You want to have lots of subscribers and lots of comments and make lots of money and have lots of reviews shoved at you and that’s your main goal in life – to be on top of whatever blogging sector you’ve placed yourself in and topple the current kings and queens and have everyone know your blog alias and want to be just like you and ask you for advice and envy your Technorati ranking and put your buttons in their sidebar and your name on their blogroll just so they feel like they are touching your elusive greatness and follow you on twitter *hoping* with all their might that you’ll follow them back but you won’t because you are too concerned with being able to keep track of and reply to the tweets of companies and the other ‘a-listers’ and it still boils your blood that some of them still don’t acknowledge your presence?
You suck.
Seriously.
Hard.
I’ve been on a quest to find new blogs to read. Not that I don’t have enough already, but I just want some new blood in my reader. And much to my dismay, two out of every five blogs that I visit are so obviously only concerned with popularity that I want to vomit. I wonder if there’s anymore sincerity or originality in the blogosphere to be found, or if I’ve discovered it all already. If anyone blogs just to blog anymore, rather than to topple Dooce.
I read people bitching about others selling out to advertisers. Holy hell, shut your trap and stop your fingers. I run ads. I’m totally an ad whore. But tell me – honestly – have you seen a change in my voice since you began to see those wide skyscrapers over there in my sidebar? In my opinion – no. I like writing, and I like money and I’ll be damned if anyone will tell me that I can’t have both, but if someone was to tell me that I absolutely had to choose, I think I’ve made it pretty clear over this past year what I’d respond.
The real epidemic in blogging right now is that it’s becoming like high school. People want too badly to be more than what they are, instead of accepting themselves first. They twist and turn their characters into caricatures and still expect you to take them seriously. And you know they know it, being as everyone around them, in their comments and on their blogrolls, is doing the same exact thing they are and using them for the exact same reason. No one is sincere, they’re all a bunch of poseurs and fakes and I don’t see how you can thrive in an environment like that. Why you’d want to.
I couldn’t. I don’t.
I prefer uniqueness and diversity. I prefer honesty and real shit.
I’ve always said that. As long as I can see YOU – we’re good. Be yourself, with no ulterior motives.
Part of me really wants to be a cunt and direct you to some examples, but that’s not my style. I prefer to live and let live, but I guess it’s on my mind because I can’t escape it unless I remain in my current blog bubble, never expanding, and I really don’t want to. So I’m speaking on it.
I cannot fathom having my reader full to the top of the same people, in essence, over and over, the only difference between all of them being their hair color or the number of offspring they have.
I mean, there is plenty of shit that annoys me in the world, and the blog world is no different.
But this is different. It’s getting worse and worse, the more that blogging becomes ‘the next big thing’. Remember how reality TV used to be full of gems like the original Real Worlds and COPS? And now, even though everyone knows it sucks, it’s guaranteed to be watched by someone so we have shit like The Hills and the recent Real Worlds? I mean, it’s not real anymore, but created or doctored or embellished until it is only ‘based on a true story’ (if that) in an effort to become popular and ride the current wave and get as much attention as humanly possible.
Not only that, but we have quality shows like Pushing Daises and Journeyman being canceled because people are too concerned with trends and popularity and bandwagon jumping and whatever the hell else and ignoring true genius.
Just like reality tv – good, original, well written and honest blogs are getting lost amongst the (self)manufactured hype. And the reality of that is that it sucks. I have a plan though. I’ll clue you in later.
Right now, I’m going to celebrate my one year blog anniversary with a bottle of scotch and pack of Marlboro Lights. Or a chicken tender and a block of sharp cheddar. Actually, since immoralmatriarch.com didn’t come to be until April 28th, 2008, I don’t know if I can celebrate this today. Should I wait until the date I moved from blogspot? Regardless – chicken and cheese it is…
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Dude, fucking true dat. I’m right there with you sister.
Betsey´s last blog post..Lofty Aspirations
Happy New Year!
