Yesterday Holly sent me over a NY Times article (a term used loosely as it was more of a ‘commentary’ than article..article would imply research) since it mentioned me, written primarily about Bloggy Bootcamp, the whole mini conference deal that SITS is doing. You know..another conference I’m not a speaker on?
Cause I know nothing about making money online, building communities, or otherwise branding .
*cough*
Am I digressing?
I get why mom bloggers are mad. The title alone was meant as nothing more than link bait to force the hands of bloggers to get riled up, link back, and freak out on them, thereby assisting them in traffic and comments.
Don’t believe me?
The only reason these online newspapers still continue to write about mom bloggers is because we are the long tail of advertising and have an immediate foot hold and personal audience that cares. They fire us up, 500 people respond with content articles, drive up links, facebook pages, thousands of tweets and Ta Da…NY Times in the limelight.
Its so obvious its reeking of unoriginality.
Easy as pie.
Or baby food.
Except the sad part was that the article was the poorest representation of what a journalistic attitude or NY Times article should be. I mean, don’t we all think about the NY Times, The Washington Post, and The Wallstreet Journal as the be-all, end-all? It’s sad, but newspapers just don’t hold the same value as they used to. Contrary to popular belief, I’m not even sure its the Internet putting them out of business. Its clearly due to poorly written posts that are meant to antagonize but fall short of even making a real point that keeps its audience engaged.
Other then the title I never actually got the gist of what the article was implying. That moms meeting in groups to discuss and grow in their industry is a bad thing? Was that the dig? The big insult? What part was the bad part?
The meeting…or the moms?
Ooh. Scandal.
In fact there just may be kids loose all over America at this very moment with crap in their diapers and chocolate on their face with all this parenting gone awry.
I am so absolutely befuzzled that in 2010 other women find ways to suppress other women. Cause wasn’t that what the title implied? That women should be raising kids and not raising a career?
That we ignore our kids to twitter, blog, and connect?
Maybe moms, like this Atlanta Mom Blogger, just figured it out and everyone else that has to work a 9-5 is jealous. We have figured out how to work from home, how to raise money, how to interact with corporate America, how to take our degrees and apply them, how to host communities even if we cant leave our house, and we STILL raise our families.
Yes, my daughter sees me work. Let me say it again. W-O-R-K. This is a job. While I love it and its a passion, its also my job. She understands my work hours, she gets that mom earns money, that mom has an office, that mom cant be there 24/7 for every single whim.
But I am there for the needs and most of the wants. I am there to tie her shoes in the morning, brush her hair in the afternoon, tuck her into naps, kiss her boo-boos, and go on walks in the afternoon.
I am a good example.
An example of entrepreneurship, of invention, of hard work, and of perseverance. I can promise you that my laundry is done, even if not folded daily, everyone is fed, even if sometimes we go out to eat, and that my daughter is happy, healthy, and adjusting just fine to a mom that brands.
Its called balance.
It’s not one or the other.
I can never remember a time that someone told my dh he was a crappy dad cause he went to work today.
It’s terribly primordial.
You. Mom. Stay. Home. Cook. Clean. Shut. Up. Barefoot. Pregnant.
You. Dad. Spread. Seed. Go. Work. Bread. Butter. Paycheck. Have. Beer.
But that’s the point.
This article is a clear indication that regardless of organized meetups, corporate sponsorships, or self regulated industry standards, that the second we pop a baby out of our vaginas we become second class citizens that might as well drop her opinions, careers, and brains at the door.
The irony is that even with all the negative mainstream media attention and incessant drama filled hate that plagues the blogosphere on its own, we still dominate with an industry that is largely listened to by consumers, citizens, and online readers.
Geniuses. We are frickin geniuses.
Man, that really has got to piss off newspapers. No overhead and an audience? Did I mention the genius part? And now we are monetizing?
BWAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
For the record, this “one blogger” would have linked the article in reference, but they sorta left mine out on their own with their poorly researched material..maybe Miss Mendelsohn was popping back a few of those mimosas in sippy cups herself.
~Trisha
Heh heh heh.
You said vagina.
Kick ass. I emailed the section ed. of the NYT and here’s his take:
“Dear Ms. Maines: You and I obviously read two different stories. I would separate the piece from the headline — not written by the author and perhaps ill-judged — and give the piece a fairer and more dispassionate read. Sincerely, (name redacted)”
(Note: Blogged on my site w. permission)
Hmmm. Fairer and more dispassionate.
So, stop being such a girl?
Oy vey.
Love your take on it. Now, go find Charlotte and wipe that chocolate off her face- and grab a sippy cup full of booze!
the article was disgusting and the writer should be ashamed of herself!
Amen my blogging sister. Amen!
Just another in a long list of reasons not to read the NYT. I had honestly not thought of the angle that they knew what they were doing, but I’m thinking you could be right about that one!
Amen sister!
You know I am not a “mommy blogger” because I am not a mommy. I come from the professional world and only got into blogging because I could not find a job. At first I opened my personal blog and then had the opportunity to open a review/giveaway blog. I did it for year and am still trying to keep them up because I am back to working full-time and have less time.
What amazed me about mommy-bloggers was that they figured out a way to make money or get items for their families with their blog. I totally applaud that. It is super duper smart because you have a job from home and can still be there for your kids.
But there is a double standard. I am a fundraiser so many times I have to work late, do events, attend conferences but no one was asking my co-workers with kids if their kids were taken care of when they were doing those things. No one questioned their decision to work out of the house.
All I have to say is that after a year of blogging, I realized it’s freaking hard work. Dealing with PR and running giveaways and writing everyday is work. I worked my ass off (and made no money) and I don’t even have kids so I had it easy! I have no idea how you guys balance all that. And some mommy bloggers actually make a living off of the blogs and to them I say More Power to You Ladies!!! You figured it out! And you don’t have to go outside of the house to do it. You WORK though! I guess until people see what bloggers do, they will never understand that blogging is work, real work.
AMEN!
That article killed me and I was disappointed to see that some blogs were linked and some were not. The least she could have done was link to those she was insulting! I did not think the article read well or had much of a point either. It did seem like the headline was meant to catch a lot of bloggers and attract a lot of links. You hit the nail on the head – most mommy bloggers are doing it all and should be commended – not insulted.
p.s. I was particularly upset because many of us take extra hours out of our day for blogging – from waking up hours before our kids to going to bed hours after our husbands – so that we can still keep our houses together and our families happy.
The article was a pile of crap, in my humble opinion!
yeah, they left out a lot of blogs…they really should have linked to Jill! That was shit. They quote her and leave her off.
Bingo!
I must say though, that after reading the article… it sounds like someone’s jealous and needed an outlet to vent. Perhaps she should take up blogging herself?
she *is* a blogger.
My husband and I read the article this morning.
Wow! Jennifer from the NY Times, sterotype much? I’d hate to see what she says about other segments of the population. Of course, I won’t see that because I refuse to ever read the crap that she writes again.
Also it has been said time and time again, the online world is killing newspapers. I think that I now disagree. It is trash-talking, low level, anti-research writers like this chick that are killing newspapers.
Sorry, I missed this post yesterday. While I was busy trying to wrap my head around the NYT article,build my brand, and build my own design business, I seemed to have lost Ro & have been searching for her all night.
That “writer” is an idiot. Did she get permission from her “man” to write it? Because it seems that is what she is telling us to do, be barefoot, pregnant, silent & in the kitchen. And if we want to do something productive, creative & career oriented, we need permisiion from our caveman hubbys to do so.
She’s a twit. How can the NYT call that good journalism?