Saturday, February 03, 2007

The Twat Factor

I am having, dear reader, an identity crisis.

This isn't about my crumbled marriage...

Or about wondering what I'm doing in a foreign country where I can barely speak the language...

Or about deciding whether to write a dissertation or more concert reviews...

No, no, no. This is about my blog name.

I thought I was being clever when I named this thing. Blague (meaning: joke) sounds like blog - isn't that funny?

No?

It may not be funny, but it sure is annoying to the frenchies. I have been questioned in a surprising number of encounters and emails about why I would use the masculine form to describe myself. More properly, I am a blagueuse. But blagueuse sounds like something that's smearable. And what's more, it doesn't sound at all like 'blogger'.

A second problem with the title is correct spelling. Nobody (including me) seems capable of properly spelling blagueur. I go by Meg to avoid gaffes with Meagan. Should I similarly re-christen Le Blag?

These are minor considerations, however, in relation to The Twat Factor.

One of the other four nominees for Best European Blog is "My Boyfriend is a Twat," and her victory for two consecutive years has spawned a new blogging principle. A friend explained The Twat Factor to me last week, saying that there are certain words that make people smile, click, remember, return, vote, discuss, etc. 'Blagueur' is apparently not one of them.

She wants me to rename the blog "Paris without Pants" (in the British sense) for my failure, at times, to wear undergarments.

I think I'm stuck with the original name. But let me just say: I can't believe, with all my talk about vagina, that the nominee with the word twat in her title is not me.

I am seething with jealousy.

_____________________________________________________

Gratuitous crotch shot courtesy of Gustave Courbet.
See it in person at the
Musée d'Orsay.

30 comments:

rhino75 said...

Personally, it's the Courbet that keeps me coming back. Although I do like the idea of "Paris without Pants" - or maybe - in that case - "Paris Commando-Style"? ;)

Midnight said...

It's not all in the name. The conspet of a comedienne who goes commando could be a vote winner though.

Le Meg said...

All part of my plan to lure you back to our team, Rhino.

Anonymous said...

dissertation and concert reviews...

and I kind of like the idea of a lady under a masculine name. Subverting from within, so to speak.

Anonymous said...

Is it wrong that I feel compelled to attack that photo with hot wax and strips of muslin?

Le Meg said...

Jules, you terrify me.

But you did inspire the thought that "surely someone has photoshopped this."

Google revealed a startling dearth of creativity, I'm afraid. I expected to find updated wax jobs, perhaps a political ad with Bush in Bush action...something.

All I found was this:
http://bagnewsnotes.typepad.com/25peacesEUpic.jpg

Can one of you computer demons help me out? I'll post it here if you send me an "altered area."

Anonymous said...

That is funny, after I posted that I went upstairs to complete my toilette, or more fittingly to try and look less like a seahag and more like a human and as I was rinsing the exfoliant I wondered if one of my friends would give it a Brasilian. I Googled as well and saw many more versions of this than I ever ever needed to. Good name for your blog though Le Meg, L’Origine du Monde. But then you might have to put up a self-shot and well, there we go, can open...worms...everywhere

Adrian said...

You could call it s'meg

Mike Bosia said...

The French have a problem with genre... They are stuck in their binaries ("self" "other"). They even think children need a parent of both sexes to learn about difference. L'ordre symbolique.

If they try to ridicule your grammar, just say, "Have you seen my 'courbet'? Perhaps I am a travesti." They can imagine whatever they'd like and they will, whether you are ueur or ueuse.

Then hit them with Georges Sand.

BTW, I hope you are going to the rendezvous with Royal and Delanoe, Le mardi 6 février à 19 heures
A la Halle Carpentier. I am sure it will be a hoot, and though probably no food nor art, I'd love to read your take.

Le Meg said...

Jules.

I can assure you, there are NO worms. Anywhere. For God's sake.

You aesheticians are all crazy.

Anonymous said...

The point about smiling and clicking is true.

There was a blog about three years ago called "France in the pants" the content was crap, but the name has stuck in my head; it was a blog of note on blogger during Sept. 2004. The blog no longer exists so the name is available.

