Whoring for fun and profit

I used to be a quiet, self-effacing boy who wouldn’t put myself forward for anything, who wouldn’t say boo to a goose. Who wouldn’t even goose a goose, quite frankly. Yet maybe as a consequence of having a rather difficult year in 2006, and now having too much time on my hands and not enough time on my leg(s), I have turned into a black-hearted figure of self-hatred. I used to have principles. I did. Even as recently as a couple of weeks ago, there were levels I would simply not sink to when it came to prostituting myself. I refused to debase my (cough) art. No more, though.

Deep breath.

okay so there is a weblog awards thingummybob going on somewhere on the world wide web and I would be ever so grateful if you would consider voting for me in any of the categories you feel most appropriate like best written that one would make me very happy because all I care about is the writing after all but then again there is best kept secret because no one has heard of me or best in the UK because I live in the UK however I am not going to link to the site because I want to try and keep hold of some of my fast dissolving standards oh god I hate myself and I want to die because I swore I would never do this but thank you if you decide to vote for me and thank you even if you don’t because it’s not the winning that counts it’s the taking part and isn’t that the biggest load of rubbish you’ve ever heard I don’t know when I started to need the adulation and approval of my peers but I’ve always had self-confidence and self-esteem issues don’t worry though because I have often talked about thorny subject with a nice woman who wears spectacles looks pensive and sits in a book-lined room and she assures me that it’s entirely normal for a screw-up such as me

Yesterday, in certain social circles, I was calling myself a Complete and Utter Web Tart. It was pointed out to me, with some relief, how lucky it was that I hadn’t instead chosen the title of Complete and Utter Net Tart. But that’s what I am. A Complete and Utter Net Tart. If I had the nerve, I have no doubt that I would adapt this site so that when a visitor first landed on these pages, a huge pop-up window would appear containing the logo for the awards that dare not speak their name, accompanied by a blaring trumpet voluntary and a flashing marquee proclaming “VOTE FOR ME! VOTE FOR ME! VOTE FOR ME!” I would probably stick a few animated gifs of dancing squirrels in there for good measure too, simply to hammer the point home further. Fortunately for all of us, I have yet to reach such sickening depths, though it can only be a matter of time.

If I’m brutally honest with myself, this is probably not the moment to come grovelling for your love, because I only tend to foul up the whole plan somewhere else. Last night, for instance, consumed by a bout of insomnia, I wrote an entry about Jesus riding a bicycle up and down the main corridor of my flat. I sense that such a post will be greeted with a bewildered silence by all but the most equally bewildered few. But if weblogs are about anything, they’re about uniqueness. Aren’t they? And I am as unique as everyone else. Indeed, when it comes to being unique, we’re all exactly the same. I love blogging, I do, with a passion bordering on insanity and violence.

I am currently running a sweepstake as to how long this post will remain here before I quietly creep back, embarrassed and shame-faced, and delete the whole bloody thing. For now, though, I am merely going to crawl away under a rock and hide, whilst gnawing at my fists and weeping salty, stinging tears of self-loathing.

Comments: 22

    I would never delete one of my posts.

    andre | 01.05.07, 15:43

    There is nothing wrong with dancing squirrels.

    Tickle | 01.05.07, 15:58

    Remember there is no deletion.
    Erasure is merely the additon of silence.

    blatherskite | 01.05.07, 16:12

    here’s the ‘i’ that’s the addition to the above !
    Sloppy me.

    blatherskite | 01.05.07, 16:26

    Et tu, Witness? My God, but the blatant Bloggie-pimping that’s going on everywhere is of a whole different order to previous years. Some of us just quietly add a discreet link to our sidebars and hope for the best!

