I WAS ON THE DR. OZ SHOW! Do a little dance, make a little love, get down tonight!
You can watch my clip where I pretend to meditate with Russell Simmons. Actually, there are two of them so go ahead and watch both. It was such a fun experience and I am inspired to get my meditate on (which sounds weird, but let’s go with it). More to come on Project Ruuuuummmm soon!
In other blog land news, this awesomeness was released this week…
It’s The American Blogger film and it drove the blogosphere a little crazy.
Why? I’m going to tell you, but before I do I want you to watch it. Really actually watch it. Ignore the goofy movie man voice and focus instead on the content.
Now, form your own opinion.
Now, read the right one mine…
5 Things I Want America to Know About American Blogger
1. I. Am. An. American. Blogger.
2. All bloggers, just like all Americans, do not look like the people in this video. American bloggers come in all shapes and sizes and colors and genres just like the everyday awesome people in America. We’re male and we’re female and we’re Asian and we’re Latina and we’re gay and we’re straight and we’re funny and, um, not so much. We look like you with your mousy brown hair and like my husband with his cool goatee and like me with my big curls and my big glasses and my big muffin top. And don’t even get me started on the topics we cover. Politics and food and travel and technology and being a dad and being a mom and homeschooling and unschooling and our love of gardens and crafting and those little remote control helicopters you see in the mall (I am not kidding, there’s a blog about that). American bloggers are just as diverse as America itself; that’s what makes each of us worth reading.
3. Independently, these lady bloggers rock. Don’t get it twisted, I’m not hating just for the sake of being a hater; y’all know that’s not how I roll. Entirely separate from this project, I actually enjoy each of these lady’s blogs. In fact, one of them is my all time favorite blogger, and one of them is a blogland acquaintance that I consider to be a genuinely good chick. Many of these sites I read before I encountered this project and I will continue to do so, because for real, click through, they’re pretty dope. My beef is not with them. It’s the theme of the thing. The principle. The idea that we are supposed to believe that THIS is what blogging is about, what blogging in America is about, what AMERICA is about. Instead I saw one man’s seemingly narrow idea of what blogging in America is about featuring his wife’s friends people he personally finds attractive. Not like hey-girl-how-you-doin’ attractive, but like this-is-my-personal-construct-of-beauty-both-physical-and-intellectual-and-I-know-the-nation-will-agree-with-me attractive. Looking at it that way, this feels silly. And then, foolish, and then hurtful and sad. I’ve encountered the creators of this film enough online to know that inciting those feelings in viewers was never their intention. I believe that they wanted to create something beautiful, meaningful even. They did that, totally. I just wish that in so doing, they included a more accurate portrait of our nation.
4. Blogging means something. To all of the women featured. To me. Even to those of you who read my site. That is the overarching theme of this work. Blogging can be empowering, fulfilling, life changing, or none of that stuff because you’re just doing it for funsies. For me it has been all of those things at different times and all at once; I found friendship and community and passion and joy in this space. I have had the opportunity to entwine my life with the lives of people I never imagined even existed. People with diverse stories and life experiences that are so different from my own, but also sort of the same. For me, that’s the beauty of this whole thing: the ability to connect with humanity in a way that you really just couldn’t before. And random hashtags! #ilovehashtags #imakeupmyown #donthatetheplayer #hashtag
5. I think we should all watch American Blogger when it comes out. Because it’s an opportunity to learn and I anticipate that it is going to be a well made film (the Dude is pretty talented honestly) that it will for sure showcase how blogging gives people a voice. Plus, I think the filmmaker put his heart and soul into this film, that he had to spend weeks (maybe months?) away from the family he so clearly adores, that he invested time and money and effort and heart into this project. I have to give him and all of the ladies who probably spent hours scrubbing their houses (please say you had to clean for him, please) to welcome him and his camera and all of us into their lives for a time props. This is his art and art is about expression. And, as much as I really don’t get a bunch of art out there, I support it because, dude, it’s ART, and you don’t have to really get it to appreciate it and respect it do you? And finally, I am a blogger and as such I know that blogging is all of the things this film says it is. And, while I believe that he missed an opportunity to demonstrate that it’s also all of that stuff, for so many more people, his work is not without merit. In fact, we should be inspired.
When you mentioned this the other day for some reason I had RICHARD Simmons in my mind, not Russell Simmons. Oh My! That’s a BIG difference!
I decided I really don’t like the title word “American”. That rubs me the wrong way. I think it’s because, like you said, this is just ONE genre of blogging really and the word American encompasses so much more for me than what that trailer shows (and probably the entire film too). I still give props to him, sure. And I will watch it too. After all, it is promoting blogging and that I like. :)
To quote Common: if I don’t like it, I don’t like it, that don’t mean that I’m hatin’.
