This just in….Kourtney Kardashian has started a “Mommy Blog” – ok so its not *just* in, but I *just* had a chance to write about it. Seriously, where has this week gone? but I digress- back to Kourt.
According to Kourtney’s first “Mommy Blog”, she filmed 10 blogs while visiting New York recently. And you know, because we all travel with 20 pair of shoes for our kids and vlog in a posh hotel- her first video blog post was about Mason’s closet and how “style does NOT mean expensive”.
Here’s the thing, I actually like the Kardashians- I think they’re all gorgeous. I pray that I age as well as Kris Jenner and grow spider lashes like Kim. For real– I mean it. I like them- but I do not relate to them- no matter how many times Kourtney mentions H&M in her vlog. In fact, I think the reason I like them most is because I get to veg out and leave reality behind for an hour or two to get lost in an extreme world that is polar opposite.
Case in point:
*sigh* I never had a cool aunt who toted me around in a designer gown and handbag.
Kourtney is not the only celeb attempting to reinvent themselves as a relatable “Mommy Bloggers” though. Last year, Gwenyth Paltrow launched GOOP and Teri Hatcher launched GET HATCHED and just this week Soleil Moon Frye was featured on Nightline talking about how she is now a Mom-ambassador for Target with 1 million Twitter followers and a Mommy Blog “HerSay”.
Could it be brands and research finding that Blogger Moms have more influence than celebrities that have celebrity Moms quickly jumping online to start a Mommy Blog? I don’t know but non-celeb Mom Bloggers have their influence specifically because they are not celebrities . They are every day Moms without a Nanny and team of people to get them into their skinny jeans 2 wks postpartum. When a non-celebrity Mom Blogger does a video haul of her trip to Khols, although it may be sponsored- most likely the blogger teamed up with the Khols because they shop there. But when Sarah Jessica Parker teams up with Garnier- do you really believe she’s skipping the salon?
My point is- there are tons of likable celebrities- but does likable= relatable?
What do you think? Can you identify with Punky Brewster all grow’d up? Do you believe Kourtney Kardashian has ever even set foot in an H&M?
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I think you’re right. It comes down to relatability. If someone is a celebrity yet I can identify with her, it will resonate with me. If not, then it doesn’t matter. The same holds true for everyday non celebrity bloggers. There are some out there with whom I can relate, and others with whom I cannot. Personally, I may click on a vlog or two out of curiosity but I dont know if it will go much further than that.
Great point. What is relatable for one may not be relatable for another.
Ah mon pauvre c’est méconnaître Hollande qui est un niveau au-dessus de Mitterrand pour l&oqnuo;hrsnêteté.. et des années lumières au-dessus du petit à talonettes sur la même question..
Such a good question. & no me personally i can not relate to celebrities – even if they are a mom that blogs. Rarely do you see or read the mommy troubles that they are having which i think is what makes ‘traditional mommy bloggers’ so relatable.
Our lives are not perfect – we dont’ always have time to get our appearance together (like me today eek) and i do think that if celebrities starting to be REAL in their blogging they could be very influential.
Until that happens though I will always just roll my eyes when they talk about how they take their exercise and eating so seriously with their two nannies, personal chef and trainer who lives with them.
I agree. I believe that as Moms Im sure they share some of the emotions we have.. but lifestyle? definitely not.
First of all: that picture of Kim carrying around her nephew if a PURSE??? No. I can’t relate…I can’t relate to that ever being ok, nor can i related to the fact that the mommy community – you know that one in my reality didn’t jump on her like a herd of wild mama bears protecting a young from potential danger…I mean, the kid is going to fall out!!
I think that brands are missing the point in recruiting celebrity moms – turned mommy bloggers. Yeah they are cool, but no, I can’t relate, especially considering the fact that THE ONLY reason Kourt is talking about H&M is because H&M is paying millions of dollars…the only reason Moonfrye (sp?) is talking about Target is the same reason.
