Tag Archives: Underdogs Unite

We’re Number Seven! We’re Number Seven!

Remember this?

And remember how I asked you to vote for me?

And then I let that button languish on my sidebar from months on end and kind of forgot about it altogether?

Well guess what? I didn’t win.

Shocker.

BUT I am actually on the short list which is just about the coolest thing that’s ever happened to me blog-wise. I mean – in a popularity contest for people who write really long posts kind of way.

The Blogitzer isn’t one of the bigger, more sought after categories like Best Humor Blog (meaning not for people who only make themselves laugh) or Hottest Mommy Blogger (as if!). It may not get as much attention as the others, but I like to think of it as more of an “indie” category. Lower budget and fewer viewers, but…hmmm – okay, forget that track. Let’s just call it “exclusive.”

Would this make me like the seventh most popular cheerleader or the seventh most popular kid in the Chess Club…?

Either way, I WIN (seventh place).

WE’RE NUMBER SEVEN! WE’RE NUMBER SEVEN!

(If you wanted to see the full list of winners, go HERE. You’ll find The Blogitzer almost at the end – between “Most Obnoxious Blogger” and “Worst Blog of All Time.” So thrilling to be rubbing elbows with the blogging elite.)

So You’re An Underdog…Do You Want an Award or Something?

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You may not remember this, but last month I wrote about an idea I had for a website devoted to online “Underdogs.” Well – I actually did it – and I’ve even had some recruits!

While the original idea was to list award nominations for…well, anyone who asked, really…I’ve had some other ideas.

First of all – this site is far from serious. I mean – how could it be with a mascot like this:

But I do like the idea of giving people a platform to say, “hey – check me out! I don’t suck!” Or something like that… And so far, that’s what we’ve done.

The current list of sites that don’t suck includes:

A Lil’ Welsh Rarebit
Adventures in the Land of the Newlyweds…
An Inch of Gray
Be Different…Act Normal
But Why Mommy
Eskimo Bob Lives
Every Day I Write the Book
FranticMommy
Free Flan
Happily Ever After
Insta-Mom
Pearl, Why You Little…
Reston Mom
Rocksee’s At the Porch Swing
The Big Piece of Cake

Not too shabby for a month right?

And a few of those aren’t even nominated for awards. They just asked me to promote a giveaway or just “them.” I’m willing to try anything out on the Underdogs site, so any requests or suggestions are welcome.

One idea that I had recently was to spoof the “real” awards with a list of Underdog Awards. And apparently, I’m not the only one who has thought of this.

And I’ve finally started to work on that – as you can read in this excerpt from today’s post on Underdogs Unite:

A couple of weeks ago, I started talking about adding some Underdog-specific Awards to this site. A League of Our Own, so to speak…

So I’ve been trying to come up with award ideas.

Pearl gave me some suggestions when she signed on as an Underdog last week: “Most Likely to Re-Offend, Mostly Likely to Stalk, Best Use of Spell Check, Most Obviously in Violation…” and “don’t forget Most Likely to Post Nekkid.” I think she’s a genius.

Here are the ones I made up:

Most Prolific Poster

Most Likely to Tag Dooce for a Meme

Most Self-Congratulatory Parenting Advice

Most Enthusiastic Commenter

Most Likely to Become a “Famous” Blogger (whatever that means)

Most Likely to Gain 500 Followers After Threatening to Stop Blogging OR After a Major Blog Scandal (whatever that means)

Most Likely to Get Drunk and/or Cry within the First Five Minutes of BlogHer (or at home during the week of BlogHer)

Most Confusing Aliases for Family Members

Most Likely to Overuse the Term “Hubby,” “Hubs,” or Something Even Cuter

Most TMI

Worst Potty Mouth

Best Accent

Best Hair

Best Dancer

Best Dressed

Too snarky? (That’s a question – not an award.)

Am I forgetting anything? Suggestions are welcome. Just comment or e-mail me at underdogsunite@gmail.com.

I’ll get this organized by next week, so stay tuned for more details. In the meantime – don’t forget to VOTE for each other (you know – for the real awards) and send more Underdogs this way.

Anything goes here – so if you want to promote anything (including yourself), just let me know!

So We’ll see what happens with that…

But wait! Are YOU an Underdog?

I’ve had a few bloggers who do have a fairly impressive following ask if they could be considered an Underdog. How unknown do you have to be, so to speak. I have the same answer for all of them: “Are you Dooce? No? Then you’re in!” Although the site is really open to anyone so Dooce is more than welcome to join. It would be a little strange of course…but luckily, she hasn’t contacted me, so I think we can probably avoid any awkwardness there.

