Dear Dooce.
I started reading you about 8 months ago when I began this blogging journey. I was told by more than one blogger ‘you HAVE to read Dooce-she is the one who started it ALL’. So I subscribed. And I have been reading. But I gotta say- I am not that impressed. Initially I was thinking ‘this is some sort of emperor’s new clothes thing! Am I the only one to see she is naked?’. 
I view in Google Reader- meaning ALL your posts come thru. Including the ever present DOG PHOTO.
Maybe it is because I am cat person, but I am pretty darn sick of those dogs of yours. With or without wigs on. Of course your photography is amazing. And I notice you upload those photos in giant size- perhaps to reduce the amount of actual writing you could be doing. And lately it seems – your site is nothing but a commercial for your readers products. If I was getting free crap/services/etc in the mail everyday I would promote it too. Just to be sure the loot never stops coming. But enough is enough. Even when you try to tell us that you are just showing us something because it is ‘beautiful’…I always feel like there is an alternative motive. I know, I know a girl has got to make a buck- but it is getting very old. Fast.
And well, I just think you have taken this Ex-Mormon rebellion a little too far. Enough of the use of the F word. Just makes you sound desperate…I have seen this syndrome before. Women who become mothers and then fight like hell to maintain their single life persona. They wear stiletto’s while pushing the stroller. They bitch about being hung over and HAVING to take care of the brats kids. And they continue to swear like a long shore-men. It is like you are screaming ‘look at me, I am edgy and hip! I am not some boring mommy blogger. I am keeping it REAL’….and while I sympathize with your crazy youth slipping away…I find the potty mouth offensive. Let me say it- it is time to grow up.
And the poop talk? What is with that? Out of your entire day all you can choose to post about is your dog pooping/vomiting/peeing on your floor? Really that is the best material you got? I think you can do better. And you have. Take a look thru your archives as I did …and it is clear to see what was the Internet’s initial attraction. But that was then. This is NOW.
Don’t let the Internet down. After all- without us you and your hunky husband will have to stop napping and get a real job. And I just can’t see using the f-word and talking about your dogs pooping as a way to get the corner office either.
Regards,
Marcy Massura
Marcywrites.com
*author note: I am well aware many of you may totally disagree with me. Because you are poop-lovin, f-bob droppin moms in stilettos pushing strollers. I am prepared for the backlash. I just could not help myself. Actually I can rarely help myself…….oh. if you don’t know who Dooce is. Just ignore. I know, I know…you will probably google her. So here, I will save you the time. Click here for all that is Dooce. But don’t blame me. I have warned you.
(I was too chicken to actually send this letter to Dooce. I thought I might get blacklisted-and banned from all things bloggers yearn for….paid advertisers. That and a spot at next years BlogHer conference.)
{ 39 comments… read them below or add one }
Yet another example of how you and I share a brain. I’m right there with you. I don’t even bother to read, much less subscribe. It just felt like she was phoning it in.
Must be nice. I’m glad it all worked out for her. But when I want to spend my valuable time reading something, I read bloggers like you.
Woo-Hoo!!!
You did it! I’m right there with ya’.
I’ve been trying to figure out why swearing a lot in posts seems to band women together and their readership starts to soar. I’ve noticed it for a long while,… I just shake my head.
O.K. now, I’ll be watching for the backlash.
Great post Marcy!
If there’s any backlash, I got your back!
Ok, I still love Dooce, (although the posts that I truly love have become few and far between.) But I love you more! And you don’t even have to send me an embroidered hedgehog to get me to say it!
I’ve never read this person. Guess now I have no reason to! :)
I share the sentiment. Don’t get what’s so great about her. Not sure anything is so great about her….
Ditto. I totally agree with the “Emperor(Empress?)wears no clothes” analogy. I never thought she was bad, just never drank that particular kool-aid I guess…
oh, is this the one you started un-following last week?
LMAO Marcy :D
Crap. I use the f word like a million times more than Dooce. It’s only a matter of time before I fall off your blogroll. *sigh*
This is where I’d put the f-word but I’m holding back, just for you, chica.
It’s hard though.
After reading your post I had to check out this Dooce blog. Not really for me. I much rather read you! Especially your ad talk!!! Love your blog!!
Oh, my gosh, you’re hilarious. Love how you just tell it like it is! I’m constantly asked if I read Dooce or told that I MUST read her, but I’ve never been able to figure out exactly why. The answer must be in her archives! -Julia
I am right there with you. I just don’t get it. I read it for a couple of weeks and found it a big yawn. Doesn’t even matter to me about the f-bomb, although you make a good point, and I know several of those moms you mention (and the dads they are married to).
I honestly don’t think less of moms who actually put the kids first. No, really. And they can even wear Crocs to the store as far as I’m concerned.
Fuck Yah! I totally agree with you.
I feel ya…I don’t dislike her, per se – I just don’t care for her blog very much, and I have so many blogs to read every day (OCD + anyone who makes me laugh or with whom I feel the remotest kinship or connection = have to read it every day or the world will come to an end), I can’t afford to waste time on a “meh” page.
