Fitting, in so many ways

in Random Crap, weekly reruns

If you’ve read my book you already know that I have a penchant for hiding in bathrooms because my anxiety disorder forces me in there during parties and any other occasion where there are more than three people in the room.

And that’s what makes this photo particularly fitting:

That’s my book cover in the ladies bathroom of Vromans Bookstore in California (taken by my friend Carol)

Awesome.

************

In unrelated news, it’s time for the weekly wrap up.

What you missed on my satirical sex column:

What you missed in my shop (tentatively called “Eight pounds of uncut cocaine” so that your credit card bill will be more interesting.):

What you missed on the internets:

This week’s wrap-up sponsored by Aurora Apparel, which has the most awesome shirts ever.  My personally favorite: Bill Fucking Murray.  You need to check them out.

115 thoughts on “Fitting, in so many ways”

Read comments below or add one.

  5. There’s no one I’d rather look at on the toilet. And I mean that in a completely non-prison movie way.

  13. I am whoring myself out to you. Well, you and anyone else that will pay. Well, if you’ll even pay. I don’t know, because why would you pay for me when you have Victor.

  18. Your book is my latest “bathroom book.” I knew you’d find that fitting. It’s where I do most of my reading anyway.

  19. I think we all know being a advertised in the bathroom is the epitome of having “made” it….
    I mean, think of all the people checking out your ad everyday….
    But in all seriousness….how can they put you on a wall with that filthy Christian Gray guy…total perv.
    I mean, he’s hanging out in the women’s bathroom…how does anyone not see the yucky factor here?

  20. Now when we start seeing pics of your book in the actual stall, I think it is time to be concerned. Although seeing the words “Let’s pretend this never happened” scrawled in black permanent marker inside of the stall would not surprise me too much.. 🙂

  28. I’d be all over management of that bookstore. “Could I please have your bathroom decor when you’re done with it?” (Ooooh, and it was a sentence that allowed me to show proper usage of your/you’re.)

  30. How many times is someone in the bathroom and thinking, “let’s pretent this never happened?” Now they know it’s ok to think that. You are helping society in so. many. ways.

  31. Having just finished the book about 20 minutes ago… and tempted to read it again right away to catch anything I might have missed… this makes me super happy.

  32. I’m new to this land of anxiety, but me and bathrooms are becoming friendly, in a way that doesn’t involve waste elimination. Also- I would totally hang that poster in my bathroom too!

  33. You know you’ve made it when your taxidermied mouse dressed like Hamlet is on the cover of your book, then blown up into a poster and framed to be hung in a bathroom of a bookstore.

    Jenny, you have arrived.

  41. Whoa…those books…my 3-yr old was screechingly obsessed with the cover of that “Feelings and how to Destroy Them” one. Would NOT let me scroll down. So weird. “Don’t let it consume you” was such a vivid progression…it felt too real 🙁 And just WOW in re: your friend Brittany’s video…

    Always love your round-up…always great stuff!

  42. Utterly fitting…and seriously funny that one of the other posters is 50 Shades. Snort: apparently it’s an exciting bathroom.

  43. Your book posted in the bathroom. That. Is. Awesome. As the first poster pointed out, at least you weren’t next to Fifty Shades of Grey. 😀

  44. As someone who had a full-blown panic attack at work this morning, I can fully appreciate the bathroom stall as a hiding place.

  45. It’s nice to know people are paying attention.

    In related news, I kinda loved the Brittany McDonald song there at the end. Very well done.

    In tangentially related news, I need to start making YouTube videos.

  46. Ok, I just sent you an email. Then read that your email is like limbo… hehehe Please go see if you can find it, it is time sensitive and might even have a giggle or two in it. I was going to post it here, but it is just a tad personal.

  47. I enjoyed reading “Let’s Talk About Race, Baby”, and it totally made me realize that if you haven’t seen Broadway’s Avenue Q then you have to because it’s right up your alley. Not only is the entire show amazing, but there’s a song called “Everyone’s A Little Bit Racist”, and it helps put things into perspective with a humorous twist 🙂

  50. I read your book while hiding in the bathroom for some period of time. Mostly it was to escape work, but you’re welcome all the same.

  51. You know what would totally complete this whole bathroom motif – a stuffed, dead thing holding the toilet paper. I’m calling the bookstore. You’re welcome.

  52. Nice. You and Fifty Shades of Grey, keeping bathrooms clean and pure since 2012.

  53. That rocks. It really does.

    And omg, your friend has an incredible song/video. I am kind of sitting here ready to bawl from it. Awesome. Not abdomen, which is what autocorrect wanted to say. Awesome.

  54. I really want to know what is involved with breeding combat hamsters! That may be the only reason to get that book, for me.

  56. That would be a great place to watch the Olympics with HTS.

    If he got board, he could play paperball hockey on the floor.

