The purpose of this monthly series is to highlight an outstanding contributor to the site as chosen by the editorial staff. This designation is meant to recognize and celebrate the best of the best, those writers who not only shine by virtue of their talent, but whose ongoing participation gives all of us a reason to tune in each and every day. As new readers are continually discovering Blogcritics, we also hope to introduce these fine writers to a new audience.
Please join me in a virtual round of applause for this month’s honoree, Dawn Olsen!
Our honored guest this month has been well-known around these parts since the day Blogcritics went live, and that’s not too surprising, since Dawn Olsen is the wife of BC’s founder and publisher, Eric Olsen. A long-time blogger, Dawn has graced BC’s pages with a combination of off-the-cuff political commentary, music reviews, and her own down-to-earth take on pop culture. Her irreverence and trademark humor long ago caught the eye of Blogcritic Mark Saleski:
Tell me, how can a guy resist a blog called "Up Yours And Other Helpful Hints?" I certainly couldn't.
if (preg_match('/One of the first blogs I ever read, Dawn Olsen's writing was full of erudite musings on culture, music, sex, and other stuff. I loved every snarky bit of it. Dawn's unique and oftentimes potty-mouthed take on things puts a permanent smile on my face. The same can be said for her fine work on Blogcritics.
Who else would notice that the iPod Nano doesn't make her butt look smaller? Who else could make adult chicken pox sound funny? Who else would use The Smiths' Meat Is Murder as an effective weapon against annoying teens?
Face it, Dawn. We all love you, so stop with the self-deprecating hooey. We're not buying it.
Oh, and if you look at her in just the right light... she looks exactly like Jennifer Aniston.
Dawn is also a frequent guest on the BC Radio Podcast, and BC Radio producer and host DJ Radiohead had this to offer:
Dawn is my favorite BC Radio Podcast guest. She is funny, witty, and quick on her feet — all of which keeps a host on his feet. I don't think we have ever recorded a segment where I didn't laugh at something she said and I always feel a sense of pride when I keep pace with her.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Phillip Winn
Congrats, Dawn! I used to love your blog, and now that I know it's available through the Internet Archive, I forsee lots of "wasted" hours -- once I finish some big projects, of course. :-)
2 - El Bicho
Lisa, you are a very good interviewer. I hope you consider casting your net wider than the Blogcritics pool. You have a great knack for it. I can see your appreciation for Cavett.
Dawn, I enjoyed the interview a lot and before your celebrity-gossip enemies show up and trash the joint, let me just say I had to sleep with Eric before I got selected as well.
You have mastered gossip, and I don't see why you wouldn't do just as well in other areas. I'm going to check out your Modest Mouse review soon.
I appreciate the mention, although a better question would have been, "Who is your favorite B[card game]k teacher?"
Congratulations.
3 - Matthew T. Sussman
Wow, Eric must have really screwed up something at home, for you to received this esteemed honor.
4 - Dawn
Thank you Phillip and El Bicho, this is a fun place to be. Especially when Matt Sussman's internet connection is down.
5 - Dawn
Ohh, and thank you Lisa!!! You are the bomb!
6 - DJRadiohead
Thanks for the namedrop, Dawn. The honor is well deserved.
7 - Connie Phillips
Congrats, Dawn! Very deserved!
8 - Dawn
Not sure if it's deserved, but I sure feel honored. Thanks Connie and DJR!
9 - Mark Saleski
woo, woo! i've been lookin' forward to this for weeks.
it reads better than i could have imagined. as always, great job lisa.
plus, there's the bonus suss-diss. excellent.
congrats dawn.
10 - Dawn
Mark, I realized that I forgot to thank you for your kind quote also, it made me all red and teary-eyed.
Seriously, I really feel super lucky to be included within this great group of writers, except for Matt of course.
11 - Dawn
sensational job Lisa and Dawn! As you can see by the direction of Dawn's narrative how unselfish she is and how much she cares about the site and our relationship to it. Besides being one of our most appealing and popular writers, Blogcritics would not exist if Dawn hadn't been willing to support us in every way for as long as it took. I and we are forever indebted
12 - Eric Olsen
I wrote the above comment!
13 - Jet in Columbus
You two are so romantic...
But of course that's only my opinion...
14 - John Guilfoil
Congrats!
15 - Matthew T. Sussman
Okay, I believe I must now say actual nice things to Dawn. It could be out of guilt for all the mean things I said, but more accurately it's because the god damn Tigers game is postponed due to rain and I'm bored as hell.
See, many moons ago, Eric, Dawn, and the rest of the Olsen Emirate took me into their house on a nigh of a highbrow social hobnobbing and '80s ballads, they wouldn't let me leave in the wee morning hours for a treacherous multi-hour trip back I-90. So -- and this was her idea, her invitation -- they graciously relented their own child's bed for me that night, which made for the perfect alibi on why the sheets were damp the next day.
And I've never seen another writer on this site draw comments from so many different people who scurry around in their own sections. On top of that, she reels in so many strangers off the street with basically every article, several of whom hate her guts based solely on words populating their computer screen. I'm jealous of that. Show me how to do that.
Scrolling down the main page and seeing a Dawn Olsen article is like watching Price is Right and seeing a game of Plinko. Why we're sucked into either defies me, but while it happens I don't care and enjoy every minute of it. Then I go about the rest of my day like nothing odd happened, but we all know the twisted truth.
Dawn, you totally earned this one. Even though I voted for the other guy.
16 - Jet in Columbus
Hawkeye Pierce: I always go for the popcorn when they get to the mushy part...
17 - Mat Brewster
Wow. Who'd you have to sleep with to get this...oh, I see.
Congrats Dawn.
Now about those knickerless pictures...
18 - Clavos
Congratulations, Dawn!
Did Eric sign off on this?
19 - Eric Berlin
Great stuff Lisa and super congrats Dawn!
It was great to hear the DO/EO couple origin myth in person a few months back -- truly would make a great tale for public consumption.
In my view what makes you a great writer is that you compel me to care about topics and stories that I probably would not have otherwise. So power on Firecrotch and Britney and Paris and all the rest !
20 - Snarkattack
I must say I have enjoyed your recent offerings as the official BC gossip/tabloid queen (still being a gumshoe and all at BC) - the sort of stuff I generally ignore. It's something of a guilty pleasure.
Congrats on being Blogcritic of the month! Well-deserved indeed.
21 - Gordon Hauptfleisch
Congratulations, Dawn. I've just added all your archived articles to my essential reading list.
And great work, Lisa.
22 - Ken Edwards
Congratulations Dawn! So what did you have to do, sleep with the publisher? Oh..
You know, it puts a smile on my face when one of my articles topples yours of celeb gossip in the site's top 10 most popular.
It is a rare occasion, and never lasts long, I know. But I score it as a personal victory.
I just wanted you to know that.
But all kidding aside, I always look forward to reading your next piece.
Great job to you Lisa. Nice interview.
23 - Eric Olsen
since it has come up, the idea for recognition came from elsewhere, but I certainly approve - as I said, from many different perspectives, this site wouldn't exist in anything like its current form if it weren't for Dawn
24 - Jet in Columbus
So let's get this straight (so to speak) I've got to sleep with Eric to get Writer of the Month????
25 - Ken Edwards
We could ask Al or The Duke, but my guess is no.