I was one of those who immediately swore off Flaming Lips when they performed "She Don't Use Jelly" on 90210... even though I didn't even know who Flaming Lips were until they performed "She Don't Use Jelly" on 90210.
And when my favorite band, Red House Painters' song "All Mixed Up" appeared in Gap's late 90's winter knits campaign? I all but tossed the album out the window.
"How could they," I said. "Sell outs."
Why? Because they were sell outs! They sold their song to THE MAN!
Never mind that I shopped at Gap as well as worshipped Mark Kozelek. I wanted my music and winter scarves separate.
This has always been the conundrum for writers, musicians, designers of all kinds. Money taints creativity. It isn't about the art anymore. Ideas and opinions and good work is lost because art and money seldom thrive harmoniously.
But what if compromise in certain areas made sense? What if Flaming Lips did occasionally play venues Ian Ziering might frequent in the 90s. And Red House Painters, "All Mixed Up" was the perfect song to watch snow and scarves fly around the necks of models? What if it just so happens that Gap sponsoring a denim post written by a blogger with heaps of Gap jeans in her closet was .... obvious? Or at the very least, appropriate.
I've recently taken on some sponsored content here at Girl's Gone Child and more to post soon. Sponsored content by and with brands I'd support anyway. Stores I regularly shop at, have mentioned here before.
A quick explanation: when a post is "sponsored" on GGC it means just that. Sponsored posts are not assigned blog posts. Brands do not tell me what they want me to say or even write about. They express interest in working with me and/or I express interest in working with them. Then I pitch them an idea through my ad network - what I think might be interesting and fun, cohesive with my content as well as the brands that are interested in working with me. And if a brand likes my idea? They sponsor the post AKA I get paid for content I would likely write anyway.
For instance, if someone wanted to sponsor the Gone Style videos? I might be able to justify spending eighteen hours editing them together! If CB2 wanted to sponsor an Inside/Outside post about updating our unfinished living room with some lighting options or Home Depot wanted to sponsor a video series about gardening? Hell yes! I'd love to do that. I mean... this post was SCREAMING for an Anthropologie sponsor. That would have been rad. And cohesive. And yet... suddenly cheapened, yes?
Herein lies the conundrum. The trickiness of it all.
I just did a spot with Momversation promoting Fisher-Price's Moments to Share App on Facebook (see sidebar). I wrote my own script, decided what would be appropriate to shoot. And yes, I was paid for my time to do so. I tested the App first. Made sure it was something that interested me outside of sponsorship. When I decided it was, all systems were a go.
I learned a lot during my Chicken Soup for Teenage Soul days in the trenches of mass-market publishing/ghost writing/editorial-for-hire. The most beneficial being that the only way to make it as a "professional writer" was to put "professional" first. I've been criticized in the past (and present) for "selling out" and not just by Lawrence Ferlinghetti. And I used to take it personally because I was an "artist, DAMNIT!" I don't anymore. Not entirely anyway. I do know that I'm lucky to be in the position to sell, no matter how many times I second guess my decision to do so.
A mag-ad I did last year with Turning Leaf 's "how do you breathe?" campaign. The quote was something I came up with on my own even if my face is airbrushed beyond recognition. Exactly, right? Well...
Much like angst is the sexier form of inspiration and happy people can't create worth a damn, a steady paycheck is doom for an artist. And so, the moment the money starts coming in, people get angry. Start criticizing bands for not living out of their cars (because the songs they wrote living in their cars? Were clearly the best.) and painters for taking commissioned work. Authors for losing their voices ghost-writing under pseudonyms.
Artists work for free. We paint and write and sew because we love to. Because it makes us feel alive. But when we're paid? It's weird and suspect and potentially compromising. Guilt-inducing, even. Because we think we don't deserve to be paid. Because making money was never the intention when we started writing or blogging or shooting photographs, painting landscapes, singing songs at age three. Because sharing ones ideas, ones "art" for money automatically puts a dent in the canvas and thick margins on the paper. Or so we think as we quote our favorite artists. Praise them for being poor and bereft, romanticize over their bohemian lifestyles, sleeping on each other's floors, living on cigarettes and coffee, with the occasional benefactor to line his and her pockets...