I’m sad that rather than accept the meaningful criticisms (and yes, jokes), the bloggers involved seem to have reacted with the easiest “you’re all just jealous” response. I think this is a wonderful opportunity to discuss this, but only if the movie maker and participants are willing to see why people are reacting this way. I don’t know any of the bloggers involved but I absolutely want to look them up now, so it’s succeeded in that (if that was part of what they were going for). From a blogging perspective, I don’t want ANYONE to feel as though his or her words are unimportant. I’m not making fun of a person specifically or being a hater. I just don’t see what’s wrong with having a wider berth of representation, and not getting angry or jealousy-accusatory when that is suggested. Just because you dont know more than a handful of people of color or bloggers who cover other topics, are older, or are men AND ON AND ON doesn’t mean you can’t meaningfully and purposefully seek others out. It hurts that these bloggers have suffered losses of children and undergone scary health situations. I don’t doubt that each has a compelling, worthwhile story. No one is suggesting that story go untold. Just know that there are so many other writers, from so many other walks of life, who might be at the same junction and deserve to be heard if it’s called “American Blogger.” Truth be told, if they’d had a different title, I think this could have been avoided, at least at this scale.
Number 2? Hell. Yes. And also I love you. And lots of other thoughts that I don’t want to hijack your blog with.
Yes to everything you said, dammit. Yes!
I’ve been watching all of this unfold online… and I find it really surprising that this guy didn’t screen the film to enough focus groups to learn that this would be the reaction BEFORE he put the trailer online. He could have re-shot pieces, edited it, and questioned his full intent before getting this kind of feedback. Sad beginner’s mistake.
Sadder still that he didn’t see it for himself…
But really? Beyond the film of “cookie cutter white women”- I find the whole trailer to be waaayyy overdramatic- to the point of irritation.
That being said- I would LOVE to find a way to get together and watch the movie with YOU when it comes out! Because if we weren’t both “American bloggers” our paths probably would never have crossed. And now I cannot imagine being a blogger without you!
Well said. I will definitely see it, and likewise respect and really enjoy some of the blogs that are a part of the project. However I think it is very myopic and would have liked to see a larger representation of bloggers for a movie about ‘American bloggers.’
In addition I think the film has a focus on the filmmaker which I think could be intriguing. He traveled alone without his family to make this film, and I hope it touches on that decision and what he learned through the process as well.
I saw no less than three Facebook pages pop up with ‘Real’ American bloggers. But then I read descriptions about lifestyle, fashion, food… No mention of tech and politics and business. I would love to see and be part of a project and interview someone at the row of desks at A news site, the person who started with Live Journal, the teenager sharing his clothes everyday. A true spread. Great comments!
These are the moments when I realize that I live under a rock since I’ve never heard of this movie before today. I thought the trailer looked a little cheesy but I would still watch it. I find it so hard to explain what blogging is to people who don’t understand it. Maybe this movie will help explain it to those who don’t get it. Although, they’re probably not going to watch it. I agree that he missed the mark on blogging diversity. The women he showed all looked pretty much the same to me and where are the men?
You hit the nail on the head ma’am! Taking nothing away from the wonderful bloggers he featured, but I just wish his perspective wasn’t so narrow. I hate that diversity and inclusion has to be such a laborious chore. It really, really does not have to be this tough.
My thoughts on it are much like yours. I’m generally oblivious to things like noticing that there isn’t diversity until I really think about it, but it even jumped out at me as I watched and thought geez, it’s only about skinny blonde bloggers with gorgeous homes(though I then tried to forget about the gorgeous home thing b/c I realized I would have put my best foot forward in a project like this, too). I have no problem with the bloggers themselves(and yes, adore some of them individual- and don’t know others). It was just the way the trailer came across.
My biggest pet peeve though is the voice over and saying how he wanted to show these ladies what they have, what they could do, the power they have(not a direct quote, but you get the idea). It irritated me to no end. Let me show you, silly little bloggers who have no idea of anything other than how to dress cute, that you can actually make a difference. Ugh. I didn’t need some man telling me that. That came across as so condescending to me.
Exactly this too. We don’t need a man to tell other people what we are doing. We do that ourselves every day. The whole voice over seemed very condescending to me.
All so well said. I don’t know all of the blogs, but those I do are lovely blogs and bloggers. I think the title is just off. I have to admit though, I am not sure I will watch it if the editing makes it as cheesy as the trailer was. The bloggers in that group that I do know don’t talk like that all the time. Moments of reflection are totes cool, but a whole movie of reflection on blogging from a non diverse group is too much for this girl!
Love this. And I take no issue with the amazing women and bloggers in this film We are all the same and so very different. Maybe he’ll change the title and voice-over before the film comes out… lol
I think you captured exactly what I was feeling when I watched the trailer. It’s beautiful, but it’s all so much the same. The diversity is missing for me. But I will probably watch the film anyway.
First, I adore you. You are a remarkable, lovely, awesome, fantastic, stellar woman. Your response to this is spot on. He meant well, he just missed the mark on the beauty that is diversity in this blogging space. Also, the bloggers participating, likely had no idea that he didn’t really understand the scope of this space – this captures that thought perfectly:
“We’re male and we’re female and we’re Asian and we’re Latina and we’re gay and we’re straight and we’re funny and, um, not so much. We look like you with your mousy brown hair and like my husband with his cool goatee and like me with my big curls and my big glasses and my big muffin top. And don’t even get me started on the topics we cover. Politics and food and travel and technology and being a dad and being a mom and homeschooling and unschooling and our love of gardens and crafting and those little remote control helicopters you see in the mall (I am not kidding, there’s a blog about that). American bloggers are just as diverse as America itself; that’s what makes each of us worth reading.”
‘Sup America. My favorite photo watermark EVER. :-) Love you lady. Well said. *slow clap*