemanly,” or whatever, that’s fine. But the only thing that separates what Christian did from what Richard did is that Christian did it better than Richard.
Rob,
You are an unrepentant liar to claim that “Richard” is/was a gentleman.
“Richard” is/was no less than a creepster and a sociopath.
@Trad Man
Someone may be preparing an archive:
http://wasp101-recreated.blogspot.com
And “Rob” has been indulged enough here. A North Carolina reporter informs me he thinks he knows who the man is, and that he is a colleague of Holloway’s.
He’s trolling on behalf of Holloway, it would seem, so no more comments from him.
He’s certainly free to find other places on Internet to voice his opinion.
And here comes Christian around the corner……. Deleting reader’s comments faster than anyone has done before…… Who knew that fascist censorship could be so entertaining?
I only know of one reason why people try to censor the voice of others who disagree with them- the others are right and their reason will hurt the tyrant.
You don’t get to say whatever you want on my website, any more than you would let me say whatever I wanted about you on yours. But there are plenty of places on the web where you can, so have at it.
Just bear in mind that I’ve been in the kitchen for a long time, and I don’t think there’s anything I haven’t heard before.
In Muffy Aldrich’s comment on WASP Decor’s final post, she said the following about the fashion (indeed the correct word to describe your blog) blogging community:
“There seems to be a double vortex of loud, vulgar and truth-challenged people on one side and creepy, aggressive stalkers on the other in which we get caught up. As a result. moderating the near relentless unpleasant comments (snark and drama as you say) has been exhausting and is something I will not miss when I retire my blog.”
Which are you, Mr. Chensvold? The answer is clear to the rest of us, but I’d be interested in knowing where you believe you fall. Now that you have revealed yourself to the community to be such a petty man, I wonder in which camp she would place you. The polite Ivy ancestors whose legacy you implicitly claim would not try so hard to impugn a fool such as “Richard.” They would shake their heads, move along, and not mention his name in polite company, trusting that he would fade into obscurity or obscenity on his own.
“Fade into obscurity or obscenity”? What the heck could it possibly mean to “fade into obscenity”?
If you take swipes at someone behind a shield of anonymity like a coward, don’t be surprised if someone exposes you for what you really are. Just take the exposure like an adult, not a rank amateur.
Just listened to the audio clip. Typically, people who are innocent of the accusations made against them deny them. They say “no.” Rep. Holloway didn’t do that. He redirected, pointing out that there are lots of people who look like him, lots of ties like his, and lots of dogs like his.
Classic behavior of a liar.
Not that I’m calling him a liar; I’m just saying that his behavior is similar to that of a liar.
Truth is a defense to a libel claim.
@Trip….As for me, My family is full of good Anglican’s of Anglo-Norman Descent. I cannot speak for others, but for myself, Richard always struck me as not quite the right sort, despite all his desperate posturing… His faux apeing of a culture not his own, taken with his views regarding, among other things homosexuals, women, the poor… cheapens the group of persons that I belong too, and that Richard was apparently so desperate to join. Richard, if he is the same person as Rep. Holloway, A Republican state Rep., is a pig farmers son, from the relative backwoods of North Carolina, has atrocious khaki suits, taught in a public school, has a fuller figured wife…To these things I say, so what!?…I don’t care in the least…Had he owned up to all of these things from the get go, I would have liked him far more for it. Alas he did not, he choose to pretend, lie, hide, attack others. Own up to who you are, correct your faults, defend the weak, keep your promises and stand by your friends. Those were the values I was raised with, the sons all people, pig farmers or otherwise should live up to that. Richard did not…And for that,he is anathematized, and it is meet and just. I have always owned up to who I am…I come from modest means, I wait tables to make living, I pinch my pennies, my girlfriend is not a knockout…I and Richard or possibly Rep. Holloway are not that much different in many ways, but I try not to hide behind a mask behind which their is no face, a scaffolding behind which their is no building…
I come from humble origins, have a modest income, and prefer to project an Ivy image. Thrifting allows me to do so, with no difficulty, and consequently I get respect, and that makes me feel good. That is quite different from running a blog under a phony name in order to make misogynistic, homophobic, racist comments.
How surprising that a politician would engage in deceptive behavior! Unheard of until now in this country!
I simply don’t understand your palpable glee at outing the author of an obscure and frankly cringeworthy blog who nevertheless preferred, for whatever reason–and there are plenty of reasonable ones–to remain anonymous. This whole episode is vile, and you should be ashamed of yourself.
@WRJ
Rest assured that Christian was not the only one who experienced glee when this guy was outed.
@WRJ
Re: “This whole episode is vile, and you should be ashamed of yourself.”
I have rarely read such a self-righteous, smugly moralistic comment.
I do not understand the vitriol directed at Christian Chensvold in this whole affair. It would be a different matter if the person outed had simply been a private individual with no public presence or standing. In this case, the person outed was an elected public official. Not only that, but his public persona was that of a self-righteous, moralizing individual. He fully deserved his comeuppance. “Richard” was nothing more than a redneck in a blazer.
Was just alerted to this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBWa0vI0gAE
Apparently, he’s even more of a clown than we imagined.
I never thought I would stand up for “Richard,”* but…
I have no respect for him sartorially, but his political views are hardly radical. They seem to have been common up until about, oh, five minutes ago, when, for example, the “right” to engage in sodomy was discovered.