Anonymous said...

I think the friend who gave you the "twat" advice was crap. You're funny because you're funny, not because of some overt reference to female organs. I wouldn't lower yourself to the use of such gimics. You already earned your place on that list of semi-finalists. Enjoy it!

zoe said...

i partially second anon. i've read a lot of your blog and i think it's funny and very well-written - don't let anyone re-name your blog, it is your creation, you named it - basically, it is yours'.

yes, the title of my blog does contain the word 'twat', but in no way does it refer to female genitalia. it refers to the man that i live with and the idiotic things that he does.

he also dared me to start up a blog called 'my boyfriend is a twat'. so i did.

carry on as you are already doing - because le blagueur is doing incredibly well.

Le Meg said...

Whoa! Zoe's here?

I am honored, fair mistress of twat.

Thank you all for the blush-inducing words, but please know that this conversation about possible new blog titles was all in jest. The friend with the "advice" is no bully and has been nothing but supportive.

zoe said...

i wanted to add that i thought adrian's idea of "s'meg" was very funny - but unless you watch red dwarf, you wouldn't get it.

Anonymous said...

I think you should underline your Kansas identity on the blog's name. We french are particularly fond of cute cow-girls...

David

PS : they might be no cow-girls in Kansas but, well, hum... ok.

Unknown said...

I know the feeling... I weep with jealousy everytime I read one of your posts.

How about 'Knickerless in Paris'?

P.S. You are now linked on my page. I doubt it will increase your readership since traffic is pretty low on my site but I just thought I'd let you know.

anton said...

another frenchie technicality, on the sidebar, shouldn't it be 'LA meg' since you are a female, instead of the masculin 'LE meg'? from thirteen years of french class, i have learned that despite it being near impossible to be right about the article 100% for even the french, they always manage to seem ridiculously offended when an article is the wrong sex.

Jimmy said...

The woman is writing of her boyfriend being a twat. That works very well considering your use of the masculine form of a French joker; although you are a woman. I like it! Neither of you care about gender...and why should you? Just another great example why French culture/language is difficult to capture.

Good luck!

g

Anonymous said...

And here's me thinking you were the kind of "blagger" who "blags"!

Elspeth said...

just tell the critics you are like une gameboy

Sally Tomato said...

Don't change the name. I know how the French are about their precious language, but the blogger/blagueur joke just doesn't work when you change it to 'La Blagueuse'. They're going to have to deal.

JChevais said...

Agree with Sally Tomato. I told you at Richard's place when we met that I was seething jealous of YOUR title. I still am.

I like "Le Blagueur". It keeps people guessing (especially on male/female gender issues blah blah...) and anyway, who says that "Le Blagueur" refers to you SPECIFICALLY? It "obviously" means ton blogue and you are just its mistress... Though La Meg might be "judicieuse"... in this case... :-)

Unknown said...

i agree - keep the name and keep le meg. both are yours and yours they will stay. xo.

Anonymous said...

Perfumed Lady Garden, would be a good name for a blog.

Misplaced said...

You could always incorporate your friend Petite Anglaise's word "Twunt"

Anonymous said...

I am of the opinion that you should indeed change the name of your blog. 'Paris Blagueur' is unfocused, without direction. I am a professor of creative writing and I can see what's wrong with your blog. Neither plot, nor proper characterisation. Can one joke forever? Besides you, the reader never meets any other interesting characters. Why? Your prose is good, bright. Just work on the structure.

Anxious said...

I must admit, as a scholar of French, that the masculine thing (both blagueur and Le Meg) "troubled" me. I am a bilingual pedant, after all.

But then, I'm so dense, I didn't even get the blogger/blagueur pun! D'oh!

Nah, don't change the name. It's all part of the charm.

Joyce Hanson said...

Is that "professor of creative writing" for real? What's a writing professor doing correcting your blog in the blogosphere? That's like a cardiologist going into the students' smoking lounge and trying to tell them to quit. Wrong place, wrong tone of voice, and no fun at all. What a buzz-kill, dude.

Unknown said...

What's going on Meg? Trying to liven up the Blog? I like it as it is!