the writing and photography of Neil Kramer

Thoughts on the Interviews

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How do I feel about the response to the Great Interview Experiment? 

Overwhelmed!  I had no idea there would be so many people!  I think we’re up to 200 interviews going on already, and I’m sure there will be more.  Just add your name in the comments here.

It’s sort of ironic.  Here, I wrote a post about how everyone is all equal and interesting, and I get to win all the LINKS!   Suckers!

This morning, Sophia woke me up and said, “There are 200 comments.  Now is the best time for you to put up advertising!”

“Are you nuts?”  I asked.  “I’d look like a total asshole.  Like I’d set this whole up to profit from it.”

“That’s what you are SUPPOSED to do!”

She just doesn’t understand.  I’m an idealist.  Or a wimp that needs to bring this fear up in therapy.  So far, it has been cool meeting some new bloggers and getting to know old friends better, but in reality, it is more work on my part than fun.   It reminds me of the times you have a bunch of friends over for a dinner party, and everyone is having a great time, except you — because you’re serving the little hot dog appetizers on a platter and washing the dishes.   I’m trying my best to keep everything updated.

I’m also finally feeling sympathy for bigshot blogger like Dooce.   How the hell do you read so many blogs coming your way at one time?  And how many “Heather”s and “Kathy”s are there in this world?!    Please don’t think of me as rude if I don’t come to read your interview immediately.  Besides, most of you new people, particularly the mommybloggers, will abandon me soon anyway — after they read some of my NSFW posts.  That’s why you always have to be loyal to your real blog friends, the ones who don’t leave even when they you write about shtupping your female therapist.  They’re your real friends. 

And shtupping is Yiddish.  Look it up.

Back to the Great Interview Experiment.  I’m constantly updating the lists of those who want to be interviewed/interview AND the final interviews.   If I screw up in some way, just email me.  I’m not perfect.  Remember, I’m just a guy sitting at home in my underwear.  (by the way, it’s been two years since I’ve asked — are tighty-whiteys still “out?”)  I still have my blog posts to write.  And I still need time to flirt with some of my regular blog friends on Facebook and Twitter.  And to write this brilliant screenplay that is stalled.  And  to watch American Idol with Sophia.  I’m a busy man!

I know some of your interviewers/interviewees are going to wimp out and never ask your questions, etc.   If you have been stuck with one of these lazy-ass motherf***ers, I say, give him five days to redeem himself and respond to you email, and if he doesn’t, just send me an email, and I’ll move you between a prettier pair of bloggers.  I’m also thinking of deleting any blog from the list that has no other purpose other than to sell things.  Those blogs are so boring to me, I start to fall asleep just thinking about them.  If you are one of these bloggers, please do the entire community a service and intersperse some fun stuff in between selling those humidifiers!  A blog should be interesting!

Again, if anyone has any suggestions, please tell me.  I think it is important to give a message to the Old Media that personal bloggers have a role to play in society — and culture.  Elitists will always want to make “real” published writers sound superior (rather than different) to those online, as evidenced by this snarky attack on bloggers in this week’s New York Review of Books (via Time Goes By). 

Fight the power!

39 Comments

  1. sizzle

    you did a very good thing with the interview idea. and it super fun to read new bloggers.

  2. AscenderRisesAbove

    Mine backed out. Now I am thinking I am nobody again. :-/ Hmmmm. Perhaps they took a gander at what was on my blog? At first I thought; fine – whatfreakin’ever; movin’ on. But then realized that your dominoe trail would come to stop if I did that; have interviewed (the lovely Nerds Eye View), not been interviewed. But then if this person is not the only one who has pulled out then you must have a whole line of dominoes that are *not* going to topple? So; sending you some virtual Restorils… then after some sleep; please advise me on what to do.

  3. Neil

    Ascender — You will not be forgotten! Eh, you’re a somebody already… even without an interview… I’ll get you someone later…

  4. Bec

    I loved being the interviewee and am taking it slowly as interviewer in a totally English ‘you take all the time in the world, no problem’ way.

    Anyway. This was definitely one of your best ideas yet!

  5. Not Fainthearted

    I had a blast interviewing Ash. Answering Palinode’s questions was a little more daunting.

    He claims to be a professional afterall….

  6. Jenn

    ASCENDER… I’ll interview you…
    late to the party I am as usual.

    and Neil. a couple of things.
    1. you don’t have to be jewish to know what shtupping is. Of course I think you do need to be jewish to spell it 🙂

    2. Ads. why the heck not? I’ve earned a whole $2.99 from google adsense ! only $97.01 till google cuts me a check!

    3. mommy schmommy bloggers… what about us NON mommy bloggers? we’re about as invisible as the NON Soccer moms in an election year. your NSFW posts don’t scare me…

  7. Dagny

    Ummm. I keep coming back because there’s occasionally some Yiddish here.

  8. will

    I’ve commented elsewhere that I’ve really enjoyed this but I can’t say that enough.

  9. Neil

    Thanks, Jenn, but I’m taking Tamarika out for now, so the next person is Loralee

    http://loraleeslooneytunes.com/

    She’ll interview Ascender! This keeps the chain going…

  10. LVGurl

    For once, I’m in on something at the beginning 😀

  11. chantel

    I’m so happy to finally find out how to spell shtupping. I use the term all the time and add in an extra hand/arm movement for extra comprehension.

    Thanks again for doing this
    *Yes you should advertise damnit*

  12. will

    My google adsense has earned me a sweet $12..yeah I am rolling in the dough. For the record if you find yourself short of interview subjects I can be interviewed as my alter ego Pancho Jukebox.

