As long as there are blogs, people will overshare. The term that came into popularity in the late aughts is a catchall to describe those who willingly offer up embarrassing details of their lives for the entertainment of others. It’s a word usually lobbed at female writers, particularly those whose personal essays are reduced by male critics (a nice way of saying “Internet commenters”) as self-indulgent, navel-gazing screeds that serve no purpose other than directing attention to the writer’s byline. And in an era with a multitude of ladyblogs, there are as many female writers who respond to these personal essays with derision, usually questioning the source material’s brand of feminism (or lack thereof). The mass response to anyone who is willing to share parts of her (or, sometimes, his) life online usually stems from the fact that the critics wouldn’t personally share the same type of material themselves. Because someone is doing something they wouldn’t do, that person must be doing something wrong. … Read More