Sexism in Blogging

About fifteen years ago, back when this blog had about 200 readers and half of them were probably accidental clicks, I had a guy — we’ll call him Ernest — tell me something I will never forget. And yes, when I say Ernest, I absolutely mean Ernest P. Worrell energy: “Hey Vern! You’re not gonna believe this, knowhutImean?” Now picture that voice, that face, that wide-eyed expression, because this is EXACTLY how it felt when this man told me: “Blogs are stupid. They’re for women who sit on their butts all day watching soap operas, reading Dear Abby, and wasting time.” I half-expected him to follow it with, “Right, Vern? KnowhutImean?”

According to Ernest, women sat around watching General Hospital with Dear Abby as their emotional support hotline, while men were too rugged to read anything that didn’t have grease on it. In reality, the women reading the blog were running businesses, running households, running kids everywhere, running their lives, and running circles around men like Ernest. Yep… just “sitting on their butts.”

Back then, admitting you read a blog was — for a certain type of man — as dangerous as admitting you enjoyed music that wasn’t written by Lynyrd Skynyrd. It was the exact same energy as those guys in the 80s who loudly called a Whitney Houston album a “Whitney Frisbee,” while secretly doing full-body choreography to I Wanna Dance With Somebody. And let’s be honest: lots of men liked Whitney, just like lots of men liked Barry Manilow, but they acted like saying it out loud would make their camo truck break down. Reading a blog fell into that same “forbidden pleasures” category.

But then something funny happened: men started reading the blog anyway. At first, it was sneaky—like squirrels stealing birdseed. Some guy would say he “accidentally” read the blog because his wife left it open, and the next thing you know, men were quoting the blog like Ernest quoting his own catchphrases. “Hey Vern, Steve just posted some cool tricks to protect our sprinkler system if a sneaky cold snap hits — knowhutImean?”

Fifteen years later, we get about 20,000 views every month, and a huge percentage of readers are men. Zero soap operas involved, no Dear Abby columns consulted, and zero sitting around doing nothing. Nationally, 77% of all internet users read blogs, and men are one of the fastest-growing reader groups. The old idea that “blogs are for women with nothing to do” has been buried next to dial-up modems, 8-track tapes, and Blockbuster cards. Turns out men WILL read a blog — especially when their home or sprinkler system depends on it.

KnowhutImean?

Here are the routes for today:

Ben with “Leroy” in Boise 83709

West Donnybrook Drive
West Cameron Street
South Linda Vista Avenue
W Baserri Dr
S McCormick Place
West Macumbo Court
W Billabong St
W Silverspring St
S Whitmore Way
West Tevoit Street
South Moonfire Way
South Raptor Lane
W Rustica Dr
West Rustica Drive
West Rustica Drive
West Rustica Drive
West Lillywood Drive
West Idlewood Drive
West Trestlewood Drive
West Lillywood Drive
West Tilmont Street

Challis with “Orange Julius” in Boise 83713

West Tahiti Court
North Brookmeadow Way
North Heathrow Court
N Stafford Pl
West Barclay Street
North Bennington Way
North Sparkford Way
West Chatsworth Court
North Forbes Avenue
West Kettle Creek Drive

Eddie with “Purple Rain” in Meridian

North Rutledge Avenue
North Tina Marie Avenue
West Thorn Creek Court
West Cherrytree Court
West Blue Creek Street
West Gillette Street
North Lambert Way
Hearst Drive West
South Echo Canyon Avenue
North Watersong Way
West Boulder Bar Drive
West Lost Rapids Drive
West Apple Pine Street
West Cedar Grove Street
North Glennfield Place