BlogHer - style - Comments

Am starting to have this problem

genoubug — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:25:43 -0500

I'm 29 but I'd have to say that since I was 27 I started wanting to tone down my wardrobe since giving birth to my son (gave birth at 25). I had to go to our first pre-school "back to school" night at the Montessori school my son will be attending and I was lucky to find some toned down, yet trendy but still conservative enough wear from both Anthropologie and American Apparel. Anthropologie actually had black "skinny jeans" (not exactly jeans, but not leggings either... still a rather thick, forgiving fabric) that fit me and I haven't found pants to fit me since giving birth. I fit in their largest size (31...not sure what this is measuring) but was happy to find sharp pants that could turn out to be both a staple in my closet and a classic. If you approach American Apparel carefully, you can come away w/ very trendy yet conservative/pulled together looks. Be careful though since it is the trend for teens to shop there as of late. Good luck and more advice from anyone please!

In A Perfect TV World

Megan Smith — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 22:23:36 -0500

Hi Nordette,

Kind of like the discussion about "Nurse Jackie" and Nurse "HawthoRNe," in a perfect TV world, one show wouldn't be expected to bear the burden of being the representation of every black person's history and story. But because there have been so few quality shows giving a rounded view of a variety of black experiences, a show like "Mad Men" set in an era like the early 60's, may be held to an unreasonable standard.

I totally agree with you when you say:

As an African-American woman who's interested in story and character development, I tend to be uneasy about placing burdens on every and any TV show to emphasize black characters or to deal with "black" issues if to deal with such issues would mean the show steps away from realism.

The authenticity of the story and the characters have to be first and foremost because if they aren't, viewers won't care.

We've all sat through TV shows or movies where we think, "Oh, this is where they're giving me the socially responsible message." In TV it's usually promoted as "a very special episode."

The problem is, if it's not done in a skillful manner, it comes off as nothing more than a visual lecture instead of a well crafted piece of storytelling.

Thanks for your well thought out comments, Nordette.

Megan
BlogHer Contributing Editor, TV/Online Video

My Personal Entertainment Blog: Megan's Minute

My Twitter Handle:@MeganSmith

"Mad Men" As "Highly Processed Food"

Megan Smith — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 21:31:20 -0500

Hi Deb,

I love that idea of "Mad Men" as highly processed food: something modern day advertising tells us we want but which we may not need.

Like with everything else we consume, overdo it at your peril, but in moderation it can be a harmless treat.

Megan
BlogHer Contributing Editor, TV/Online Video

My Personal Entertainment Blog: Megan's Minute

My Twitter Handle: @MeganSmith

My thoughts too

Nordette — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 18:08:54 -0500

While I agree with many of Ms. Peterson's points, I do however think it bears keeping in mind that the show is currently set around 1962/1963. It's after the Cuban Missile Crisis and before John Kennedy is assassinated. Of course there were many black activists working for civil rights even then, but for these characters in this ad agency, those events are on the periphery of their lives. The show isn't about the black civil rights movement in the 60's, it's about these people who work for this ad agency.

As an African-American woman who's interested in story and character development, I tend to be uneasy about placing burdens on every and any TV show to emphasize black characters or to deal with "black" issues if to deal with such issues would mean the show steps away from realism.

I remember the complaints about Frasier and complaints about Seinfeld and Everbody Loves Raymond. I didn't buy it. While these shows might have an episode or two with black people in them, I didn't see how they could work having more without starting to jump the shark trying to push an issue that wasn't a central part of the characters' worlds .

There are white people in the world who are not anymore "racist" than the bragging "non-racist" but who don't have any black friends. There are towns in America with no black people or only one black family, not because the townspeople actively kept them out but because no black people ever tried to settle in the town. And there are communities where the homes have always been so expensive that not only can the average black family not afford them, neither can the average white family. Consequently stories about such communities that stick in a black person or a black family would be bullsh*t. Tokenism sucks.

The early 60s were not the same as the late 60s in terms of social change. There were people like the Drapers in the early 60s who really did only see a black maid and a black elevator operator and never knew more about them than their occupations. There are people like that now.

Like good fiction, good theater, while it may have a social message, is about telling stories well not about broadcasting political messages. However, I think the way Mad Men writers handled the storyline with the black girlfriend last season worked well.

But a storyline where these white guys are asked to craft a message for a black audience might be amusing down the line.