Shade and Sweetwater,
K
Laughed at the end when you said you didn’t send it! Hope the venting helped.
Wow. I’ve thought that for a long time. There are many out there — the exalted ones who end up on national TV shows, etc. — who no longer are doing what once got them noticed in the first place. Posts are dull or promo pieces for some products or “insider” chat. Let it serve as a warning to us all to keep it fresh and real and DON’T F—-ING SELL OUT!
–MomZombie
Heeeeyyy! I wore stilettos pushing a stroller! Hey I was a HOT MOM! Or should I say FABULOUS! Great post though. And I’m giving you an award!
i never got it either… here i thought i was the only one.
xo~K
Long ago, her writing was different, and she didn’t just talk about her dogs, and trips she now takes. She was raw in a way that was refreshing, not repulsive. I agree, it’s like she is phoning it in now. It’s a shame really. Get too much money, lose your ability to connect with the (struggling) masses. She is doing a favor to anyone that sends her stuff, if you ever find something cute and want one…yeah, you better be the first one to hit the link, because everything she places on there sells out immediately. I am less and less interested in her all the time, I do however love Chuck.
I don’t know, I heard about her along time ago when she lost her job due to her blogging about people she worked with. I thought that it was rude of her to do and a bit careless… oh and hurtful. Then there was something out about her Mormon hating. I don’t like that. I’m not a religious person, but I don’t think it’s fair to do that. Whatever gets people through life in the most
pleasant way possible, I’m all for.
However someone recently referred to my blog as being similar to hers. I didn’t realize who she was until I checked out her site. After looking through it, the only thing I can say is possibly they thought that because of what I talk about and how honest I am about everything. I’ve always been that way. I just don’t want to come across as a copy cat. Oh well, I have fun. Too bad she no longer seems to be.
You know, I read Dooce once, and laughed, but felt quite unattached and didn’t go back. I guess I felt written AT and not TO. I have so little time for blogs I truly love, like yours (that I get around to once a week or so, AARRGGHH! TIME!) that I cut my losses immediately. Also? I hate to feel like a sheep.
Baaaaaaaa. Baaaaa. Yeah, I know — more farm references.
Baaaaaaa.
Love,
laurie
p.s. Hooray for you on the F-bomb! I mostly don’t care for it on blogs, either. Oh well.
I entered blogworld because I saw Dooce on the Today show. I have checked in on her blog about 3 times, whenever I hear someone make a fuss about her. I’m with you. I DON’T GET IT. But I totally get you. (AWWW) I’m just meeting you today but I’m looking forward to getting to know you.
Annie
PS I am not writing at 4:52 am. I know you’re on the west coast and I’m on the east – it’s 8:52 am.
When I first read this post, I must admit it nearly gave me a panic attack. I pretty much worship you and know you’ve witnessed the uncontrollable form of literary Tourette’s present on my AnxietyHell site as you left me a hilarious comment there a few weeks ago. But after I calmed down a little, I realized that what you’ve written here is quite inspirational. It’s a great reminder to us all to put forth the kind of dedication and effort you do, and to look for more descriptive words than the easy-to-drop F bomb. I still love dooce, but I am IN LOVE with your site.
Thank you. My main problem with Dooce is that she is so defensive in the face of criticism. If you’re going to put your life on the Internet, you have to be prepared to get basty emails. Instead of taking some of the worst of those and writing durogatory blogs about your critic’s ignorance or whatevs, why not just accept that there will be critics and they won’t be nice and just…. leave it alone. Dooce’s belief that it’s hip and cool to snark on those who comment or email nastygrams to her is a major pet peeve. It just seems to be very telling that… maybe there are some insincerities with the righteousness.
Thanks for linking me to this Marcy.
I think you are echoing what a lot of the blogosphere is saying, however it will probably be drowned out once again, now that her newest book has just been released, as in TODAY.
I am totally and completely blacklisted from her site. And you wanna know why?
Did I leave a nasty comment?
No!
Did I sent her hate mail?
No!
Have I ever dared to offer a dissenting opinion on any of her posts?
No!
I have been banned from commenting because I sent her and Jon the very same email I sent to over 400 bloggers when I started writing the piece “Mommyblogging – Exploitation or Art?” And I explained to her that I was pointing fingers at ANYONE, but that I just wanted to know if there was really ANYTHING to the allegations that we exploit our children and what exactly where the dangers from ‘net pervs.
She completely blacklisted me for that. I emailed her and Jon and never heard a thing. Not once. I sent another email. No reply.
Yet, when I send an email announcing the very first blog proposal (and I don’t care what Ree Drummond says, it was a first! Using someone else’s blog to do it doesn’t count, your blog proposalplan was unique…set up completely for the experience alone) He almost immediately sends me a reply pointing out that Heather proposed to him via the comments in a 2002 blog post of his.
