A Letter to Martha Stewart
This is in response to comments that Martha Stewart made on Bloomberg TV about bloggers. They were disparaging remarks that bloggers are not experts and she has a problem with them because they are not qualified. Martha Stewart currently runs an advertising program with bloggers named Martha’s Circle, spoke last year at BlogHer, and sends free craft supplies to bloggers for them to review. This letter is my own opinion after hearing these remarks.
Dear Martha,
You said the other day on Bloomberg TV that Bloggers are not experts and that it’s becoming a problem in your opinion. Pointedly you said, “They are not the experts and we have to understand that”. I’ll give you that – I am not an expert but I am also not a problem. Let me explain:
First you asked who are these bloggers and pointed out that we are not editors of Vogue. True, I am not the editor of Vogue and nor do I ever care to be. Vogue does not represent who I am nor does it represent the majority of America. I am a better representative of America than an Vogue editor will ever be. Simply I am woman in her 30’s trying hard to raise her children while my husband works hard to support his family, a middle class family at that. We are normal. Our cars to the people who actually buy things found in Vogue probably look like death traps or hoopties. Yet we are proud of them because we work hard for them.
I am waist deep in the muck of motherhood. My house is not perfect and it never will be. It’s not even a good thing. Most days it’s a slightly smelly thing that has a maze of cereal in the living room. My current decorating style in my formal dining room consists of about 30 pictures drawn by my children on plain white paper attached to the wall with (gasp) bright blue painters tape. They decorated the dining room with their drawings as they saw fit and the collection grows daily. Honestly it’s beautiful because they made it. Making things does not equal perfection, Sometimes it’s the purple dinosaur with 6 legs diligently drawn in crayon that defines what is worthy to hang on our walls.
In all honestly, were you an expert when you started your journey to were you are now? No. You took a step to in that direction and have learned along the way. You did not walk into the kitchen at 20 and decide to make the perfect souffle from scratch with no guidance. Nor did you walk into your non existant personal craft room the size of my house at 22 and make the perfect scalloped edge punch by hand. The expert that you are now considered to be is not because you were born that way. It’s because you took those risks to learn and study the areas that you feel passionate about. Why can’t you afford that same right to bloggers?
Yes there are bloggers that don’t test recipes first or sometimes steal other’s content. There’s also dishonest lawyers, Food Network Chefs that pad their resume, and published authors that been found to have blantant copyright violations within the published works! You can’t lump us all together and assume that we are all the same. There are bloggers (myself included) that do what we do with the highest ethics possible. Personally I think the bloggers that work hard with high integrity deserve respect.
Finally let me tell you a summary of what bloggers are. We are self taught people who are trying our best to educate ourselves daily on the best photograhpy techniques, graphic design, best writing practices not to mention studying whatever our niche is whether that is crafting, parenting, business or the many other categories that bloggers represent. We strive hard to learn and grow. Many of us work late at night after the kids go to bed. You may know how to cut beautiful flowers out of paper but can you also design your own site while photographing those flowers and wrangling a family life?
It makes me curious as to why you market your products to bloggers for reviews, have a blogger ad network, or follow bloggers online through social media and have lists on twitter for them (you might want to remove me from your list btw – @ClumsyCrafter). If bloggers are a problem why are you relying on them to spread the word about what your corporation is doing?
Bloggers work hard and are jacks of all trades. If you can’t respect that than honestly it’s your right. However it will also be the line where I lose my long term devotion and respect for what you do.
Sincerely,
One of those bloggers.
Where do you stand on this? If you agree leave a comment or tell me more on my Facebook Page.
Taylor Brione says
You told her Bobbie! Very classy answer…but still go the point across.
Bobbie says
Thanks Taylor!
Vernetta R. Freeney says
Wow Bobbie! I like how you had a rebuttal for all she does. No we’re not “experts” in her definition but we’re experts from our own experiences. People love to downplay what bloggers do until they need us to help them. Isn’t that funny?
Bobbie says
Thank you Vernetta! Coming from you it means a ton.
Angelina says
Great post. She is really seems out of touch with her audience and the real world.
Bobbie says
Thank you. I agree but it’s sad. The real world is hard but amazing, she’s missing out on a lot.
vic says
Don’t pay her any attention. She’s been lashing out a lot recently. She went on bethenny frankel show and completely disrespected her on national television. I’m assuming her popularity days are numbered.
Aimee - Pretty Frugal Diva says
OMG!! What an amazing response. Love It !!!!
Bobbie says
Thank you!
Joanie @ Zagleft says
Beautifully said, Bobbie.
Bobbie says
Thank you Joanie. I can’t wait to see your new site design.
Teresa Mucha says
Very good response to comments made by someone that has actually served time for insider trading! Greed never pays. Besides, if we had a fraction of the staffers we could be experts, too!
I believe her comments truly support her true nature. Her so called support of Bloggers is merely a marketing scheme. Give away products to get your name out there. There is nothing wrong with that, we all do that. But why cut off the hand that feeds you? Maybe she is jealous for the fact as you mention that she probably could not build a successful blog on her own and take care of and support her family at the same time.
That takes true talent and sacrifice! Thanks for sharing this post.
Bobbie says
Thank you.
Lynn Van Slyke says
Amen Sister!
Bobbie says
🙂
Kelley says
Ditto, what Bobbie said. Except my house is always spotless.
Bobbie says
It is always spotless and Kelley loves sweet tea.
Kelly says
Preach it, sister!
Laura says
Very nicely said, Bobbie! I think Ms. Stewart probably feels threatened by the impressive quality of work that so many bloggers, like you, produce on your own. I’ll take a legion of honest, down-to-earth bloggers over a phony celebrity any day.
Bobbie says
Thank you so much. 🙂
Malia says
Well said. I think we need to unleash you on our politicians next! LOL!
Beverly Creamer says
I’d say you’re an expert at calling it as you see it! Love it!
mzklever says
You go, girl! Personally, I’ve never liked Martha Stewart, and I think she’s an arrogant snob. You’re absolutely right to call her out on using bloggers for exposure while complaining about their lack of expertise. She’s not even the expert that she claims to be…she has scores of staff that create all the things that she shows off on tv and designers that create the items with her name on them that are manufactured overseas. As bloggers, we are our own experts, we create our own things (writing, crafts, recipes), and we do it right where we live.
Leah Norem says
Very well said! We are the people to whom her products are marketed to, but at the same time are called a ‘problem’. No, *we* are not the problem!
Jenna says
Well said blogger sister. I wasn’t sure what to do about her comments but I felt compelled to post today. I don’t think we are alone.
Bobbie says
Thank you!
Nicki Woo says
Hooray for Bobbie!!! Well said my friend. Wow. This makes me so sad. Because I have been a fan of hers for a very long time. And. . .I know that she is no REAL expert herself. She is just like all of us, teaching ourselves how to do what we see because we want to. . .and we can. She was not trained in the finest culinary schools, nor did she go to school for all the many projects she finds herself marketing. I think. . .she should remember her own roots. . .and worry about her own issues, and stop all the haternation comments:/