Greetings Bitter People of the Internet Blogosphere. Bitter Ben here from First World Problemia. I have a complaining-about-first-world-problems problem and people at work started noticing so they started calling me Bitter Ben. A long time ago, I learned in marketing that you should find a need and fill it. I started noticing that a lot of people like to complain about little things, but they felt ashamed to do it, because they felt like they were being petty. So I came up with the idea to start a 900 line (1-900-BITR-BEN), where people could call and complain about all the little things that drove them crazy, but the twist was that the Customer Service Rep could also complain back. This would not only allow all the complainers to get it out of their systems, but the call would be longer and I would get more money. This lead me to come up with my tag line, “We make bitter better.” That idea failed because of a number of reasons, so instead I did the next best thing. Start a blog with the same mission. For free. For now. But someday, you will be eating in Bitter Themed Restaurants, reading Bitter themed novels, and wearing bitter oversized T-shirts. Everytime you hear someone say bitter you will think of me or this blog and you will pay a fee just for thinking about it.
So for now, jump into this safe bitter filled environment, where you are free to complain as bitterly as you like. No matter how petty, all bitterness is free to roam these wide open bitter halls, or meadows if you prefer. Comment the heck out of every post, because you can be sure I will comment right back with more bitterness. Let’s “Make Bitter Better”.
Bitter Ben
A picture of the real Bitter Me.
Some Bitter Posts to get you started:
The two posts that miraculously got Freshly Pressed:
Some other Popular Bitter Posts:
And a few of my Bitter Favorites:
Guardians of the Bendrameda Galaxy
The Four Chambers of my Bitter Heart
Surviving Work Disasters Bitterness
From the Bitter Benzoac Era to the Bitter Twitter Era
Don’t forget to follow the Bitterness elsewhere:
Credit to Michelle of Life as I Know It for this cartoon version of me.
Ben's Bitter Blog 
Pingback: Thoughts on a Sunday « Mr J
Bitterness is not always bad and Bitterness does not always stem from one being hurt.
A bitter tune at times is justified and a healthy reaction to being fed up. It can be used productively and humorously.
Everything doesn’t have to be taken so literally. Being pissed off can serve its purpose very well.
LikeLike
I think I like to call it Batterness. It’s bad and bitter at the same time.
Those rest of the things are good advice for people that aren’t bitter.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is great to get one’s true thoughts and feelings out as they keep it real.
LikeLike
I definitely keep it real, except when I keep it fake.
LikeLike
Thank you Ben for liking my latest post. How (bitter)sweet of you. Made my day!
Glad to have chanced upon your blog. We all have that bitter old lady inside, don’t we? Will keep coming back !
LikeLike
I definitely have a bitter old man in me, even though I am bitter middle aged man.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pingback: *Blog Share* Bitter Ben #167 | Its good to be crazy Sometimes
I noticed you had 999 comments so I’m commenting, just so I can say I’m batting 1000.
There’s also a toilet paper I enjoy called Scott 1000. Probably unrelated. It’s cheap as hell, thin as my hopes for the future, and unsatisfying overall, yet apropos for the times.
In other news, thanks for visiting Mad Hatters. We’re all bitter old sods, too.
LikeLike
I was wondering if anyone would ever be my 1000th commenter. I finally have the answer and it’s such a huge relief. Not I can finally get some sleep at night.
LikeLike
I finally had to give in and Follow you–your comments, and this About are irresistible. How much are the over-size Bitter T-shirts??
LikeLike
I would love to sell T-Shirts, but unfortunately, I’m pretty sure I would only sell a few. Maybe when I learn how to make good ones and market them on Facebook. Until then, one for you, $1000. Just so I can you know, cover costs.
LikeLike
In your dreams…$1000! It would have to be spun with gold and silver thread 🙂
LikeLike
I know. I usually aim too high and then fail. I tried. How about $500?
LikeLike
Ohhh you’re such a funny man 🙂
LikeLike
Alright fine. $250. Final offer.
