Let's discuss this tweet. After the debate it sparked a few night's ago where twitter turned into a frenzy of bloggers left right and centre arguing with others, I was one of the bloggers in the thick of it. Who would of thought it, me getting into arguments on social media....#sarcasm.
Now I know there has been a few blog post's on this topic already but I'm not going to discuss this in a way you are expecting. Now as everyone typically writes these posts and keeps other's nameless, however I'm not going to actually talk about Zoella, I'm going to discuss something a little different.
To fill the rest of you in, Zoella is a blogger/YouTube star who has recently revealed she is launching her own beauty line. Been the holy grail of bloggers with a staggering 5.7 million YouTube subscribers, she sparked a riot on my twitter feed when she made the announcement. When the occasional tweet like mine and a few others popped up many were accused of been jealous, negative, nasty and accused me of been un-supportive to the blogging community.
To quickly get this point out of the way, Zoella is a huge success, I'm sure she never expected the fame, she has achieved something with what will have been hard work but mostly a lot of luck, that many bloggers will dream of. She is amongst the few to shake and revolutionise social media and create a new generation of idols for many teenagers.
However to explain the tweet in my own views. This firstly was nothing personal to Zoella, I will always respect the success of others, the deeper meaning of the tweet was my slight anger at the greed I am constantly seeing in bloggers. Sparking this post which for me, is somewhat of a retaliation against of the constant post's I keep seeing saying the community is becoming a negative place.
I have read numerous post's about the community becoming bitchy, yet I only once have witnessed someone been called an outright bitch on social media in the blogger community and that was a comment at myself (evidently of the back of that tweet).
The community is not negative, blogging as many forget in the hast to post the latest lipstick review is a platform for people to express opinions.Twitter is a platform for people to express opinions. Facebook is a platform for peoples opinions (and 1000 pictures of your baby and the occasional ex stalking). Blogs in their own sense are an extension of yourself, they are in there basic form a diary, a photo album, your opinion on the things you like. I nice fact for you 77% of internet user's are blog readers.
For many blogging and reading blogs is an escape. With probably many sociological reasons behind this, we all try and showcase the best of ourself on our blogs. The mask theory if you will. I know for one I want my blog to only showcase my best side.
Yet do you really think I wake up at 7 am and cook pancakes that always have neatly placed strawberry's on top. That YouTubers permanently have Yankee candles lit in their homes, or that whenever a blogger goes on a picnic they have the perfect tartan blanket, wicker picnic basket and stripy paper straws to drink from their fashionable jam jar style glasses from. Obviously you know deep down this is staged but it's an escape, with the frequent demise of magazines, more and more people are turning to blogs for entertainment or for someone to idolise or be their role model and we expect perfection. Yet blogs are not glossy pages, they are 99% of the time someone's real life. Someone who is isn't perfect, someone with an opinion to express.
Magazines are criticized for their use of skinny minnie models or for airbrushing celebrity's. Yet as more and more people turn to blogs for advice or fashion trends, surely we need to embrace what we wanted. Real life. Real life isn't a page from cosmopolitan magazine. With the increase in blogs surely people need to start embracing the increase in difference of opinions.
My second point before this get's too long is blogging can have a negative aspect. Regardless of name calling and petty twitter arguments, I regularly notice one thing that no one seems to talk about. Greed. The greed to go to the latest restaurant first, the greed that no one seems to able to buy one lipstick you need them all to swatch and look pretty lined up together The greed to own more mac lipsticks than said blogger, the greed to have the biggest make up collection, the greed to want the latest fashion, the greed to own the latest camera. Yet this is not considered negative, it's becoming somewhat of an aspiration for many. This should be what is negative.
I am in no way saying I am not in this category of bloggers, or blog readers for that matter. Beauty blogging, fashion blogger or even travel blogging like magazines did will always exaggerate the effects consumer happiness, however when did buying the latest beauty product in every shade, most of which will never be used, help anyone pursuit happiness?
The average woman owns 13 make up items.
Now how much make up does the average blogger own?
Thoughts in comments
Sammie
P.S fully aware of how much of a ramble this is.