Sigh, those were the days...
And yet. It was never my intention to be "starving." Just as it has never been my intention to compromise my integrity to get paid.
Contrary to popular belief, the two don't have to be mutually exclusive. Just ask my friend, Angela, the most successful commercial + independent artist I know.
"Sell out!"
"Thankfully, yes!"
I have and will continue to reject ad campaigns advertising brands I would never support, restaurants I'd never eat at, box stores I've never set foot in. Meanwhile, I'll continue to collaborate on sponsored posts + videos with those (brands) I do.
I guess this is a long-winded way of saying this to those who have (and I imagine will continue to) express concern about future GGC + brand partnerships: I am as picky about my partnerships as I am about my shoes (Hi, Clueless!). I would never step into a kitten-heeled sandal for example. Only comfortable shoes that flatter my style and opps that work harmoniously with my content. Cue music. Roll credits. The end.
ED: This post has been sponsored by.... just kidding.
GGC
59 comments:
ahhh wayne coyne... he lives 5 minutes from me. seriously the only best thing about living in oklahoma city is randomly running into him and going to our ghouls gone wild halloween parade he hosts. oh and my landlord is his real estate lawyer. fun, fun. am i right? ha!
nothing to do w/your post about products.
do whatcha gotta do lady. i will always read no matter what.
xo
Don't worry about it... You do the sponsored post thing very well because you are selective... and I like 'advertising' like that, because I trust you and all :) (much more than some random flashing banner on a site)
Hey, as long as you aren't just throwing brand names out there willy-nilly to get paid, I'll continue to be a loyal reader. If you're basically advertising for a brand, endorsing them because you really do use/love/enjoy their stuff, then you might as well get paid to do so.
We're all to quick to label things as selling out, I say.
Of all the websites I read you're pretty far down the list of people I'd consider susceptible to selling out.
I love your writing and as such have a vested interest in you being able to both write and feed your family.
As long as sponsored posts a) are consistent with who/what GGC is, b)are declared, and c) don't overcome the everyday posting, it's fine.
As an artist, I am all for selling out, mainly because at this point in my life I am all for paying the power bill and feeding and clothing my child.
You deserve to get paid for what you do - I love your writing and, as it's your website, it's your call as to who you accept money from.
I was recently thinking about "selling out" and have vivid memories of the Peach Pit Afer Dark welcoming the Flaming Lips as well - quite disturbing at the time, yes.
When you have a family, I think there is little appealing about the "starving" part of being an artist.
I think that what you are doing is not selling out by any means. As long as you believe in the product - more power to you!!
Heidi
Word, sister. People give me shit for having BlogHer ads on my site! I think having the occasional sponsored post is cool--Im just tired of the hoards of bloggers trying to drum up site traffic by almost exclusively doing giveaways. Clearly the art and good writing come first and foremost and that's what we hinge our livelihood on, but it's no crime to get paid for our work.
Although, an ad opportunity recently came my way (a chance to review a movie now out on DVD that I maligned when I saw it in theaters)...so I declined. As I'm sure you would to!
Nicely said!
This makes me think of conversations with people who are too indie for their own good, and get upset at me for listening to bands that are part of huge labels and concert tours now. "They're sell outs, man." they would tell me. But isn't that the point? To get hugely successful and reach a larger audience?
Sigh. There's nothing wrong with being sponsored, especially when it's by companies you already like. It's not like you're making posts about Preparation H or anything crazy like that. Heh.
Ahhhh..like Rashel I'm from OKC too and up until about 3 months ago I used to live about 5 mins from Wayne Coyne and agree wholeheartedly with her. Hi Rashel!!
