A few days ago I attended a lecture given by a few very successful bloggers in the interior design field. One of the questions that came up was what parameters they applied to their blog subjects/writing. All three said that they only say positive things. If they see something they don't like, they simply won't bring it up on their blog. Sort of a "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything" rule. While I completely understand the logic behind this attitude, I simply can't subscribe to it. Is that terrible? Sure, I'm not going to go out of my way to blast someone personally, but I feel that the whole purpose of my blog is to have a personal space where I can feel what I feel and say what I want to say. That includes being self-deprecating from time to time or commenting on something I find ridiculous. And, the posts in which I have been most honest have been the ones that elicit the most responses from my readers. That said, I don't have "over 5000 subscribers" as one of the panelists said she does. But for me, that's ok, I want to be me, and if that means less people like me, so be it.
That said I am going to be outright critical of something I saw recently. This is the cover of the current issue of Town & Country:
This is a case in which I feel that the Editor should have applied the "only positives" rule. "What he really thinks about your plastic surgery?" "The divorce of the year" "I wish I'd married rich". WHAT!!??? Thank you T&C for underlining everything wrong with our society and putting it in bold letters on your cover. You have successfully alienated every non-gold-digging-plastic surgery boycotting-married woman in the United States. And yes, the editor in chief did lose his job this week so thankfully I wasn't the only one who felt something is very wrong with this picture.
I hate to make promises I won't keep, but one of my new year's resolutions is to write more often--and not to have any parameters. Hope you enjoy the ride....dancing through my figurative Paris.
This is a case in which I feel that the Editor should have applied the "only positives" rule. "What he really thinks about your plastic surgery?" "The divorce of the year" "I wish I'd married rich". WHAT!!??? Thank you T&C for underlining everything wrong with our society and putting it in bold letters on your cover. You have successfully alienated every non-gold-digging-plastic surgery boycotting-married woman in the United States. And yes, the editor in chief did lose his job this week so thankfully I wasn't the only one who felt something is very wrong with this picture.
7 comments:
I, too, was rather suprised by the current issue of T&C. But then I thought about it for a while and decided it made sense. After all, many (not all) of the people regularly featured in T&C are the kind of people who (a) marry for money, (b) divorce frequently and (c) make extensive use of plastic surgery. So why not highlight their frivolous lifestyles?
You go girl! I like honest as long as it is not mean.
I subscribe to the nothing nice to say rule especially with blogs as no one is making you read but love those of you who are brave enough to step out of the box!
I will keep reading for sure...perhaps it is part of the evolution of it all!
I wish I had known that you were also at the ELLE DECOR DCOTA seminar (?). we could have been snarky together.
I totally agree with you about the cover and the direction of T&C. I have seen it mentioned more than once of late and it seems the rant is exactly the same as yours.
I was at at an estate sale in Palm Beach yesterday and I an tell you that there is much too much plastic surgery going on in this town! YIKES!
Great post. I read the article on marrying rich and sadly the author comes across as an entitled and spoiled child who has no interest in doing anything for herself or the world around her. I would like to think, perhaps mistakenly, that T&C readers (I'm guessing mostly women) would appreciate more reading about a woman who has fought and hustled to carve her own niche. That's inspiring! But perhaps I don't know T&C readers - or perhaps the Editor didn't.
I appreciate your honesty about making positive remarks on your blog. A while ago a prescribed to the rule: "If it comes between being kind and being right, always be kind". It has been EXTREMELY difficult, but has also made life a more enjoyable experience.
Love the blog!
A co-francophile
Thank you for your critique on T&C. Hooray for speaking out about that cover and the contents. Yes, we're soooo going in the wrong direction. And love Squeak's comments.
Post a Comment