And That's Why I Hate You, Sheila Mulligan
Oct 2, 2006 at 11:00 AM Normally I'm a pretty happy person who tries to find the good in everyone. However, sometimes I get really angry and just need to let loose. Up to this point in my life, I've hidden my anger for the most part, maybe vented to a few friends about this or that, but I've reached a point where I can't keep it in any longer. Sometimes we all need an, "I'm mad as hell and I'm not gonna take it anymore!" moment. This is my moment.
With this, I'd like to introduce something new here at Pretty in the City called...
"And That's Why I Hate You, xxx"
Before I continue, I should say that I hate people who hate. I've always thought that if you don't like someone, you should ignore them, or keep it to yourself. So much energy goes into hating--why not put that energy to something useful? Something productive?
Because sometimes hating feels good, that's why.
A certain amount of satisfaction comes along with telling someone to “f*ck off” or “go to hell”--don't you agree? Sometimes hating and expressing hate spells relief better than the best indigestion tab on the market.
Before I announce the recipient of the first ever "And That's Why I Hate You" award, I want to point out something else: I realize that word "hate" is harsh, but using it is more satisfying than using a word like "dislike." "Hate" is short, to the point, and it leaves no question as to how I really feel about you. If I hate you, I hate you. End of story.
With that, onto my first entry.
So I had a birthday. I turned 29. Again. And I got all sorts of nice birthday wishes on my MySpace page and on this blog. To show my appreciation, I wrote a long post that thanked everybody individually. The thing is, I get a lot of emails and well wishes, and I don't have time to respond to them all. I wanted to show the people who sent me well wishes that I'm thankful for them taking the time out of their busy days to do so.
Just so you know, it took me about three hours to write the post. I'm late handing in two projects that I'm working, too, yet I still took the time to write it. I wrote something short yet heartfelt about each person, and then I wrote this at the end:
Okay, so time to get sappy... Every time I'm sad or get down, I look at my blog or MySpace page, read some comments and realize how lucky I am to have the best blogging FRIENDS ever. I say "friends" because I think the word "fan" is stupid - I love ya'll as much as you hopefully love me, and I'm positive that if we all lived in the same city we'd hang out. Thank you so much for making me feel loved on a daily basis. I cannot thank you enough!
YOU ARE THE STARS IN MY SKY. XX
I meant it. The thing about Blogger and MySpace is that they've allowed me to put faces to the names of the people who read my blogs/books. Savekaryn.com was up before these things existed, so while I got a ton of emails, I never knew who was sending them. Now that I can see who's reading/commenting, I've realized that they are/were people just like me. They're the kinds of people that I'd be friends with. They're not just strangers with an email address anymore. They're people with friends, families, pets--lives.
So anyway, I got some responses to the post, all of them nice, and then I got this:
hey, I love your first book and I can't wait to get the second . . . but isn't it sort of rude what you did to your cat? and disingenuous about how you'd hang out with complete strangers if we all lived in the same city? and isn't this web site sort of like a commercial instead of the Pure and Brilliant Save Karyn? I don't know. I LOVED your book Save Karyn, but I'm a FAN who is concerned about your level of intensity with regard to showcasing your cat. And I believe that "the man [woman] is never is as great as the work" and your first book is definitely brilliant but I hate to be a bitch sort of but God this blog site feels like an opportunity for you to sell. I don't know. I read it anyway because I think you are so funny I can't stand it. I am conflicted. Your Fan, Sheila (yet another Sheila)
Sheila Mulligan, I appreciate the nice things you said about savekaryn.com, but feel that everything else you said is pretty much sh*t. You're conflicted? Well, I'm not.
I hate you, Shelia Mulligan.
First, I'd like to address my cat. He pretty much does this...
...25 hours a day. So me dressing him up and sticking sunglasses and stamps on his head is keeping him young. I rescued him from a bush when he was eight months old, and I've fed him, pet him, and cleaned up his sh*t for the past eleven years. He's got a pretty easy life and I think he can handle wearing sunglasses for five minutes, even if it is for my own amusement. Sure, he'd probably rather continue to do this...
...but too bad. I'm the mommy. I make the rules.
As for my level of intensity with regards to "showcasing" my cat, you should more concerned about my level of intensity with regards to the hate I have for you.
Now on to me being "disingenuous" about saying that I'd hang out with the people who post on this blog. You're either implying that I have a superiority complex and think I'm better than everyone else, or you're implying that the people who post here/read this blog are complete morons. You posted here and admitted to being a reader... are you a moron?
Please don't answer that.
Sheila, I'm no better than anyone else and I've never pretended to be. Most of the people who read this blog have read Save Karyn and identified with it in some way or another, meaning they identified with me, meaning I'd identify with them if we were to meet. When I read their blogs or look at their MySpace pages, I'm able to get a taste of their sense of humor, see their outlook on life, and can honestly say that they are the type of people that I'd be friends with.