LikeLike
You’re still hilarious 🙂 Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!
LikeLike
Alright fine. Just remember when I become famous and the price goes way up, you could have sold the very first one for lots of money on auction. Happy Thanksgiving to you too.
LikeLike
Hahaha, that could be more truth than poetry–I’ve heard of people buying something from someone BF (before fame)…and then realized they were sitting on a gold mine later 🙂
LikeLike
Yeah, turst me it is a good time to buy now. That $1000 T-shirt will be worth at least $1001 when I get famous. Your investment will be worthwhile, though you will probably just keep it because all of the fees E-bay will charge you.
LikeLike
I’ve never visited E-bay, didn’t realize there are a lot of fees… good to know, thanks 🙂
LikeLike
You’ve never even visited E-bay? It is the new thing called a website where you can buy and sell things. J/K. Anyways, if you don’t have the money for a listing it on Sotheby’s or whatever, E-bay is a little cheaper. Point being that shirt will be worth a ton someday.
LikeLike
I just shop at Amazon 🙂 I have nothing to sell–unless I self-publish my NaNo novel…and then I’ll be wanting to trade a few copies for that “worth a ton” shirt you have 🙂
LikeLike
Sounds like you will need to get some promo for your book. Since I need you to sell a lot of books so you can afford my shirt, I will do your promo for you. However, I will need to be paid for that. In the end though, you will eventually make some money on the book of yours.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Something else you can be bitter about. I like your blog and I now follow it.
Usually, when I get involved in things, they fall apart like Shleprock came along.
So, you have that to look forward to.
LikeLike
Trust me, my life is falling apart as well as my blog, so thanks for letting me know that you are to blame.
LikeLike
Hi Ben!! I’m returning to my ‘Ask the blogger’ series and have a few more questions if you were interested in taking part again? Thanks!! Milly
LikeLike
I am, but I guess it might be too late. I lost access to my blog for a while and just got it back. If you are still doing that I would be glad to take part!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve still got one more to go, the last question 🙂
LikeLike
What is the question?
LikeLike
Uh, Ben? In what way or ways are you bitter?
LikeLike
I don’t know if you’ve read any of my thousand bitter posts. Also I have an annual post on my birthday that lists 40+ reasons why. Go ahead and read those and you should get a pretty good idea.
LikeLike
As a matter of fact, I do have more than one reason for being bitter.
LikeLike
Most people do, which is why I started this blog. So people would have a forum for people to complain about their bitterness.
LikeLike
Just tried to add a comment to your latest blog post and it said “Sorry, this comment could not be posted.” 😦
LikeLike
My blog can be the worst sometimes. I will try to have a talk with him and let him know to stop being such a jerk!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Love this, however, right now I am bitter that for whatever reason, I am not able to “Like” any post after clearing cache, cookies etc… When I click “like”, nothing happens. I couldn’t “like” your post so now, yeah…I am bitter. 😉
LikeLike
I feel you. I would have you IT person look into it, but in the meantime, write your own bitter post about how you can’t do it. Cause writing about things, usually changes them.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You know, Ben? My kind of bitterness differs from yours.
LikeLike
Probably. I think most people’s bitterness differs from each others.
LikeLike
Uh Ben? If you don’t mind me asking, in what ways are you bitter?
LikeLike
If you want a long answer, read each of the 1000 posts I’ve done. If you want a short answer, I write a post each year on my birthday, about 41 reasons why I’m bitter. I can give you the link if you would like.
LikeLike
Ye gods! That photo … no wonder you’re bitter!
(Don’t get grumpy, Pal … you think you had it tough? Just look at my Gravatar image—it’s from an old passport photo.) Sheesh!
LikeLike
I got stuck inside my gravatar image. Now I just write posts all day in hopes that someone will free me.