As opposed to mom bloggers – real life, every day, not-just-doing-this -for-cash types who actually DO shop at H&M and Target and Pathmark and Payless and where ever else…who do know the value of a good deal and a dollar saved because their family depends on it. Who can speak about such things in a way that is real not only for them but for many of the other bloggers who they know personally and with whom they have established relationships whether online or off — cause that’s the other thing brands are missing. It’s not just that we popped our a kid and started a blog…it’s that we have relationships and the trust of our community. That we participate in conversations and interact with our readers and friends on a REAL level. They follow/read us not because we are famous but because we are REAL and truly, REALLY like them or at least like something that is truly possible in their lives.
Sure REAL mom bloggers get paid for ambassadorships too, but not as much as celebrities though the value of what we deliver and the worth of our influence is worth so, SO much more.
That picture of Kim carrying Mason as an accessory is just ridiculous- I had to add it in.
I completely agree. Someone on Twitter brought up another good point thought- Is there a point that “traditional bloggers” who almost become “celebrity” like lose some influence because they’re no longer relatable?
So glad you wrote this. I was just talking about that Nightline piece with a PR person yesterday and trying to explain to her that Moonfrye is NOT a mom blogger. But, it makes sense that brands will try to have the best of both worlds. They have been trying to figure out how and why to work with mom bloggers for so long – this gives them something they understand: the celebrity mom.
There are smaller versions of this which make me even crazier here in NYC. Women who don’t want to be considered mom bloggers but know that they need mom bloggers to succeed so they use them. To me that may be even worse.
I could go on and on about Soleil MonFrye becomig a Mommy Blogger. In ways I feel she is using Mommy bloggers to revive her career. I don’t know why, it just all seems very disingenuous to me. I would bet that more than 1/2 of her following are people following her for nostalgic reasons and not because she’s talking parenting now.
no ic an’t relate to them at all. they have trainers, hairstyliest – it is not achievable to live a lifestyle like they do nor do i want ot emulate or try. i would prefer to read a real mom like myself. real meaning, not a celeb who has a nanny, an agent, etc. as for mom bloggers who have achieved a certain level. my problem is the ones who hock any damn product, i mean i don’t believe them anymore b/c they are getting the product for free, if you get one product for a free once in a while ok, but some of these bloggers are getting stuff NON stop and i do feel their opinion is no longer based on what they really normally would have.
what is there to relate to? honestly. what?
i can’t help but wonder if the viewers (or readers in this case) will keep up with her blog/vlog/posts/purse totting tots/whatever simply because of the unrelatableness. (i just made that word up.) does that make sense?
it’s so far beyond what the vast majority of us who do blog are able to relate to, that perhaps we’ll be inclined to scope it out to give our popping-out-of-our-head eyes some exercise???
No they aren’t relatable, but they are fun to read on occasion. I think the main issue is most celeb mom bloggers don’t share the tough side of parenting. It’s not all butterflies and cupcakes.
Twitter and social media have made celebs more accesible, and have helped people who would otherwise be ‘d’ list become a big deal (see: Soliel, Brooke Burke’s ModernMom blog, and so many others). In a way I admire that since they are creating a new audience where they may not have one otherwise-the same thing we are doing!
So on one hand I understand why brands like a celeb mom blogger-it combines a lot of things they love, but on the other hand I don’t think they offer the same relatable and influence mom bloggers do.
Honestly, the only one I’ve been able to relate to and read in any way (somewhat) is Brooke Burke’s blog on Modern Mom, because she honestly fixes the kids’ breakfasts and talks to you in a very honest way about being a mother and wife and her love for them, it’s not at all sponsor-y like the others. (But I haven’t read in a while…)
While I think it’s nice they want to write and connect with fans, I kind-of feel a bit agitated by their teaming up with brands and promoting themselves as ‘mommy bloggers’ to hone in on what we started. I may feel a little territorial and mama bear” about it, but come on! They have experienced fame and fortune and travel, and the same work we put into getting our names out there is already done for them, so they are able to further capitalize on their name and brand when, meanwhile, we’re still trying to establish and grow the good, old-fashioned organic way. More sh!t handed to them on a silver platter.
