Blogs Spot #11: SHUGGILIPPO

shug

Get ready to laugh–or get punched in the boner by Jessi Sanfilippo–resident funny guy over at SHUGGILIPPO–in our latest Blogs Spot feature. Jess has been a guest of ours on the podcast–which you can read about and listen to here

1: Besides becoming a parent, what made you decide to blog and are you still blogging for the same reason? Have you evolved since you started, and if so, how?

A big part of my decision to start blogging was because a good chunk of our immediate and extended family lived all the way across the country. I figured it’d be much easier to write a silly story to a funny & insanely adorable photo of a newborn on a website than in a chain email that everyone’s going to ‘Reply All’ to respond to. We’d just had a new baby and didn’t want to also be accorded as the “Unbearably Obnoxious Ones with A New Baby”. More than that decision though, I started the blog to have a creative outlet. Up until two days before I delivered, I was working my dream job in radio programming and production, and had even returned for 3 months post baby before deciding that it was too much a clash of the worlds to successfully knock both things out of the park. Clearly I’m not a psychopath so I chose to put the dream job on hold because I had a dreamy job that needed me more at the time.

My site has evolved immensely since I first launched SHUGGILIPPO. I’ll say that the prominence of my being a parent is a secondary (or thirdary if we’re fine-tooth-combing this) topic I write and create to on the site now. And I think it’s an important decision I made that has resulted in my becoming a more well-rounded parent and human being in general. Not a proper human being. Don’t be confused by that and think I can’t still make butt jokes with the best of ‘em.

2: Out of all your posts, which do you think resonated most with others and why? 

Ooh, this is a tricky one. I mean I’ve published so many things, it’s sometimes hard to remember the ‘high seasons’ if you will.

For me, one of the posts that resonated most with myself and that of which I received a great deal of love and support and appreciation for was a piece I wrote earlier this year titled “Being A Mom Among Dads”. I’m what the internet humbly refers to as a “boy mom”. And while being outnumbered is not entirely my favorite thing in the world, living with two of my favorite males on the entire planet inspires me. They make me feel a part of their lives and experiences. How they’re treated and how they’re perceived but most importantly how they’re portrayed. I’ve sort of fashioned my own honorary cap that’s cool and hip and with it to wear that makes me part of the team of dads and men that are curating the conversation about making men, more specifically fathers, in the media, both advertising or in movies & TV, competent, involved and capable. I’m not a big petitioner of things, but my passion on this subject for both my spouse & my son gets me moving like I’m trying to get enough signatures to make Chuck Norris president without an election.

Even though he wouldn’t particularly need my help with that. Because Chuck Norris.

3: How do you think/hope your child/children will view your blog later in life? 

I really hope that my son grows up to appreciate his mother’s quirky creativity. I’m lucky that he’s still in that adoring phase where even the worst I could bomb with a joke makes me the most hilarious person on the planet. I hear from friends with teens that there’s a definite point where mom is just so weird and gross and PLEASE GO AWAY, MAAAAAAAHHHHHMMMM!

Right now I’m savoring every moment when I hear him make a “his mom joke” and beam with pride after the punchline. I also can’t wait for him to learn more of the dynamics of the world and what’s there for him to learn there so he can understand and hopefully appreciate some of the more poignant, thought-provoking things I’ve published on the site. Like that photo of the Elf on the Shelf as a Chippendale’s dancer. The real world-changing stuff, y’know.

4: What kind of parenting advice have you received that you actually used in raising your little one?

One of the most ridiculous pieces of advice I got when we found out we were expecting was to read all of the books. I didn’t apply that, but if I recall correctly, in the same few days or hours, I got a double dose of advice from someone who I admire so much as a parent and entertainer. They said to me, “Listen to your gut and laugh. A lot.” 

When we’re young or old or whatever age label you identify yourself with and on the brink of changing your entire world with a small human person, you’re terrified and nervous and confused and clueless. But for me, the second we welcomed the little guy into our lives and the world, I experienced a confidence and an instinct that I never could have fathomed my body could contain. And it was certainly not something I could have ever gotten from a book.

5: What do you hope to gain from blogging? What are your goals, where do you see it going?

I’m a meek & humble creative behind the curtain. Which, if you’ve ever explored the content I create it’s very bold and crass and loud. Very, very loud. In all honesty though, I don’t expect much. I don’t expect major waves or massive domination over the internet. I don’t let myself fuss with the metrics and logistics. If I’m being really honest, I hope to gain one person who smirks or chuckles or laughs so hard they get a side cramp and have to lie to their boss that their cat just died to explain the streaming tears. But just ONE of those reactions and I give myself a sweet little high five (or butt tap if I’m feeling especially frisky that day). I create to bring joy to someone, anyone. That will always be my first and foremost consideration when I sit down to write or doodle or hit record on the camera. It’s also the most explicit point I make when dealing with the occasional paid partnership. Because money is also a nice side effect of this whole making stuff for the internet gig.

That’s all for Jessi. Go and follow her everywhere on the internets… Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, Google+, and Tumblr.

 

About PBDadCast 161 Articles
A couple of dads podcasting about being dads! Open your ears for some great stories and conversations about all things we dad's face on a daily basis. Also hots of #AskADad on YouTube.

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply