Perhaps I’m Not All That Interesting Because Everyone is Agreeing With Me

I wonder how you can become controversial? Actually, I’m wondering how you can become controversial while making sense at the same time. But, are you really controversial when you make sense?

Take Penelope Trunk, for example. Her advice resonates with people…and to some degree she makes sense to them.

Yet, then you have folks like Glenn Beck. No. Scratch him. Let’s take Rush Limbaugh. The man spews extreme right wing political popcorn like a deft machine. His audience loves him. It’s the drip drooling I’ll-sell-my first-born-for-your blessing LOVE him.

And, he makes sense to them.

Yet, he’s controversial. Penelope Trunk is controversial. And me? I am not.  I know it is not fair to compare myself to big name bloggers and media personalities because it is just wild to do so.

I don’t care, however. I’m not talking about big name versus me. I’m talking about controversy versus not controversy. Being interesting requires shaking things up. You get people talking and thinking. And, not everyone can do that, whether or not you are blogger.

General advice tells you to pick a subject and blog ad nauseum about it. Then, they charge you with the near impossible task of making something everybody usually finds boring interesting. You can’t make something by itself sound intriguing.

That’s why we see posts from Ms. Trunk talking about cunnilingus and powerful women and Rush Limbaugh screaming fear+anything liberals do.

Are you controversial only when no one agrees with you? Or, only if you are spouting stuff that resonates with a select group of people and goes against the common opinion of others? My questions perhaps, are prosaic. Yet, after blogging for several months, I’ve realized my insight is not all that insightful and being a catalyst of controversy may have nothing to do with my acutal opinions.

Also, perhaps when people are reading my blog, I’m only reaffirming (or reassuring) whatever staid opinions they already have.

There is, however, a fine line between controversy and sheer lunacy. You can only get credit for being controversial when you have a backing. Someone has to support your viewpoint. Otherwise, you’re just some jerk screaming populist drivel through the megaphone of the Internet (or the TV…or the radio).

So, if I decide to publish a crazy post about anything, I can one day be considered looney, but the next day if someone agrees with me – I can just be controversial.