An Open Letter to the Smiley Face After an Insult

You know how we feel about emoticons. For the most part, I have been relaxing my stance on this, just because if I didn't, I might have to hate everyone, and as the writer of this awesome letter we found at mcsweenys.net says, I have to say "No" to hate. But there are still some things that drive me crazy. Here's how Jade Ologunja begins her letter:

Dearest :) ,

So there you are, just smiling directly at me immediately after an unfriendly statement has been typed. As if my crushed spirits are suddenly supposed to be lifted because you decided to suddenly emerge out of nowhere. You're meant to reside directly behind mean statements so as to reduce the impact of an insult.

"Your shirt is very ugly." :)
"What happened to your face in this picture?" :)
"Wow, you are not photogenic." :)
"You're a douche." :)

Smiley Face, you normally have a stupendous reputation. You're able to turn someone's frown upside down right? ....

You can read the rest here.

The letter is a great personal essay form, and is often easier to begin than a more traditional style essay. If tend to compose letters in your head or find yourself narrating your day in the form of a conversation with someone, this might be the form for you. To be honest, I like this form, and we don't get many in this style submitted to our writing contest. So if you try it out and like it, send it to us--we might like it, too. :)