Blogcrush Confessional

Posted on April 17, 2008    Posted by      100 Comments

Traveling tomorrow and lots of stuff to get done today, so I can’t play around here. So instead, here’s a shocking confession: I think I have a little bit of a crush on blogger Megan McArdle.

Yes, I’m as surprised by this as the rest of you. It’s not like I agree 100% with her views and wish to subscribe to her newsletter. But then, that’s not what crushes are about, are they.

And to be sure, this little crush of mine is fairly innocent. It doesn’t devolve into fantasies that start with me calling up McArdle, saying “Meet me at the hotel. Wear your Dagny Taggart ensemble” and then get seamy from there. I guess there’s just something about six-foot-tall, dark-haired, Chicago-trained female econo-bloggers that makes me go “golly.” In one sense, I suppose it’s not a terribly earth-shattering revelation, seeing as I’m married to a 5′ 10″, dark-haired, business degree-wielding Valkyrie of a woman. I apparently have a type. It still snuck up on me, is what I’m saying.

In any event, that’s my confession. I feel better having gotten it off my chest. And Ms. McArdle, should you read this, don’t worry. I’m perfectly harmless. If you’re concerned, just let my wife know. She’ll apply the appropriate levels of correction.

For the rest of you: Any blogcrushes you’d like to admit to? In the comment thread? Oh, go on. I won’t tell. Really.

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100 Comments on “Blogcrush Confessional”

  1. My crush is Geena Davis. She has three qualities I really like. She’s gorgeous, she’s six feet tall, and she’s a member of Mensa.

  2. Yeah, but unless she has a blog, it’s not a blogcrush. I’m trying to get folks to admit their geeky online crushes, here.

  3. Well, I used to have a crush on Wil Wheaton, but it was before the whole blog thing got started. Does that count?

  4. Well, he has a blog now, so, sure. But I think generally speaking it should be people who you learned about from blogs.

  5. But you’re a member of [$POLITICAL_FACTION]! You’re required to loathe, hate, detest, denigrate, and mock every member of [$OTHER_POLITICAL_FACTION]. For God’s sake, it’s in the handbook! You could lose your [$POLITICAL_FACTION] membership card for this.

  7. Myself having married a six-foot tall, sarcastic UofC girl, I’m completely unsurprised to share your blog-crush. It should be noted, however, that my blog-crush on Megan McArdle exists on a higher, purer, and more spiritual plane than your blog-crush ever could. And not just because, in my fantasies, I’m sometimes the one wearing the Dagney Taggart ensemble.

  8. Well, Dave. On some deep, metaphysical level, aren’t we all wearing the Dagney Taggart ensemble? Sometimes?

  9. I’ve long had a bit of a blogcrush on this John Scalzi fellow. Geeky, balding, sci-fi-loving smartass — what can I say? I have a type.

  11. This may be a little cheatery, since he mainly does a web comic and his blog isn’t that active but: Randall Munroe.
    If it helps, I didn’t develop the crush until I started reading the blog.

    -a five-foot-eight U of C girl

  12. My blogger crush is definitely Cory Doctorow. He makes me swoon a little, and my partner can attest to the fact that I haven’t stopped blathering him since I discovered his books (and BoingBoing.net) a year ago, or so.

    -Jared

  13. I had a bit of a blogcrush on Pamela Ribon for a while, back when I first started reading her blog. Anyone who can make you laugh until your sides hurt and the tears won’t stop coming is going to get at least a second look, right?

  15. I can admit to a crush on Rebecca Watson of Skepchick fame. Smart, skeptical, and sexy – it’s a perfect blogcrush trifecta.

  17. So weird. I just spent about 30 minutes reading Megan McArdle’s blog for the first time right before I came here. I usually read Andrew Sullivan’s blog and occassionally Marc Ambinder’s (as far as the Atlantic goes). Andrew made a reference to Megan so I swung by to check it out and generally enjoyed what I read. What an odd coincedence to come here and see this posted.

    Anyway, I’ve always had a bit of a thing for Morgan Webb, mostly stemming from her TechTV days, but I get my fix from her Webb alert video blog these days. I guess that counts. :P

  18. Adam Duritz. Sure I love his music, blah, blah, blah, but it wasn’t until I started reading his blog six years ago that I realized just how swoony he is. He once made me laugh until I barfed. What could possibly be more attractive?

  20. You have good taste in aesthetics. I have no idea what she’s like, having never read her stuff, or even heard of her until now.

    Seconding the Geena Davis…since I was a teenager. Sure, she’s not a blogger, but so what? I can’t think of any blogger babes I’ve got the hots for, which I suspect my wife would appreciate if I were to mention it.

