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Thursday 11 October 2007

Trashy is as trashy does....


Do you remember when you were at high school and all the ‘cool’ girls decided that they hated someone and because they did to be considered ‘cool’ everyone else had to hate them too? Well I was never cool. Actually, I was more lukewarm and spent a great deal of time flying under the radar as it was useful to get out of things that you did not want to do like sport or detention. Anyway, my point is, and I do have one, real life is not supposed to be a continuation of high school. We’ve supposed to have gotten out of the mob mentality of picking on some because we can. But yet it happens all the time. I say for god sake get a grip. High school is over.

I don’t understand the current trend of trashing someone’s book or personality on a blog. Okay, so you don’t like the cover of a book. My suggestion? Avert your eyes. Save yourself the angst. You don’t like the blurb? Solution? Don’t read the book. You don’t like the title? Fair enough. Teach that author a lesson and don’t buy the book with the upsetting title. Let’s face it how many people went “bloody hell I’m not reading some weird arsed book called Willy Wonker and the Chocolate factory.” Or “Moby Dick? You say it’s about a whale? Well geeze why call it that? How stupid! I thought it might be something else like a big man called Richard or something.” The book has sex in it? Holy snapping ducks! Is that allowed? Here’s an idea. When the book says its ‘erotic’ and you don’t want to read an erotic book then move past it. You are allowed. My point is as a book consumer you can say “no, I will not buy “What Your Nose Hair Says About You” but I will buy “Two Hundred and Fifty-six Ways to Split Hairs.” So we have that power as consumers. What I want to know is why we don’t use it?

I write a blog. You’re reading it now. There are books and writers I don’t particularly like. That’s my opinion and I have a right to it as you do yours. However I do not feel the need to trash that book or the author because I can. That’s tacky and childish and I don’t need to boost my ego by dragging someone else down. And, to be honest, publicly trashing someone’s book seems insane to me. I assume by trashing it you are trying to belittle the person in some way. However have you noticed whichever book they trash people rush out to buy it to see just how ‘terrible’ and ghastly it is? It’s a fact. They become best sellers. It makes me shake my head and smile whenever I read someone’s book getting trashed as I hear the ‘ker-ching of the cash register.

And what is with mob rule? Too scared to stand alone and have an opinion?


Bimbo – I hate that author’s book
Harpie – Me too especially the guy on the front. He is too hot and they are trying to make ugly women believe anyone can have a man like that.
Cow– Yeah he sucks big time with all those muscles and I don’t like the way I have to turn the pages myself.
Bimbo -That is so wrong to ask a reader to do that.
Harpie -Clearly the author is an untalented bitch for having pages in the book. You could break a nail.
Cow – Yeah, I going to tell everyone I hate her and her book.
Bimbo– Me too
Harpie – Me three.

The silly thing is of course is you can only be hurt by an opinion if that person means something to you. If a complete stranger carries on like a pork chop and vilifies you over something, a smart, rational person is going to think ‘yeah well, whatever.’ If a mob joins in it’s just pathetic. Having an original thought and opinion is one thing, being part of a pack is just sad arsed. Or worse still, the ‘friend’ that runs you down publicly on a blog. That’s just monrgel-like.

So why do people, and sadly other authors, trash an author’s book? I have several opinions. My first is one regular readers would be familiar with. The trashers are suffering for the deadly tight knicker elastic. It’s no laughing matter. Tight elastic on pudgy thighs gets people cranky and they have to lash out due to elasticitis. I may have made that word up but you know what I mean. Next theory, you get home from work and you find a terrifying bill in you mail box. You stagger inside, switch on the computer and you are so outraged at a piece of paper with the ghastly amount payable figure on it that you have to lash out angrily at everyone and say dumb arsed things to make yourself feel better. Or maybe it’s jealousy. But then how can that be? What reason has a smart, confident woman to be so childish and jealous? Smart confident people don’t need to bolster their own egos at the expense of others. Hmm... maybe it’s not smart people trashing others…gee, there’s a thought.
I know, you are thinking did Amarinda get trashed on a blog? The answer is no. Will I care if I get trashed on a blog? No, why would I? Mob opinion or jealousy means nothing to me and any publicity is good. May all authors I know remember that you write because you want to, you get published because you are good and one person only tries to drag another down to make themselves feel better. Rise above it. And, if you do get trashed listen for the ker-ching of the cash register.
*Pork chop – an idiot
*What Your Nose Hair Says About You” and “Two Hundred and Fifty-six Ways to Split Hair” - sorry, not in publication. Yes, it is disappointing.
Last Man Standing Review
I enjoyed the plot and the creativity of this novel. The main characters were wonderful and strong in nature, and definitely the “heroes” of the novel. The “bad guys” were definitely the bad guys, with no surprises. But even with these details so apparent, the story was a joy to read, and quite entertaining. I certainly wish to read the first novel in this series, SWIFT OF HEART.http://www.theromancereadersconnection.com/reviews2/daviesjanet11007.html

Kelly likes to try to drive me mad. Check out www.kkirch.blogspot and see where she had taken the saga. I shake my head. How did I get involved with such a crazy person? The other half of the crazy duo Anny set Kelly on the crazy course she went on with her blog on www.annycook.blogspot.com. And when checking out blogs, I recommend www.mjdaniels.blogspot.com she has great insight and wisdom as does Sandra on www.sandracox.blogspot.com. Look around you, there are interesting people everywhere.

www.freewebs.com/amarindajones/
Go ahead: Live with abandon. Be outrageous at any age. What are you saving your best self for?

5 comments:

Cindy Spencer Pape said...

Odd. I'm sure I know people who have read 256 Ways to split a Hair. Or perhaps they said they were writing it. Could be. All I know is that life is too short to worry about the cows and bimbos. Time wasted thinking about them would be far better spent reading one of Janet or Amarinda's books.

Molly Daniels said...

I have a friend who's mentor was trashed by another jealous author, and since the association was there, so was she. I clicked on the link just to see what the reference was, and was appalled by the language, the anger, and obvious jealousy that was depicted! I had never heard of this author, and having read two of his entries, I have no desire to read his book. Thankfully, the author he trashed stood his ground and refused to sink to his level. That is the only way to deal with these people. Sooner or later they will get tired of trying to draw someone into a fight and pick on someone less confident.

Anny Cook said...

I believe you're correct, Amarinda. Definitely tight knicker elastic. The solution in that case would be bigger knickers, don't you think? Perhaps some of those soft cotton granny knickers with plenty of room so their brains can breathe?

Phoenix said...

Brain swelling is a huge danger. It's a tremendous problem when people have their head up their arses AND tight knicker elastic. Double whammy that.

Moll, you hit a truth too. When the attitude of the trasher comes to light, it wrecks their public perception. Who wants to buy a book off a "bimbo"? Not me.

Molly Daniels said...

Forgot to mention: Congrats on the great review for SOH:)