Funny Queer or Funny Ha Ha?

A growing chorus of Jonsonblog readers are raising the issue that recent posts are landing in a rareified “not so much funny as ‘disturbing/gross’” territory.  A smattering:

“If the jonsonblog had existed before you two were married, I’m not sure I’d have introduced you” - a friend’s email to the missus.

“It seems like lately you’re working through some issues” - work colleague

“you can’t strike comedy gold every time” - long time commenter

The truth of the matter is, it’s a tricky position, writing when you’re aware of an audience.  I can’t write about work, or family, or friends, and writing about quirky items in the news or wacky products I find on the internet isn’t something I like doing very much.

The whole point of the blog was to have a place to write down things that amused me, and along the way a handful of people started reading it.  Fine, in as much as I love making people laugh, but eventually knowing who was reading (or that anyone at all was reading) started to color the things I wrote about.  I certainly don’t want people I care about thinking worse of me because of some (seemingly) innocuous jokes I’ve told online.

Perhaps it’s time to slow things down a bit on the jonsonblog. I’m not saying “quit” per se, but maybe just take a break until something strikes me as so funny I can’t stand to not write about it.