  21. Elizabeth Bear. She makes me all dumbstruck like a dump truck. Not only is she intelligent, educated, and witty, but there were pictures of her in a corset, and- …mrowr.

  23. Oddly enough, I also have a blogcrush on Megan McArdle. I think it goes back to the time I first saw her on bloggingheads. The fact that she’s 8 inches taller than me and ten years older than me only adds to the mysterious bloggy allure.

  25. Reading blogs tends to have the exact opposite effect on me. It’s hard to have a crush on somebody after you’ve read a few dozen posts where, notwithstanding what they may have produced otherwise by way of books or whatnot, they state the same opinions about Starbucks, plastic bags, television shows, the Bush Administration, etc., that everybody else has.

  27. I totally and completely do not have a blogcrush on Jeff Hentosz and you can’t make me say I do because that would be rwong and it might creep out Jeff a lot.

    And we wouldn’t want to creep out Jeff, now would we?

  28. Author/singer/all around interesting person Seanan McGuire (cadhla.livejournal.com) is probably the closest to a blogcrush I’ve ever come. :-)

  29. I wouldn’t call it a blogcrush per se, but Dear Prudence on Slate.com (Emily Yoffe) is definitely high on my list. When Slate started doing embedded videos of her I could have melted.

  31. @Flippanter: quite true. This is why my blog crushes tend to fixate on people not born or residing in the same country as me. Thus there is a little exoticism and no risk of running into the said people at the corner store.

    Neil Gaiman

    Stephen Fry

    Richard Grant

    I hasten to add that these are just *intellectual* crushes.

  32. When will Lady Black of Crossharbour begin to blog.

    Sorry, my sick crushes begin and end with Ms. Amiel.

    Cheers
    Andrew

  33. I have a blogcrush on this fellow named John Scalzi. I agree with him… pretty much always, which is something of a first for me where internet personalities are concerned.

    Whatever he says, he’s always amusing and writes extremely well. He’s well-spoken and can support, in detail, his points of view; which is to say, even if a view of his could be considered extreme, it is not thoughtless extremity. He’s got a sense of humor and doesn’t take himself too seriously.

    He’s one of the few people online, or offline, who have made me think deeply about my life and where I want to go. (The other dude is Warren Ellis.)

    And he’s got an insanely successful blog. I watch him carefully and take lessons. Although I know that my own blog will probably never become a community, because I’m not that kind of person; but a blogger who’s successful AND has a thriving community is, frankly, more than just a blogger.

    Now, I don’t fantasize about him. I just think he’s great. I have a tag back on my own blog called “wisdom of scalzi”.

    I know that in the past he has been wrong (such as about this war goin’ on) but as he always owns up and is sensible, I still consider him Always Right.

    Of all the people in the world, I respect him the most. Seriously.

    I’m sure lots of people will think this is a suck-up post. Well, screw them. It’s quite simply the truth.

  35. Thanks, Arachne.

    That said, I think we should skip any further Scalzi blogcrush testimonials. I’m more interested in hearing about blogcrushes on other folks.

  39. Well, I admit I was extremely fond of that John Scalvi fellow, until I heard all those HORRIBLE THINGS about him.

    I mean honestly. What decent human being would do such things with a sheep and an ice-cream scoop?

  40. Since both Whatever and McArdle’s blog are on my rss feed, imagine my confusion upon seeing a giant picture of her after clicking what I thought was a Scalzi link.

    I’m pleased to second the McArdle blog crush, though. Tall beautiful econobloggers are where it’s at.

  41. DHS@38:

    One who has a genetically enhanced mouse for a friend?

    Oh, and after reading a bit of Ms. McArdle’s thoughts, I can say that while I disagree with her politics in a lot of areas, I like her. I still don’t plan on reading her regularly or anything, but I’m aware of her, and may check in on occasion.

  43. Nicholas Kristoff… The doer of the unthinkable, the journalist extraordinaire. In my mind he’s the relentless knight for the unheard.

  47. Jason @ #37, as a long-time admirer of Lindsay I have to agree with you. Plus her stalking of Tom DeLay was friggin’ hilarious.

  48. Amusingly, I just came here from Ms. McArdle’s blog (via my RSS feed aggregator). That weirded me out a little.

    And, if you must know, I share your blog-crush on her.

  49. Patrick Rothfuss – and it’s all your fault. I found him through your site a few months back.

  51. Megan could end up like Maureen Dowd….

    Or she could end up like Andrea Mitchell…..

