One of my idols.
I am a deep thinker. Sure, my main thing is humor, but I’m also a thoughtful gal – like a still pool in a forest glen, I’m deep. As a matter of fact, one of the posts I am most proud of asks the existential question, “why am I here?” But that’s not important right now.
I’ve had over 12,000 hits on an old blog post in the last 2 days, and I want to know why.
The post in question is R.I.P. “Bunny” Bixler. This was a tongue-in-cheek obituary for a fictional character who is mentioned, but never shown, in the delightful 1950s Rosalind Russell movie, Auntie Mame. I really like this movie. A lot. I always wanted to BE Auntie Mame, but the closest I’ve come is doing a pretty good rendition of Little Glory recounting the ping-pong incident.
I wrote this post in January of 2011 when I had been engaged in the blogging business a grand total of 3 months. In that short period I had figured out how to upload pictures, embed movies and curb the impulse to make every post a novel. I think most of my 7 readers liked the piece – I did. But what I want to know is why everyone and their brother is reading it NOW.
I’ve been doing some sleuthing and there are a couple of possibilities.
1) A couple of months after I wrote this, I discovered the existence of a Pittsburgh drag queen who had adopted this stage name. Fearing the “real” Bunny Bixler had died, last night I rushed to her Twitter page to check. Based on her “favorite” response to my inquiry about her health, she is still very much alive.
2) Several people have tweeted links to this post. I asked one how he had come to me, and he said my post had been shared on Facebook by Bobby Rivers. I assume that would be the movie critic, talk show host and onetime Food Network host, but I don’t see anything about me on his page.
I’m not complaining about this mini attack of going viral – au contraire! (that’s French for “hell no.”) It’s just that I need to know the source of all the attention so I can figure out how to exploit it. Oops – didn’t mean to say that. I meant so I can say thank you to my kind benefactor.
Given the number of subscribed readers I have (who are the best on WordPress, by the way. Have I told you that lately?) you would be excused for thinking that every post gets 12,000 views. Hell no! (that’s American for “au contraire.”) The sad fact is that only about 2% of readers usually bother to READ the drivel I put up here. Even Freshly Pressed posts don’t gather that number of reads.
I’m stumped. Delighted, but stumped. Any ideas?
Peg-o-Leg's Ramblings 
never question a good thing–I think you are clever — now lots of people do–no surprise to me!
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Aw, shucks folks, I’m speechless (not really – I rarely shut up.)
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I’m here for the humour, and nothing else :).
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And I’m glad to have you here!
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You can check in your stats (WP dashboard) to see where people are getting referred from. As Tony Robbins always says, “success leaves clues”, Peg. 🙂 Congratulations on your mystery success!
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Thanks. I did that, and it points to Facebook. But it doesn’t say WHERE on Facebook. WordPress Happiness Engineers said that isn’t something they can track. Dang!
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I think you should milk a whole blog series out of this mystery!
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Hmmm… The Case Of the Mysterious Stats. Maybe get the Junior Blog Detective Squad on the job?
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Nancy Drew meets Scooby Doo?
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If Scrappy Do is in, then so am I.
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OMG, Bunny Bixler from that 1950’s movie is dead!? I gotta Face-tweet-tagram this right now!
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Don’t forget Pinterest, Reddit and StumbleUpon. Get those fingers a-flyin, X, you slacker.
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But can you handle 12,000 more strangers rambling all over your blog?
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Bring it on.
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Just enjoy while it lasts.
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That’s not my style. I’m more of a “worry about what could possibly go wrong so I suck all the joy out of everything” kind of person.
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Time for a change?
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You’re right. I’ll get right on the job of obsessing about how I don’t greet new successes with enough of a carefree attitude. Thanks.
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If you find out – make sure you share, so we can all exploi……..er……….. celebrate your success together!
Love the language lesson, BTW. I wanna learn more of your French 😛
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Darn, you took the words right out of my … computer keyboard! I wanna know, too, so I can start reposting some of my oldies but goodies.
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As soon as I figure this out, I’ll be sure to share so you can all exploicelebrate. Certainmente (that means “for sure, Dude.”)
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That is a fun mystery. I had a bunch of Japanese viewers one day but I didn’t investigate it. I was just amused. I think I’ll ask next time, though I’m not talking as crazy stats as you. It was about 150 loll just all from the same country.
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Still, that IS a lot from the same foreign country. Perhaps you hit on an obscure national interest? Or accidentally deeply offended millions, thereby setting back US/Japanese relations for decades? Either of those things could have happened.
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Ha, Ha lol. Gosh I’ll never know.
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Peg, maybe you should put something at the end of that post asking this question — because now we ALL want to know.
PS: I just googled Bunny Bixler and you came up first. You Rock!
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I don’t know that there are a ton of people googling a fictitious character like Bunny, but it’s nice to know that they’ll get me if they do. I’m #1! I’m #1!
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That you are, Peg. That you are!
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Yeah, I saw that on Google too. Maybe there just isn’t much out there with Bunny’s name on it?? Anyhow, pretty exciting, sis!
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You mean I’m #1 because there isn’t any #2? Oh.
