Grown Up Thinking

Recently I’ve found that many of my friends’ Facebook, GChat and AIM statuses have become much less about their daily routine lives, but rather hilarious statements stemming from other people’s poor misfortune. Sites such as FMylife.com and TextsFromLastNight.com, in which people submit their day ruining moment or the funniest text they received over the weekend, have been overtaking my social networks, blogs and hours of my life I could otherwise spend doing something productive.

Even more interesting about this phenomenon is the rate at which these popular sites are being picked up for book deals. Publishers are flipping these trendy sites and turning them into hardcover coffee table books that typically sell for around the $10 price point. Sites that started with small underground followings like, Stuff White People Like, This is Why You’re Fat, I Can Has Cheezburger?, and of course FMyLife, have reached the masses through these deals.

This of course brings up the question, did they sell out? A site undoubtedly loses its edge when it’s suddenly turned into something that my mom can pick up at the local Barnes and Noble on the Best Sellers rack, but is the risk worth the reward? Either way, this is a trend I do not think we will see go away any time soon, as long as there’s internet and people willing to dress their dogs in funny outfits.