baby formula

Following up on the "Cost of Ads" post below, I just read Jory's post at BlogHer entitled "What does it mean, to 'sell out?'" 

"...a huge topic seems to be the growing commercialism (or recognition, depending on how you view it) of the event by mainstream advertisers."

I've read plenty of posts over the last few days that grumbled about the advertiser presence at BlogHer 06.  But as offputting as that might have been for some (or for many, I don't know), the bigger issue is the growing commercialism of blogs themselves.

I personally don't know any blogger who resents any female blogger who has found a way to get paid from blogging.  But I do hear a growing dissatisfaction about the fact that (on the surface at least) there's mainly only ONE kind of (personal) blogger getting paid--the mommyblogger.

Near the end of her post, Jory uses a music analogy:

"I think about the musicians/directors/actors who wow the public with their originality and then have sophomore slumps because they glommed onto the first major deal offered. On the other hand, I think of the legends who seemed to have dumbed it down or gone commercial, gone "soft rock" on us, and I'm not offended. With age comes change; some of us mellow, some of us move to the fringes, that doesn't mean we don't want to be paid to do what we love."

The music business is a good analogy for what I see happening in the blogosphere, but I'm looking at it from another angle.

A few months ago, I was sitting in a club and the man at the next table (also sitting alone) turned to me and said, "This has to be the best music happening in San Francisco right now."  And then he glanced around at the near empty club and added, "And nobody even knows it's happening."  That's what I see happening in the blogosphere.  There are amazing blog writers out there--many of whom would never even think to label themselves as writers--but they don't fit into the mold that advertisers have glommed on to at the moment.  They're not mommybloggers.  Uniqueness doesn't sell in our culture--sameness does.  Now before you go getting your panties all in a twist thinking that I'm saying mommybloggers aren't unique, that's not what I'm saying.  What I'm saying is that what sells in America is formula. If one mommyblogger can generate big traffic, then 50 mommybloggers should be able to generate 50 times the traffic, right?  That's how advertisers think.  Don't believe me?  Try writing a hit song that doesn't follow a fairly standard formula.  Try getting a film produced in Hollywood that's completely and utterly unique.  Yes, it happens, but the odds are not in your favor. 

Jory's music analogy speaks to the artists who move away from artistic freedom to adapt to commerciability.  That happens in every medium.  The 'if I can be like Dooce then maybe I'll get paid like her, too' thing.  But it happens from the advertiser end, as well.  The 'let's go find the next Dooce' thing.  So what we end up with is a lot of Dooce-like product.  And I'm not knocking Dooce.  Heather's a good writer, and I read her.  And I'm not making a sweeping generalization that every mommyblogger secretly wants to be Dooce (although I think some of them do).  I'm simply pointing out that by advertisers focusing primarily on one contingent (moms) they're excluding a lot of potentially excellent product.  Advertisers don't go looking for unique product--they look for what they already know will sell.  That's why Hollywood keeps doing remakes. 

It seems to me that the grumblings I'm hearing in the blogosphere over advertising and advertisers are indicative of the inevitable pain that comes with a transition to the mainstream.  And maybe part of the emotion behind some of the grumblings is because some of us liked it better when blogging was still a little more out of the public eye. 

Frankly, I think we've only seen the tip of the mommyblogging iceberg that advertisers plan to tap into.  I think if you don't fit into the formula advertisers are seeking right now, you might not want to wait for that knock at the door--you might have to start brainstorming income-generating ideas on your own.  And there's room for all of us in the blogosphere.  Some of us like turning on our radios and hearing an Ashlee Simpson song being played in heavy rotation on a Clear Channel-controlled station.  And some of us admire the force of an Ani DiFranco who made her name by booking her own shows in places like middle school auditoriums (as she did in my hometown).  Ashlee makes a ton more money than Ani...but it doesn't necessarily mean she's putting out better product.