LikeLike
Hi Ben! I’m writing a new blog post asking WordPress bloggers (like yourself) how you go about getting so many followers. I noticed you left a comment on my blog a little while ago on The Cool Kids of WordPress and I was going to use that:
‘I didn’t even know that people read mine to be that honest. It’s been 5 years and a lot of work, but blogging is the best, though everything else makes me bitter.’
Let me know if you’d like me to use something else. Though I think it’s pretty much perfectly bitter!
Thanks!
Milly
LikeLike
Hey Millie, thanks for asking. It was interesting because when I first started blogging, I was basically talking to myself. I wrote posts for people that I worked with and that is about it. I tried different ways to find new readers, Facebook, Reddit and StumbleUpon, but none of them really worked long term. It wasn’t until I realized that there was a Reader. I started realizing there were other bloggers on WordPress. I started following them, reading posts of theirs and commenting and liking them. Once I started doing that, they would read mine and realized that my blog was funny, worthwhile and consistent. I wrote at least three or four times a week and they knew they could come back time and time again. Then, when other people would come to the blog and see that there were a lot of followers, they saw that others liked it and found it a good place to follow.
Then, I got Freshly Pressed and found a whole host of new followers. I started developing friends from it and a community for me was born.
I still find new followers every day, and will pass 10,000 WordPress followers soon.
I love and look forward to comments on each post.
You can take whatever you want from that paragraph. Thanks for asking!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Ben, thanks so much for replying so quickly! The entire comment above is great, I’d prefer to copy and paste the whole thing!! hahaha. I can’t believe you’re about to pass 10,000 followers! I can’t even imagine that. And it must have been really exciting getting Freshly Pressed 🙂 A few of the bloggers in my article have been Freshly Pressed – and like you said, must have been a bit of a boom for your blog when that happened!
You know what is really funny, when I first stated blogging I also had no idea about the WordPress reader. Didn’t even know you could use tags to search and find other blogs. When I finally figured it all out I was like, ‘Oh so this is how you find other people!’
Thanks again and I’ll you know when the link is active (though you may get a notification when I link to your site?)
Milly
LikeLike
Can’t wait to see the post. Thank you so much for doing it. It is nice to be recognized for all the years I’ve been doing this. And yeah, my eyes were completely opened when I first found out about reader. Crazy how long it took me to finally realize how useful it was.
LikeLike
Hi Ben! I linked to your blog in a post today.
https://rachelbeingchatty.com/2017/07/29/ive-learned-from-the-best/
I welcome you to return the swap by linking to my website in one of your posts.
I’m certainly enjoying our reciprocation. : )
LikeLike
Of course you know I will. Eventually. When I’m motivated enough to get off the couch and do something. Thanks for thinking of that, BTW’s.
LikeLike
My pleasure. And thanks!
LikeLike
Hi Ben. I wasn’t sure where else to put this, but I wanted to thank you for your faithful reading of my blog. I really appreciate it!
LikeLike
You can put it right here. I love that you have a great theme to your blog and you stick to it. You have such an inventive way of saying things. It seems like all the things you say would work really good on Twitter too, so I’m glad to see that you are on there now too.
LikeLike
Thanks for the kind words, Ben. Yeah, I keep reminding myself to tweet more often. Maybe more when I one day become a full time blogger! Yeah!
People have described my blog as the Twitter of blogging. It fits.
LikeLike
Yeah, I was into tweeting a while back, but when I realized when someone described Twitter as yelling into a empty room unless you are a celebrity or an influencer in some way, I backed off. I love scrolling the Twitter, but when their is no interaction I find myself back in the blogging atmosphere, because there is actual feedback. But I guess that people tend to gravitate toward their favorite social media, because it is the one that give you the most interaction.
LikeLike
Well said!
LikeLike
I just went a little Rachel chatty there didn’t I?
LikeLike
Tehe
LikeLike
Yeah, so witty right?
