Confession
There are a couple of blogs that I follow religiously even though their authors get on my nerves so much that I would break their neck if I could.
It is a rather embarrassing thing to admit because I do not think of myself as a particularly spiteful person. OK, it does happen sometimes that I see a hot woman on the street and think how wonderful it would be if she just slipped and fall smack on her pretty face. And, yes, there are certain men who make me SO MAD with their sexist self-righteousness that I really hope their balls turn blue and fall off. But in general, I don't find myself thinking bad thoughts about others too often and I don't think that any of what I just described is out of the ordinary. Some people simply do not deserve balls of their own.
The blog-thing, however, is completely beyond me. Reading weblogs (or ANYTHING, for that matter) is a voluntary act. No matter how hard people try, they can't MAKE you read their stuff. And if you stumble upon a weblog whose author you strongly dislike, there is really no obligation to return. Yet, I do return.
According to Prof. Grady, the predicament I just described is the perfect example of a guilty pleasure. According to me, it is pretty damn fucked up and I need to snap out of it. Who has time for bad thoughts?!
Do YOU read blogs whose authors you strongly dislike? Why do you think you continue doing it?
It is a rather embarrassing thing to admit because I do not think of myself as a particularly spiteful person. OK, it does happen sometimes that I see a hot woman on the street and think how wonderful it would be if she just slipped and fall smack on her pretty face. And, yes, there are certain men who make me SO MAD with their sexist self-righteousness that I really hope their balls turn blue and fall off. But in general, I don't find myself thinking bad thoughts about others too often and I don't think that any of what I just described is out of the ordinary. Some people simply do not deserve balls of their own.
The blog-thing, however, is completely beyond me. Reading weblogs (or ANYTHING, for that matter) is a voluntary act. No matter how hard people try, they can't MAKE you read their stuff. And if you stumble upon a weblog whose author you strongly dislike, there is really no obligation to return. Yet, I do return.
According to Prof. Grady, the predicament I just described is the perfect example of a guilty pleasure. According to me, it is pretty damn fucked up and I need to snap out of it. Who has time for bad thoughts?!
Do YOU read blogs whose authors you strongly dislike? Why do you think you continue doing it?
21 Comments:
Do YOU read blogs whose authors you strongly dislike? Why do you think you continue doing it?
Nope. I wish I did, because there's nothing like someone you dislike/disagree with to get you thinking, but I don't even have time to read all the blogs whose authors I like.
Hehehe. Yeah, sure. But I think your assuming much nobler circumstances than the ones I am actually describing. ;)
No matter how hard people try, they can't MAKE you read their stuff.
I think you captured exactly what it is that makes me do the same thing. Nothing makes me want to read something less than when I get the feeling that its author really wants me to read it, and part of the pleasure of reading certain webogs comes from that "You can't possibly want me to know that you thought this!" feeling that they produce. I know it's sick, just please don't ask me to stop.
Internet: the kingdom of idiots!
Researcher: The average radio listener listens for eighteen minutes a day. The average Howard Stern fan listens for - are you ready for this? - an hour and twenty minutes.
Pig Vomit: How could this be?
Researcher: Answer most commonly given: "I want to see what he'll say next."
Pig Vomit: All right, fine. But what about the people who hate Stern?
Researcher: Good point. The average Stern hater listens for two and a half hours a day.
Pig Vomit: But... if they hate him, why do they listen?
Researcher: Most common answer: "I want to see what he'll say next."
Sounds familiar?
taken from "Private parts"
There's this one blog that I read, written by a girl I don't exactly like. I don't dislike her either, I just think she's not particularly smart. I keep reading it because I find it entertaining - the owner (i wouldn't say "author" tho) has quite interesting ideas about life, the universe and hookers. Stupid, yet interesting.
P.S. I guess that's the reason people keep reading my own blog ;)
Professor: Yeah...exactly. Like, when you read somebody's blog entry and think 'WOW! This is SO dumb/wrong/offensive that it MUST be a mistake you actually put it out for the public to read!'
Parish: we are not idiotic, we are just eccentric. ;)
Anonymous:
1] Yeah...the analogy works. Yet it doesn't really answer the question, does it? I mean...that's exactly what I am trying to figure out. Why do I care what he/she is going to say next when I actually don't.
2] Sorry to pick on you since you are obviously not the only person doing it, but why didn't you sign your comment and chose to stay anonymous?
Vanina: I completely agree with you. Smart is not always interesting. And perfectly fine entertainment can be rather stupid. AND I don't think that's the reason why people read YOUR blog. :D
P.S. I guess that's the reason people keep reading my own blog ;)
ha! you wish! :-p
on topic now - why would you ever want to read the blog of anyone you don't like? personally, the only reason i would want to read anyone's blog is to get to know them better, and that would normally mean i like them at least a bit. or respect them, i suppose. i just tend to forget people i don't like, and i would advise everyone the same :)
Why do I care what he/she is going to say next when I actually don't.
Just because you don't agree doesn't mean you don't care what they have to say. It's the same reason why people listen to Dr. Laura. I have a friend who works for the Democratic Party, and he insists on listening to conservative radio, "When I feel like getting angry." We know what it does to us, but we read it anyway. Maybe, subconsiously, you just want to get all riled up for some reason.
I have some people whose blogs I skim because they're on my livejournal friends list, and I would feel guilty taking them off even though I don't really like or care about what they have to say much of the time.
'Like, when you read somebody's blog entry and think 'WOW! This is SO dumb/wrong/offensive that it MUST be a mistake you actually put it out for the public to read!'
this pretty much sums up my answer to to the question. I usually read the new entries in the blogs I don`t like thinking "comeoooon, it can`t be that bad".
I stop at the point when it becomes clear that it can not only be THAT bad, but worse.
georgi: you are a very kind person. more power to you!
jenn: yeah...reading blogs you don't like is very similar to democrats' watching the o'reiley factor. btw, check out kyle's latest entry. i think you will appreciate it.
dima: unfortunately, you're absolutely right. it can ALWAYS get worse. UPDATE YOUR BLOG!!!
Petya,
You look Asian in your new picture.
Hahhaah! Tree will love that! According to her, I AM in fact Asian. Her claim is based on my ridiculous fascination with school supplies and small objects.
because I am the one who creates the bureaucracy, not the one who fills in all the forms, kako :-)
you're forgiven, bate ;)
Georgi, you said that you read blogs of people you dislike, because you are looking to find something good in those people, which will make you like them more.
In fact, I think that people who read blogs of other people they dislike, only make attempts to find even more dirt and nasty details which will make them less "likable" and will convince the reader that they suck big time. The motivation for reading those blogs is only to build up some factual material so that in case this person comes up as a topic of conversation, the reader will have well grounded arguments to prove that the blogger is nothing but an idiot!:))
tangerine,
as ebarrassing as it is, i think you are right. :( still, it is a little bit of a consolation that in this particular case, you are only badmouthing a person you'll probably never cross paths with. so it doesn't really count. sort of like saying how ridiculous Madonna is. well...sure, but who cares. ;)
Well, yeah but actually you might know the concrete person;))
tangerine,
i never said i read blogs of people i dislike :-D. quite the contrary. reading in order to support a bad opinion you have of someone is totally wasting your time. in fact, unless many people tell me the person has changed, i wouldn't want to make him/her anything more than a passing topic in any conversation... i bet there are always other, more pleasant topics of discussion.
people read different things and for different reasons. so...yeah. :)
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