On religion, he takes his faith seriously. Most liberals cannot relate to deeply-held beliefs, except their own: radical individualism, which was seen as a social disorder up until, hmm, three minutes ago.
On science, hardly anyone wants to face the numerous fatal flaws of Darwinism (which is what most people mean when they say “evolution”). One writer has discussed The Transparent Intellectual Fraud that is Darwinism. People also fail to distinguish between micro-evolution (which is true but liberals typically reject) and macro-evolution (which is unproven and almost certainly false, but liberals universally accept).
I disagree with him on the Big Bang. Big Bang theory is not only consonant with the biblical account of creation, but it also necessarily leads to the ineluctable conclusion that there is an ultimate cause, something capable of creating something (everything, in fact) from nothing: the Big Bang proves the existence of God. It might not be the God of the Bible, but if you think the Big Bang happened, then you must accept the existence of something—a force, or a being—that fits most of the definitions of God: omnipotent, omniscient, existing before (and therefore outside of) time, etc.
I don’t think that our friend Rep. Holloway is a deep thinker; probably, most of his views are those of authorities he accepts. That’s OK; that’s how most people make up their minds. He needs to work on his honesty, but, like everyone else, he’s not all bad. I imagine that his views are largely in line with those of his constituents—and isn’t that the way it should be? Shouldn’t elected representatives represent the people that chose them?
* The evidence leads to one conclusion: Bryan R. Holloway is “Richard” of WASP 101.
Henry
Well put, and the more we learn about Bryan R. Holloway the more it points to WASP101 being a satire of the “old money” class. His views are no more radical or outside science than the outlandish “scientism” pronouncements of Al Gore or the POTUS or government school teachers.
Holloway is a crackpot. Just like “Richard.”
He has strong opinions but that hardly makes those opinions true. For instance, it is untenable that the earth is, as he states, only “5,000 to 6,000 years old.”
William F. Buckley would have read this pasty clown right out of the conservative movement.
There is absolutely no evidence to support the claim that his blog was somehow satirical. To my eyes he comes off as another anti-intellectual ideologically confused moron that happened to buy into Ralph Lauren’s fantasy world by accident. Maybe he found a catalogue in a doctor’s office or something.
By the by, though I personally spurn our current party politics as utter insanity, my aunt was a leading Philadelphia Republican in the 1980’s, and I guarantee you, this is NOT the type of person, nor indeed the same party, she helped to win elections.
MAC,
Spot on.
Biff,
While I respect the “young Earth” view, insofar as it treats the Bible seriously, I cannot agree with it.
For one, the Hebrew of the Old Testament didn’t have a word for “age,” much less “eon,” so God created the world in six “days.” Given that the entire Bible is suffused with metaphors and metaphorical language, a literal reading will necessarily miss significant portions of the Bible’s meaning. So I take the “days” in Genesis to be something other than 24-hour periods, and such a reading is entirely biblical.
Furthermore, God is the source of truth. All the scientific evidence points to the Earth being much, much older than five or six thousand years. God would not intentionally deceive us by, for example, planting fossils that appear to be a million years old in a young Earth, so as long as our measurements (etc.) are accurate, believing that the Earth is 4.5 billion years old hews to both science and the Bible.
“He has strong opinions but that hardly makes those opinions true.”
Oh, how I wish our “friends” on the left would remember this about their own positions!
P.S.: I was agreeing with MAC’s assessment of Richard in his second sentence. I agree with DCG on the issue of satire: it was absent from WASP 101.
Before I forget, I have to go back to this howler:
———-
Comment by DSF — May 31, 2013 @ 7:19 pm
Technically, Holloway is just as much a WASP as MacGeorge Bundy.
———-
If this is what “technically” and “WASP” mean, then “technically,” Obama is a “WASP,” too.
No, my nominalist friend, words have meanings, and, contra Humpty Dumpty, we cannot use them as we please.
Rather than engaging in biblical hermeneutics best left to juvenilia, (yes, Henry, I mean you), why not properly celebrate the first day of summer 2013 . . .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-BDJkehXhw
Update:
http://gregflynn.wordpress.com/2013/07/23/snobbish-and-fake-wannabes/#more-265
@ Christian et al: I happened to (try to) visit WASP 101 after about 5 months – yes I DO have a life – and learned of your exposè. You rock!
Holloway’s blog was good for comic relief, but it’s not as if he ever had interviews with Bruce Boyer (kudos on that great piece) or anything comparable to the content on Ivy Style. No, Bryan Richard’s blog was never more than a sideshow, if an entertaining one.
Granted that pseudonymous blogs are usually just a platform for sneak attacks, ‘Richard’ had some goofy pretensions. For all we know, he’s descended from a string of English kings (like millions of other Americans), but it’s clear that his more recent background is more ersatz.
And yes, folks, his pretensions and weak denials do have at least a few rather subtle ethical implications even if he is no sexting Anthony Weiner.
Again, compliments to all who did the sleuthing. You guys make blogging interesting.
Biff,
So the Very Most Important Topic that Will Affect You Ever—the issue of your eternal soul—is “juvenilia”?* I hope you aren’t in for a nasty surprise come judgment day.
*Is that really the word you meant to use? Even if it is, I would argue that it is still the wrong word, because in our age, far too many people don’t have the background to understand, for example, what John 3:16 means. Sadly, and much to our peril, simple biblical concepts that are foundational to our civilization are unknown to vast swaths of the populace.
More power to you, Henry.
A grown man who goes by name of “Biff” talking about juvenilia?