I’m always on the lookout for new blogs to add to my reader and I agree that the “same old” can get pretty boring, but I have to say that I’ve read some really wonderful blogs lately (yours included) and I think there are still quality blogs out there (of which hopefully mine is one… or at least, that’s what I strive for).
Here’s hoping you find some wonderful gems in ’09!
Michelle´s last blog post..Happy New Year!!!
Damn right. Cheers.
have I told you lately that I love you? This is totally about me isn’t it?!
hilary´s last blog post..Short picture sequence, and a surprise ending
I hate when people blog crap just to say they posted. Um you don’t have to post every day. Post when you have something to say. Happy New Year!!
Tiffany´s last blog post..Sparklers Suck Ass
You had me at “Journeyman.”
And if you want honest and fresh? http://cynicalnymph.blogspot.com
Don’t trust me; check it out yourself.
Well said. And I’m proud of my Z list status. :p
Honeybell´s last blog post..Jerry
I couldn’t agree more. In fact, I was just talking with Eric about how disillusioned I have been feeling with the blogging world lately–I actually unsubscribed to more than half of the blogs in my reader. I know there are great ones out there, but I’m having a hard time finding quality that I can relate to.
Elizabeth´s last blog post..I’m sinking
See, this is why I added you to my reader just recently. I love finding bloggers not afraid to tell it like it is. Rock on.
Summer´s last blog post..The Queen Of Spain Is Starting It Right
i’m so glad i found you. i just deleted much of the crap out of my reader that felt like required reading because i realized it was doing nothing for me. it felt oh so good.
krista´s last blog post..baggage
Haha..I emptied my reader for the first time ever and then google reader recommended that I read you..So here I am looking for new people to read…If you would like someone different to read you could try this http://somedaywewillsleep.com/?p=622
cheers Kim
frogpondsrock´s last blog post..The first day of a new year..
I am interested in increasing my readership, but at the same time I am happy just to have met the people I already have. Hell, I am excited that 18 people are ‘following’ my blog and 30 are subscribed. And that’s fine. If more people read, great, but I’m not going to change to try and be more like whoever, because what would even be the point of blogging then? In any case, I think your blog IS unique, your voice is strong and I like reading it, and I’m glad you haven’t changed!
Rachael´s last blog post..Who Wouldn’t Love an Award?!
I am better than Dooce.
I am a fucking rockstar.
People want to be me.
Remember that babe.
*snort*
Kelley´s last blog post..New Years Resolutions. Where I make an unbreakable promise.
Chicken and Cheese…I know her! Well, I like to keep it real, but I’ve recently sold out to the Momversation bandwagon, which happens to involve some names I dare not mention here. I’m trying to lead the pack, however, so I suspect you wouldn’t kick my ass on first meeting. I won’t hold my breath though.
Immorally yours.
growingupartists´s last blog post..New Years Resolve
January 1, 2009 at 3:43 am
Good for you. I’ve been thinking the same thing lately. I pulled quite a few folks out of my reader today because I got sick of the “this post sponsored by” crapola. Yes I get paid to blog, but it’s barely enough to pay for a month’s worth of ballet classes for Boo. I agree with you. Bloggers should write because they have something to say.
Pass the chicken and cheese, darlin’. I’ll pass you the jello salad – just leave a grape or two for me. M’kay?
Fear and Parenting in Las Vegas´s last blog post..You can find me here
I’m so glad I don’t know what that Technorati shit even means.
I think if you don’t even know who your readers are, wth is the point?
But that’s just me.
Chicken and cheese sounds fan-freakin-tastic.
Happy New Year!
xoxo
dysfunctional mom´s last blog post..Wordful Wednesday ~ Shouldn’t Have to Be
Sometimes it would be SO much more fun if we could say exactly what we wanted didn’t care what it would sound like. But only sometimes.
Because there is one blogger is my head RIGHT NOW I can think of that epitomizes that and I would love, nothing more, than to rat her stank ass out.
traci´s last blog post..Lives of the Great
Happy New Year Angry Little Smurf. Never change, ok?
