August 26, 1920 was kind of a big deal in the United States. Perhaps you have heard of the Nineteenth Amendment? Perhaps we have taken for granted we have come so far – women, that is.
Fast forward to March 12, 2010… perhaps you have heard of the New York Times article — Honey, Don’t Bother Mommy. I’m Too Busy Building My Brand.
I should be clear. I am not implying that the article takes us back to the days of Women’s Suffrage, the article is not THAT profound.
I mean, it did only make the FASHION section of the NYT.
The fashion section… b’cuz… ya know, mommy bloggers are cute and trendy like pumps and scarves. Someday we will be “out” like the beloved hoodie. We are as longstanding as a fashion trend… is that what you were saying, NYT?
How cute are we? Passing fancy. Clearly. Since the art of blogging in general has been waning. *sniff sniff* Ahh, the sweet smell of sarcasm.
My point…
As a “mommy blogger”, I found pieces of relevant content in the article… but it was difficult to discern through passive-aggressive commentary. Commentary. Not reporting. To be clear. Joanne at Pundit Mom wrote an excellent post defining that perspective. Then there was one graphic that screamed what the passive aggressive words failed to say.
image credit: New York Times
*eek*
A picture is worth a thousand words. Even if the article contains accurate information, this one image knocks the wind out of the breath in each potentially relevant word.
And I am in a funny spot… being a humor/parenting blogger. My content is not world changing. Unadulterated silliness here. It is created to provide an avenue of escape. Not that I am a bloggy SNL or Mad TV, but I wouldn’t mind if it came to that… Mine is a world of fragmented sentences, run-ons, dangling participles and a few double-negatives. A colloquial blog sure to make sentence diagrammer-people gag or give them a good-sized migraine andwhathaveyou. Not political. Not ground breaking. Not academic. Not even helpful parenting-tips… It’s real. It’s relevant (to those it is relevant to). It’s generating revenue beyond coffee, but not enough to make the house payment. It takes time. It takes effort. It poses challenges to balancing family.
Kind of like a “real job”. Imagine that.
I stay up late. I need to Tweet in the grocery store at times (yes, need… a current contract requires that… not all day, but I tweet info relevant to the contract specs)… Are we forgetting about the BlueTooth device surgically attached to the ear of the guy who is supposed to be coaching the soccer game… who I suspects even wears it to bed? When media covers SXSW why are there no neglected-looking graphics of the families of the men who are there to learn and grow and connect?
(P.S. a trip to SXSW would have ROCKED, btw…)
And I get it. Moms have a distinct role. May women are teachers, but might we find a graphic like that depicting the life of a woman/mother/teacher in a similar article? What’s the diff, NYT?
It’d just be so very easy for me to poo-poo my purpose here on this interwebz. It’d be easy for me to allow that article to let others define me. Mommy. Blogger. Coffee fund. Passing fancy. Destroying my family. Like all types of employment, it affects one’s family. Perhpas it’s because many of us are working hard but the ROI is hard to define?
I have this answer for that investment – it’s an investment. I think of the time I have spent building my brand (if you will), building my skillset… as an investment. There is no college course or degree for this profession. But there are foundational things one needs to do before reaping financial reward. For most of us. There are exceptions. But our country’s heritage is based on the fruits of hard work. And nothing is free. I have never received a free item. My writing takes time. It takes work.
And here is the beauty of the community I embrace. I am not alone in this journey. I am in the company of incredible women. Admirable women. And I am not alone in perspective in regards to this article:
Liz at Mom-101: Honey, Don’t Bother Mommy. I’m Writing a Mildly Annoyed Letter to the New York Times. In this article she provides a kick-*ss list of mommy bloggers who are making a difference. A list that rebuts the living daylights out of that NYT article.
Kelby Carr: Newspaper Bias Against Mom Bloggers
No Time for Flash Cards: Sunday Spotlight
Linda Sellers/ShortPumpPreppy: New York Times Biased Against So-Called Mommy Bloggers
FireMom: Proud to be a Mother Who Blogs
Mona of Kirida.com (@kirida on Twitter) tweeted:
I’ll end with what Mona wrote. Now. It’s time to go put on a hoodie, drink some coffee and … according to the NYT graphic, drive around town with my laptop on my steering wheel. I may go hide too. I don’t usually step out like this. Controversy is not my “thing”. Maybe I’ll go write something funny. Make fun of myself. But first I need to tend to the bills, fold some laundry then walk to the bus stop and meet my kids.
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