The Bloggess: Sexier than the Dali Lama
Jenny Lawson
This Texas-based blogger toggles her time between her original blog “Good Mom/Bad Mom” on the Houston Chronicle’s Web site with her personal space “The Bloggess.” Lawson elaborated on the genesis for another blog: “I started blogging in 2006 at the Houston Chronicle, but I kept getting in trouble for saying inappropriate things so I started “The Bloggess” as a little sidebar so I could say the f-word.”
As for what a bloggess is, she said: “Mister, Mistress; actor, actress; blogger, bloggess. And I’m only joking when I say I’m like Mother Theresa, but better. I’m actually nothing like Mother Theresa. Except I’m a mother. Wait, was Mother Theresa a mother? I thought she was a nun. F*#%. Now I’m confused. Forget it. I’m more like the Dali Lama. But sexier.”
Despite the colorful language, or perhaps because of, “The Bloggess” is chock full of hilarious observations about life, politics and the Internet. She shares openly and transitions seamlessly about her trials with rheumatoid arthritis, the joys of being a mother to a four-year old and making non sequiturs about ninjas and bad 80′s movies. However, the highlight of her blog is the connection that Lawson has with her audience, and to show her admiration, at the end of each blog post, she highlights what she deems the comment of the day from her readers based on humor, insight or just plain entertainment. “Honestly, most of my readers are those weird kids on the periphery who never quite fit in and then grew up and suddenly found out that there are a ton of us strange kids out there and that when we’re all together, we’re quite entertaining.” She continued, “My blog is really less of a blog and more of a forum of awesome people. Plus, lots of them get discovered in my comments section by other readers so everyone wins.”
It’s that kind of willingness to network and her altruism to her readers and peers that has led to the success of “The Bloggess.” “I go to lots of blog conferences, tweet-ups, parties. I end up hiding in the bathroom because I have an anxiety disorder, but I at least try.” “When I first started out, I commented on a ton of blogs that I loved to get their attention. Then I wrote weird e-mails to famous people. Some of them were quite nasty but others were awesome, like Guy Kawasaki who has always been really supportive,” she said.
In addition to “The Bloggess” and “Good Mom/Bad Mom,” Lawson also has a new advice column on PNN.com that continues her humorous tone of absurdity. Questioned of the type of advice she wants to give, she elaborated that she wants to offer “horrible advice because honestly most of the time people do horrible things and maybe if they see it in writing first they’ll be all €˜this is f*#%ing crazy, and totally something I was about to do. Maybe I should see a psychiatrist.’ And yeah, you totally should. See, I’m helping.”
As for the future and the next step for Lawson, she explains: “Actually one of the reasons I started blogging was to find my voice so I could finish my book. It’s a memoir about all the times I’ve ever embarrassed myself in public, and I’m still writing it. By my estimate, it should be done 8 years after I’m dead or possibly next year.”
For more of Jenny’s musings beyond thebloggess.com, visit Good Mom/Bad Mom or get some advice at Ask the Bloggess.
Post by Alexandria Lee
| Alexandria is a Virginia-based, freelance writer with an interest in the more fashionable and humorous aspects of life and motherhood. Although she’s not had the opportunity to raise a child yet, she’s the proud mommy of a seven-year-old Jack Russell Terrier. She can be reached at http://alexandriareneelee.blogspot.com |
