The Top Ten Most Viewed Stranger Posts, 2014

Every time I get on Facebook right now there are a thousand posts that are like "check out Amy's year!" and then you can click on it and scroll through a thousand pictures to see what Amy ate in 2014. And I'm always like, WHY? And then I click on it and scroll through every picture.

Then I thought, why not do the same thing with Stranger?

I've been meaning to start this thing every year where I give you a list of the ten most viewed Stranger posts of the year. But I've just never gotten around to it in the craziness of the end-of-year holidays. And I don't even know if this will be a post anyone cares about. But at Stranger, YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR!

It's been a wonderful year at Stranger. I'll have the full year recap post up next week. But let me just say now, as I've said before, thank you so much for your kindness, your humor, your friendship, and all of the strange parts of you. I appreciate you more than you'll ever know.

And now, without further ado, the 2014 Top Ten Most Viewed Stranger Posts:


10. Don't Let Strangers Borrow your Phone: (Tie)

I tried to be a nice guy, but the stranger outstayed his welcome. And then I got phone calls and texts from people who didn't speak English for the next month.

10. A Walk Through Kyiv: (Tie)

It's probably my favorite thing I wrote this year, and the tenth most viewed post by you. I captured the impressions Disney Prince Hair Brandt and I had as we wandered through the recently war-torn city, truly one of the most memorable, heartbreaking, and inspiring experiences of my life.

9. A History of Daniel:

Perhaps the most honest piece of writing I've ever shared with you. And maybe the hardest as well. An account of the range human relationships can go through.

8. How Not to Get Dumped:

You mocked my pain! I was dumped, and I let you know about it. And shared some embarrassing pictures in the process. To be totally and completely honest, I really REALLY hesitated before posting this one. But I ultimately decided that I wanted to prove to myself that I was brave enough to laugh at a painful experience. I think it kind of worked.

7. Messing with People on Tinder:

I stole Brandt's phone and Tindered for him. I probably destroyed his life.

6. Disney Films are Making Your Kids SUPER Gay:

I was irritated about some things people had said about Frozen and its hidden message. This writing opened up some important conversations I was happy to have with many of you.

5. Ukraine:

I gave you the summary of the Ukraine crisis and history that led to it. You kindly shared the post extensively and expressed your concern for the wonderful people in that part of the world.

4. The Gay People are Getting Married:

And more on the gays. I also wrote this piece about marriage equality and its broader cultural implications.

3. The Mormon Crisis and the Gay Question:

And as a follow-up to the earlier writings from this year, I included this post that was specific to the community in which I was raised. This post was a really scary one for me to share, and a lot of people got very upset with me over it. But I don't regret it. I'm really happy to say that I don't regret it.

2. The Dentist Picture:

An amazing photograph was sent to my family many years ago. With the help of perseverance and Photoshop, its memory lives on.

1. Cuddle Texts:

Humor and messing with people wins the prize this year. I texted someone who posted an ad on Craigslist looking for intimacy. The results kept me entertained for the day.

Honorable mentions: Ironman Lake Tahoe, 2014, Feed the Birds, How to Survive 48 Hours Camping in Civilization, A Year Later.

Anything I'm missing?

~It Just Gets Stranger