    If you got board, you could vandalize your poster.

    And the authorities could do NOTHING because it’s YOUR FRIGGIN POSTER!

  57. I admit I was unsettled by all the animal skinning and animal death, but that’s because I’m a bleeding heart pussy.

    Wait, not that my … oh, nevermind.

    Can’t wait for book 2.

    I also really think that Victor and my husband need a sit down together.

  60. Earlier today I was thinking about reading your book a second time. I was having writer’s block and thought it might inspire me. Plus it’s just really good.

  64. Hi Jenny!
    I listened to your book on cd while I was driving aound town and you did a terrific job! Not only did I love the content of the book, but you injected just the right amount of humor and sensitivity into your voice to make it seem like we were in the same room together, like friends, and you were sharing your stories with me.
    Thanks so much…I totally enjoyed it!!

  65. A rough sex book, a book about a happily eccentric family, and then there are two other book covers there for things you didn’t write. Nice!

  67. That is awesome and comforting in a f***ed up kind of way. I needed that yesterday when I got hooked up to an ekg because apparently my asthma did not exist s oI must be having panic attacks. I am still undiagnosed but stuffed full of cortisone and told to speak with my dr in two weeks. Panic attacks? Maybe? I don’t freaking know. But I got that look from the doctor, and wanted to run into the bathroom to hide. Its a nice bathroom actually. No couches or anything, simole, but cool and calm.

  68. My best friend has anxiety disorder, and I must say that having spent lots of time hiding in many bathrooms, has given the ability to accurately judge the meaningful quality of a restaurant, bar, mall, theatre. When people look at us as if we are odd, I have the choice of disagreeing and explaining, or going with it. Going with it is lots more fun!

  69. Gaga is obviously a big fan! Next thing you know, she’ll be sporting around a weasel and an alligator like prize hogs at a state fair.

  70. OMG! I saw that poster and I took like 5 pictures of it to get the fladh off, not blurry, and i don’t remember why else. I’m pretty sure I tweeted it at you, but maybe that failed and I only got it on fb. But I totally was at Vroomans and saw that two or three weeks ago.

    loooove.

  71. It IS too bad they deemed to place your paragon of a snarky memoir within such close proximity to Fifty Shades of Crappiness… sigh…

    What is the world coming to? O.o

  72. I so want one of the posters of your book!! Your book made me laugh out loud so many times. I love the way you write!!

  73. Hi,

    I’m reading your book right now, and I think I have found the next perfect birthday or Christmas gift for your father. It was posted on Regretsy today (I’m not taking credit for finding this shit on my own, lol)… a squirrel beer bottle cozy. http://www.regretsy.com/2012/07/28/weekend-flashback-a-long-cold-one/ Someone kindly pointed out that it could be infinitely grosser if it was used to decorate a ketchup bottle, and I thought immediately of your father. HOW FUCKING WEIRD IS THAT? Anyway, if you don’t buy it for him, you should email me his address, and I will buy it for him with a note that says, “THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES, DAD.”

  76. Thank you for posting the link to Let’s Talk About Race. I live in Kansas and I have got the impression from some of my friendly neighbors that racism simply means that you like slavery and the KKK and nothing beyond that. Any talk about everyday, institutionalized racism and the subtle things that make a person feel disenfranchised is angrily dismissed as personal-freedom-threatening, PC hogwash. Anyway, the article addresses this with eloquence and grace.

    Please note that I am not trying to stereotype my fellow Kansans as being ignorant bumpkins. Wouldn’t that be hypocritical of me! Most of us are normal people just like everyone else in the world. Only we don’t believe in evolution which makes God like us better.

    As far as having your book cover used as decoration in a public restroom: surreal. Personally, I prefer the “under the sea” motif that was big in the nineties. However, I think you might be able to capitalize on this by making your own line of bathroom decor. Printed towels, shower caps, tooth brush holders, etc.

    Wow this comment is embarrassingly long…

  77. I like to think that whoever is in charge of where to put the ads happened to be a total Lawsbian, and in their board meeting thingy (those people have those right?) just suddenly slammed their fist onto the table and announced “We HAVE to put Jenny Lawson’s book cover in the bathroom. Or else.”

  78. Hey there, I occasionally stop by your blog, but after I watched some TV last night I had to comment. There is a show on Discovery channel called Oddities, about a weird antique show in NYC, and last night there was an episode on about a taxidermy contest. If you haven’t already seen it I’ll let you google it and see the magic yourself without giving away anything!

  79. Hoorya!!!! What an honor to be on a bathroom wall! Maybe, if you’re lucky, you’ll start finding yourself in the actual stalls.

    Wait… that honor sounds rather dubious. Never mind (unless you’re into that sort of thing).