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Ooh La La (that is French for Damn, Girl!)
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You have such a way with the bon mots (that’s French for bull-doodoo…of the welcome variety.)
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That is crazy! It doesn’t say where your referrers are from? When I went viral, it listed Reddit in the thousands. CONGRATS! I hope it translates to tons of new readers!
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I was thinking about your Reddit experience, Susie. Mine is coming from Facebook, but it doesn’t say WHERE or WHO in Facebook. Frustrating, but still cool. 😉
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Exponential is the only way to go…
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Nothing would surprise me less. *big grin*
(Can I pick the right bloggers to welcome to NWR or can I pick ’em.)
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That’s probably it – the NWR notice spiked the interest. Yeah!
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As long as you don’t break the Internet. We don’t want anyone thinking you’re like Kim K’s butt.
Or do we? Hmm…
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If I had 1/8th Kim K’s butt I would have something to brag about compared to the pancake I have been blessed with. But that’s a story for my analyst.
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Consider the NWR blog your analyst. Writing is good therapy.
We’d ALL read about that. *grin*
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Hmm…. nope, no ideas. I have no idea who this guy is but I do know any exposure is good exposure. Unless your pants fall down while you’re out getting the mail in the dead of winter.
Also, is there a way, any way at all, that I can ride your coattails for the duration of this newfound fame and fortune? And after it’s over can I have your coat? I’m pretty damn cold right now.
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Not only my coat, you can have my pants. Sounds like you need ’em, Missy.
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….I’m so cold….so very c-c-c-cold….
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I’ll soon have a generator I can lend you. You got any problem covering the $500 shipping charge to Maine?
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But seriously, I am so excited you have so much dang traffic! (I had to say dang as my daughter is watching me type this)
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…not that you would ever say anything else, as I well know, jeezum crow.
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I loved Bea Arthur as Vera Charles!
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I’ve never seen her in the role – was that on Broadway?
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Both on Broadway and in the 1974 movie. Bea Arthur was such a treasure!
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Wow, this is really interesting. Hope you solve this viral mystery. The drag element sounds like a tantalizing thread.
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The drag element is often tantalizing.
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Being an investigative reporter for the Nudge Wink Report, I’ve got some connections. I put on my Sherlock Holmes hat, packed my mereshem pipe with some Borkum Riff and did me some sleuthing. Try to stay with me, this gets a little technical. My first stop was my own Facebook page, where I employed the “search” button after entering the name “Bunny Bixler” in the little box. I was rewarded with the Facebook page for a cute little copper-colored pooch. While I’m more than a tad jealous that you got 12,000,000 hits on a post, I’m even more envious that a stupid little dog has more Facebook friends than me. My petty feelings aside, I searched the page for more (any) clues. In the comments section, one of Bunny’s many many friends had sent word of his condolences that Bunny the dog’s namesake had passed away. This was either a reference to your post, or a certain female impersonator is now pushing up daisies somewhere near the confluence of the Monongahela and Allegheny rivers. I’m going to delve further into this matter, but first, I’ve got to go get a fresh pouch of pipe tobacco and a cooler hat.
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Excellent work, Ace. Sherlock meets Nancy Drew meets Scooby Do?
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Ruh Ro!
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Maybe the Internet thingy that pipes that post to the world got clogged and then suddenly all those hits that had been building up burst through . . . . That’s my technical opinion.
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Makes as much sense as my personal theory that the whole bizness is powered by legions of gerbils in running wheels.
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Not a clue. I found you initially on Freshly Pressed a while back. Still love you! Make another post if you figure it out.
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Thanks – I’m so glad to have you here. I think this is going to be one of the Great Mysteries of The World, like why the same 40 pounds has been dogging me since I was 12.
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I have an answer for you. Sort of. Because, I have had the same experience with two of my posts. I even wrote another post about it…just like you!
Your first thought is probably correct: Someone was looking up info on the drag queen and came across your post. They linked it to a Facebook post and next thing ya know, “Bob’s your uncle.”
One of my posts was about a favorite TV show, and I get constant hits from people looking for Fan Fiction pieces based on the show. The other piece featured the original Smiley Face. One person on the internet goes looking for this, and by complete coincidence a couple of others do the same (and the same group keeps coming back) and within 5 hours Google has me at the top of searches for “Smiley Face.” I stayed within the top five for almost two weeks and get 100s of hits.
Search Engine Ops (SEO) is alllllllll about what’s trending. 10-20 people can sway millions and millions of hits. And, the more people share on different platforms (blogs, FB, Twitter, etc etc), the higher Google and the like rate your post as THE place to get information about whatever they are searching for.
Sadly, most of those hits aren’t actually reading your post. All of that traffic does little to build readership. But it sure as hell is fun to see all that action goin on, huh?!
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This happened to you twice? I have a feeling you’re right. I’m not really increasing readership with this little escapade. It’s is fun, but kinda random, isn’t it?
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Beats me. However, this is the second Auntie Mame reference to come into my world this week, so I’m intrigued by the coincidence. (It a dog named Beau, short for Beauregard Jackson Pickett Burnside.)