Anyway...I hope you didn't REALLY give up listening to them, they really are fantastic, better than 'Jelly' any day and they make OKC tolerable! The NYE shows are epic.
I don't care if you get paid to write, I love reading your posts here and there so whatever. I say good for you!
Lady, you are not a sellout. Any blogger who thinks they wouldn't do the same given good opportunities is kidding themselves. Yeah, right now, ain't nobody paying me for my content, though Kroger did give me a tour of their new store and a bunch of free food, so *things are going to start happening to me now* (thank you to The Jerk for that one). Anyway, as long as you keep giving us little nuggets of truth and beauty and life, I'll keep coming back, regardless of who's paying your bills. G'on, girl.
Maybe I'm in the minority here, but I don't think you're selling out. No one can live on pencil shavings and paper as a diet. Though I guess that's outdated.... Keyboards and mice, perhaps? Whatever. Do whatever you have to do to feed your lovely, adorable kids and husband and self. End of story.
I was never one of those people who pined after the starving artists. I never cared. As long as they were good and I enjoyed them, they could play the biggest amphitheaters and get played on all the popular shows. In fact, I got a kick out of hearing a favorite artist somewhere unexpected. If anyone faults you for getting paid, then it sounds like their problem, seriously. Do what you gotta do.
I wouldn't worry about it too much. Your blog is as wonderful as always! :) Keep it up!!
I wouldn't worry about it too much. Your blog is as wonderful as always! :) Keep it up!!
Each genre has a different payment scale just as certain genres (i.e. blogging) lend themselves more to commercialization than others. Back in the day, publicity and marketing for an artist were done by the entity that represented them (agency, publishing company, etc.) and this enabled artists to compartmentalize their creative process from the distribution process. Now, artists are expected to do much of their marketing themselves, utilizing their own social networks to sell their products. The pros and cons of this change can be endlessly debatable, and what an artist prefers comes down mostly to temperament and inclination. You could argue that the old system makes it easier to preserve the myth that artists are and somehow should be free from the concerns of the marketplace. And you could also argue that the new system privileges people who are better self-promoters, not necessarily better artists. The bottom line as an artist, I think, is to cultivate your own personal kind of professionalism that suits your art and the way you live. It sounds like you're doing just that. I happen to be a poet, perhaps the least promotable and least read of all art forms, and as a work-at-home mom with other jobs to support my art, I can only wish that I had the opportunities you've found to sponsor your work.
Good for you.
My boyfriend is a comic book artist & freelance illustrator and it took him a long time to accept that his time, his energy & his talent were not only worthwhile but were also worth compensation.
You are worth it; You have integrity and I trust you. Get on with your bad self!
I've seriously never understood this. Isn't making a living, even a good living, doing something you love and are talented at, well, the goal in life?? At least work life.
How is it O.K. to make tons of money if you love and are talented at acting, sports, trading stocks, or running a business, but not O.K. to make money if you love and are talented at writing, singing or playing an instrument.
Even as a teen I didn't think it was selling out. I serious never have, and probably never will, understand the distinction.
Thanks for sharing your beautiful writing with the world, and for being smart enough to make a living at it so that you can continue to devote your time and energy to this craft/career.
hahaha... the end of this post nearly caused me to shoot coffee out of my nose.
i must say, the criticism you got regarding your gap post a coupe of weeks ago *may* have played a small role in inspiring a somewhat "cryptic post" (as some who have emailed me referred to it as).
http://www.mybottlesup.com/2010/08/ill-feed-you-in-my-kitchen/
bottom line: the sense of entitlement that some readers are gaining is getting fucking irritating. whether your content is sponsored or not, it is still YOUR CONTENT.
keep doing what you're doing. obviously it's working, and if you can get some cash to continue doing what you love and using your voice, then hooray for archer and fable's wardrobes!!! (and yours too...)
cheers!
whatever. it's not like you have kids who's futures you have to think about or anything. oh wait...