LikeLike
Something you said was really interesting. Do others not often stick to their theme? (Feedback purposes)
LikeLike
I wouldn’t say that people don’t stick to their themes, but people don’t have one. I think it is easier for someone to stick with their blog when they have one. IE the bitterness. I have stuck with it because I always have something new to complain about, and I can always fit whatever is going on with bitterness. I think that people that don’t have something they are passionate about tend to fall off blogging pretty quickly.
LikeLike
I completely agree. And given the snarky theme of my blog, I love the bitter theme of yours.
LikeLike
Yeah, yours is snarky for sure, but I would also classify it as witty, which is great too.
LikeLike
Thanks!
LikeLike
You’re Welcome!
LikeLike
Oh! And if you ever want to collaborate on something, let me know! You have a great blog too. My following is smaller than yours, so I understand if you don’t want to.
LikeLike
Oh, absolutely I love to collaborate.
And yeah, I might have a lot of followers, but most of them are pretty fake (businesses, bots, or bloggers that only do one post and never return to blogging). I only get about 100 plus views on days I post and only about 10-15 regular commenters.
But I would love to collaborate. I am really into the idea of doing YouTube videos, and I don’t know if you remember, but a while ago I was doing Bitter News from the Couch, which I loved to do, but weren’t getting much viewage. Let me know what ideas you have and we can go back and forth and see if something works.
LikeLike
Gotcha. There are a lot of bots out there. My follower count is still newish, but I’m finding a favorable ratio of folliwers to page views, sometimes as high as 69% (giggity).
Ideas: a reblog swap or an interview swap?
LikeLike
I’m down with both those ideas. One idea that I came up with with another blogger was to do a fake awards show called the Awkward awards and we would be the hosts. The cool part is that it would start on my blog, (or it could be yours) and then it would go to yours. I thought it would be cool to do, but I don’t know about the logistics.
LikeLike
Oh interesting. That’s something to consider. How about we start with a reblog swap and continue from there? Any post in particular you think would be a good fit?
LikeLike
Oh, my goodness. I will give it a think and get back to you. So when we do this, you want to repost an old one? Do you have one that you want me to pimp? Do you want me to do a little write up before?
LikeLike
Dealer’s choice. Any one you think your readers will like. And a write up would be great!
LikeLike
But you have so many! You do dozen’s a day. How am I supposed to choose?
LikeLike
True! I can certainly pick one up for you, but I thought you might like to select one that you know your audience would like. Either way. : )
LikeLike
I’m sure I can find one. So do you want to do this tomorrow? I can try to coordinate with you, or I can just do it when I get to work tomorrow. I’m Mountain time, BTW.
LikeLike
Sounds good to me!
LikeLike
Alright, I will do it tomorrow. Nice working with you!
LikeLike
Likewise!
LikeLiked by 1 person
So I was thinking about what post and if you could reblog this post, Bitter Copywriter that would be great. Here is the link.https://bensbitterblog.com/2017/07/18/bitter-copywriter/
And I will work on looking at which one I will do this morning. Thanks!
LikeLike
Done! I reblogged with a note encouraging people to check out your blog. I look forward to yours.
LikeLike
Wow that was fast. They should call you a speed blogger.
LikeLike
Thanks! I’ve already met a follower of yours who came over. They seem like a great bunch. I appreciate the nice words you said. : )
LikeLike
I’m glad you got some good movement over there. I’ve got some pretty good bitter followers.
LikeLike
Delicious.
LikeLike
When you said that I imagined the Candy Crush guy’s voice in my head.
LikeLike
Heh
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for the like on News and Headlines @https://roboeamerican.com/ Cool blog, definitely going to spend some time on it.
LikeLike
You know it. Enjoy.
LikeLike
Thank you for liking my little post on Poet’s Corner. Being a poetry enthusiast, I would like to see more bitter poems in your bitter (GREAT) blog.
LikeLike
I am not a big poem guy because I’m terrible at them, but I have done a few. Let me see if I can go into the way back machine and see if I can find them. (Actually they were more like raps, but those play like poems when written.)
