Interview with Owner of the You're Not Rosa Parks Blog

When 31-year-old Julie Gerstein came across a lame quote in a magazine article, it sparked the perfect idea for a blog. The Brooklyn dweller had no clue that "You're Not Rosa Parks" would be an immediate hit.

Wendy Gould: When did you start your blog?

Julie Gerstein: I started it on Jan. 22, 2010 after I read a Details magazine interview with "Markus" the first prostitute in Nevada at the Shady Lady Bunny Ranch.

What was it he said?

"It's just the same as when Rosa Parks decided to sit at the front instead of the back. She was proclaiming her rights as a disadvantaged, African-American older woman. And I'm doing the same. I'm actually standing up now, and hopefully I can be supported by the male community and be understood as a person. This actually isn't about selling my body. This is about changing social norms."

And what was your reaction to that comment?

When I read that, my head kind of exploded. How could you compare the fight for civil rights in the U.S. to that of a dude to work in a brothel? Fail, Markus. I've since heard that Shady Lady won't let him do interviews on his own without a public relations person present. Probably a good idea, Shady Lady.

Was that your sole inspiration?

Really, I was shocked by the casual way that people compared themselves (and various projects and ideas) to what Rosa Parks did. Rosa Parks was an incredibly brave woman who fought against racism and somehow it seems super ridiculous to say that fighting for your right to smoke weed in school or skateboard on campus is at all analogous. Because--that's right--it's not.

Were you surprised by how quickly the blog caught on?

I've been happily surprised by the amount of attention that You're Not Rosa Parks has received, especially since it's a relatively new project. I was mostly doing it to amuse myself and my friends, but that's the awesomeness of the Internet. Your stuff can catch on like crazy out of nowhere.

Do you feel blessed or cursed to have such a following?

I feel super lucky. Already I've gotten a couple of posts out of suggestions from readers, which is awesome. I'm hoping that in the coming weeks more people feel encouraged to post, comment and talk.

What other outlets have featured You're Not Rosa Parks?

We've been featured on Buzzfeed, GQ and Jezebel. It's so insane, since the site started so recently! I'm a huge fan of all of those sites!

Have any of the people you've featured been upset with a post?

I honestly doubt anybody I've featured even has a clue that they've been on the blog, but if they're upset, too bad! You say something dumb, you're going to get called out for it.

Have you met any of the people you've featured?

I haven't met anyone I've featured, but I'm a little bit obsessed with super d-bag Arthur Kade. He's amazing! Please follow his blog if you get a chance.

So, what's your opinion on the real Rosa Parks?

I think Rosa Parks was an amazing woman who had to counter both racism and sexism. The civil rights movement was hardly a good vibes party for women. So, I think she was a pretty incredible person. Which makes it doubly annoying to see all these morons compare themselves to her.

What do you think she'd say about your blog?

I hope that she'd laugh and think the jokes were funny.

Is your blog doing her any honor?

I hope that people understand that the point of this blog is not to ridicule Rosa Parks, but to question the out-of-control hyperbole. The construct of being the "Rosa Parks of" something--be it wind power, or porn, or gambling or ski ballet (yes, a real thing). It's so effing ridiculous that it makes the comparison lose all meaning.

What's the future look like for You're Not Rosa Parks, the blog?

I'm going to keep at it -- friends kept asking me, are there really that many jerks who compare themselves to Rosa Parks? Yes, yes, there are.

You can also follow Julie Gerstein on Twitter and her personal blog, ExUnicorns.