(you go gurl.)
eh, we all wish we could make a living writing. You are actually doing it. Bravo. One day I was flipping through a magazine and came upon that ad and stared at it thinking, "That person looks so familiar." Then I realized it was you. It was kinda cool. I'll admit that the sponsered posts are rarely my favorite (not the ones that get bookmarked and read again when I need inspiration) but I there are worse ways to make money, for sure.
i didn't realize any of your posts were sponsored until i got to the byline at the end. you're that good. keep on keepin' on, mama.
this reminds me to check out the gap for jeans. ;)
I'm totally with you on this one. If you are writing about something you actually like and support anyway then you are not selling out babe. I think what you are doing is fine and hey - I too write posts about things I love sometimes for no moolah and lemme tell you - I would not hate it if any of those companies that I totally heart offered me a little compensation. I've got three kids to feed and all..
Rebecca-
Have you ever read the book "Spending" by Mary Gordon? It's really wonderful, all about the artist and what it means to create and in it the main character grapples with the idea of having a muse who pays for everything and even a commissioned work. I loved the book and highly reccomend it for it's characterization of an artist, and it's got some steamy love in it too.
Wayne Coyne = love. I've seen the Flaming Lips play at least ten times in the last ten + years. One of the best live shows out there. Pure genius.
Wendy - I loved what you wrote. I want you to print and frame the following and sell it writers such as myself as reminder:
"Now, artists are expected to do much of their marketing themselves, utilizing their own social networks to sell their products. The pros and cons of this change can be endlessly debatable, and what an artist prefers comes down mostly to temperament and inclination. You could argue that the old system makes it easier to preserve the myth that artists are and somehow should be free from the concerns of the marketplace. And you could also argue that the new system privileges people who are better self-promoters, not necessarily better artists. The bottom line as an artist, I think, is to cultivate your own personal kind of professionalism that suits your art and the way you live."
Thank you, all.
Oh, and Mommymae - Gap was my first sponsored post (But not my last and I've done several sponsored videos through Momvo) so I wanted to disclose what I thought needed to be said. At least for me. xo
Totally agree. You should be paid for your words, your time and your endorsements because you've done enough of them for free already.
My only request is, if possible, when you link to a company (or even a previous post) can you do it as an "open link in new window?" Sometimes I get lost in the site you've directed us to and I forget to come back and read the rest of your beautiful post.
I don't think you've sold out at all. I judge whether or not an artist has sold out based on whether or not their content is still good after the money starts coming in. And your content is always good!
And I totally agree with My Bottle's Up!
People need to eat, and take care of their families. If you get paid and the content is still great, where's the problem?
Entirely too often the people shouting about "selling out" just sound like sour grapes.
I agree with eskimojo - I, too, love your writing and hope you can support yourself and your family with it so I can keep reading.
You deserve to be paid for your work.
You are *not* a charity.
:)
Isn't it everyone's dream to make a living doing what they love? So the way I see it is, if you are going to tell me how much you love Anthropologie anyway, they might as well fork over the dough!
Besides, I want Fable to keep those chubby cheeks, and I am pretty sure money for food will do that.
I've never been hip enough to care whether the artist I loved was getting paid for his song to be played in a commercial. I was just happy I was getting to hear it more often. Recently my husband and I have been talking alot about how much more we appreciate creative, interesting and (when appropriate) targeted advertising/marketing than the annoying commercials that had become the norm. We're glad technology is forcing more of it. I consider this right along those lines. The only blogger I ever stopped reading due to ads was someone who clearly lost interest in blogging about her life as she had before, and every post was now on the topic of her big advertiser. It was still a topic she cared about and she wrote creatively on it; others loved it. It just wasn't something I cared about, so when every post became about that I moved on (without making nasty comments). No harm, no foul. I'm sure she attracted new readers who were in to the subject.
Wow. This is a great post. I enjoyed it thoroughly. Not only was the commentary good... but it did something you might not have planned on. As a relatively novice blogger, it taught me more about ways to try and get paid for all the time and hard work I put into my blog.