It irks me. A lot.
Plus, I’m sorry, why are the Kardashian’s famous again? And why do they KEEP having to do MORE stuff to be in the spotlight? Can’t they just go away now?
Honestly, the only one I’ve been able to relate to and read in any way (somewhat) is Brooke Burke’s blog on Modern Mom, because she honestly fixes the kids’ breakfasts and talks to you in a very honest way about being a mother and wife and her love for them, it’s not at all sponsor-y like the others. (But I haven’t read in a while…)
While I think it’s nice they want to write and connect with fans, I kind-of feel a bit agitated by their teaming up with brands and promoting themselves as ‘mommy bloggers’ to hone in on what we started. I may feel a little territorial and mama bear” about it, but come on! They have experienced fame and fortune and travel, and the same work we put into getting our names out there is already done for them, so they are able to further capitalize on their name and brand when, meanwhile, we’re still trying to establish and grow the good, old-fashioned organic way. More sh!t handed to them on a silver platter.
It irks me. A lot.
Plus, I’m sorry, why are the Kardashian’s famous again? And why do they KEEP having to do MORE stuff to be in the spotlight? Can’t they just go away now?
I’m going to come off like a resounding bitch here even though it’s not my intention. Mom bloggers work hard, so hard for an honest relationship with their readers. Celebrities don;t have to but in a fraction of the effort for the following. For me, I don’t feel like celebs want to know me or care, because they don’t have to. Non-celebrity mom bloggers keep it honest and relevant. How can celeb relate to us any more than we can relate to them? Isn’t that what blogging is SUPPOSED to be about?
Holy typos. Sorry, wrote that fast. Was feeling hot blooded.
I guess my knee jerk response would be no, I wouldn’t relate to them. But it very much depends on who and what they’re saying. It might be nice to hear celebrities talk about parenting issues that we all have… Like… say… anything from sleeping through the night to dealing with whining.
Or perhaps celebrity blogs can be the negative space to the rest of us parenting. We watch what they do and just shake our heads. But I think there are a lot of people who look at mommy blogs that way anyway. Celebrity or not.
The life of a Celebrity Mom can never compare to the life of a real mom, not saying that they’re not real moms, but come on now?!? I will admit I love watching the Kardashians even though they’re crazy, it’s kinda funny watching the show, LOL!
Yes, we all deal with the same stuff but in completely different ways:
– sleepless nights: ours consists of either going in as a single parent & losing our minds, or switching off between you & the hubs while you secretly hate each other for sleeping so easily whereas I have yet to see a celebrity without an assistant or nanny in tow.
– baby clothes, accessories, and products: the average mom is scouring the internet and ads for the biggest deal on diapers, wipes, cribs, etc while celebrities think $200 for a pair of adorable booties that the baby will grow out of in two minutes is just chump change, and of course, they HAVE to get it in every color imaginable!
I could go on & on, but my baby needs caring for & I don’t have hired help to give me time to get my oil enema and face painted on by my personal make-up artist.
YOU HIT IT OUTTA THE PARK!!!!!!! why i LOVE U my Shaolin sistah!
I love GOOP for the exact same reasons you like Kardashians-because it is so other. That blog never offended me because she never tried to make it the same as what I do. She knows she’s “Gwyneth”. As a huge Punky fan of yore, I was not only disappointed but a little offended when she tried to sell herself as just like every-mom. Feel free to post about your posh baby closet a-la Rachel Zoe but know this: I’ll watch, but I won’t try to find what you’re selling. I trust the real moms for that and brands should figure that out.
