When Kathryn Bigelow smashed through Hollywood’s glass ceiling at this month’s Oscars, she took with her years of women directors being pigeon-holed and typecast as directing “chick flicks.” As Manhola Dargis points out in her savvy article yesterday on the topic, Bigelow told Hollywood what’s what and silenced the critics. Yes, there will always be the Nancy Meyers and Nora Ephrons and Drew Barrymores who will direct lighter fair, but Ms. Bigelow showed all of us that no matter what Hollywood thinks or reports about female directors, there’s now room in the club for women to direct more “manly” type films, if you will.
Flash to another section of the NY Times yesterday and you’ll find another outlet of the media doing just what Hollywood did to female directors up until this year - typecasting mommy bloggers as doing anything and everything to promote their blogs and make money. The article is snarky and sassy and makes it seem that all we’re out here doing is shilling for baby wipes at the expense of taking care of our kids.
The”mommy blogger“ behemoths have rightly stated their opinions online and I care not to rehash the debate of who said what, if you’ve chosen to work at home or at an office or out of your car or whatever. I just wanted to point out that even if it took 82 freaking years (can you even imagine blogging that long?), Ms. Bigelow rose above the “chick flick” female director fray and did something powerful and magical with her movie.
And we have to remember that we can too. The media can write its sensational headlines and try to pit mom vs. mom, blogger vs. blogger (or both), but as long as we write about what we believe in and do what we like with our sites, no one can mess. Eventually we will break through the clutter and be seen for more than the dirty diapers we journal about on occasion.
I just hope I’m alive to see it.
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Great post, Sara. I only read Liz’s response and didn’t really feel up to reading everyone elses’. I think if we put our blinders on and keep on going along, we’ll continue to rise to the top (or our top, wherever that is for each blogger). Everyone has their own way of doing it, and I’m not gonna lie and say I haven’t turned up my nose or judged another blogger for how THEY’VE done it, but thank GOD none of us are just alike. I’m thankful for what’s got me here today, and I’m sure others are the same.
If that makes any sense!
Steph
Makes perfect sense, Steph! We just need to do what we all feel comfortable with!
Love this. I’m hesitant to write about this because so many other bloggers (like the two you mentioned and linked to) have already eloquently and intelligently addressed the issues.
I was doing a little research and found this WSJ blog post from last year about a SXSW session: http://blogs.wsj.com/juggle/2009/03/16/sxsw-roundup-moms-who-tech/tab/article/
It’s a much more balanced piece in my opinion. I think had the headline in the NYT piece not been so sensationalistic and had the piece not been in style, but in tech then it wouldn’t have raised as much ire.
The beauty in blogging is that there really is something for everyone and their niche. I am very leery of appearing to be a sell out (she says as she has a deodorant Oscars party post on her blog) and I try to balance everything I do with good writing, although I must admit I do occasionally do commercial type posts. I am ALWAYS clear about that. I think it’s fantastic that mommy bloggers have taken technology and run with it and made it work for them no matter what their thing is: cooking, crafting, decorating, book reviews, photography, etc.
I love the analogy to Kathryn Bigelow. I just hope we don’t have to fight that long. Maybe bring in a couple of guys from The Hurt Locker to help us out with the NYTimes?
I guess I’d like it all to be valued. The chick flicks, the SAHM and the crafting blogs – all of it. I’m as guilty as any of looking at the “soft” content as being somehow inferior, and allowing the menfolk to dictate what’s worthwhile–but I have to catch myself. A smartly written recipe blog can be as honorable as a smartly written tech blog. Great content is great content.
Let’s just say I’d be delighted with the Never Been Kissed screenplay on my resume.
And it was one of the great screenwriters of all time, William Goldman, who wrote the best chick flick ever:The Princess Bride.
touche! great point… who knew about Princess Bride? One of my all-time faves.
Thanks for the link, Jamie! That’s why I love blogging and don’t care what the elitist media say – there’s something for everyone here.
I love this perspective. I’m neither a mommy nor a blogger, but I follow a couple dozen blogs that are written by mothers. Over the last two days I’ve read quite a few responses and hundreds of comments regarding the NYT article and I have to say, this is my favorite response yet. It’s brave. It’s humble. It’s confident.
I’m glad I found your blog.