Comments

[lizardek]

Very well written and thought-provoking (as usual). One thing that bothers me about the whole mommyblogging thing is that just because a woman is (ALSO) a mom, she gets lumped in with all mommybloggers, regardless of what kind of writing she may actually do, whether or not it (ALSO) involves writing about her family and children.

[pam]

Marilyn, what you said. Bingo.

[Jana]

So in a nutshell, you're saying that being unique is priceless! (Literally. LOL)

[Paris Parfait]

Excellent post. I agree with your points.

[Elizabeth]

GREAT GREAT Post!!!

[Jory Des Jardins]

Marilyn,

Thanks for doing the heavy thinking on this one--I loved reading your post. I agree that when anything goes more mainstream there's gravitation toward more formula. But--for better or worse in your world--there's going to be a gavitation toward more than Mommybloggers. Advertisers are interested in small business owners, food bloggers, health & wellness writers, you name it. As an identity blogger I'm not sure how this bodes for me, but I'm OK with it, so long as it doesn't compromise my work. The challenge won't be resisting advertising, it will be resisting the feeling of needing to change because they are interested in you (I moderated a panel at BlogHer on naked blogging under a number of pressures--commercial interest and popularity being two of them). The key is not to resist making money, but staying authentic.

Thanks for your thoughts. As always.

[Margaret]

You have hit the nail on the head. I am very resistant to reading celebrity blogs or even those with ads. I do check in on Dooce sometimes, and she can be hilarious, without trying too hard. Some other blogs are obviously going for the same effect--but it's very artificial somehow.

[la vie en rose]

i'll go with ani over ashlee any old day...

this is a great topic to discuss. i remember when keri smith posted her anti-ad post and all the emotions it triggered. and guess what...that's what we were talking about for days at our house. the truth is, i don't necessarily want to be dooce but i'd be lying if i said i wouldn't love to be getting paid for blogging...

[samantha]

You've said it perfectly. As someone who has received a paycheck for blogging, it's an odd feeling. It definitely changes the nature of things, simply the pressure of wanting to deliver something worthy! Thankfully mine was a one month gig and then it was over, so it didn't change much. But it's immensely gratifying, as being paid for what you love is the goal. As you said so well, no one begrudges ANYONE their success, but it is odd to see so much cash flowing in one direction.

I write this as someone who aspires to be a completely rocking mommyblogger one day. Until then, I'll keep writing about everything my life is about - church stuff, the first years of marriage, thoughts on faith and the lack thereof, and most importantly, recipes for corn pudding.

[tinker]

I straddle the fence on this one. I'm kind of put off by the aesthetics of ads - just the way they look. But then, as Sam said, who wouldn't want to be paid to do what you love doing. Sometimes I dream about doing a separate blog, about one topic, that might have ads on it - but since my Mommy days are over, it probably wouldn't be that lucrative/attractive to advertisers, so that may not be the best idea I've had. Or I could change my mind tomorrow. I seem to be doing a lot of that lately!

[maria]

This was such a great post, Marilyn! I think you hit the nail on the head when you said that what sells in America is formula (and maybe in other countries, too, I don't know). It's the same in the book publishing world ... that's why we have a million books in the 'Chicken Soup' series, and why some writers who have a strong following feel they have to write under a pseudonym if they write a book in a different genre.

I'm not so plugged in to the blogging world to realize before I read your post that the advertising dollars are going to the mommybloggers, but you're right. And you're also right about the fact that there are other truly fantastic bloggers out there who should have advertisers beating down their door ... you and Michelle (vie en rose) come to mind immediately. :-)

[Melba]

I do believe that there is a shift happening in our society. I think as communication becomes more open and available (like through blogs) people are realizing that not everyone thinks the same like the mass media seems to say we all do. The shift has happened inside of me because of blogging, because of women like you Marilyn. I never knew before that there were so many other women who think and feel like I do...in a way that is different from mainstream.

Maybe it is just because I want to believe so much...
We are the sparks of a new revolution...