WTF?
It’s not like I expected Heather or Jon for that matter, to reply to the initial email I sent out about the piece I’m working on, but I really didn’t expect to be so broadly lumped in with others who she feels she needs to ban from her comments. If she ever looked, she’d notice that the few times I have commented on her blog, they were usually witty anecdotes or just a nod of appreciation at something she’d written.
I don’t have an opinion of Dooce one way or another. I don’t know her. But I have to be honest…this experience, both with being banned from commenting on her site, and then the almost immediate reply to my email about ProposalPlan, that HELLO, this isn’t the first, the Queen of all Blogdom was the first…well, it’s really left a bad taste in my mouth.
I meant that I was NOT pointing fingers at anyone, in my above comment.
Yep. I don’t get the hype.
So glad I’m not the only one who feels this way!
Maybe I should have read her years ago. But I didn’t. And from what I read recently I was wondering how in the world people thought she was great. Now I get it. I don’t know her well enough to know if she changed. I do know of other bloggers who changed their blogs once they ‘made it.’ It sucks when you enjoy reading someone and they change who they are. There’s a lot of blogs to read, so whatever.
I think it was wrong of the dude to email you saying you were wrong if they were not willing to communicate with you over the previous stuff. That doesn’t sit well with me.
you guys are so haters…
You always tell it like is. I think she is like those kids in high school that try to be different but wind up looking all the same. She is annoying- I don’t think she is a great writer and as a Mormon woman- I find her crap offensive.
By the way you are way funnier and I think your photography is much better than hers!
I’m not trying to be a party pooper but I do want to say one thing in defense..not of Dooce because I don’t know enough about her..but of her ranting about her ex-religion. Religions like her ex and my husband’s ex (JW) have been classified as CULTS (google it – it’s FUN!). Just for a second think about being a CHILD in a cult where every thought is provided for you and your fear of going to hell is such that you can’t even curse the thoughts that jump in your head. I can’t imagine what it’s like to get away from that sort of indoctrination. My husband gives me a glimpse, but it’s like watching a movie that was originally taped from tv on a VHS and then transferred to a dvd…you’re missing layers of exposure.
Anyway, I’m normally not serious and I’m not trying to take any of your points away from you, but this one particular one has been bothering me since I first read it here two or three days ago.
Really, I’m not a jerk – I’m actually funny, at least, that’s what my mom says – and we all know mom’s don’t lie ;)
Awww, poor Dooce! I like Dooce, but I also like dogs in wigs, talking about poop and…talking about poop. But I am allowed to as I am just a mere 28 and still use the F bomb on a regular basis. Don’t tell my Mom though, she would be quite upset with me!
I am gonna go ahead and add you to my stalker list…ahhem…blog roll. OH! And MAW is the one that referred me! HI MAW!
You know, I have to say I agree with your post completely. I actually found your blog by typing in what’s so great about dooce.com in google. I’m still trying to figure it out myself. To be a comedian is one thing, but I don’t think that’s her platform. I don’t know and personally I don’t care. You have a nice blog here and I enjoyed my stay!
The Emperor’s New Clothes: What a great analogy. You hit that nail square on the head.
Honestly tho, her swearing is pretty minimal. Her use of the words “buy this shit” is excessive. Bloggess is right she uses it way more and we use it so much she looks like a teacher..ok not exactly kindergarten….more like high school… We just write the way we talk and we have shit mouths in real life so there ya have it. I think it’s fine if thats how you are but if you toss it in willy nilly without purpose and its contrived and fake then like anything else its just stoopid. Thanks for a great post.
~Rm1
Yep, I’ve wandered by her site a time or two and I’ve thought to myself, wow, this site just isn’t as entertaining as I thought it would be. It’s just one of those things, better to hear about than actually visit. I follow way more entertaining blogs. Some of them are potty mouth blogs, some of them are inspiring and some of them are educational. All of them attract something in me that identifies with the writer. I just don’t identify with Dooce. Oh well……..she has a flock of followers so all the power to her.
Jealous.
it’s funny how people will nitpick at each other’s lives. the reason why dooce, and many people like her thrive is because of publicity–both good AND bad.
i’ve read her a number of times before. i’m not really a fan. but i find it hilarious that people who dislike her will dedicate so much time and effort criticizing her when they–further contributing to the ugliness in the net. if people want her to go away, don’t write about her. don’t read about her. don’t watch the shows she’s in. easy peasy.
funny. i’ve almost forgotten about dooce, but i often chance upon other bloggers –particularly mommy bloggers, bashing her, so i’m often reminded of her–regardless of whether i want to be or not.
and who are the winners and losers in this situation? i find it all amusing.
People are annoyed with The Dookie because she’s a meh writer who hit the big time, she sold out and doesn’t apologize for it. Bloggers are frustrated that the media thinks she’s the only woman blogger out there and so they run to her trough for her opinion, figuring she must speak for all women. She’s Oprah, plain and simple.