Whine, Whine, Whine
While I was zipping through the blogosphere today I came across this post at The Other McCain which addresses this story in the New York Times about female bloggers who are whining about their place in the blogosphere. These women believe they have hit the proverbial glass ceiling:
Blogging has come a long way from its modest beginnings. These days, there is money to be made, fame to be earned and influence to be gained. And though women and men are creating blogs in roughly equal numbers, many women at the conference were becoming very Katie Couric about their belief that they are not taken as seriously as their male counterparts at, say, Daily Kos, a political blog site. Nor, they said, were they making much money, even though corporations seem to be making money from them. ...
A study conducted by BlogHer and Compass Partners last year found that 36 million women participate in the blogosphere each week, and 15 million of them have their own blogs. (BlogHer, which was founded by Lisa Stone, Elisa Camahort Page and Jory Des Jardins, has itself grown into a mini empire that includes a Web site that helps publicize women’s blogs, and an advertising network to help women generate revenue for the site.)
Yet, when Techcult, a technology Web site, recently listed its top 100 Web celebrities, only 11 of them were women. Last year, Forbes.com ran a similar list, naming 3 women on its list of 25. ...
At the seminar “How to Take Names and Be Taken Seriously as a Political Blogger,” many women said that their male colleagues and major media groups tended to ignore them, and to link to them less often (unless they are Arianna Huffington). They pointed to the Netroots Nation gathering (formerly known as Yearly Kos) for politically progressive bloggers, occurring that same weekend in Austin, Tex. ...
Other prominent female bloggers who did not attend the BlogHer conference agreed that there are unique challenges that women in the blogosphere face. “Women get dismissed in ways that men don’t,” said Megan McArdle, an associate editor at The Atlantic Monthly who writes a blog about economic issues. She added that women are taught not to be aggressive and analytical in the way that the political blogosphere demands, and are more likely to receive blog comments on how they look, rather than what they say. ...
First, I will remind readers that I am the only female that is here now. Sabrina, our lovely partner from Chicago has moved on, and returned back to work at her law firm after beating breast cancer. And, I would not be blogging if it were not for my husband, Thomas. As for the comments, we receive few on the site, and much more in e-mails. And no, they are not commenting on my looks (there is a reason there is no picture of me up on our site; I am already taken, guys).
I believe it is farcical to say that women bloggers are counseled not to be aggressive in the realm of politics. I am quite aggressive and analytical in my view of politics and current events; so much so that the e-mails rolled in when I announced I was going on sabbatical during my first year in law school. I did miss being here everyday for readers, but Thomas has done a phenomenal job keeping the site going in my absence. (School is soon to start, and I will gauge my participation while going through my second year of law school. If it is as hectic as Year One was, then Thomas will be taking the reins of the site.)
I dislike hearing this whine from women. I also agree with Robert @ The Other McCain:
Ladies, please: If your blog sucks, it's not because of some patriarchal conspiracy, OK? And as for making money, you could almost certainly fit into my living room every independent blogger who earns a full-time living off blogging. Generally speaking, bloggers either have some other job to support their blogging habit, or else they're "blogging for the man" (e.g., the Atlantic Monthly bloggers, the Gawker cartel, etc.).
Like almost every fad from hula hoops to CB radio, there seem to be a lot of people who think that this latest gadget is going to be their Ralph Kramden get-rich-quick ticket. Well, OK, fine -- the American Dream and all that. But it's wrong to turn that dream around and claim that because you're not getting rich online, therefore you are a victim who's somehow been cheated out of her just reward.
For the record, take a look around our site. Notice anything? If you asked "where are the blogads?" congratulations. There are none on our site because we did not start this to make money. We have jobs for income. Blogging is fun, and it is a passion Thomas and I share. If we wanted to make money off of this, we would have taken steps to achieve that goal. Vox Day offers some advice for these whiners:
If a female blogger wants to be taken seriously, it's not at all difficult:
1. Have at least half a brain and demonstrate that it actually functions by not writing egregiously stupid stuff.
2. At least 75 percent of your posts should have nothing to do with you or your life.
3. Don't post a picture or talk about your romantic life, your children or your pets.
4. Don't threaten to quit blogging every time anyone criticizes you.
5. Learn how to defend your positions with facts and logic instead of passive-aggressive parthian shots fired off as you run away.
The reality is that most female bloggers aren't taken seriously because they don't merit it. They market themselves based on their physical appearance because it attracts attention, then they are surprised when they are judged on that appearance and belittled for relying upon it. There are definitely good female bloggers out there - Rachel Lucas and Dr. Helen are my two favorites - and it's no accident that neither of them are whiners like these ridiculous women, whose blogs are no doubt full of the female litany of complaints that are such music to the average man's ears.
We should also take note of other, very successful female bloggers like Michelle Malkin, Ann Althouse, and Jennifer Rubin @ Commentary Magazine's "Contentions" blog. These three women are very successful, and they did not build that success on their looks. They built it on their knowledge and wisdom. Aggressive as Hell, contentious at times, but nonetheless talented in their own right; these women are not whining. Neither is Rachel Lucas or Dr. Helen. And I am hardly whining about recognition in the blogosphere.
The lesson that should have been taken from the BlogHer conference is that with hard work and tenacity, women can succeed just as well as men do in the blogosphere. Instead, the conference sounds more like a victim fest, which will not make blog readers consider checking these women out.
Ladies, how about some nice cheese with that whine? (A tip of the hat to Professor Glenn Reynolds for the cheese link.)
