Top Outsiders
Sarah C., Crowned “Miss D.C. Outsider, 2010”
I’ve lived in the Federal City for about 15 years — but haven’t ever aimed at being a Washington Insider. Yes, I currently work tangentially on politics, but it isn’t my “industry.” I don’t work, live or play on the Hill, and in fact get hives at the thought of it.
I’m not a D.C. hater –- in fact, I’ve grown to love my city, and am especially fascinated with the history that lies beyond the Mall. Over the last several years, I’ve become entrenched in the local neighborhoods, and those who reside there. They, like me, have lives that happen to intersect with politicians and government workers, but also with artists and everyday folks. At the end of the day, Official Washington goes to bed like everyone else… and sometimes you catch a glimpse of what our nation’s capital really is: a sleepy Southern town.
This site chronicles encounters from “the outside” — through stories, photos and other artefacts provided by friends who, like me, consider themselves Washington Outsiders living in D.C.
They grew up on the outside of society.
They weren’t looking for a fight.
They were looking to belong.
SM Shrake, Leading Candidate to Become “The Ultimate Washington Outsider”
I had always heard DC was Hollywood for ugly people. 1) I’m not much of a West Coast person anyway, and I always liked DC better than, say, Detroit, where I’m from, or Philly, where I was trapped for 6 long years. And 2) I’m ugly. Well, at least not good-looking enough for SoCal, that’s for damned sure. So I relocated to DC.
Over the Hill
I moved here when I was 36, three years ago. I was furious about the 2004 election outcome, and wanted to come here and help make life painful for the Rovian scoundrels who had done so much harm to our country.
But almost as soon as I moved here, Karl Rove quit. The Dems took back Congress. Plus, living in Adams Morgan, and not working in politics, I was not exposed to any Republicans in my day-to-day life. At least none I knew of. They are sneaky, though.
My big fight with Rove never happened. Anticlimactically, I saw him walking down the street in Georgetown one day in 2008 and, although I absolutely loath him and for years considered him Public Enemy #1, I just walked by without saying anything or doing anything. It just seemed pointless by then. He was defanged. I merely thought to myself, “Boy, you sure are fat, and tall, which is gross.” And I walked on.
For a time I did attempt to be an insider, the Ultimate Washington Insider (UWI), and I did some blogging for Arianna Huffington around that theme: The middle-aged man moving to DC with no political connections and no plans to get into politics, but still determined to find a way to become the UWI.
Let’s just say I started an email account whose address began “TheUWI@” – which I haven’t checked in about a year and a half.
Then I publicly revealed that for the last two years I have crashed Nerd Prom, as a stunt. Nerd Prom is also known as the White House Correspondents Association Dinner, the night of nights for DC Insiders. Going to this gala uninvited and snapping pics of people from the Other Hollywood (the one that’s not for ugly people) is my little personal celebration of my outsiderness. My annual VIP pity party for one.
…and “Over” The Hill
Living in Adams Morgan, which I do, is already tantamount to being an outsider to official Washington, too. It’s more like living in a little college town. And, of course, I’m really too old for AdMo night life. So there again I’m an outsider.
I go down to Capitol Hill about once a year, and I feel like I’m in a different city. The guys there all keep their ties on for happy hour. And all anybody talks about is their “member.” As in, Member of Congress. “How’s your member? Still sick? My member likes to drink a chai latte every day at 3 o’clock.” Member, member, member.
I know that almost everyone who lives in NW DC and certain parts of SE and SW is from somewhere else, so we’re all technically “outsiders” in that sense of the word. But when it’s all outsiders, that effectively constitutes an Inside of its own. So that is cancelled out.
We here at DC Outsiders are a different breed: Double-outsiders, if you will. Outsiders in a city of transplants! And now I’m seeking to become the Ultimate Washington Outsider. Who wants to rassle me for the title?