And... I never missed an episode of 90210. NEVER.
Thanks for the post.
Blessings
Rachymommy - MommyTopics.com
I first started noticing my favourite "obscure" songs being used in advertising at about the age my peers were probably hired to choose the music for those ads...
I didn't love the Gap post you did when I read at the end that it was sponsored. But then I thought about it for a moment and felt a bit mean for being judgmental. Good for you for having the opportunity.
I'd totally do the same thing.
Lady friend, it is a dream of mine for someone to PAY ME for my writing. I would love for someone to pay to read what I write. If it's paying me to write an article on XYZ or buying my back of the bookstore on the bottom shelf book, I would be peeing my pants with excitement either way.
I am from the school of thought that you should make a living doing what you are passionate about. If you are a passionate photographer then you should capitalize on that talent and enjoy your job. It's so much better than working a job you hate for a crappy paycheck. As long as you're not selling yourself short or picking up jobs that you feel jeopardize your style and ethics then go for it.
I hear you, and this gives a lot to think about. I certainly don't want the writers/artists, etc. that i care about to have to do their work for free, to have to be poor to create. On the other hand, that's not what bothers me about sponsorship... as I think about it, what makes me uncomfortable is that these large companies (who make their living in part from a sophisticated manipulation of what we think we want and need) are making more and more efforts to fill all the spaces where ordinary people spend their time - all our public and private spaces (airplane tray tables, slides at playgrounds, videos at supermarket checkout lines, sidewalks, people's cars) - with this sophisticated advertising. And it worries me to give that space over to people whose goal is not my best interest but my money. It bothers me that I have to be on guard in spaces where I would like to relax, and that those spaces are becoming ever more crowded with sponsorship and adverts. And while I don't feel that you are trying to manipulate (and I so appreciate that you are selective - thank you for mentioning that, though of course I'm not surprised that you to be anything but selective and honest) I am wary of large companies, because of how pervasive and in your face they can be. Anyway, those are my thoughts. I certainly want to give what you've said more thought, even though, of course, it's your choice and your work (and I am happy that your family can benefit financially from your work!). I continue to enjoy your voice.
I don't like to post neg comments, but this post annoyed me. I don't mind the posts being sponsored. What drives me batty are all the fracking links you have in the posts. I know the goal is page views, but the term 'overkill' comes to mind.
anyway...
As for selling out. That is utter fucking tutter. To be paid to do what one loves is not selling out. It's what most people would kill for. Why do artists hold themselves up above any other professional? If an accountant loves to play with numbers is he selling out for getting paid for it?
I'm a writer. I get paid to write. I get paid to be creative. I get paid to have ideas. It makes me happy. It makes my family happy. It does NOT, however, cheapen what I do. Or in my opinion, what any other writter, or 'creative,' or chemist, or cancer researcher, does.
Richard Branson is often quoted saying you should figure out what you love to do and the money will follow.
*writer*
(i'm a writer who can't spellcheck apparently)
I'm glad you came out and sort of explained things to me/us/your readers. All too often these days, I visit a blog and feel like every. single. post is sponsored content. I don't know about other people, but this just makes me want to stop reading someone's site entirely because it feels so forced and fake.
That being said, I have not come across this on your site. Your sponsored posts do not seem forced at all and why should they? You said yourself that the sponsored posts are more often than not something YOU'VE pitched. Dude, I love that!
Anyway, thank you again for 'splaining things. Maybe now when I read a sponsored post of someone else's, I'll be more open and understanding, rather than, "Dude! No one cares about your kid's diapers!"
I really appreciate that you always explain/provide a disclaimer for anything that was sponsored- that is enough for me. As a regular reader of your blog, I've come to appreciate, trust, and respect your voice and thoughts and if you write something for someone for some money, more power to you babe.
