I am the @CraigyFerg of bloggers (Part 1 of 2)

Everyone who's watched Craig Ferguson on the Late Late Show raise your hand. Uh-huh. Nobody.

Craig Ferguson took over the duties of the Late Late Show way back in 2005. If you noticed, raise your hand? Yep. Nobody.  Actually, over 1 million viewers tune in to Ferguson every night - his high is that of 3 million. That's not counting those of us who watch via DVR or VCR (if you're low tech). According to  Ferguson, though, nobody watches...not even the biggies at CBS. 

Regardless of the numbers, every night Ferguson jokes about the lack of viewers and his need to lure in a studio audience by promising " to give hobos free chicken". Every episode, Ferguson plays the show as if nobody watches and nobody cares. By sticking to this assertion, Ferguson actually frees up his creativity and allows it to flow over those of us who do watch.

At any given moment in time, madness will seize the moment. Sid, the cussing bunny, will pop over the side of the camera to discuss his "dirty mouth". During his monologue, it's not unusual for mayhem to break out or, perhaps, a song Such as this one. Bob Barker "surprised" Ferguson and took a hammer to the Late Late show set, Betty White attempted to explain World Cup soccer, audience members help with answering question from The Twitter or e-mail, and the insanity just goes on and on.

Let's insert an awkward pause here in order to allow Bloggerland to contemplate what I've said...

Everyone who feels envy for Ferguson's situation raise your hand...and everyone should.

There's a sense of freedom to Ferguson's comedy that lacks on other talk shows. By assuming that "nobody's watching" Ferguson takes his comedy to a new level: his opening monologues often include deep and real anger or sorrow. He speaks honestly and seemingly from the heart. Having seen his show taped (yes, I was a hobo and no, we did not get chicken) I know that his monologues are about 50% pre-written and 100% off-the-cuff (and that equation does add up if you watch his process). I love how his monologues seemingly ramble and then he hones in on his point and drives it into the viewer's minds. His recent ramblings on BP were an excellent example (too bad you missed it).

As one watches the insanity, there's a freedom attached to it: bits succeed or fail independently without affecting the rest of the show. If Sid's cussing offends, the flop won't affect the success of Ferguson's interview.  Ferguson hasn't a problem with admitting the piece was crap and will save it by claiming it doesn't mater as nobody watches anyway. If the interview falters, well then Ferguson cuts it short and throws in a pre-recorded skit (my favorite are Michael Clarke Duncan reading love advice from Jennifer Love Hewitt's book). If the interview succeeds, then Ferguson lets it go long and the second guest of the night is pushed to another night. Nobody's watching, right? So who's to care? Nobody.

What freedom he must feel: nobody watches so do what he wants. Nobody cares, so play as he likes. If he's a naughty boy, preface the naughtiness with a sly look and a quick "CBS cares" comment. Embrace obscurity and live for the moment.

In Part 2: how I've learned from Craig Ferguson's madness and how I'm applying it to my writing.

Mysterious Reasons for Blogging

I guess 95% of all blogs go unread and yet new ones pop up every day. Why do so many start to blog? Why do something no one will read? Less than 1% actually achieve "blog stardom", so the answer doesn't involve fame. Less than 1% actually make money of any kind...so it can't be the dough, either. So, why?

The answers lies within the human need to call out into the abyss. Put a group on the edge of a canyon and some, if not all, will shout "hello" to see if answer will return. So thousands of people sit in front of their computers and type out their "hellos" and then sit back to see if anyone returns them. The odds appear stacked against them. 

"Mysterious Brew" represents my third attempt at blogging. My first attempt, "Confessions of a Bored Housewife", depicted my need to vent my unemployment frustrations. I really didn't want anyone to read it and I don't believe anyone did. My second attempt, the name escapes me, centered on a hope that publishers would discover my pithy book reviews and send me free books - a bad reason for a blog. This attempt? I don't need anyone to read it. Don't care if anyone does. The blog centers on the hope of focusing myself and my reading habits.

I started reading way back before kindergarten thanks to my brother's comic book collection. Through the years, I've always possessed a gigantic reading pile with tastes all over the place. In '77, I careened between Star Wars (a book I picked up in a grocery store never having heard of the movie), Louisa Mae Alcott, and books on old Hollywood: a blissful summer of non-stop reading and discovery. Since then, I pinball consistently all over the reading spectrum with Young Adult, Mysteries, Sci Fi, History, and everything in-between serving as bumpers. 

I want to focus entirely on Mystery for awhile. I need to discover what encompasses mystery and why some publishers push certain titles as mystery and why they pull certain titles out and into other sections. What makes a good mystery story? Where else in life do elements of mystery lie? 

Do I care if anyone reads this blog? Nope. I feel contentment in my place in the crowd. Within the herd, I can explore, journal, and stumble without anyone feeling the need to point out my humanity. 

If anyone does read it, please respond and let me know...especially if you possess knowledge of a path I must travel down.