Okay, since I just professed my love for reading blogs, I've decided to take a look at the flip side: why blogs freak me out a bit. This will likely be shorter.
1. I feel like I'm stalking someone.
I mean, isn't it weird to feel like you "know" someone simply because you read their blog? Why am I reading stuff about someone I don't even (technically) know. That's just weird. Right? Except that I know tons of people must do it--that or some bloggers have a lot of friends. Like 100's, based on comments.
Conversely, reading a book never feels weird of freaky or stalky. Even if it's a really personal memoir. Go figure.
(I think--and perhaps this is obvious--it's the fact that you can't do all that commenting stuff.)
2. I feel like I'm wasting time.
Probably because I am. But I swear I'll only check it out really quickly!
3. What if I become some weird, out of touch with reality person? You know, because I'm ignoring real people while I check out what someone else is making their family for dinner.
...that's on the reading side. From the writing angle:
1. Umm...why am I letting complete strangers know things about me? Seriously, I'm kind of private.
2. What if I sound like a twit?
3. Self-promotion is weird and uncomfy. I'd love for someone to actually read and comment and--gasp!--follow, but, see point "2" above.
4. What if someone starts stalking me? That's why I'm totally on board with people who never name their husbands, children, or pets by name. I also try to refrain from mentioning these things: my longitude and latitude, references to eating carbs (just in case I live in the last state which still does this), where anyone in my family works (or doesn't), the weather, political ongoings, non-chain restaurants, my mother's maiden name, the name of my first pet, my porn star name, my first car, my car I drive right now, or any sort of trendy exercises I may do. You know, if I happen to exercise at all.
Wait, did I totally give it away with that carbs thing? Hmm...maybe I don't eat carbs. A little mystery is a good thing.
..
Friday, January 18, 2013
Blogs I Like
I like blogs. That could be why I've attempted to start my own...a few times. I like blogs because I like reading, and blogs are much, much better than your average magazine article. Some magazine articles are fine, but most have the following problems:
a) They basically don't exist. The magazine is all ads. (In an aside, I actually have my MBA, which means I've sat in business classes. I knew I was a big ol' misfit that one day when the prof asked "why do magazines exist?" Some other student promptly answered "to seel advertising." My thought: What?!?!? They are not for nice little writers to write nice little articles?)
b) They are way, way too short and trite.
or
c) They are way too serious and earnest. This is absolutely fine if the topic is serious and earnest, and the writer truly cares. But most are serious and earnest and pretty in a "look how pulled together I am" way that is dishonest. (Mostly in parenting magazines. Ugg.) Blogs don't seem to role this way, or at least the ones I like to read.
So, without further ado, blogs I like to waste time reading:
A Little Pregant: http://www.alittlepregnant.com
Written by someone named Julie, whom I've never met, and I suspect I never will. She's a biggy in the mommy blogosphere. I found her back when I was "trying" (to have kids) and it wasn't happening as quickly as sex-ed teachers had led us to believe. She's the real deal in infertility, and her brilliance is how incredibly honest, vulnerable, and funny she is at the same time. I rarely check her blog out anymore, but it's a good one.
Smitten Kitchen: http://smittenkitchen.com/
You'd think because I read this I'm actually awesome in the kitchen. I'm not. Cold day in hell I'llbe making my own goldfish crackers. But somehow, because the blogger--Deb Pearlman--is honest and passionate and humorously self-depreciating, it works. So I read it. And drool.
Soul Searching at Starbucks: http://soulsearchingatstarbucks.blogspot.com/
I read this because I actually know Pam. I've even met up with her at Starbucks! That kind of makes us awesome, doesn't it? And her writing is fun and witty, and I promise she'll respond to your comments...at least until she goes totally viral and gets a million followers, then I'm not so sure. But that will make me all the cooler for having Starbucked it with her. (That's a verb, right?)
Parenting: Illustrated with Crappy Pictures: http://crappypictures.com/
The title says it all. Simple, funny, brilliant. I wish I had thought of it first.
Jason Good: http://jasongood.net/
He also does stand-up, but his pieces are sharp, insightful, funny. Crappy pictures led me over to him.
People I Want to Punch in the Throat: http://www.peopleiwanttopunchinthethroat.com/
OMG...she just posted today about the Golden Globes. Must rush over and waste more time...Again, Crappy Pictures led me here. Notice a pattern? Curse you, Crappy Pictures!