Okay, let's move on. As for this website being a commercial, I have links on it to my books, which I will not apologize for. I worked hard on them and I hope people will buy them. It's how I make a living. Some of the posts I've written have to do with the new book, but that's what's going on in my life right now. This is not savekaryn.com. I'm not in debt aymore. This is a random blog about my life.
Now onto... "the man [woman] is never is as great as the work." What kind of backhanded compliment is this? You're basically saying that Save Karyn is/was great, but I'm not. Screw you. I'm human; I have flaws. I do things right; I do things wrong. I say something smart; I say something stupid. Everyone does.
I realize that telling you all this will probably cause me to lose a sale of 20 Times a Lady, but I don't really care. I can live with that. In fact, if you'd like a refund for having purchased Save Karyn, send me your address and I'll send you the $13 back. This should show you how "commercial" this site isn't. I don't use it to gain fans and sell books. I use it to write about stupid, silly, and fun things that I've been up to. It's a smorgasbord of odd diary entries, pictures, and things I do on a weekly basis. If you don't like it, don't read it.
I hate you, Shelia Mulligan, because you bury insults inside compliments, and because you insinuated that a sincere comment I made was bullsh*t. I hate people who look for the ugly in things. I hate people that assume the worst of people. When people questioned the validity of savekaryn.com and whether or not it was fake, and then asked me if I would donate to a cause like mine, I said "absolutely." I said this because I'd rather trust someone and be taken advantage of than not have faith in them from the start. Don't be jaded. Believe, trust, and hope that people's intentions are good.
Okay, so that's it for the first installment of "And That's Why I Hate You, xxx." Tune in tomorrow for, "And That's Why I Hate You, Cable Repair Man."
Reader Comments (28)
WHOA! uhmm Sheila, you can't wait to get the second book??? hahahah thats funny! stick to ur Nora Roberts...Karen can do whatever she wants with her cat, I don't see this blog as a cormmercial of any sort. She has worked hard on these 2 books, therefore she can advertised about them however, wherever she pleases. I wish you would have never said you were a "fan" of hers cause ur not.
Karen sorry for all of what was said to you, it sucks to have people like her messaging you with such a negative vibe. booooo her and she can hold on to her other $13 bucks.....
Hey Sheila, "20 times a lady" was awesome...
grrrrrrrrrrr now this made me all upset too.
You have no reason to explain your blog in any way... I think you are a friendly funny chick and I would still be a reader/blogger friend regardless of if you wrote a book or two.
Elvis loved being dressed up... you could just tell. hehe.
I never understand why people compalin about other peoples blogs... if you dont like it - don't read it... (derr!!)
Sticks and stones may break my bones, but Karen will always be a great author and blogging buddy, she may not know me but thank you Karen for giving me some laughter in my life..I need it. And Elvis is just adorable!
KUDOS!!!
I totally agree with Karina...I just don't understand why people leave "hate" comments in d first place...d whole process itself explains dat they are just some losers, reading other ppl' blogs and den claiming they don't like it...
Just fucking get out of d person's blog if they don't like it!!!
Just so whoever think dis blog is a place to sell...I'm telling you, we would still be Karyn's blogging friends if we like d blog even if she wasn't an author we love...so, SHOOOOOOO!!! Off you leave dis lovely place where we keep in touch with her as FRIENDS!
And I think we'll have a lot to type if we want to start posting "hate" entries..haha
I am so humiliated that someone with my name is so clueless!! I loved your book, love your site, love your MySpace, love Elvis, and hate Sheila Mulligan, too!
Oh, no, not another Sheila! Well at least this Sheila (me) loves your blog, your books, you and Elvis! Keep up the great work!
I love both of your books, I definitely identify with you in so many ways... and in fact, I agree that if we DID live in the same city, we would hang out.
I think that Sheila person is jealous because you are so funny, brilliant and REAL.
Poo on her.
I met Karyn at a book signing and can vouch that she is as friendly in person as you would imagine her to be!
Standing Ovation for Karyn, and that is why I love you. Don't worry about a loss of a book sale. I may go out and buy another copy just because of this post
What the hell was this Sheila bird on about? Karyn is no different from any of us she's just been lucky enough to get a break but lets not forget she hit a major low before that and she's worked really hard to pick herself back up & get where she is now.
Sheila just needs to crawl back into her pit!!
I for one Karyn have been reading for ages & have no intention of stopping, you are too funny!
So, love to you Karyn, don't let her get to you.
xxx
LOVE it!
Karen-
you rock, poop on Sheila and all her negativity! I think you are great and loved BOTH your books!
