Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Marie Claire makes me SO angry!

So, a few weeks ago, Marie Claire magazine posted an article entitled The Hunger Diaries. I've linked to it because that's the only way you can read it and see what it's all about.

I officially despise Marie Claire now.

So, if you read the six blogs (Kath of Kath Eats Real Food, Tina of Carrots 'N' Cake, Meghann of Meals and Miles, Heather of Hangry Pants, Caitlin of Healthy Tipping Point, and Jenna of Eat, Live, Run), you'll see that these women expected an article about blogging and how to generate revenue with your blog.

Read the article. Then read the responses.

But what we got was an article that basically slammed these women for writing about their journeys to become marathon runners or just to become healthier. They brought in a sports nutritionist to analyze what one woman ate and determined she wasn't eating enough. Well, yeah, turns out she didn't write about every single thing she ate every single day.

Then there's the crap about the pictures of food. And how that can trigger eating-disorder-prone readers to restart (or start) bad habits. Bah. At least one of the women considers herself a food blogger. That's what a food blogger does. She blogs about food. She usually takes pictures of that food. Sometimes she posts recipes too. That's why it's called a FOOD BLOG.

I read this article and my blood boiled. I am not a healthy living blogger. I'm not a food blogger. I'm just a blogger and sometimes I blog about both of those things. I bet, based on what I posted recently, that if Marie Claire analyzed my blog, they'd decide that I overeat, usually baked goods, and I live a very sedentary lifestlye. I've posted all kinds of yummy things I've made lately. I haven't posted about the baked salmon and steamed veggies we had for dinner or the veggie soup I had for lunch. I've posted about watching hockey games - on tv and at the hockey rink. I haven't posted much about what we've been doing - like going to the park, going for a walk, going to yoga.

Whatever. I'm not here for Marie Claire.

Anyway, this article pissed me off. Big time. And I started following the six women profiled because I actually liked what they have to say.

Now, there is a bigger issue here that Marie Claire could have focused on and that is the issue around eating disorders. It's been in the new a few times lately that there are blogs out there dedicated to "helping" you with your eating disorder - not helping you overcome it, helping you hide it, teaching you "tricks" etc. That's a problem and an issue that is interesting and could have made a great story.

So. Already not a big fan of Marie Claire, I come across this blog post today. (Again, I'd prefer not to link to Marie Claire, but there are copyright laws)

Who titles an article Should Fatties Get A Room? Even on TV?

I mean, really?

If this article where titled Should [insert any religion here] Get A Room? Even on TV? or Should [insert any ethnic group here] Get A Room? Even on TV? or Should [insert any gender, sexual orientation, country of origin, age or other discriminatory term here] Get A Room? Even on TV? Marie Claire NEVER would have published it.

I don't even know where to start. It just makes me mad. And sad. And. GRRRrr...I just want to yell at them. So I'm going to stop typing now.

I wrote an email to the editor of Marie Claire, Kate Schweitzer (kschweitzer@hearst.com) because I'm so grumpy about this...

6 comments:

  1. Check out this response:

    http://barefootfoodie.com/2010/10/26/my-letter-to-marie-claire/

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  2. Did you find the apology from the writer as disingenuous as I did?

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  3. i was thoroughly disgusted by it a will not read Marie Claire again.

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  4. That apology reeked of an editor who missed the post initially forcing the writer to apologize. And it definitely did NOT sound genuine.

    I wonder how many readers, loyal or otherwise, Marie Claire has lost this month.

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  5. OOOh....the editor in chief has now responded, but I'm still not convinced Marie Claire cares...

    http://fashionista.com/2010/10/exclusive-marie-claire-eic-joanna-coles-responds-to-controversial-fatist-blog-post/#disqus_thread

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  6. BIG FAT KISS IN!!! http://stacybias.net/2010/10/big-fat-kiss-in-tomorrow-in-nyc-in-response-to-marie-claire-article/

    ReplyDelete