    If it is a consideration for suitors… her clock is beginning to run out…

  52. OK. I’ll admit it. I’m with Jas, my blogcrush is Pamela Ribon. I found her site from here several months ago, so my crush is current.

  53. He’s mostly a podcaster, but he does have a blog so he counts. My blog/podcast crush is George Hrab of the Geologic Podcast.

    Smart, snarky, funny, irreverent, creative. Hubba hubba!

  57. Mary Robinette Kowal. I’ve mentioned in my LJ that were I ever to meet her, I’d probably turn into that stupid fangirl that just HAS to tell you how COOL you are for the first twenty minutes straight. I’d like to think that after that, I’d default to normal human status, but then she’d probably mention one of her puppets or one of her new stories and I’d careen back into Fangirl mode again. But she already knows I have a blogcrush on her, I think.

    Offtopic: What in the WORLD is Ms. McArdle posing in front of, please? What the heck kind of picture is that?

  59. Because he was remarkably patient and kind with a stupid question I asked on usenet back in ’93, I will always have a soft spot for PNH.

  63. David Neiwert at Orcinus; Ysabeau Wilce at Crackpot Hall; Rahul Mahajan at Empire Notes. I also have blogcommentercrushes on some of the regulars on Kevin Drum’s Political Animal threads; does that count? If so, there are regular commenters here, too, who give me a flutter.

  66. I used to have a crush on Hank Green from Brothers 2.0. Something about a skinny guitar-playing boy in glasses…

  67. Ingrid Michaelson, Amber Rubarth, and Rachael Yamagata (http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=11436578, http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=3918844, and http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=7020783) Yes, they’re musicians more than bloggers, but they, all three, write blogs, and they, all three, are adorable.

    Mercedes, who writes Desert Candy (http://desertcandy.blogspot.com/). Food is sexy.

    And, if you’re more looking for literary/political/etc type blogs, I must say I’ve developed a bit of a blogcrush on Caitlin Kittredge at Dark Territory (http://www.caitlinkittredge.com/blog/). Haven’t read her books, but still…

  71. Well my biggest crush is on an adult content blogger, Figleaf of Real Adult Sex. Brains, heart, ethics, great legs,… Will be cautious on the linking, just google along if that’s your thing.

    I have affection for John here and many of his peers but the Nielson-Haydens both fascinate and scare me the way fire does, oooh pretty fire- ouch ouch ouch- mmmm fire.

  74. Megan McArdle is really good! She’s the kind of blogger I could read everyday, someone who would water my developing literary skills and taste. The seemless travel between literature, economic fairs, politics and etc, all with distinct composure and grace. All hail Mr. JS for introducing her; she’s on my compulsory reading list now! Muah! to Mr JS.

  75. Merlin Mann, but in a totally not gay way (not that there’s anything wrong with that). I listen to a podcast that he’s often on called Macbreak Weekly. I don’t own a Mac. I don’t even own an iPod. I listen anyway.

  76. I have a minor blog-crush on writer Erin O’Brien.

    http://erin-obrien.blogspot.com/

    Erin isn’t tall.

    I used to have a major blogcrush on my own SO, but she stopped blogging. So I still have a crush on her, just not a blog-one.

    Although, technically speaking, she does occasionally post on my blog, so I could still have a blog-crush on her, but it would involve my own blog, and that’s so self-referential I don’t want to think about the recursion.

  77. For my part my biggest blog crush is Wil Wheaton. Yes, I crushed on him for years before but I didn’t really *respect* him and hang on his every word until I found WWdN back in late 2001. I’d say I blog crush on him more than I out and out “have a crush” on him.

    I know you don’t want to hear about our blog crushes on you but I do have to say that where I think my blog crush on Wheaton has settled into a general level of awe I have a frantic blog crush on you at the moment. I’m a relatively new reader (started reading right after your trip to the Creationism Museum) and I finished OMW about two months ago. Since then I’ve done nothing but talk about “that Scalzi guy” to everyone I know. I’ve bought most of your books in mmpb and managed to get hardcovers added to my wedding registry. (Hey, hardcover versions + someone else paying for it = AWESOME!) I’m sure in a few months I’ll just be in awe of you but for now you’re my blog crush. :)

    Cheers!

  78. Jennifer Ouellette:

    http://twistedphysics.typepad.com/

    Smart, articulate, beautiful. Writes about science for Discover, New Scientist, Salon, and others, writes books filled with science and humor like Black Bodies and Quantum Cats: Tales from the Annals of Physics and The Physics of the Buffyverse. In my opinion, the best popular science writer since Asimov. And prettier, too.