LikeLiked by 1 person
There really is an upside to bitterness. It usually leads to revenge and the old proverb about digging two graves makes me realize I’ll at least have a place to lie down.
LikeLike
And the best part about being lazy and dead is that you get to lie down. And bitterness allows you to stew a lot, which I do anyways.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are awesome. You make me laugh and smile. I also have a strange sense of humor. Love your Blog.
LikeLike
I have some strange thoughts about things and I thought that the bitterness would be a good way to express them.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I get bitter with people who feel bitter about everything that doesn’t go their way – which means – they’re bitter ALL the time!
LikeLike
That sounds like me. My wife just loves how bitter I am all the time.
LikeLike
Icom loves you Ben
LikeLike
I’m sure Daniel.
LikeLike
how (now, vaca morena) can bitter be better?
LikeLike
I try to make people think of bitterness as something other than a taste and something to shy away from. Something that you should embrace.
LikeLike
4-ni-kate! no-1’s commentated ¢ (since) urleee martsch?
well, I just now thought to point out something sorta (maybe not “really”) wee-urd: that your pixure (which is yoosd next to your comments ‘n such) is sighed-weighs, where-as(s) mine is up-sighed down.
okeh, back to our (ir)respective scheduled program(mings) …
LikeLike
People don’t generally comment on my about page, they usually comment on the posts themselves. As far as the sideways picture that is how it turned out and it became something that people thought suited my bitterness, so I didn’t change it.
LikeLike
Thanks for the “like” Ben, although now I suppose you’re bitter about it (he, he). BTW, great blog! What an awesome idea for a blog!
LikeLike
Yeah, that makes me 1 out of a million on ideas that work, so .00001 percent of ideas are not so bad.
LikeLike
Hi Ben
You have a really good monochrome banner on your blog. Must make more effort myself! Thanks for liking my post.
Evangeline
LikeLike
That monochrome represents my bland personality quite well. The banner was created by a nice blogger who is in graphic design and made it for me. I’m always glad to take other people’s hard work and make it my own.
LikeLike
Not so bland as all that Ben. Original and cutting the divide between black and white. But, yes, free design is a great help. Good laconic persona also. E
LikeLike
I’m just glad I never had to do anything for it. Maybe I will get my daughter to draw me something and put it up there.
LikeLike
Funny stuff. Really funny!
LikeLike
After 43 years of being bitter, finally something good is coming of it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s the spirit!
LikeLike
The spirit of bitterness prevails! Finally!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I suppose that bitter people will always exist.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Of course they will always exist. Especially if I have any influence.
LikeLike
What a riot! That’s some news you got to cover.
LikeLike
Well, you know, there is a lot of bitter to cover. If I covered it all, I would be on air constantly.
LikeLiked by 1 person
How are you the first to like my newest post when you are not among my followers?
*follows your blog after unsuccessfully playing too hard to get for days*
LikeLike
I find your posts in Reader. That’s how I find a lot of new blogs. You should have probably played harder to get. My blog is a bitter pill to swallow.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I like your blog *loyal follower*
LikeLike
That’s a relief. I’m just glad you are following me out of revenge (I’m a big revenge person. I got nicknamed Revengerman once.)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Why are you a big revenge person?
LikeLike
I like being the one that evens things as opposed to waiting for things to even out. Though most people don’t know when I’m revenging them, because it’s usually just me thinking I got revenge.
LikeLiked by 1 person
the part being just you thinking you got revenge ? how do you do that? any examples?
LikeLike
I like to get revenge on people at work, by not getting things done as fast as they want, or taking a vacation at the worst possible time for them.
LikeLiked by 1 person
master of passive agressiveness!
LikeLike
That is my favorite way to work. I once got back at my boss for stealing my coaster, by asking her if she could order me a new one. I knew she stole it, so I knew it would trigger her to tell me she stole it for someone else. It totally worked and I was never more proud of my passive aggressive skills.
LikeLike
what work do you do if it’s ok to ask?
