Last Updated on July 26, 2015
As 2013 comes to a close, I’m highlighting the year’s top posts in my key categories on the days those categories are most likely to be featured, and today I present my Top 10 Talker Posts of 2013.
I thought it would be interesting to look at the top posts by category for the year. I went back to Google Analytics to determine the most-viewed posts of the year and eliminated any duplicates, so that if one post showed up in more than one category, it would only be listed in the category to which it was most closely connected.
Wednesday is the day for “talkers,” those hot-button topics getting lots of buzz, so here’s a list of my top 10 Talker posts of 2013 according to stats.
1. “Student Hair Argument Goes Both Ways”
This kind of thing happens entirely too often: children who want to “express themselves” attempt to make the argument that there should be “more important things” than, say, what color their hair is. Well, they’re right: and they’re missing the point with that very argument.
2. “Paula Deen Furor Ignores Basic Truths of Humanity”
Paula Deen was definitely a hot topic this year. In this post, I didn’t set out to defend Deen’s admitted use of the “N-word,” but rather to point out that the use of inappropriate comments isn’t restricted to whites speaking against blacks.
3. “2 Facts You May No Know About the Paula Deen Lawsuit”
It was Paula Deen’s admitted use of the “N-word” that caused the loudest complaints. But the lawsuit against her, according to Deen’s accuser, was never about the N-word. And that was the smaller surprise.
4. “If It’s Mandatory Tipping, It’s Not Tipping”
Tipping is always a hot topic for servers and customers alike. When some Tennessee restaurants started adding an “automatic gratuity” to bills, I wasn’t impressed.
5. “When Breastfeeding is an Event, It’s Not About the Child”
The breastfeeding battle is another one of those disagreements that may never end. But you can’t argue that breastfeeding is only about feeding a hungry baby when you stage an event to have mothers breastfeed their kids in the open to make a point. It’s no longer about the child at that point.
6. “‘Obesity’ Letters Anger Parents”
No one wants to be called “obese.” If you’re a parent, you certainly don’t want your child to be called “obese.” But as I pointed out, in this dire fight against unhealthy living, we have to start somewhere.
7. “Dairy Queen Worker Steps Up When Customer Turns Thief”
It was one of the biggest feel-good stories of the year: a teenage Dairy Queen manager sees a regular customer who’s blind drop money. He then sees another customer grab the cash and then claim that she dropped it. Not only did he order the customer he says stole the cash out of the restaurant, but he replaced the $20 bill out of his own pocket.
8. “Restaurant Collects Credit Cards to Stop Dine and Dash”
The “dine and dash” crime involves eating your meal then slipping out the door before the bill comes. It happens enough in a particular area of Charlotte, apparently, than a few restaurants decided to take an unusual step to combat it.
9. “Walmart Halts Expansion Plans Over DC ‘Living Wage’ Vote”
Yes, Walmart is definitely the retailer America loves to hate. But if you can put aside your feelings about Walmart and look a little more objectively at the fight to force only certain businesses to pay more than the legal minimum wage, you might spot a few other “bad guys” in this equation.
10. “Angry Mom Misses Point on 9/11 Quiz Question”
A Texas mom was all fired up over a question about terrorism and the causes of 9/11. But if you look at it from other perspectives, the question doesn’t seem all that unreasonable.
Your Turn:
Which hot topics did you write about in 2013? Which ones did you follow?
