You're right, the joke was too obscure for me to get.

As for ownership of the space, the platform's rules allow us to hide comments posted to our articles, so you be the judge. I felt the comment was indeed off-topic, as my article was focused on what Tessa wrote, not who she is, but I'll grant that other commenters are treating it as open season on her, so I took your words as part of that unfortunate discussion.

Modesty cannot forbid, but only discourage. A writer needs an outsized ego, else none of us would publish. I try not to let mine make claims that I can't back up, so I say less than I might. "Wordsmith" is a daily challenge to myself.