LikeLike
I’m in the customer service department, doing administrative tasks. I also backup on phones, and other mini departments such as export, customer service and government. Basically a jack of all trades in the dept.
LikeLiked by 1 person
sounds hard
LikeLike
It could be way worse, I guess. Doing manual labor or whatever, but yeah, it’s pretty hard.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pingback: Dragon’s Loyalty Award | Fabulous With Glitches
Excellent blog. Is it weird that I found this bitter blog, somewhat sweet?
Thanks for visiting my blog too!
Keep writing out your bitterness
LikeLike
Well, I would say that it is bittersweet. Bitter that you found it, and sweet that you were a little confused when you read it. I will definitely keep the bitterness real.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for visiting…..
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for the recent likes! Been a big fan of your bitter perspective for a while now….
LikeLike
I appreciate that. It’s a bitter world, I’m just writing about it….
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for liking my post today! LOVE yours and as it so happens, I so often feel very “bitter table for one.” I’ll be back. A Lot. SP
LikeLike
Well, welcome to “bitter table for one.” It is quite comfy and pretty awesome because you don’t have to talk to people. As we all know, people are the worst and the more you avoid them, the less stress.
LikeLike
I wasn’t really bitter before I landed here, but now I’m going to have to make more of an effort!
LikeLike
I appreciate that. We just need more bitterness in the world and I’m just here to promote it!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pingback: Customer service | Ben's Bitter Blog
Hi Bitter Ben – I stopped by because I noticed you liked my ridiculous post about Feral Dinosaur Toes….now I know why :). I will have to set a reminder to wish you a happy birthday soon and ask repeatedly what kind of cake you had and wonder aloud if the fire department needed to hose out that many candles. Yeah I’m that chick.
LikeLike
Well, you will get the opportunity to get 43 reasons why I’m bitter coming up this Saturday. I bet people just can’t wait.
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a great blog! I’m addicted to scrolling through posts. Wicked funny and made my night!
LikeLike
It’s good to know there are other people out there that are as bitter as I am and enjoy reading about it.
LikeLike
Excellent blog 🙂 Loving what I’ve read so far, looking forward to reading more! Dan.
LikeLike
Don’t get used to it being that way. It gets more bitter the more you read it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh what do you know?
LikeLike
Not much. That’s why I’m so bitter.
LikeLike
Obviously, Ben, you’re not the only bitter person in the world.
LikeLike
I know right? Thankfully this website is here for all the other bitter people.
LikeLike
Making bitter better? What’s that supposed to mean?
LikeLike
It means that bitter sucks, and I make it even suckier.
LikeLike
Ben, how can being bitter being better mean suckier? That makes no sense to me. If you make bitter better, that wouldn’t make it suckier. If you make it suckier, it wouldn’t be better. Instead, it would be worse.
Since you claimed that bitter sucks, why don’t you give up on bitterness? Not that I expect you to be a total optimist. I, myself, am not downright optimistic. Hell, I can be pretty pessimistic at times.
LikeLike
It’s all very confusing. I call it the Bitter Circle. If I make it better, then I’m bitter. But if I’m bitter, then I feel better. It is just one eternal circle of hell, which explains the constant bitterness. Got it?
LikeLike
Since you asked me got it, here’s my answer: I do.
LikeLike
That sounds like something you would say at a wedding.
LikeLike
Even though I don’t agree with everything that you posted and will post online, I confess that I made a mistake in that “I do” comment of mine. And so, I should have typed it this way:
“Since you asked me if I got it, here’s my answer, I believe that I do.”
Despite the fact that we’re not friends and never will be, I apologize for making that error by having it sound like a bride and groom at wedding.
LikeLike
Well, I appreciate that. And I agree that a lot of people don’t agree with things I post online. I just hope that you know that I mean most of these things I write in jest and I’m not really like the things I write. Bitter Ben is just kind of a character I write. Thanks for your input.
LikeLike