LL - I don't link for page views. If I was that concerned with page views I would be writing click-through posts. Most of the links in this post weren't even to GGC. I only ever use links as references. If I reference a post or a band or a friend, I link to them. That is always what I've done and that is what I'll continue to do. It's depressing that everything is looked at as a way to monetize. (Perhaps that sounds ironic coming from the author of a post about monetization and perhaps it is. But here's the thing - monetization works if it is tastefully done. Not tackily used to bombard.) xo
Oh, and AVB? I don't even know if blogger can do that? I've tried and have no idea how to link without sending people away from the post. There isn't an option in my back-end template and I'm hopelessly html deaf.
The ED at the end was priceless.
Yuppie Scum.
Ha. Not really. You gotta keep food in those bellies somehow...
Rebecca~
There is so much food for thought both in your post and in the comments (Wendy and Emily in particular).
I will continue to read your blog daily as I have for years. I think your a wonderful writer and I want you to do well.
That 3rd baby aint free after all;)
Peace~
Karen
The bottom line is that whether it's your pretty mug and your words or a copywriters . . it's still advertising. My only problem with it, is disguising it as "things you like anyway." I think ads should be clearly identified as such. Otherwise you are into some really creepy territory that I don't want to be a part of . . . everything is really a marketing tool these days isn't it? Facebook is all about collecting our personal tastes to sell to advertisors and people sign up willingly for this. Why? I like to read blogs because I'm a voyeur and I like to peep into other peoples lives. I don't care where you shop or what you buy and blogs that are obsessed with showing off their consumerism, hello Dooce!, don't interest me. Identify the ads. . . that's all I ask. Don't fool yourself that they are anything but ads. Don't disguise them as your original thoughts, words etc. Go ahead, make money, that's fine, just don't trick your readers. Thanks!
i didn't know you got crap for doing the sponsored spot but it's funny because i actually thought "hhmmmm, i wonder if she thinks she's selling out?" and not because i care but because of how you are and how you go back and forth about whether you could even be seen in a mini van, etc...
i feel like im right- like i get to say ha! i knew she put more thought into it than just "sure!" haha i was right!! lol!
i don't mind. get paid. get laid. you write about your fashion all the time you may as well make some money off of the things you promote. and to that anonymous- umm i think the fact that it says the post was sponsored pretty much clued the rest of us in. i didn't feel tricked- i'm pretty swift like that ;)
Well said. You're doing a damn good job, Rebecca.
And we love ya <3
someone said: "I like to read blogs because I'm a voyeur and I like to peep into other peoples lives."
I'm the same but I recognise that blogging takes TIME and as a mum of two, your time is precious so you do what you have to do to keep the story going. If that's sponsored posts then so be it. Blog on!
someone said: "I like to read blogs because I'm a voyeur and I like to peep into other peoples lives."
I'm the same but I recognise that blogging takes TIME and as a mum of two, your time is precious so you do what you have to do to keep the story going. If that's sponsored posts then so be it. Blog on!
I gotta admit I thought the fisher price video thing was a tad lame and not something I expected from you, but everyone has gotta get paid, right? I would never expect you to sit at home broke-ass and unhappy just to serve us readers.
As long as your content remains as wonderful and truthful or whatever you feel you want it to be, then I'm onboard. Carry on lady.
I think it's freaking ridiculous that you expect to be paid for the hours upon hours of work you put into this blog! Who do you think you are?
Ha, just kidding:) I've never understood why this upsets people so much. Honestly, I think it's just jealousy, but I could be wrong. I have a very small, pathetic blog that I started as something fun to do on the side. But holy crap, I never realized how much WORK a blog is to maintain! If I put as much time, thought, and effort into my blog as you do yours, damn straight I'd want/need to get paid! I say good for you, and I hope a quinoa company decides to sponsor you soon! :) Right now they're just getting lots of free advertisement.
