What's What? The Challenge of "Controversial" Topics in Blogging

There is an interesting and possibly uneasy relationship between life's controversial topics, and success and blogging.

If there's anything 25 years of being part of this gig has taught me, it is that people are often drawn to controversial topics like moths to a flame, but as a blogger taking on such topics and get you a heap of hate mail and put you in hot water with many of your followers.

However, as somewhat controversial and outspoken lecturer and intellectual Jordan B. Peterson once said: "when you have something to say, silence is a lie."

Whereas I am certainly no fanboy of his, there's a lot of truth to that statement. That said, you also have to examine what your objective is.

And yes, I think that last bit matters rather a lot. After all if you're objective is mainly to maximize your advertising revenue and gain as many followers as possible your approach would probably be different than if your objective is simply to state your truth.

Of course, there's a slippery beast, and and of itself!

Here's one definition of "Speaking My Truth" that I recently ran across, and perhaps you can relate:

Speaking My Truth = I reserve the right to be an asshole in this conversation and you must honor it at all times, regardless of how deep my delusions may be. Chances are I’ll use this phrase every time I don’t want to be called out on my phony bullshit, but if you challenge me, I will defensively insist that you're afraid of the truth, while ignoring the fact that it’s ultimately all just perspective.

Sounds like more than a few people I've encountered!

Historically, many of us have been told that "controversial topics" were basically politics, money, sex, religion and raising children.

But it's not really that simple, is it?

More often than not — even though we give a lot of lip service to the idea(l) of "free speech" — controversy arises anytime someone questions or contradicts the "officially established narrative."

And that narrative can be anything from "local" to "universal."

I think back to the endless shenanigans we ran into when we first moved to this house and ran afoul the neighborhood association because we kept chickens. After all, the house we moved into already had a fully finished chicken coop, attached to the garage.

When I say we "ran afoul" the association, it wasn't about chickens so much as our daring to question the rule and ask the HOA board to grant us a variance because the chickens we both in an enclosed space and hidden from view.

The "controversy" laid in the fact that we didn't just "roll over and play dead."

10 years and empty egg coolers at the supermarket later, I bet you we could have gotten that variance rammed through! After all, eggs have suddenly become like gold in this strange world of ours.

But getting back to blogging, what gets taken as "controversial" is often less about what might be a dodgy topic, than it is about questioning whatever powers may be in the space you're occupying.

Complaining about cockroaches as pests and disease spreaders — *in general— is fine, but complaining that there are cockroaches in your apartment building might land you in hot water with the landlord... who can have you evicted. "Controversy" suddenly becomes very situational, doesn't it?

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great remainder of your week!

Comments, feedback and other interaction is invited and welcomed! Because — after all — SOCIAL content is about interacting, right? Leave a comment — share your experiences — be part of the conversation! I do my best to answer comments, even if it sometimes takes a few days!

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Created at 2023-11-28 23:52PST
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