Well you are like a dog with a bone. As I said I don't by into the Riv "mystique". I think there is a lot of silliness surrounding the whole brand lifestyle thing they have going. And as far as weight, last time I perused the Riv website, the ad copy/blog posts on the site said Rivendells were heavy but that would contribute to their longevity and so on and so forth. It is not a particularly controversial statement to say that Rivs are heavier than other frames availabe, especially at that pricepoint. However, if someone buys into the Riv "mystique" than more power to em, get one and ride it.
And as previously stated, my ego is also pretty large.