  80. Kate Beaton

    She mostly does webcomics of a historical bent with some added commentary. I’m a dunce where history is concerned and probably only get a third of her comics, but her attitude is great.

  81. Daniel Davies, Welsh stockbroker and prosletyzer of heterodox economics.

    I knew I had it bad when, after I’d re-read his entire posting archives, I tried to google all of the comments he’d left on other sites, just so I could read those.

  85. I think the closest thing to a blog crush I have at the moment is on the Bitches over at Smart Bitches Who Love Trashy Books. It’s not a sexual sort of crush (not my thing), but they’re so funny and cool and funny and cool that I want to hang out with them, even though I don’t read romance novels (I go there for the cover snark and the blog writing). So maybe it’s more of a “friend crush” thing?

    As for you, I have this weird crush not so much on you as on your professional life. Whenever I sit around with friends talking about who we want to be when we grow up (which is sad, seeing as how I’m almost 40), I tell them about you and your not-too-hot/not-too-cold/just right fame, your six-figure writing income, your conference-hopping, your awards, your geekitude, your writing skillz and so on. You’re like the alternate dimension version of what I would like to be, were I not a lazy so-and-so who just got into professional writing a few years back.

    Wait a moment…how do I know I wasn’t supposed to have that life…and a sci fi writer would know how to skip dimensions to usurp similar timelines…dammit Scalzi, you stole my life!!! SCAAALLLZIIIII!!!!

    LOL. Just kidding. And I only covet the professional bits. I’m not much for the “wife and kids living in middle American bliss” stuff. So you’re safe from any Single White Female shenanigans.

    Now I’m off to steal your blog theme. (Really, sort of…I like the photo-top convenience, but I think I’m going for one of the slightly different versions). God, I love WordPress…

  86. I have a slight blogcrush on the guy over at bookgasm, but mostly because he’s one of the few people who reads nearly as much as I do…

    And E. Bear has to have another mention, but it’s sort of a masturbatory crush because one of the reasons I think her blog is awesome is that she rock climbs and runs and since I rock climb (bouldering mostly) and run, how could I not crush a little?

    My secret I guess is that I read people’s blogs searching for things that will help to me relate to myself better… mmm, validation through strangers… very healthy, I’m sure.

  87. Doc Hammer. Cartoon writer artist (check out his deviant art page!) and musician. Is there anything the man cant do? Ok besides sing, shh I didn’t say that. I read everything he writes because it’s always insightful and hilarious. Sadly he just does not blog enough.
    http://www.myspace.com/dochammer

    Go Team Venture!

  88. One morning, I found myself reading a delightful woman’s blog, and quickly developed a crush on a woman who I later found out is the wife of a higher-up at my job. That was weird. No, you don’t get to know who they are.

  89. After much analysis (from which I’ve spared you all), I don’t believe I have a blog crush. I read blogs mostly for entertainment and intellectual reasons. I guess I’m just weird.

  90. I used to have a blogcrush on Elizabeth Genco, but then she went and got married, which wasn’t really bad in itself, since it was just a blogcrush, but then she started blogging about how dreamy her husband was and, you know, just talking about him. Totally ruined it for me. She’s still a cutie, though.

  91. At one point in time I had a crush on this really cool guy who showed up on livejournal long ago and far away, who I then realised I knew through some other friends, and well… We’ve been married for over two years now :)

  95. Karen Meisner. Mostly based on her Thought Experiment blog, because she doesn’t write much in her current livejournal these days, but back in the early oughts when I was getting into OLJing she’d regularly come out with entries so rich in content and depth they’d make me swoon. Her work then is stuff for the ages, or so I remember. Alas that it’s mostly gone now.

    Also, I met her once in person and I swooned then too. What a babe. (Coincidentally that was at the same con where I met our host, who we’re discouraged from talking about further on this thread. Drat.)

  98. Oh I think I prolly have a bit of a blogger crush on Elizabeth Bear. I have a thing for madly intelligent, ambitious, attractive women with wise-ass cats.

    Fortunately I already HAVE a madly intelligent, ambitious, attractive woman and two wise-ass cats so so the crush remains at the inordinately-fond-of level. I sure enjoy reading what she has to say, in both books and blogs.

  100. OK, I have kind of a blog crush on Andrew Sullivan in a totally non-gay just because we both love the Pet Shop Boys and if I were gay I’d probably be more into bears than twinks kind of way. Now, to re-establish my heterosexual cred let me say that I have blogcrushes on Megan McArdle, Hilzoy and Mistress Matisse.

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