Carolyn Online´s last blog post..I heard Kathy Griffin say "nipple" and "dick" on CNN last night and that has nothing to do with this post.
I’ve started to come to terms with the fact that I’ll never have a popular blog. I have to remind myself often of why I began blogging; it is so easy to get sucked into that high school shit. Still, I love reviews, getting freebies and giving stuff away. I think if I can do all that & still keep sincerity in my blog, then I’m a happy camper.
I adore you & your honesty, Maria.
Nis´s last blog post..Keep an eye out for fraud!
Holy shit! I LOVE Pushing Daisies, but like all quality original TV it got dumped. Sucks ass. Last time I was this pissed off about a show is when they canceled Carnivale. *sigh*
BTW, I agree with you about the insincerity in the blogosphere. That’s pretty much why I stopped reading blogs entirely (with a few key exceptions). I haven’t been on Plurk in god knows how long and I can’t even remember the last time I opened twitter or Cre8Buzz. Bleh. So not worth my time. Half the time I can’t even be bothered with putting up a post myself, but I’m working on getting over that.
January 1, 2009 at 10:02 am
@Nis:
Oh me too, definitely. It’s all about the latter of your statement: sincerity. Not (basically) just using the people that read you for something ulterior but really wanting to share something. I mean, who doesn’t want to be popular? But you look at those who are, in our circles especially, and it’s because they were genuine with it and us. And so they totally deserve to be where they are. I will not be a pawn in someone’s ploy to be the next big thing.
This really gets me, too. I’ve blogged, quit blogging, or commenting as much on every one else’s super FAB pages, and I have next to no readers now. Who cares, right?? Thinking of starting up again though….
It’s bad enough I have an identity crisis in real life, but my blog has one too. Have pity, please. ;)
Prefers Her Fantasy Life´s last blog post..Mixed Blessings This Season
I don’t use a reader and have the most schizophrenic, fucked-up method of reading blogs you wouldn’t even believe. I have a handful of blogs that I read on a regular basis and everything else is just shit I find accidentally. It’s got to be incredibly interesting or make me laugh until I pee for me to actually bookmark something new. And it doesn’t even matter when I do, because I forget that I have bookmarks and just have the addresses of my favorites memorized and type them in, usually.
My angst over playing to the crowd is well-documented and an ongoing struggle. Adulation and positive feedback can be intoxicating, as can cold hard cash from ad revenue. But when I’ve written stuff with those things in mind, it’s totally sucked balls. Besides, it’s never worked. I barely make enough from running ads to pay for the hosting, and my numbers’ll never be good enough for me because I’ll never take over the Internet unless I show my girlie bits and I’m just not willing to go there (yet). So now I just say Fuck Em.
Even if nobody else thinks I’m funny or interesting, I crack myself UP. Seriously. I go back and read the old stuff and I laugh until I pee and then I want to bookmark myself because I’m so awesome. So if anyone doesn’t like it or doesn’t want to run an ad on my site (like, pretty much everyone), they can suck on my middle finger.
God this is a long comment. And kind of offensive. What the fuck is wrong with me?
bejewell´s last blog post..Why This is NOT a New Year’s Post
Maybe it’s because I don’t take blogging seriously *enough*, or because I’m so wet behind the ears that I don’t know what Technorati is (are?), or because I’m not really out in the blogosphere… But, honestly, I don’t see the problem with changing your blogging voice once in a while. I absolutely cop to doing it. I think it’s an existential thing; we evolve as people, voices, and bloggers and our writing reflects that. Who can really tell what a bloggers’ motivation is, and why their style changes? And why does it matter, as long as we come away from reading their blog feeling amused, enlightened, or a little less bored? I guess it all has to do with what you’re looking to gain from reading a blog.
mistressmom´s last blog post..A Funny Thing Came to Mind as I Was Giving Head
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