  80. I don’t ever comment on posts here even though I read your blog regularly. However, I was on tumblr today and saw a Picasso painting of a lady with a cat on her head and thought, “OMG The Bloggess has to know about this!” So, you should Google ‘Portrait of Suzanna Bloch’. I’m done rambling now.

  81. HAPPY 40th BIRTHDAY WILL WHEATON!!!!! Sending you a virtual ball of twine 🙂

  83. Hey Jennie,
    Long time lurker first time commenter here. You inspired me to give my blog a facelift, among other things. Anyone who digs being featured on a bathroom wall is all right by me. I mean, I’ve been featured on bathroom walls, but it was just raunchy comments, not a published book. Oh well, I’ll take what I can get.
    – Marcheline

  85. Oh, GREAT. Now I have to add ‘being advertised on a bathroom wall’ to my list of goals for my writing. You just keep raising that bar unattainably high, Jenny. Thanks a lot.

    🙂

  86. I LOVE that your poster is in the ladies’ room. All these gals will be sitting there, all intrigued, like “Who is this Jenny Lawson” and then as soon as their hands are dry they’ll all be running out to grab your book off the shelf. It’s the perfect place for promotional posters, ’cause what are they going to do, not look?

    You rock, Jenny!

    Michelle

  89. What a great way to promote bathroom reading. Of course, I’m usually on my iPhone in the bathroom…I used to read in there but since I am now INTERRUPTED ALL THE TIME BY A FIVE-YEAR OLD ASKING ME FOR FUCKING YOGURT OR SOME SHIT, I just take the phone. But I do still think having books and/or magazines in the bathroom is a must, if for no other reason than living with people who ALWAYS FORGET TO REFILL THE GODDAMN EMPTY TISSUE ROLL, which I only discover AFTER IT IS TOO LATE. But I will never be using your book in this manner, trust me. Well, maybe just the cover, but that’s kind of hard, don’t you think, kind of like 12-ply, which is just WAAAAY too much on the tender cheeks? I’ll just use the Us Weekly – using crap to wipe crap seems very fitting.

  90. Love it! Since I imagine a lot of your fan base resides in public bathrooms (either to hide, use, or heck why not both?) advertising there is wise. Very wise.

  91. Thanks for that video link. It really made my day. Last few weeks have been real sucky with bad shit storms of drama.

  93. “Bill F#@cking Murray” is a long running theme over at thechive.com and they’ve been selling almost that exact same t-shirt design you linked to at Aurora Apparel to huge demand for a while now. I don’t know how long Aurora’s had it in their collection but it looks like they stole it to me.

  95. And next to 50 Shades of Grey nonetheless. LOL. 🙂

    Thank you so much for pointing to chookooloonks’s post. I “stalked” their Twitter conversation and am very excited that she wrote about the topic on her blog.

  96. That’s how you know you’ve truly made it.

    When you find a little piece of yourself on the ladies’ bathroom wall and it’s not because of the beating you just got from the chick who found you hiding in a stall and obviously takes self-defense classes.

  97. hmmmm and we see 50 Shades of Grey closest to the toilet. Or terlet… if you will. Kinky or just plain fitting?

  100. OMG – thank goodness you included the baby seal in the list of 10 things that are wrong with the world because I was definitely in need of something cute by that point of the list.

    Seriously – how many “straight” dudes are there on Craig’s List looking for a jack-off partner?

  101. I KNEW I recognized that bathroom!! Love Vroman’s (even used to work there) and I’ve hidden in that bathroom on more than one occasion.

  105. Um, so I didn’t think I was naive, but I was reading your sex column & well, I had no idea what a JO was, so I clicked on the link . . . at work. I was pretty confused for a bit, at least until I saw the first pic of a naked dude. Jesus Christ! Now my coworkers think I’m a giant perv. Thanks, Jenny. Thanks a bunch. If I get shit-canned, I’m totally stalking you at the Seattle book signings until you agree to let me be your west-coast assistant. For real.

    P.S. Virgin Boy Eggs? What the fuck, China? This is why I’m never coming to see you, you sick fuck!

  106. That is awesomesauce. You are TOTALLY legit now. Even us anxiety-riddled bathroom dwellers know who you are now…

  107. A counselor once asked me if I was ever embarrassed that people might think I have some sort of stress incontinence when I run to a bathroom w/ anxiety.

    I told him I didn’t care, that’s the only place to hide. ha.

  108. I have hid in the bathroom… I brought my coffee and muffin along. I knew I would be in there for a while.

  110. You can buy the Juanita apron in a child’s size. The perfect gift for the nieces and nephews … an apron that says “The motherf*ing soufflé is ruined!” LOL!!! My sister will love it!

  111. Hailey looks so much like you in those pics of her in the wedding dress. 🙂

  113. I’m going to have to buy your book because we are totally kindred spirits! I spent my entire freshman year of high school hiding out in the bathroom during lunch.

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