I just clicked over to watch the vlog on popwatch. I want to vomit. I would like to politely ask her to go back taking her oil enemas and yelling at her alcoholic “boyfriend”. Final answer = not relatable. Ugh!
Here is my big question of the day….. Does Kourt have an FTC disclosure on that sucker?
Clear, inaoimftrve, simple. Could I send you some e-hugs?
These Celeb mom-bloggers are just trying to take advantage of the reality show craze by adding another element to it. Its smart marketing b/c they know moms pay attention to this stuff but it won’t last. I for one cannot possibly relate to their lifestyle so how could I see myself shopping in the same way (or in the same places) as they do?
But like I said I think it makes sense for these celeb moms to jump on the bandwagon of “blogging”, even though it is not the same “product” that real moms are creating.
Even if certain mom bloggers are achieving somewhat celeb-like status I would still listen to them WAY before anything Kourtney or Soleil would ever promote.
Thanks for bringing up an interesting topic. Good read!
This illustrated perfectly and so eloquently what has been driving me crazy. When I got the Kate Gosselin new blogger for Coupon Cabin it was exactly what went through my mind. I began wondering whether they are indeed concerned that their image is too far fetched? Here’s the thing, you can spin it a million times but because you have a baby in common like moms does not make it the same – esp with a nanny, chef, instructor, stylist in tow.
I agree with the other Mommy Bloggers, I can’t relate to these women. I’m a real mom whose raising her family without a nanny, chef, trainer or driver. I drive my kids around, attend PTA meetings, volunteer at my son’s school, help him with his homework assignments, cook ,clean and still work full time. I can relate more with everyday real Mommy bloggers than a celebrity Mommy blogger.
Really, in the real world what do I have in common with them! I hope company’s realize that there are more real mom’s versuses celebrity mom’s. I’m not going to buy something because the Kardashians, Gwenyth Paltrow,Teri Hatcher or any other celebrity says so. I rely on the day to day Mommy Bloggers for that advice.
I never believe that celebrities actually use any of the brands that they say that they use in ads. Does anybody ever buy drugstore makeup or clothes from a big box store because a celebrity endorses them? If a celebrity wants to write a mom blog, and brands paying her, she should at least partner with high end brands that she uses, and market the blog to upper class moms. There might be many less readers, but there will be more relatability and honesty.
Gwinny and GOOP annoy me to no end. When she wrote that post about her schedule to show what it’s like to be a working mom I wanted to scream, “Woman, are you KIDDING me? I’m supposed to, what, relate to you somehow? YOU LIVE IN AN ENGLISH CASTLE!!! Go back to your fairy tale, please.”.
Here’s the thing, though: many people are sheep. I hate to say it, but they are. Will millions of women buy a certain brand of jeans because you, or I, or Rebecca, or any of the other legitimate mom bloggers we know endorse them? No, not by the millions. The sheep of society want to know what the Soleils or the Gwyneths or the Kourtneys of the world are buying, so they can try and feel “fabulous” themselves. It’s the sheep of society that made talentless women like the Kardashians famous to begin with. Brands know this and exploit it for profit. It’s unfortunate, but alas, it’s a formula that still seems to work. When people get their heads out of their rectums and stop idolizing famous people, then brands will have no need for celebrities to endorse products. Until then, REAL mom bloggers just continue to do what they do best: write sincere and relatable content. Wearing H&M jeans. With Garnier Fructis mousse in their hair.
I completely agree that I can’t find myself relating to any of the mom celebrities listed above. At the end of the day, I’m not trusting a celebrity who’s been paid a couple hundred thousand to recommend toys, affordable clothing or anything else mom related because they’re not going to keep it real. They’re going to push the products they’re getting paid to push only. As mom bloggers, we get paid on a smaller scale sometimes to review products but we keep it real and recommend the products we think are best regardless of whether we’ll get paid or not. We do it because we are a real community—a true sisterhood.