    Anyway, it’s all too late. I *might* have nominated you, had I been aware of this volte-face - but in fact I deliberately ruled you out, purely on the grounds that you hated blogging awards and hence would welcome the exposure. Sheesh, one *tries* to do the right thing…

    mike | 01.05.07, 16:28

    For “welcome” in the previous comment, please substitute “abhor”. Sorry. Girls Aloud are playing very loudly in my ears and my thoughts are getting scrambled.

    mike | 01.05.07, 16:30

    Yaxlich has already voted for you and would have done so without the whoring bit.

    Yaxlich | 01.05.07, 16:54

    oh I vote for you every year … but then you know this

    andre | 01.05.07, 17:15

    you have my vote, but answer me this - do you have to vote in every category (Best Asian weblog, best application, etc etc) or can you just vote for the categories you like?

    annie | 01.05.07, 18:18

    Thank you, Annie. I am a tart. I accept this fact now. I have accepted my tartness. I have no moral scruples.

    As to your question, I think if you look carefully you will find that I not only the Best Asian Weblog, but also the best application for weblogs. Except I’m not. Obviously. I believe you don’t have to vote under every category - indeed, I think you can just vote in one if you want.

    Best wishes from your friendly neighbourhood tart.

    An Unreliable Witness | 01.05.07, 18:33

    So dies the ideal of art for art’s sake. Art for profit, okay; we all need to eat dry toast and heat our cramped garretts. But art for purely competitive purposes, for the satisfaction of having attracted more click-happy readers than the other guy? Personally, I worry that I’ve sold out if I get more than three hits a day from readers not searching for wildebeest sex (for which I currently rank #4 on Google).

    But it’s you. So of course I’ll do it. It was Best Latin American Weblog Award you were after, wasn’t it? Now, wipe away those tears of shame, pull yourself together and set about training those squirrels.

    The Goldfish | 01.05.07, 18:36

    Yes, it’s true, my dearest Goldfish. I am temporarily hiding my ideals under a large bushel. Shame on me. Because I do feel ashamed. *Sigh*

    Having said that, yes, best Latin American weblog. And best weblog about sport. I once wrote an entry about Curling, allegedly.

    The squirrels are now highly trained kamikaze ninjas. They don’t take no crap from no one (sic).

    An Unreliable Witness | 01.05.07, 18:39

    Wow, hell has well and truly frozen over, never thought I’d see the day etc etc. You’ll be on MySpace before you know it!

    Good luck, though.

    Vicky | 01.05.07, 19:26

    I did all my nominating on Wednesday. I nominated you for Best Written and Best Kept Secret. So there.

    asta | 01.05.07, 19:51

    I wear spectacles, you know…

    Oh yes: I love you.

    I have given up on sensible (they were ever sensible?) comments and decided upon declarations of love for the time being. After all, aren’t all comments and nominations declarations of love really anyhow?

    Cheerful One | 01.06.07, 09:41

    Nothing wrong with whoring yourself, in fact I think more people should do it.

    By ‘people’ I am talking nubile 20 something females of course.

    Mr Angry | 01.06.07, 10:51

    I am thinking of following Mr Angry’s advice. Only I’m not nubile. Or 20, come to that. Female, though - does it count?

    Oh, and I’ve voted for you. The squirrels scare me.

    Silver Lining | 01.06.07, 18:30

    but i voted for you, for best written blog, even if you don’t know me and have only discovered you recently, so don’t be shy.

    poppycock | 01.06.07, 22:12

    I thought the Jesus entry was fucking ace.

    I don’t think there’s anything wrong in asking people to nominate you, vote for you, etc. But you know that if you don’t get shortlisted or win anything that this means NOTHING about your writing talent, right?

    Because it really doesn’t. You are a good writer. End of.

    Clare | 01.07.07, 13:31

    I have voted for you cos you write lovely things. And Angry cos he writes funny things. But not Andre cos, although he writes and doodles the sweetest things, I believe he’s shy.

    Fussy Bitch | 01.07.07, 19:02

    ha ha ha ha ha ha.

    I am shy.

    andre | 01.07.07, 21:32

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