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Gah. “I * met* a dog … ” Stupid autocorrect.
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The universe is trying to tell you to download Auntie Mame this weekend. Either that or get a dog with a really loong name.
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Or both. I like to dream big.
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Like Claudiu C. I’m here for the humor Peg, and I’d have to say this is great fun! I have to somehow find a way to work Bunny Bixler into the title of my next post…instant 12,000 hits! Peg you are genius!
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Who knew that Bunny was such a big draw? And it only took 4 years for that to happen.
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Maybe Bunny is a late bloomer? ;o)
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congrats on the success of your post, but i have no idea where the clicks came from; i’m happy for you!!
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Thanks! I think it will remain a mystery.
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Two days in a row this week I had 170 views (my equivalent of 12,000) of one of my short stories, of all things. Turns out folks were chasing one of the pictures. Someone nicked the image I used of Martin Freeman and pasted it to their site “Celebrities You Won’t Believe Are the Same Age.” People come from weird places. I figure they mutter a juicy swear word when they land on my blog, but then, maybe one or two will look around. Who knows?
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My version of your 170 views is about twenty- was very excited when that happened a few weeks ago. Of course at the moment, I’m lucky to hit double figures (weeps) 🙂
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This reminds me of the movie Romy & Michelle’s High School Reunion, where our heroines are complaining that the cool girls weren’t nice to them in high school. Someone else they knew thought THEY were cool and mean to her, and it turned out there was someone else down the social rung who thought the middle girl was stuck up.
Let’s just ponder the deepness of that for a moment, shall we?
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Everything in life is relative…
There’s part of me that loves to see those new ‘likes’ and ‘followers’ but though I love it, I’m not doing this just to blog. I’m trying to get published and needed a platform to show potential publishers/agents I’m prepared to engage online.
I have to remind myself the most important thing is to get this darn novel finished!
Blogging is such fun though 🙂
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I’ve come to the same conclusion, but I don’t think any of them are sticking around. Ah well.
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How the hell can I get me some going-viral action?
Shame these things are so random. You could sure make one heck of a lot of cash from discovering the ‘Going-Viral Magic Formula’ and marketing it online. Of course then, your marketing for the Magic Formula would also go viral…
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I don’t think this qualifies quite as viral, but it’s as close as I’ll ever come. Up to 13,500 views now but definitely trickling off. Susie Lindau at Susie’s Wild Ride got mentioned on Reddit last month and had over 50,000 hits on one day!
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Okay, so how do I find out the name of a famous drag queen (not Bunny Bixler–s/he’s you’re gal/guy) and write a fake obit? You’re on to something here…
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Hang around in the right clubs and you’ll get LOTS of names.
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Oh dear, that means I have to move my bedtime past 9:30. Hmmm.
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Ooh! I love a good mystery. I wonder if FB could tell you who posted the link.
So random how this stuff happens, right?
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Random is right.
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Well humorists tend to be the deepest thinkers so naturally you want to know this post went viral! My Duquesa de Alba (eccentric Spanish duchess who was one of the richest women in the world) post, which has always been one of my most popular, got a few thousand views last fall and unfortunately this was how I found out she died. Also my post about the real town of Sleepy Hollow in the NYC suburbs where Washington Irving lived started getting a lot of hits once the crazy batshit show Sleepy Hollow on Fox premiered (and I wrote my post a full year before the show aired).
I hope you find out what caused the post to go viral. Maybe somebody posted it on Reddit?
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Interesting. That’s what I was afraid of, that Bunny Bixler the drag queen had died. I didn’t want people to think I was being disrespectful.
Another blogging friend went really viral on Reddit – 50,000 hits in one day! I don’t know much about that place, though. I’m having a hard enough time managing the older social media and Twitter is confusing the hell out of me.
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Oh yeah I don’t know how to navigate Reddit, it confuses the hell out of me. I don’t think anyone really knows how it works!
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Now I don’t feel so clueless.
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I am Melody!. I Live in New England, I Love to Laugh, I love Life ,I am a Woman who Has a deep Faith In God. I Love to chat as well about life in General.
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Welcome, Melody!
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I’ve got it!!!!!! It’s because EASTER is coming and everyone is looking for EASTER BUNNY ideas/crafts/porn…you name it. BUNNY is the secret here!!! DUH! I’ll have to do a post about bunnies to see if my theory works, I’m sure if I tag: porn,playboy,bunny does Dallas, I will get a merde (that’s French for shit) load of hits! 🙂
Or, simply because you da bom… 🙂
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How delightful to think I am attracting people looking for crafty porn. I will await your blog post marking the sacred occasion of Easter with bated breath.
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Sorry, haven’t got a clue. But… Wooo Hoooo!!!
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Exactly.
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Goodness, how exciting! But also frustrating that you can’t figure out the source! Hop, hop, hop…
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Ah well, a little mystery in life is good, right?
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Don’t look a gift-horse in the mouth. Only horse dentists are allowed to do that.
Forget the how and make hay while the sun shines. Strike when the iron is hot. That won’t be for long because we all know, Winter Is Coming.
Man, if only my words made as much sense to people as they do in my head. Sigh.
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