The New York Times ran an article on the recent Blogher ’08 conference in San Francisco*. Although the article references female bloggers who do not write about home-making and lactating exclusively (try not at all), they seem stuck on the idea that women who blog blog about being moms.
Although I occasionally refer to what I do here as “mommy blogging”, I am not being serious when I do so. I really can’t tell you what kind of blogger I am because I tend to write about whatever is upper-most on my mind at the moment. This ranges from sex to writing to politics to feminism to body image to the ever popular – blog post about nothing.
I admire niche blogging. I wish I could pick a topic and stick to it like glue but I am far too random and frankly, I would have tired of blogging quickly had I done something like that. So if anyone is looking to me for the minutia of motherhood, you are in the wrong neck of the blogosphere.
I am little incensed for those who are writing about parenting – that’s what it is by the way – PARENTING, and the last I heard both genders engage in the act of parenting and blogging about it. The reason I am angry is that “mommy blogger” almost seems like a pejorative. A dismissal. As though a parent couldn’t have opinions on the state of the nation or world or environment. Like only a non-parent can accurately assess the economy or give tech advice.
I would claim the label with pride, if that is what I was, were it not for the snide way in which it is used so often. Like the phrase “just a housewife”, it’s meant to point out a person of little significance. Someone who isn’t a real writer and doesn’t have anything to do but gaze at the baby’s navel and then tell us all about it.
Perhaps I am over-reacting, but most of the women whose work I read via blogs are far more varied in interest than the NYT’s seems to think. We are not the sum total of our uterine output. In fact, parenthood isn’t exclusively about the female half anyway.
*I discovered this via Pundit Mom.
anniegirl1138 
I feel the same, I can’t take up just one subject, but like some blogs that do.
As you know, it’s the knee jerk reaction of some powerful men to label all women. I think this article is reflective of their resentment towards bloggers becoming the news source of what used to be their exclusive niche.
I’ve read the same resentment towards political bloggers. I personally prefer blogs to main stream media because blog writers aren’t restrained by corporate choke holds. Let’s face it, even news segments on parenting often have the unseen influence of sponsors. Oh, and the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world, NY Times Asshole!
Quick reply to PlanetBooks—the thing is, sometimes when we start something new it takes all of our attentions and we go crazy for it for a while. I’m sure you’ve had something you’ve been fixated/fascinated with. For some, it’s politics, others a hobby, still others an amazing trip, and so forth. For new parents, it’s usually the kids. They are absorbing the first few years, and then we can find mind space for other things. Give your friends time. I’m sure at some point people all have to do that for one another, whether it’s about kids or a dog’s cancer (exampling myself there LOL).
Annie, brilliant post.
Like you, I am not a niche writer. Like you, I blog about what is uppermost in my mind. What I actually usually blog is what’s uppermost in my mind but that I don’t have an outlet for it anywhere else. So that definitely makes em all over the place. The good thing is, it’s attracted some really, really cool people.
I am a mom. And I do blog. But I only occasionally—or maybe rarely?—mention my kids on my blog and yet? I’m labeled frequently as a mommyblogger. Isn’t that odd.
As you know, the NYT thing bothered me too, but I have been MORE troubled by the responses I’ve read in response to it and to other articles about it.
I was thinking about this too; I don’t really consider myself a mommyblogger, but I am a mom but my interets are so much more.
K – I have come to the conclusion that for myself (and I think this applies to many people of both genders) that the combination of the first stages of committed love and deeply programed biological urges bring on baby lust that isn’t satisfied until a baby arrives or enough time has passed and perspective gained to see that life is really just as rich without children. I love my daughter and my husband loves his two but we agree that without children we would feel just as happy and fulfilled right now. Children are not meant to fill us up. They are huge responsibilities and undertakings not to be lightly entered into.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
Though I am only a mom to the four legged, canine type of child, I LOVED this post. Unfortunatley this idea of the ‘mommy-blogger” is taken to heart by many moms, especially new moms, I meet. I want to ask them if all they have to offer to a conversation is that their child just rolled over or that they stopped crying in the night. I understand that these are great milestones and should be admired and praised but not for weeks and weeks. I thought these friends of mine were women with many interests but now they seem to be (love how you put it) ” the sum total of our uterine output.”
After finding out that getting pregnant would be challenging for me I am wondering if the baby crazed woman I was a few years ago was the phase and the woman who is completely happy with the idea of not having kids now (which my mom calls the phase) is what i have always been after all. I never liked babysitting (only did it once) and I don’t gravitate towards babies and children. I like kids but I have never been very comfortable around them for as long as I haven’t been a young child myself. Nothing wrong with that.
I digress… (I guess I should evaluate those thoughts)… I love the well-rounded person who has lots of interest to talk about and share. Thanks again for a great post Annie!
XOXO-K
And some of us have never been mommies, so we don’t “mommy-blog.” I have run across some blogs that are all about the kiddies, and only interesting to the parents, grandparents, and if they survive long enough, will embarrass the children every bit as much as our bare butt baby pictures embarrassed us. But somehow I don’t think those women attended Blogher.
We are not the sum total of our uterine output.
What an absolute gem of a sentence Annie!, Wow!
I agree with your entire post, entirely.