Marcie
Blogging has come a long way from its modest beginnings. These days, there is money to be made, fame to be earned and influence to be gained. And though women and men are creating blogs in roughly equal numbers, many women at the conference were becoming very Katie Couric about their belief that they are not taken as seriously as their male counterparts at, say, Daily Kos, a political blog site. Nor, they said, were they making much money, even though corporations seem to be making money from them. ...
A study conducted by BlogHer and Compass Partners last year found that 36 million women participate in the blogosphere each week, and 15 million of them have their own blogs. (BlogHer, which was founded by Lisa Stone, Elisa Camahort Page and Jory Des Jardins, has itself grown into a mini empire that includes a Web site that helps publicize women’s blogs, and an advertising network to help women generate revenue for the site.)
Yet, when Techcult, a technology Web site, recently listed its top 100 Web celebrities, only 11 of them were women. Last year, Forbes.com ran a similar list, naming 3 women on its list of 25. ...
At the seminar “How to Take Names and Be Taken Seriously as a Political Blogger,” many women said that their male colleagues and major media groups tended to ignore them, and to link to them less often (unless they are Arianna Huffington). They pointed to the Netroots Nation gathering (formerly known as Yearly Kos) for politically progressive bloggers, occurring that same weekend in Austin, Tex. ...
Other prominent female bloggers who did not attend the BlogHer conference agreed that there are unique challenges that women in the blogosphere face. “Women get dismissed in ways that men don’t,” said Megan McArdle, an associate editor at The Atlantic Monthly who writes a blog about economic issues. She added that women are taught not to be aggressive and analytical in the way that the political blogosphere demands, and are more likely to receive blog comments on how they look, rather than what they say. ...
First, I will remind readers that I am the only female that is here now. Sabrina, our lovely partner from Chicago has moved on, and returned back to work at her law firm after beating breast cancer. And, I would not be blogging if it were not for my husband, Thomas. As for the comments, we receive few on the site, and much more in e-mails. And no, they are not commenting on my looks (there is a reason there is no picture of me up on our site; I am already taken, guys).
I believe it is farcical to say that women bloggers are counseled not to be aggressive in the realm of politics. I am quite aggressive and analytical in my view of politics and current events; so much so that the e-mails rolled in when I announced I was going on sabbatical during my first year in law school. I did miss being here everyday for readers, but Thomas has done a phenomenal job keeping the site going in my absence. (School is soon to start, and I will gauge my participation while going through my second year of law school. If it is as hectic as Year One was, then Thomas will be taking the reins of the site.)
I dislike hearing this whine from women. I also agree with Robert @ The Other McCain:
Ladies, please: If your blog sucks, it's not because of some patriarchal conspiracy, OK? And as for making money, you could almost certainly fit into my living room every independent blogger who earns a full-time living off blogging. Generally speaking, bloggers either have some other job to support their blogging habit, or else they're "blogging for the man" (e.g., the Atlantic Monthly bloggers, the Gawker cartel, etc.).
Like almost every fad from hula hoops to CB radio, there seem to be a lot of people who think that this latest gadget is going to be their Ralph Kramden get-rich-quick ticket. Well, OK, fine -- the American Dream and all that. But it's wrong to turn that dream around and claim that because you're not getting rich online, therefore you are a victim who's somehow been cheated out of her just reward.
For the record, take a look around our site. Notice anything? If you asked "where are the blogads?" congratulations. There are none on our site because we did not start this to make money. We have jobs for income. Blogging is fun, and it is a passion Thomas and I share. If we wanted to make money off of this, we would have taken steps to achieve that goal. Vox Day offers some advice for these whiners:
If a female blogger wants to be taken seriously, it's not at all difficult:
1. Have at least half a brain and demonstrate that it actually functions by not writing egregiously stupid stuff.
2. At least 75 percent of your posts should have nothing to do with you or your life.
3. Don't post a picture or talk about your romantic life, your children or your pets.
4. Don't threaten to quit blogging every time anyone criticizes you.
5. Learn how to defend your positions with facts and logic instead of passive-aggressive parthian shots fired off as you run away.
The reality is that most female bloggers aren't taken seriously because they don't merit it. They market themselves based on their physical appearance because it attracts attention, then they are surprised when they are judged on that appearance and belittled for relying upon it. There are definitely good female bloggers out there - Rachel Lucas and Dr. Helen are my two favorites - and it's no accident that neither of them are whiners like these ridiculous women, whose blogs are no doubt full of the female litany of complaints that are such music to the average man's ears.
We should also take note of other, very successful female bloggers like Michelle Malkin, Ann Althouse, and Jennifer Rubin @ Commentary Magazine's "Contentions" blog. These three women are very successful, and they did not build that success on their looks. They built it on their knowledge and wisdom. Aggressive as Hell, contentious at times, but nonetheless talented in their own right; these women are not whining. Neither is Rachel Lucas or Dr. Helen. And I am hardly whining about recognition in the blogosphere.
The lesson that should have been taken from the BlogHer conference is that with hard work and tenacity, women can succeed just as well as men do in the blogosphere. Instead, the conference sounds more like a victim fest, which will not make blog readers consider checking these women out.
Ladies, how about some nice cheese with that whine? (A tip of the hat to Professor Glenn Reynolds for the cheese link.)
Marcie
posted by Syd And Vaughn | 1:16 PM
1 Comments:
For Better or Worse—It doesn't get much worse than this. Why is this thing on a "comics" page—or using the geezer term—the funny papers. As Molly said to Magee, "Tain't funny.
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