What is a Humblebrag?

Humblebrag: to brag about something, but it's encased in what seems to be innocent humility.

There is now a Twitter feed, @humblebrag, and all they do is hunt down humblebrags (by celebs mostly) and retweet them.  Brilliant and funny and revealing.  By trying to not be superficial, they are exposed as superficial.

If you think getting your house ready for guests is a hassle, try the HGTV camera crews.  I am the worst florist ever--Tony Hawk

But haven't we all done this?  At lunchtime at work, maybe a Facebook post or tweet?  I started digging through some of mine.  Yep, guilty.  In recalling a conversation I had with a movie producer, there is plenty of humility in that particular brag, with the simple "Never thought I'd be having this conversation.  Pretty awesome."  Humblebrag.  Totally accidental, but it's there all the same.

Discovered that when rehearsing with James Taylor's band, they like it when I'm playing the same song as they are--Steve Martin

The best way to do a humblebrag, I've noticed is to encase the bragging in a complaint or injury.  For example:

I'd like to thank Random House for making sure my book is never available at any train station or airport bookstore.  Always feels good.--Bill Simmons

Or:

Totally walked down the wrong escalator from the flashes from all the cameras.  Go me.--Joe Jonas

Another thing I noticed--can a humblebrag be intentional?  What if it's a brag disguised as a humblebrag for the sake of humor? For instance, what if I play a softball game and say, "Man my legs are out of shape because all I do is trot after massive homeruns" or "My hands hurt from drilling jack after jack out of the park." Or maybe the Anchorman classic as he's doing bicep curls "I can barely move my arms, I did so many." Does that classify? Would @humblebrag retweet those? This is a new term.  I need definitions.

Are you guilty of a humblebrag?  Check your Facebook posts and tweets. I bet you are. Maybe, just maybe, you're the best at being humble. Wouldn't that be a feat?

Let's start identifying ourselves humblebragging, and try to keep it real.  Now, I have to get back to writing, my publisher is on my tail about pounding out another novel.

Oops.