So – long story short (or long story summarized at the end – since nothing is ever short on this site) – I’m having a party at Underdogs Unite, and everyone is invited. Your reasons for coming are irrelevant. Whether you want to get more votes for your nomination, participate in the soon to be huge Underdog Awards, meet other bloggers, promote your site or giveaway, or just get in my good books* (which ‘ya should – of course) – it’s all good.

We all feel like Underdogs at heart right?

I can’t believe it’s just me (and the other 10+ sites listed above)…So join the party – and bring snacks – because that will REALLY get you in my good books.*

*This is a common English idiom, not a reference to a book that I’m writing. Although I really should write a book once I get this Underdog thing off the ground… I suggest sucking up to me now if you want to be in it.

Because Everyone Loves an Underdog

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Remember my very enthusiastic friend Christy who guest posted for me last week with a story about how she almost sent her male boss pregnancy Spanx through Amazon.com? Well she also happens to be my biggest fan.

I’m serious – she thinks I’m fabulous. And it would be a lie to say that it hasn’t given me just a little bit of an ego boost.

If I could bottle that encouragement and sell it as a perfume for teenage girls, I think I could single handedly do away with eating disorders, “bad reputations” and various other byproducts of low self esteem. At the very least there would be far fewer boyfriends whose chief appeal is the ability to offer “couple” status.

But sub par teenage boyfriends aside, I think EVERYONE needs a Christy. The Christys of the world make us believe that anything is possible and that we are worthy of that possibility. They are wonderful friends and I consider myself very lucky to have one of my own.

Especially when she nominates me for awards.

That’s right – she isn’t all talk. She actually takes her encouragement a step further. The other day she informed me that she nominated me for a Blogger’s Choice ’09 award: Best Humor Blog.

I would never have considered such a thing. This is probably my favorite blog genre, so I’m very familiar with what would be considered “the competition.” Let me tell you – it’s no contest. I certainly find myself amusing (what – like you can’t tell?) but I can’t technically label this site a humor blog.

I’ve written about everything from having children with special needs to pretty handbags I found on Etsy. True – I write quite a few anecdotes that again, I personally find amusing…but I can’t say that I fit into an actual genre. At least I didn’t SEE a Best Whatever Strikes My Fancy on Any Given Day category.

So with my recently enlarged head firmly in place, I decided to try to find the category that best fit my all across the board content, and nominate myself.

Behold:

I am currently one of the top contenders for The Blogitzer (as in The Top 53). Right now the #1 spot is held by Heather Armstrong of Dooce. I’m so going to win this one… And I’m off to a roaring start with two votes (that would be me, and of course Christy).

I know – it’s ridiculous. But I just had to do it. I’ve been working so hard to do something about my passive tendency to let Fate, like a distracted pet owner, lead me aimlessly through life. I need to become master of my own destiny, and ANY tiny, flailing attempt is better than nothing. I’m tired of just being along for the ride. I am no one’s purse puppy, and I refuse to be Fate’s bitch.

Instead, I’m just another underdog. Which actually works for me since I’ve always had a thing for underdogs. Lloyd from Say Anything? Chandler from Friends? McDreamy from Can’t Buy Me Love? Well hel-lo sailor! If that’s the company I’ll be keeping, you’ll hear no complaints from me.

BUT…after taking this public stand against Fate, I have to admit that I felt a little silly. I mean it’s so small fish/big pond. I realize that I have no chance of ever actually winning anything Internet-related with my handful of readers and my severe lack of time for social media in general… But there is something very satisfying about the gesture.

And for me, the combination of silly and self satisfied generally serves as a catalyst for even MORE embarrassing behavior. As in “ten years later, I will manically burn all traces of evidence” kind of embarrassing.

So how’s this for evidence to destroy? I decided to start a website: Underdogs Unite.

It’s for people like me, who have been nominated for something even though it’s unlikely that anyone will ever know.

Have YOU been nominated for something? Well…I’D like to know. And that’s ONE more person at least.

So come visit me at my totally ridiculous, embarrassing, and obviously ironic little underdog support group. It’s an open invitation, so feel free to bring your loser friends.

Why keep sitting in the audience?

May I admire you?

Strange things are afoot at the Circle K…

We’re going streaking! Th… W… There’s more coming.

You’re so money and you don’t even know it!

Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!

This is our time.

We’re on a mission from God.

Vote for Pedro!

Nerds! Nerds! Nerds! Nerds!

So who’s with me? Let’s vote for the underdogs! I say our time has finally come!

Because everyone loves an underdog.