Welcome to PROBLEMATIC, the newsletter.

Why “Problematic”? Because that’s what people started calling me, as soon as I stopped identifying with the current liberal narrative, and started drifting towards the middle, and letting myself say what I really thought about what’s going on in our culture.

Here, I want the freedom to write about topics that many people consider to be… problematic. I don’t agree that I’m problematic, of course. In fact, I think having off-limit topics, and one-right-way-to-think, is problematic. But, that’s the irony, I guess.

It’s possible it the name Problematic will eventually end up feeling too limiting, and people will expect nonstop drama, and I’ll end up changing it back to my name, Caroline Dooner. Don’t be shocked if that happens.

However, this is not actually a political substack at all. And not everything I write about going forward will be what they call “problematic” or salacious. Lots will just be absurd posts and some storytelling. But… because what I’ve gone through in the past few years is so “politicized” and polarizing, in order to talk about those experiences, I inherently have to mention politics sometimes.

I am politically homeless.

But, I’m not a journalist or political commentator.

I’m a storyteller. And this is my newsletter.

Ok, so who am I

I’m Caroline, the author of The F*ck It Diet and Tired as F*ck. This picture above is about 4 years old, back when I was happy and life was simple (jkjkjk. kind of).

I had a new photoshoot this past year, and I had the idea to try to look like a serious author for a serious author photo, but I ended up just looking depressed.

This was the happiest looking one:

Anyway, I am also a recovering instagram addict. So, substack is my way to have more long-form content, with a paywall for some of the things that I don’t want as easily accessible.

Here, I’m going beyond anti-diet content

I’ve been writing about all things anti-diet for ten years at this point. And as amazing as it’s been, I’m burnt out on it! I just am. I’m healed. I don’t worry about food anymore. I’ve said almost everything I want to say on it (though I’ll definitely still be talking about it here and there, because not dieting is a part of my life now, even though it’s second nature. And I’ll definitely have new, evolved thoughts on it as I live my life going forward…)

But, instead, I’m going to be writing about other things on here, and zooming out my focus. I’ll be talking about lots of things that Tired as F*ck was a launching pad for. Writing about extremism. Writing about cult mentality. Writing about perfectionism. And also, writing about internet woke/mob culture and being disenchanted with the binary of politics, and how I’m navigating holding more nuance in my outlook. I’m also going to be writing about where my head is now after two years of nonstop draconian “health” brainwashing. Yanno, “problematic” stuff. Why is everyone on the left so trusting of the government and big business right now? Why we all worshipping the CDC and WHO right now? Didn’t you guys read how corrupt it is in The F*ck It Diet?!?!

Lots of people think I’m taking a deep turn from what I believed before, but… it’s actually pretty consistent with the body autonomy, and don’t believe every health rule the government tells you that I’ve always written about and believed in.

If you’re interested in learning more about The F*ck It Diet, and why you’re not a food addict, no matter how crazy you are around food… find out everything here.

Why Substack? Why not a regular blog?

Substack does not censor their writers. So, Instagram can suck it. I’ve been in instagram jail for months. Today, August 4th 2022, I was supposed to be out of instagram jail. But I checked my account status and it looks like they’ve changed their minds.

This substack newsletter is my way to rely less on instagram, and start sharing more long-form writing again, with a paywall for some of the things that I don’t want as easily accessible, and more premium content, so I can support myself as a writer while I figure out my third book... You can read about me and instagram here: My instagram days are numbered.

In 2020, I started noticing how many taboo subjects there were, especially if you were in a “left” space surrounded by social justice warriors. Social justice should be a great thing. It is, in theory. But ironically, it’s become so incredibly intolerant, that it’s all begun to feel so hypocritical. All of a sudden there were things you can not ask questions about. Subjects you can not touch. Subjects that get you cancelled, hounded, gone after, and slandered. Subjects that make you radioactive, and where people get hounded just for associating with you. Sometimes speaking up and pushing back on this culty/fundamentalist narrative costs people their job.

I’m not talking about people who say actual crazy racist hateful things. Like, things we thought were racist in 2010. I’m talking about like… saying the cancel culture exists. Or saying that the lockdowns were government overreach. Or criticizing the lack of informed consent with the mandated covid vaccine. Apparently that’s racist and alt-right now. Apparently that’s alllll problematic.

I don’t like what I am seeing happening to our culture. Some weird shit is going down in the name of justice and equality, but it’s backfiring. It’s making people more divided. It’s making people less able to be truthful about what they think. I’m wary. I’m nervous. And we have to talk about it.

Why subscribe here?

If you subscribe, each new edition of the newsletter goes directly to your email inbox — both free and/or paid posts, depending on what you signed up for.

Different subscription meanings:

Free — you’ll get my free posts, every week or two, sent straight to your email. You’ll get previews of the paid posts as well. Sometimes a post will be free, with a section or conclusion that only paid subscribers can access.

Paid — you’ll get access to all my posts, many that have details that, for now, I want behind a paywall and not as accessible to the general public, plus “behind the scenes” posts, bonus content, and deleted chapter from my books. And you’ll also be able to comment on all posts.

To sum it up, this is what you get for being a paid subscriber:

1. My free posts will have sections / conclusions that only you can read

2. Audio versions of many (and eventually, ideally all) of the posts recorded just for you. Including a private podcast feed where you can also listen to the bonus audio in your favorite podcast app

3. The ability to comment on posts.

4. The ability to respond to my emails, and have me actually get your email.

5. Plus monthly-ish Q&As.

6. Some posts that are exclusively paid, and not ready to be public to the world.

Find some of my favorite free posts:

Rejection Therapy Regrets

The Catfish of Prosperity

WTF is Energy Work

Healing Phases

Some of my top paid posts:

How to Get Scammed By a Woo-Woo Guru (deleted chapter from Tired AF)

White Violence, Apparently

The 9/11 Post

The Catfish of Not-Prosperity

Paid, Behind-The Scenes Posts:

The F*ck It Diet Author Commentary: Part 1: Audiobook, Part 2: Editor From Hell

And way more…