Hooked on Houses. http://hookedonhouses.net/ Apparently, I have some sort of nesty/house-wifey streak in me, as in conjuction with "Smitten Kitchen", you'd think I have a lovely, well-tended home and tasty, homemade meals all the time. As if. Man, is this one a fun time waster for a person who would rather look at nice homes than clean their own. Honestly, I think I found this so I wouldn't get addicted to Pinterest, but I'm really not coming out ahead.
If there is a uniting theme among these blogs, it's this: the people write them with passion. Most also have a theme or focus, however loose it may be, and have developed a nice "voice." None of these bloggers take themselves too serious, even if they are seriously passionate about homes or food or their families or writing. Many have hit it "big", but I don' think most of them ever thought they would, so they still feel "real."
And that's why I love blogs.
Perhaps next, I'll write about "Why Blogs Kind of Freak Me Out."
a) They basically don't exist. The magazine is all ads. (In an aside, I actually have my MBA, which means I've sat in business classes. I knew I was a big ol' misfit that one day when the prof asked "why do magazines exist?" Some other student promptly answered "to seel advertising." My thought: What?!?!? They are not for nice little writers to write nice little articles?)
b) They are way, way too short and trite.
or
c) They are way too serious and earnest. This is absolutely fine if the topic is serious and earnest, and the writer truly cares. But most are serious and earnest and pretty in a "look how pulled together I am" way that is dishonest. (Mostly in parenting magazines. Ugg.) Blogs don't seem to role this way, or at least the ones I like to read.
So, without further ado, blogs I like to waste time reading:
A Little Pregant: http://www.alittlepregnant.com
Written by someone named Julie, whom I've never met, and I suspect I never will. She's a biggy in the mommy blogosphere. I found her back when I was "trying" (to have kids) and it wasn't happening as quickly as sex-ed teachers had led us to believe. She's the real deal in infertility, and her brilliance is how incredibly honest, vulnerable, and funny she is at the same time. I rarely check her blog out anymore, but it's a good one.
Smitten Kitchen: http://smittenkitchen.com/
You'd think because I read this I'm actually awesome in the kitchen. I'm not. Cold day in hell I'llbe making my own goldfish crackers. But somehow, because the blogger--Deb Pearlman--is honest and passionate and humorously self-depreciating, it works. So I read it. And drool.
Soul Searching at Starbucks: http://soulsearchingatstarbucks.blogspot.com/
I read this because I actually know Pam. I've even met up with her at Starbucks! That kind of makes us awesome, doesn't it? And her writing is fun and witty, and I promise she'll respond to your comments...at least until she goes totally viral and gets a million followers, then I'm not so sure. But that will make me all the cooler for having Starbucked it with her. (That's a verb, right?)
Parenting: Illustrated with Crappy Pictures: http://crappypictures.com/
The title says it all. Simple, funny, brilliant. I wish I had thought of it first.
Jason Good: http://jasongood.net/
He also does stand-up, but his pieces are sharp, insightful, funny. Crappy pictures led me over to him.
People I Want to Punch in the Throat: http://www.peopleiwanttopunchinthethroat.com/
OMG...she just posted today about the Golden Globes. Must rush over and waste more time...Again, Crappy Pictures led me here. Notice a pattern? Curse you, Crappy Pictures!
Hooked on Houses. http://hookedonhouses.net/ Apparently, I have some sort of nesty/house-wifey streak in me, as in conjuction with "Smitten Kitchen", you'd think I have a lovely, well-tended home and tasty, homemade meals all the time. As if. Man, is this one a fun time waster for a person who would rather look at nice homes than clean their own. Honestly, I think I found this so I wouldn't get addicted to Pinterest, but I'm really not coming out ahead.
If there is a uniting theme among these blogs, it's this: the people write them with passion. Most also have a theme or focus, however loose it may be, and have developed a nice "voice." None of these bloggers take themselves too serious, even if they are seriously passionate about homes or food or their families or writing. Many have hit it "big", but I don' think most of them ever thought they would, so they still feel "real."
And that's why I love blogs.
Perhaps next, I'll write about "Why Blogs Kind of Freak Me Out."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)