Mad Men is an exceptional bit of television.

"King of the Weasels." LOL. Right. And he does a good job of it too.

Nordette Adams is a BlogHer CE & you can find her other stuff through Her 411.

Mad Men is an great product. I'll take two.

debontherocks — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 14:00:50 -0500

I think that when Peggy was describing the ritual of the broken popsicle to us last season, or when Don described the slide Carousel in one of the earlier episodes, they were, among other things, defining the show for us--and in a broader sense, pop culture. Mad Men is a ritual. Through pop culture, we've learned to take our past or our experiences, commodify them into shiny Kodak, bite-sized, shareable memories, and finally see them through a particular Viewmaster. Mad Men takes the early 60s, packages it palatably (very palatably!) and lets us take a taste. Like all highly-processed foods, the commodification makes it addicting. I'm ready to buy more.

Deb
www.debontherocks.com blog
www.3smartgirlz.com consulting

Hopefully You Can Make It Next Year

Megan Smith — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 15:09:48 -0500

Hopefully you'll be able to make it next year, children or not! Thanks for commenting.

Megan
BlogHer Contributing Editor, TV/Online Video

Megan's Minute

"Finally, the only thing

DD — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 22:24:00 -0500

"Finally, the only thing that bugged me a little, as a single woman without a baby, was the inference by some of the indignant mommybloggers and Twitterers, that the Nikon party and BlogHer itself was only for them. Ladies, I hate to burst your bubble, but they were not."

Unfortunately, the idea that BlogHer is for mommybloggers is quite prevelant. Especially amongst the mommybloggers.

I had made plans to attend this year, but due to circumstances, was not. But my intent was to go and meet bloggers, not their children - as a adorable as they are. Maybe their can be a conference spin-off called Bloggin'Babes in that can schedule and entire agenda specifically around children and their blogging moms (or dads). I especially like that idea because I could then attend both (and both times I'd go sans children!).

~ DD ~

Fighting Dementia Pugilistica since 2005!

Punch Drunk : Miscarriages, Infertility, Pregnancies, Parenting...all lead to a whole lot of n

I Missed Carson Shirtless!

Megan Smith — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 12:55:20 -0500

I missed Carson shirtless! Anyone got pictures!?

He was the perfect celeb for something like this because from everything I heard and experienced, he was a really good sport.

I meet several Mom bloggers who, like you, didn't not want themselves referred to as mommybloggers in any way, shape or form. One woman told me her blog was her escape from the world of mommy-hood.

But as with everything, to each her own.

I'm glad you had a good time and thanks for commenting.

Megan
BlogHer Contributing Editor, TV/Online Video

Megan's Minute

Excellent Points!

Megan Smith — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 12:49:36 -0500

Hi Deb,

You make some excellent points, especially this:

It traveled, I think, for two reasons--mommyblogger advocacy for inclusion parenting, and because saying "You are not welcome" is a symbolic sorespot for people in general and moms in particular. And I think, and this is where party throwers need to pay attention, these private events create a lot of hidden bad will that once unleashed is brutal.

I also think there's an element of people feeling they can use Twitter and Facebook to get back at "mean old corporations." Sometimes that's a great and effective way to make a corporation that's doing something really wrong, take notice of what the masses are thinking. However when the Twittosphere gets their facts wrong, it can result in a backlash.

I think there is a place for private sponsor parties during an event like BlogHer, because not everyone can be invited to everything. Also when you have a celeb at an event, it brings publicity for the sponsor so that probably balances out any bad will there might be from people who weren't invited.

I actually think Nikon was pretty smart because they made Carson available on site at the conference for those attendees who wanted to see him and then made him available at the private event for interviews. To me that's smart PR. I didn't even bother to try and see him at the conference because I knew I would have access to him later on that day.

But as you say, the sponsor has to get almost everything right, for the uninvited not to raise a ruckus.

Great seeing you again and thanks for commenting.

Megan
BlogHer Contributing Editor, TV/Online Video

Megan's Minute

I thought a riot was

Houseonahill — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 12:19:57 -0500

I thought a riot was happening when Carson Kressley took his shirt off at the EXPO!

It was such a wonderful conference. There will always be the folks who want too find a problem, unfortunately.

Chicago has "family friendly" spots and they are all well-known both via directories and word-of-mouth. However, I just do not see how a cocktail party, or anything that is not around lunch or early afternoon is ever child-appropriate.

