The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is my Super Bowl. All of the dogs with none of the rape or domestic abuse allegations! #winning
Two televised nights of stunning bitches and dogs. Like many other sporting events, there’s plenty of ritual, build-up, and flair, with the judges out-flairing the dogs at times. Google Ms. Betty Regina Leininger, a wonder in purple and yellow diamonds. While the commercial time may not sell at ‘Merica football rates, the athletes excite and inspire lovers of canines everywhere.
A couple years ago, I started incessantly posting during the event and quickly realized it was much more fun and fulfilling than any of my past red carpet snark. The tabloid giggle factor always gets me there. But the dogs, oh the dogs bring me joy. All the different groups and breeds—fur babies of every shape and size, some even furless, like the beautiful Xoloitzcuintli. Of course, the Sporting Group is my favorite as it is home to the German Shorthaired Pointer. Alli and Joey wouldn’t have me vote any other way.
Not that I don’t love the Dobermans, the Mastiffs, and the Bull Terriers. I love them all—the way they prance around the show ring and gaze at their handlers. I love the odd- looking ones for their quirks, like the Puli, which appears to make a much more practical mop than the Komondor.
Sure the dog people go a little overboard, just like the football people, the baseball people, or the soccer people. We love our breeds like they love their teams, we just don’t dress up like them. Plus, our athletes can pee anywhere without threat of arrest.
The Bitches conferring on the early showings in the Hound Group. Alli called the Borzoi from the start, partly for its beauty, but mostly for her love of Russian literature.
It brings me joy to go online and look at the breed judging and see all the GSPs lined up. There’s something spectacular and funny about it, even more so in a breed with more unified coats, like Golden Retrievers. Imagine a whole row of Buddies, proudly looking up at their handlers, poised and affectionate, alert, yet loving. Making it into the Group Finals is a pretty incredible feat, a national broadcast, with dog geeks like me watching their every move, commenting on favorites and speculating on winners.
I’ll own that my social media frenzy during the show is a bit over the top, but I was surprised that some people told me to quit commenting or even to shut up. Unfollow me or block me, then.
Some people tell me they actually look forward to it each year, making me feel like the Marv Albert of the event, just without the ass biting. No sniffing either.
But something beautiful came out of the few negative reactions, though. I realized I will never apologize to anyone for annoying them with my joy.
Social media is such a strange beast. We each have our own pages, feeds, and accounts. We all choose what we display about our lives. It may be honest or a complete fabrication, but there is a selection process, a branding process as to what we choose to share. If someone who had never met you looked at your page, what would he or she say about you? What’s important to you? What do you value? Or maybe the more interesting question is how would you be judged? Judging is more about the lens through which the judge views life than the one being judged.
You take selfies, you’re a narcissist.
Drug pictures: Junkie.
Political rant.
You post about your cats, you’re a crazy cat lady. What’s it like to be never married and over 40?
Oh, you’re one of those people who always has to post when you go to the gym or ran a mile cuz otherwise it’s like it didn’t happen.
Political rant.
All you post about is drinking, you might have a problem.
All you post about is drinking, you must be fun.
Underground music scene guy. I get it, you’re cooler than I am.
Quiz 2365: Haven’t you figured out this is all clickbait?
You had a baby. So did everyone else.
You had a baby! You had a baby!
Political rant.
More home remodeling pics? Rub it in. How much money do those people have?
This could go on for a hundred pages, but my point is pretty simple. You choose what you put out there and that means judgment. BUT, if you’re sharing your joy, who cares? Own that joy, bitches!
It’s gonna be like Christmas again tonight—Sporting, Working, and Terrier Groups followed by BEST IN SHOW!