I am going to be absolutely blunt.
A lot of the content that I read on this site is abysmal. I hate to say that about any form of writing, but it’s true, and "Odyssey’s" reputation shows it. A lot of people don’t like us. They say that this site is a cesspool of whiny, privileged white girls, and it’s hard to disagree with them. This disdain doesn’t seem to come from a lack of writing talent, but rather a lack of effort. Any person can browse Odyssey for 20 minutes and see clearly that there are certain popular formats here that, in all honesty, could be written in one’s sleep. There are a few, but the most prominent one by far is the Open Letter.
For context, the Open Letter is a format meant to address certain types of people, usually for the purpose of critiquing their behavior. At "Odyssey," many authors have abused this format to the point that it doesn’t even feel like legitimate prose anymore. Here’s an example headline: “An Open Letter to the First Boy That Hurt Me.” Need another one? “An Open Letter to the Friends I’ll Never Forget.” From these headlines alone, one can already see how the Open Letter format has become, for lack of a better word, garbage. It is injected with a writing growth hormone called, “Teen Whimsy,” which makes it very popular amongst a very specific demographic: teenage white girls.
Let’s take a brief look into the use of Teen Whimsy. Teen Whimsy is an amalgamation of idiosyncrasies that consists of, but is not limited to, whining, nostalgia, privilege, blind romanticism, out-of-place religious references and strangely uncomfortable conservative undertones. The problem with Teen Whimsy is that it takes no effort and yet is somehow extremely popular. It’s relatable. It’s shareable. It’s easy because everyone knows its subject matter inside and out by the time they’re in college. And thus, many authors at "Odyssey" tend to abuse it and pump it sloppily into their Open Letters. Keep in mind, there’s not an inherent problem with the style associated with Teen Whimsy, it is only when you rely upon it that it becomes problematic. Think of it like romance stories. Woody Allen’s are fantastic because they use romanticism in moderation. However, Nicholas Sparks takes the story additive of romanticism, something meant to enhance, and makes it the main character of whatever he writes. He relies upon it, while Woody Allen simply uses it to his advantage. The very same principle applies to Open Letters and the styles of writing that are popular for them.
This is why so many people despise "Odyssey." It has become homogenized with extremely similar content because our not-so-diverse staff of authors tend to write what gets shared. What gets shared dictates who uses social media. What demographic dominates social media? You guessed it: teenage white girls. When it’s all said and done, I don’t want to put anyone down personally. I’m not trying to offend my fellow writers. All I’m saying is that some of the staff at "Odyssey" have, for lack of a better term, sold out and are doing what makes them popular, therefore ruining the way people perceive those of us who put in more effort and try to be different. It’s detrimental to all of us, and I hope you can find it in you to write something more thought-provoking than an essay telling your ex that you wish him well. Thank you.