BUT I am one of those moms that does not define myself as a "Mommyblogger" or by any label ~ born in the 60's, I'm just trying to be free at ALL cost, about everything!

Not to mention, how uncomfortable for any baby or toddler in spaces like that - crowded...loud...and Im always thinking about safety and small ones being crushed in venues not really meant for them.

Whatever I get is great, if I don't, I cope and all is well! Poor Nikon, best to have a specific team to plan for when around that much estrogen.

Great post!!

www.Houseonahillorg.blogspot.com

No room in the Nikon Inn

debontherocks — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 12:03:36 -0500

Great recap!

What fascinates me about the Nikon controversy is that it has interesting legs. I think it has viral legs because it pushes buttons about being invited or not.

Nikon obviously made a communication problem by not being clear in their communications with their invitees, and may not have helped problemsolve the problem well immediately which led to the Tweet.

But why did it rock the world? Why did her friends not just tweet back "That sucks! Wanna have dinner with us?"

It traveled, I think, for two reasons--mommyblogger advocacy for inclusion parenting, and because saying "You are not welcome" is a symbolic sorespot for people in general and moms in particular. And I think, and this is where party throwers need to pay attention, these private events create a lot of hidden bad will that once unleashed is brutal. People who are not invited are ready to pounce on the flaws of a private-party goer, and the defenses from the other party goers is meaningless, because they of course were wined and dined. You are suspect, sorry. It was very easy for the retweeters to feel very much like they were that baby, told there was no room at the Nikon Inn. Or they were like that mother, made to feel foolish for wanting to go on her own terms. People were saying, in part, #nikonhatesme.

In many fields, this "bad will" isn't as visible or publicized--yet, and there are clearer ways of earning inclusion. If a Big Pharma company is known for golf retreats, doctors either get with the program and use that drug to get on the list, or they don't. Doctors aren't yet hooked into or willing to use organized social media to run them down immediately...though that is developing. Things are changing. PR companies are going to have to evaluate if private events really make sense. Impress 20 people and their readers, but potentially piss off 2.000 and more if you make a mistake that could get yardage? I think this was very cheap tuition if PR companies pay attention to the bad will private events can create.

Moreover, a private event in conjunction with the BlogHer conference ensures that the whole BlogHer audience knows about it. PR companies might like this, thinking it gives them an audience of over a thousand who long to get in good with Nikon. But it doesn't, not with bloggers. Exclusion doesn't breed longing anymore, not if it is right in front of your face. It breeds distaste.

I wish the Nikons would understand that supporting BlogHer as a whole, or supporting a number of grassroots groups, instead of plucking a few bloggers here and there as VIPs, is a smarter way to go and leaves them less open for the schadenfraude of the uninvited.

Deb
www.debontherocks.com blog
www.3smartgirlz.com consulting

"Project Runway" Starts on Lifetime On August 20th

Megan Smith — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 10:45:59 -0500

I meant to mention that "Project Runway" will premiere on Lifetime on August 20th. I'm also really looking forward to it.

Dark or not, I'm glad you liked the interview!

Megan
BlogHer Contributing Editor, TV/Online Video

Megan's Minute

Not Too Many Swag Issues

Megan Smith — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 10:43:08 -0500

I appreciate that you asked your non-Mom friends what they thought about the mommyblogger/swag situation. It shows a sensitivity that many others could take a cue from.

I didn't have too many issues relating to the swag because anything appropriate will go to my surrogate kids, and there were enough coupons and tote bags to make me happy.

You make a good point that babies may be perky and awake in the evening because they take naps. That doesn't however mean they should be allowed at every evening event.

Megan
BlogHer Contributing Editor, TV/Online Video

Megan's Minute

I Enjoyed Seeing The Babies At BlogHer

Megan Smith — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 10:29:30 -0500

I think it's great that BlogHer is so baby friendly and I saw many a well managed baby being carried around by her Mom. But I agree with you that the attitude, "my baby should be welcome wherever I am" is not reasonable.

Thanks for your insightful comments

Megan
BlogHer Contributing Editor, TV/Online Video

Megan's Minute

Great interview

unachicana — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 02:46:09 -0500

As you mentioned, needed better lighting, but you got a great interview here. (I'm also eager for Project Runway to return.)