I tohiught you handled that very well!
i agree with one of your other comments. you rock, poop on Sheila and all her negativity!
I heard about this post from Save Sheila's blog (same name, different Sheila) and I had to come and check it out for myself. All that I can say is that I am utterly amazed at your writing ability. I am an extreme reader. I read absolutely everything. You have, without a doubt, one of the greatest writing styles that I have ever seen. And I am absolutely in love with you for it. (not in some freaky sort of internet stalker kind of way. more of a hurry up and write some more so I can read it sort of thing)
The way that you built up your entry to the point of "I hate you, sheila mulligan" was absolutely perfect. You write like I wish I could.
That being said, I am afraid to tell you the rest of the story.
Please understand that I am not a mean person, and I am not trying to be negative. But this is just so completely perfect that I cannot help but share it with you. So please, no "I hate you, Jagular" posts in the morning, ok? I am hoping for something more like "yes, I can appreciate the irony of the situation."
It is the classic, perfect, one in a million,neener neener, fate is against me, irony of ironies.
At the pinnacle of your rant, the defining moment, the exact point that you built up to and now reveal, you misspelled the word sheila.
OK, come on now, admit the irony. Pull out some hair, growl and groan a little. But doesn't that just beat all? I mean, if you were to misspell any other word in the entire piece, pointing it out would be petty. Trivial. Meaningless.
Yes, I feel your pain. And I hate people like Sheila Mulligan, too. And I loved the pictures of your cat.
But no "I hate you" posts to Jagular, right? :P
Jagular really is a great guy (even though we've never met)!
I freaking adore you Karyn (with a Y!)
I do believe we would be friends if we ever did meet. :)
First of all, Karyn, you kick ass.
Second, I'm a little disappointed that Sheila hasn't written something on here to defend herself. I mean, I would've... Unless Karyn totally interpreted that email correctly. Which brings me back to the first thing. Karyn kicks ass.
id just like to say that i've never actually read your book. i probably will eventually but i randomly found your blog one day and pay attention to it becuase you seem like a pretty genuine awesome person. your not false and your blog isn't a commercial it oozes personality and regular life. i think sheila needs a reality check.
Karyn,
this is the kind of response I've always wanted to read when some negative a**hole posts to someone else's blog! Much more real than "the ideas and comments of everyone should be respected and yada yada yada." Beautiful and Classic! Keep up the good work.
from a faithful fan that only comments once in a blue moon in Chicago area.
jjenni7
I Googled her.
Do you think she wrote this:
http://www.wordsonwalls.net/issuethree/smulligan.html
Karyn,
People who have read your 1st book and your prettyinthecity blog know who you really are... a great person from the inside out.
I had sent you an email regarding my brother that passed away in March, after I read about your aunt passing away in your blog. You sent me the most sweetest email back and it was so sincere and real that it made me cry.
Some people are just jealous of other people's success, or personalities, whatever.
This Sheila sounds like she has issues!
Thanks for being real and keeping me entertained with you silly postings. And I for one, LOVE LOVE LOVE the Elvis photos!
ManicMom,
I think she did!
I am so glad to see that you posted this blog! She totlaly deserved it! I read your blog every so often and love it. IT's funny! Being a blog writer myself (on diaryland) where I read lots of other blogs this blog is basically a regualr blog, but your a celebrity. I don't think that your trying to 'sell your books' I think your having fun! I read your birthday blog and thought it was the sweetest and kicked myself for not wishing you a happy birthday so I would get a note! I go to your comments page and was shocked by what Sheila said! I think she may have just beeen jealous that she never posted you a birthday message! I hate when people leave mean comments on other people's blogs! Way to go!
well written!
she is just jealous!!! Classic put someone else down to make myself feel better because I am mad I did not think of this first!
"...you should more concerned about my level of intensity with regards to the hate I have for you."
Bwahahahahahahaha!
"...In fact, if you'd like a refund for having purchased Save Karyn, send me your address and I'll send you the $13 back."
Bwahahahahahahaha...Again!
And that, Miss Karyn, is why I LIKE you! [grin]
This is my first time here and I have enjoyed the visit. I agree with your philosophy in this post 100%. I also agree with Karinaxoxo, above. Sheila Mulligan didn't deserve an explantion, but I, for one, sure am glad you gave it to her. [chuckle] What a great read! Thanks. [smile]
Have a grand day!
This is my first time here. I haven't read your books, but I like your style and I'll buy your books. So who needs her? With customers like that, who needs enemies? I don't remember where I heard it but someone said, "I couldn't possibly hate you. In order to hate you, first I'd have to care about you." I think you pretty much expressed your apathy toward her as a customer by offering her the money back. So much for you being "commercial". Well, I'm in. I hate the cable guy too.
Heather