One difference is, as shitty as it is, you at least half expect it from certain organizations, and tend not to feel as personally attacked as when it's started by Jane or Jack Shitheel from Buttf**k, California, whom you've never met, let alone said "boo" to, but who have decided to make you their personal crusade. Or even worse, when it's started by the person in the next office whom you chat with on a friendly-seeming basis every day.
And remember, we're talking about individuals who get Twitter riled up and organize and /directly incite/ actual harassment campaigns. To use your own analogy, what's worse, getting stung by hundreds of bees, or getting stung by /thousands/ of bees?
And somehow I doubt the AFA told people to go to Ellen's home to protest and threaten her.