ya, no. not a sell out. come on, look at this clearly. you have the ability to pick and choose your sponsors. that in itself is amazing. that right there exudes any possibility of seller-outter-ness on your part. what you are doing is making a living practicing the art you were gifted with and hello! that is insanely awesome. how many people go to jobs every day that they hate just so they can feed their kids? not you! you get to do something you love! you are in the position to take advantage of the sponsors need to capitalize on your popularity. its a win win! you get paid because you have made it big doing what you love! soak in that. that is amazing. you are amazing. and inspiring. own it!
p.s. not to put a damper on my cheer-leading moment, but its on topic so i have to ask. what in the world is going on with momversation? sell outs, they may be. i do NOT like the "new" momversation. i want the old one back! you were the reason i started tuning into that website and yesterday when i pulled it up on my screen and i saw NANCY GRACE??!!??! staring back at me...well, lets just say that i am officially convinced that website really has nothing left to offer me. sad.
I used to read GGC almost compulsively in the early days, and haven't really followed it much lately. I don't mean this to be offensive and I'm pretty sure the lack of my readership won't even register on your radar, I just don't find the content as relatable as it once was.
It is 100% your right and prerogative to take it in whichever direction you choose, but for what it's worth, I used to read for the "thank god someone else gets it" factor--the beautiful honesty of what it really means to be a young wife/mother without tons of resources. Lately it's all just so...shiny, I guess? Don't get me wrong, I like the shiny every once in a while, and will check back from time to time, you're just very obviously catering to a different sort of audience now. More power to you, and good luck with everything.
I seriously laughed out loud when you said this post was sponsored by...
Good stuff!!!
When I see a post sponsored by McDonalds I'll know you've sold your soul to the devil...in the meantime I enjoy all of your posts including the ones that put dinner on the table!! :)
It's not selling out. It's buying in.
a wise man once said: "nevermind what's been selling...it's what you're buying"
Bravo, Rebecca. MAKE MONEY FROM YOUR TALENT.
Were my blog able to attract such attention, I'd sell my soul to the devil himself.
Reading Naomi Klein's book "No Logo" should be a prerequisite to this conversation.
If you are doing what you love, the money will follow. It's not your fault that you are blessed with the ability to do what you love (or even KNOW what you love to do). If you weren't being paid all of us loyal readers would be heartbroken that you hadn't been "discovered" yet. Am I right? By the way, I thought the Fisher Price piece was tasteful, but why didn't the video clip display www.girlsgonechild.NET? Instead it said www.girlsgonechild.COM which sadly is not your website.
I usually don't write negative comments on blogs especially blogs so personal as this...the way I view it if I don't like the content, I just don't continue to read and there's no need for me to go out of my way to make someone feel bad, which is why I didn't comment on the GAP post. But since you went out of your way to explain that, I figure I will give my response as politely as possible. This is was once a blog I really loved and could relate to and lately I don't care for it at all.
What bothers me about the whole thing is comparing what you do here on this blog to artists like the Flaming Lips, etc. Don't get me wrong, I think you are a great writer and your words have touched many, but the bottom line is this is a blog, and to pretend you slave away at this thing for hours and hours each day perfecting each entry is a little silly. Most of your blog entries are pictures or video clips and the ones that are longer and more thought out are always linked to Babble, which if I'm not mistaken, you get paid to write for. It didn't used to be like that but that's what the content of your blog is now.
Blogging is reporting your own life. It's a little narcissistic yes, but the whole "mom blog" phenomenon started because moms needed a community and found a really great one in the internet. But lately, I feel it's gone sour and not just on your blog but in general. Like everything, corporate America has tainted it.
That being said, I have no problem with people who want to cash in and make a few bucks off of their success. As a writer myself, I've added lines and altered content to make "the man" happy. You obviously still have a loyal readership that's willing to support you with it and that's great. But I'll be honest, what bugged me about the whole thing and what now has officially turned me off this blog is that of all sponsorship, you chose a company like GAP with a straight face. You kind of present yourself as this hippie sustainable food movement/make my daughters clothes by hand/hate corporate America's version of what a mom should be/alternative life style kind of a person and yet you take money from GAP? Talk about oxymoron.
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