  13. Neil

    Will, you DO know that you can get ads from Blogher nowadays?… although your wife may never do you again from lack of respect for you manliness.

  14. gorillabuns

    Oh, Neil, I would never abandon you.

    Though, can we come up with another name for some of the “mommybloggers?” Like, “Blogging women who happen to breed once in awhile?”

  15. Neil

    Gorillabuns — You are right. The term is used too broadly. Let’s make two categories. The mommybloggers who still like to shtup for something other than childbearing and those who don’t.

  16. the slackmistress

    Since I haven’t heard from the person who’s supposed to interview me nor the person I’m supposed to interview, I think I’m gonna just bow out altogether. They can just read Will’s interview if they want the inside scoop.

  17. Neil

    No, Slackmistress! Don’t lose heart! If you still are interested, I’m moving you to the end to be interviewed by the fab Cat at http://www.catsteevens.blogspot.com/ and interview the wonderful Anastasia (wordgirl) at http://wordgirl5.typepad.com/apathy_lounge/!

  18. Chag

    So when all the dust settles, does the last person on the list get to interview YOU?

  19. Neil

    I am trying to figure that out, especially since this thing can go on indefinitely if I wanted it to. I already have offers. I certainly don’t want Sophia to be doing the interview. She would ask me questions that are way too personal.

    Hey, wait a minute. Maybe I can get my therapist to do it! Oh no, she’s not a blogger. That’s not fair… I’ll probably just put my name on the list like everyone else and go for the randomness of it all.

  20. MammaLoves

    A. I didn’t realize I could still participate. Getting right on that.

    B. I’m a mommyblogger AND a loyal reader. Don’t dis the mommybloggers. The NSFW stuff is my favorite!!

  21. Nate

    Hey, but who gets to interview you? You should be interviewed, being the guy who thunk it up and all.

  22. Neil

    Nate, I think it so funny that after your interview with Margalit, there are Google Ads for “frozen latkes” all over your blog.

  23. AscenderRisesAbove

    I think you should have your therapist interview you at your next appointment; since you are doing all that blogging anyway. 😉

  24. ali

    i must not be a mommyblogger, then…because i find the idea of you shtupping your therapist totally HOT. 😉

  25. DaveX

    Keep it ad-free, Neil! I use Firefox with Adblock anyway– who sees these ads? Somehow, I don’t think Fred Flintstone IE users represent your readership…

  26. V-Grrrl

    I’m so glad my name’s not Heather.

    And I love tighty whiteys. Always have, always will.

    And now I’m thinking about shtupping my interviewer and sending him hot photos.

    Lucky man.

  27. Penelope

    I loved this interview idea, but I can see how it’s a lot of work. You need a secretary I think, someone to prance about in a short skirt and heels, that could make life easier? Noooo I am not offering – good grief!

  28. better safe than sorry

    people are always looking for something different, this idea is something different. while i can understand you’re feeling overwhelmed, are you also feeling happy with what you’re going to accomplish? just my 2 cents worth that didn’t actually cost me a penny.

  29. august

    Neil, you are so thoughtful. It’s totally understandable that you can’t visit everyones blogs. I mean, like you so eloquently stated in so many words, you do have a life, sheesh.

    I just realized yesterday that I was supposed to interview someone so I wanted to let you know that I did contact her and will be working on that soon. Have a fun day 😉

  30. ingrid

    Tighty whities have their own special role in society.

    I would say it all depends on where you wear them. At home, you should definitely wear the massive grandfatherly ones that go up to your pits.

    In public (not that you really wear your underwear in public, although you might…) go for a little colour. I’ve seen just about everything available. Bizarrely, Bjorn Borg has a line of underwear that might spice up your tighty whitey dilemma.

    (http://www.asos.com/Bjorn-Borg-Underwear/Cat/pgecategory.aspx?cid=3781) I love that the site is called “Asos”… but that is just childish on my part.

  31. fringes

    We’ve made, like, 100 new Blog Friends Forevers through this interview idea. That’s the best part about it. Thanks, Neil!

  32. Aimee Greeblemonkey

    “Suckers!” – LMAO!

  33. Atomic Bombshell

    I’m glad you’re not into putting up ads and that you’re also not into supporting other blogs that do. I think once you start down that road you end up losing the benefits that originally led you to blog.

  34. Sarah, Goon Squad Sarah

    There is nothing wrong with ads. People are not forced to read them if they are not in popup form.

  35. witchypoo

    I hear Blogher pays the best, and yes, why not do it? I’ve applied, I need to fund my hosting fees. I will give the blogger that signed up under me a few more days to answer my questions. She doesn’t post daily or anything.

  36. Otir

    I am against the ads thing. I don’t think it’s worth the pollution for the brain, we’re already spoilt enough, blogs should be the haven for our minds.

    How about placing a donate button? I know from Cookiebitch now that it doesn’t work, but why not place it on the submission for interwiew list blogpost? That would be like going to therapy after all. I am ready to donate for the interviews I did already, I enjoyed it so much. And it would allow you to buy flowers to Sophia.

  37. Cat

    I’m a lil’ slow, but I will be more than happy to interview Slackmistress.

    Dude, you called me FAB, hee hee 🙂

  38. CuriosityKiller

    Hey – just wanna say congrats with the Experiment. Y’know… there actually had been a tag “Interview me” thing going around last year… but nothing as fabulous as your experiment.

    I’m with a guest, so I’ve been busy, but I will totally interview Geeky-Tai Tai asap.

  39. Miss Syl

    Wait, you have NSFW posts? Where?

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