From The Straits Times    |
Xiaxue versus Grace Tan Singapore bloggers at it again T.png

Xiaxue versus Grace Tan Singapore bloggers at it again B.png

ST photo: Desmond Wee

THE CASE, SO FAR

Why, oh why, Wendy. Xiaxue, that plucky, pint-sized phenomenon, is all snarled up in another skirmish with yet another blogger – only this time, the legal eagles are involved.

Let’s get you up to speed, shall we. Popcorn-chomping spectators of Singapore’s social media scene will know of Xiaxue’s triumph in pulling off a protection order against her biggest detractors, the boisterous bandits behind satirical Facebook page SMRT Ltd (Feedback).

Now, Grace Tan is invoking the very same Protection of Harassment Act against Xiaxue, in a move Grace describes to The Straits Times as a sort of #SayNoToBullying up-yours to the latter.

What on earth happened to cause so much enmity between the two Singapore e-scribes? There’s an incredibly tedious convo thread chock-full of caustic rejoinders between the two duelling divas, but here’s the tl;dr version: Grace fired the first salvo by name-dropping Nuffnang, the digital marketing agency which also manages Xiaxue.

Pertinent quote from Grace on Nuffnang’s role in the sensational Singtel smear stunt earlier this year: “Funny how NN’s young bloggers make the same mistakes but can get away with it.” As you can imagine, everything goes to hell in a handbasket after that.

GRACE’S REACTION

The aftermath? In a remarkably restrained response on her blog, Grace declares that she’s filed court papers against Xiaxue for the frenzied firestorm of allegedly abusive epithets she’s endured at her hand and keyboard.

“Anyone else who follows her lead will similarly be held accountable in court,” Grace says in her post, adding: “Because I am still reeling from the shock of reading the malicious words used, I shall, at present, not reproduce them here.”

Which is just as well, really; because by golly, the purple prose in question is profane beyond belief.

WHAT NEXT?

When quizzed by reporters from The Straits Times, Xiaxue would only say that she’s “reserving [her] comments for now, as the case is still pending judgment.”

What are we to make of this social media melee? The woman is due in court come April 15 – one wonders what Wendy would wear to the courtroom! – so we’ll be watching. ‘Till then, here’s my entirely unsolicited (but perfectly prudent) pearl of wisdom to both parties involved: Keep calm and say no to cyberbullying!