Some of you may have heard the snide remarks Martha made about bloggers in an interview on Bloomberg TV. She said the following:
“Who are these bloggers? They’re not trained editors at Vogue magazine. There are bloggers writing recipes that aren’t tested that aren’t necessarily very good, or are copies of what really good editors have created and done. Bloggers create a kind of a popularity but they are not the experts. We have to understand that.” ~ Martha Stewart
I was not bothered as much by what she said as with the disrespectful tone she used. I have been a creative blogger for over five years, and over the course of those years, I have personally met and come to know hundreds of creative bloggers. They are my friends. They have my admiration, respect, and undying devotion. I love them for who they are.
So Martha, you ask “Who are these bloggers?” This is how I see them:
These bloggers are women who are creative, hardworking and passionate about their work. They spend countless hours writing up tutorials not because they are trying to sell a product, but because they want to share their ideas with the readers that they love.
These bloggers don’t have a trained staff of professional cameramen taking pictures of their projects. Most of them have no photography training. They are working with the best camera they can afford, making backdrops out of wrapping paper, old wood, or whatever else they can find. If they don’t have natural light indoors, they stand outside, often times in the dead of winter, so they can create beautiful photographs of their creations.
These bloggers don’t have paid assistants that test out their projects until they get them “just right.” They work alone, and they work hard. Sometimes they fail, but they don’t let that stop them. They try again. And again. And sometimes again. They learn from their mistakes, and share that knowledge with others. They realize that they are not perfect, but that there can be beauty in imperfection.
These bloggers don’t have paid staff to purchase their supplies, stage their photos, and clean up their messes. Instead, they have small budgets, diapers to change, laundry to do, husbands to support, children to teach, and houses to clean. And yet amid the chaos of life, they still find time to create amazing projects to share with other women just like them.
These bloggers haven’t been trained in the culinary arts. They take casseroles to friends in need, volunteer for bake sales, take homemade soup to church potlucks, and make classroom treats for every holiday on the calendar. They make meals for their loved ones day in and day out; not because it pads their pocketbooks, but because it fills their hearts.
These bloggers support each other, and their community of readers. When one falls, the others reach out to help her stand again. They help women dealing with infertility, wayward children, depression, financial difficulties, cancer, and a host of other challenges, often times while carrying the same burden themselves. They do not do this because it is a good “PR” move, or because it is a tax ride-off. They do it because they are good people who want to help others.
I don’t know what constitutes your definition of an expert Martha, but I do know what constitutes mine.
And in my book, these bloggers are all experts at one thing.
Inspiring women.
Everyday women like me.
They have inspired me to do things I never dreamed of doing.
Because of these bloggers, I overcame my fear of power tools and can now install beadboard, make shelves, and cut baseboards.
I feel confident in my ability to paint my own house, re-finish furniture, and make home repairs.
I can now take a thrift store piece of “junk”, and turn it into a piece of art.
I can decorate my home without spending a fortune.
All because these bloggers had the courage to try something new, and the desire to share their new-found knowledge with others. They inspire millions of women around the globe every single day.
These bloggers have helped me become a better person. I’ll take that kind of an expert any day.
Well said, Kara! Her comment was completely uncalled for but then again I’m not a fan of Martha so I will makes sure I don’t purchase anything of hers. Since US bloggers don’t know what we are doing anyways. 😉
xoxo
Denyse
Amen and good for you for writing this post. I agree with every word you said but I think it’s safe to say that the Martha Stewart brand relies on the ideas of bloggers. Secretly of course. Why not? Other bloggers rely on hers, it goes both ways. 🙂
here here! I see way too many things in magazines that I have first seen bloggers do!
Well said Kara! I agree with you 100% and I couldn’t have said it any better!
Well said, Kara! Incidentally, I’ve had more than one recipe from Marthas magazines that seemed to be untested….
So well written!!
Thank you for this post!
Personally I can inspired by bloggers every single day
Well put!!! Just one more thing I can point out as to why I don’t like Martha. Thanks for a well written piece regarding the queen of mean.
I was bothered as well. I posted about it too, not because I felt we needed to justify who we are and what we do, but because I was so offended. I think she wouldnt have a successful business if not for all us bloggers! And YES all these bloggers are INSPIRING!! 🙂 I’m so greatful for the blogging community!
Well said. I’m inspired daily by these fabulous women.
Exactly! I am more likely to trust real women rather than teams of trained professionals. Sure, I can see perfect recipes/home decor/crafts being churned out by a creative team as inspiration. However, if I want to know what is realistically doable, I have to hear from my blogging ladies!
AMEN! I remember back when EVERYONE wanted to be like Martha because we saw what she could do and wanted the same thing. We wanted a June Clever feel in our home … everything was perfect and all was well. That’s not reality. I appreciate every word you wrote. The funny thing is her own daughter has a tv show (or did) that made fun of everything Martha did. Interesting.
Martha comes across as snooty and has a criminal past, but dangit if that lady hasn’t marketed herself into a well known brand! Nevertheless, as a former blogger I take her comment as a compliment. She’s smart and would not have used PR time to knock bloggers if they weren’t a threat. 🙂
Absolutely! She knows that most of us relate to women who are like us, not celebrities. Bloggers are teaching the world that when it comes to creativity, you don’t need an”expert” to tell you what to do. 🙂
Amen! I love the blogging world and have actually learned more valuable lessons from “these bloggers” about piano teaching, then I ever learned in all of my years of college and it was free! Your comment about taking photos in the chill of winter reminds me of my teenager Becca who carefully preserves her treats so she can take them outside on our kid craft table and snap shots with “the best lighting” using her cheap camera and some interesting backdrops. I love the kind comments of other crafty food bloggers neither of us have ever met, who have validated her efforts to create new & delicious recipes at “Heaven in a Dish”.
So true about all those years of schooling. There are some things you just can’t learn from books. It is so awesome that now we have a community of bloggers that shares real life lessons, some of them learned the hard way so we don’t have to make the same mistakes! 🙂