Martha Stewart vs. the Bloggers

So, a video of an interview with Martha Stewart was ALL over my social media feeds last week.  Even a week later, I’m still seeing people who are really upset by this.  It seems that Ms. Stewart was asked about social media and said, “Who are these bloggers? They’re not trained editors at Vogue magazine. There are bloggers writing recipes that aren’t tested, that aren’t necessarily very good, or are copies of what really good editors have created and done. Bloggers create a kind of a popularity but they are not the experts. We have to understand that.”

The reactions I’ve seen include “How dare she speak about us like that!” and “I’ve always hated her. This just reinforces it.”  My reaction?  Well honestly, I found my fellow bloggers’ responses more interesting than Ms. Stewart’s comments.  No doubt she was in meetings the very next day with her team trying to come up with a plan for damage control.  After all, she gave a keynote address at Blogher 2012, has her own blogger network called Martha’s Circle, and has featured bloggers prominently on her television show.  Her products are often the subject of sponsored blog posts as well.

But, in watching bloggers’ reactions to Ms. Stewart’s interview, I just found myself wondering, “So what?”.  She’s entitled to her opinion, ill-advised as making a statement like that was, but her opinion doesn’t make any difference in my own little world.  And really, Martha’s right – I’m no expert.   I started blogging because friends and family were always asking me to share my recipes or craft tutorials.  I’m not a chef nor am I a master craftsperson.  When I write a blog post, I picture myself hanging out with a neighbor chatting over the back fence or sitting down for tea with one of my friends.

I may not have a test kitchen but my recipes have been tested where it really counts – in my kitchen, serving and nourishing my family.  I don’t have a staff spending hours upon hours perfecting every step of every technique I use in my craft projects.  My crafts are meant for the real world – for others with limited time and limited resources who still want to make something special with their own hands.  When I give a party or celebrate a holiday, I want to know while I’m creating memories with my family and friends, that what they will remember the most is the time we spent together and not whether the napkins are sufficiently starched, the silverware properly polished, and the table set correctly. 

I write this blog for myself and for all of you, my readers and it’s clear from the popularity of blogs in general, that we bloggers have an important place and role in today’s world.  When one of you tells me that you tried and loved one of my recipes, when one of you writes to thank me for a craft idea to make with your kids – all of that is what matters to me….not the opinion of someone like Ms. Stewart who is too far removed from the reality of the average person to be any kind of expert on the subject of blogging.