On this past Sunday evening I was checking my voice mails and was surprised when an odd 312 area code telephone number had left a message. I instantly thought to myself as the pre-recorded woman listed the numbers to me that it was a telemarketer of some sorts. But I was shocked to hear some elder man say these words “Patrick, this is Brian Connelly from Strumpette, I just want to let you know that we have no grudge what so ever. If you would like to talk about this more please call me back.”

At first I was surprised to see that Brian Connelly even decided to call my telephone. I believe there was a system called email that delivers a lesser urgent message to your contact. I decided it was only polite to email Brian telling him that he probably read the context of the post incorrectly and that was not our idea of “displacing” them or even “attacking / instulting” them. In all actuality I wrote him with an email saying I thoroughly enjoyed reading your Web site. That in fact, we have a lot in common when it comes to opinions. But quickly I was returned with an email stating just the same thing as in the voice mail. Something along the lines of a defensive mannerism that came with no educational background. I only complimented him on his Web site, why am I being told that I am still wrong? I continued to say that I understood his opinions and facts, but only wanted to contribute to the voice. We are trying to make new ideas occur in PR and marketing corporations, but his strategies of informing the uninformed is less intelligent than I might have hoped.

Lets take a look at the idea behind Strumpette.com, Fake Steve Jobs hit the market around 5 years ago, making a huge hit with the Apple-backers and the new blog world that was soon being promoted. But the genius behind Fake Steve Jobs was the extremes of satire he stated as well as the hierarchy of person the blogger was portraying. Strumpette takes a step down from Steve Jobs and prays on people like Richard Edelman. Brain continued to email me explaining to me that I was misunderstanding the idea of Strumpette. When in all actuality, I only continued to compliment him on his work. I didn’t devote any time to proving his design, or professional branding uninteresting. This continued back and forth for a couple of emails, when I told Brian that I would rather interview him, asking him a couple of questions to allow the multiple bloggers and readers of the Web site to be informed about what he was supposedly “informing me of.”

Couple of articles giving an insight on Strumpette over the years, Krempasky, d:notes, MediaShift, and Mikes Points.

The articles above are interesting to me at the moment, as I recently engaged with Brian Connolly himself. I do have to give Brian some credit, creating what seems to be a “speckle” of buzz compared to the Fake Steve Jobs idea.

Yet again, Brian continued on saying that I didn’t understand the Web site and continued to tell me that he wouldn’t explain it to me. All I wanted to know from him was his history, I wanted to know where he got his knowledge from, where he might of worked to get the knowledge he portrays on his Web site, all that sort of good stuff. While, his writers seem to be people of large names and professional brands, Brian continues to avoid the questions I am asking him. Now there is a couple of questions that come up in my mind when he contacted me.

A. Why is it that someone who delivers so much “fake” criticism daily, take so seriously my single sentence of reference which I gave Strumpette.

B. Why did he call, and not just email?

C. Brian stated he had 30 years of experience, but he didn’t say where… Interesting…

Fake Steve Jobs made his satire just that, satire. They were uneducated enough to have humor, when Strumpette decides that their comedic blog posts must also include elementary school style “bully” tactics. One thing that Fake Steve Jobs did not have often, keeping his professional manner at a higher standard. While Brian represents some very high powered men, he doesn’t hold his own when it comes to education and knowledge. Since he wouldn’t even tell me (someone originally complimenting him and saying “thank you for contacting me at all”) the answers to what should be a very proud subject.

Here is the best email Brian wrote me:

1) We know our audience; and a Google search is NOT indicative. Indeed, our rep is infamous. We’re Strumpette!!

Just a little too cocky for my nature, I know I complimented you, but say thanks at least.

2) I contacted you to be polite. You are proving (have proven) to be the exact opposite.

I don’t know where he got this from, since my first emails where only positive and I have the gmail records to prove it.

3) If you want to insist on assigning “grudge,” whatever. But then be honest and factual and do it uniformly and accuse us of having a grudge against the PR industry. (Suggestion: Maybe read Strumpette first before you take a flier with an accusation.)

One of our conversations was about the “rumor” my sentence initiated from. Funny how now he wants me to be factual, when before he agreed that I was smart for not posting more information on the subject, because it was only a rumor. Also a little hypocritical with the style of his Web site.

4) As far as your offer, we are not interested in your audience. We have bigger fish to fry.

I guess a very nice reply to my entrepreneurial idea? Ego much? If I am such a small fish, why contact me at all!?

And lastly 5) We at Strumpette DO NOT feel the need to explain ourselves to anyone. Again, our cases stand on their own.

This was the fight I was having with myself, explaining to him that 80% of his readers don’t take his information as satire, exactly the reasons for the blog postings and interest from various marketing & PR corporations. I merely gave him a chance to speak his mind and idea behind Strumpette in the form of an interview.

Anyway… I’m just trying to be nice man. In that spirit, I’m done here. I can’t help you. I’ve lost the will to try.

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The point is, if you are going to represent an unoriginal idea with professional men backing your name, at least represent yourself well. Brian Connolly proved that wrong with his emails to me and nature of narrow minded responses to my only professionally investigative questions. Me personally, if Brian Connolly was the person representing my “satire” articles, I think I would be a little bit worried, especially with names like these. Last but not least, Brian was the one who contacted me…

This whole thing is interesting to me, since Brian’s business is humorously critiquing large corporations, but the second I give one single measly sentence about Strumpette, he contacts me on the phone with defensive mannerisms. There is probably 100 more negatives and positives I could give you about Strumpette.com and Brian Connolly, but I think I am going to use Brian’s words here, “the articles speak for themselves.”

If you feel like contacting Brian please do so:

email: bconnolly@furthermore.com

phone: 312-482-9229

Strumpette.com