NTS Response to the Marie Claire Article
While certainly not the main takeaway of the current Marie Claire debacle, I experienced a growth opportunity in its wake. Following a quick read of the now infamous article in which Katie Drummond unabashedly slams the cheekily- termed “Big Six” for promoting disordered eating, I closed my browser and made the decision not to comment publicly on the issue. When I told my husband about the controversy, he challenged me on my lack of response. “This is exactly what you write about, Ashley,” he reminded me. “How can you sit back and not comment?”
His question made me question my own instincts. I realized that my inaction on the issue was rooted in fear – fear that my opinion would either a.) not matter a whole lot and/or b.) be misconstrued in a way that would really challenge me. But after recent discussion with fellow writers, I realized that being perfectly understood is not all what it’s cracked up to be. And I’ve also learned recently that not saying what you feel can have much more devastating impacts than saying it directly. And with that, I offer you my take on the Marie Claire article…
First and foremost, it is important to make clear that Katie Drummond’s assessment of the Healthy Living Summit founders was unfair and in poor journalistic taste. Even as meager freshman journalism major back in the day, I could have identified such biased and one-sided reporting. As a therapist, I know that there are always MANY sides to every story. And as a woman, I felt an edge of maliciousness in the article and thus can understand why the bloggers who were maligned would feel angry, hurt, and defensive.
If we all can manage to put our reactions to Drummond’s individual article aside for a moment, a real and valuable issue emerges, one that is larger than any of the particular blogs mentioned, and even bigger than Marie Claire or other major media outlets. The issue that I take from the current debate is relates to the responsibility of media and the responsibility of consumers of media.
I cannot comment directly on the claims that the bloggers featured in the article have disordered eating behaviors or exercise dependence. As a professional, assessing the mental health of someone based solely on their online presence would be misguided and, frankly, unethical. That said, I have read about eating and exercise behaviors that I would not support personally or professionally discussed both in the posts and comments of blogs (many blogs, not just those Drummond chose to slam due to their size).
On the one hand, the disordered eating behaviors in which some bloggers engage is to me reflective of a much more widespread and serious issue – the fact that restrictive eating practices and self-abusive exercise have become culturally sanctioned forms of self-torture in our society. It’s normative, but it’s not right.
The issue of whether the “Big Six” and other bloggers have a responsibility to their readers to portray a healthy message has been hotly contested on blogs and twitter over the past 24 hours. Do I believe that media (yes, blogs are most definitely media) have a responsibility to their consumers (whether or not the consumers are paying them directly or indirectly)? Absolutely, 100%, no question, YES.
Do I also believe that media consumers have a vital task of learning to become more critical consumers of the media messages which are presented? Absolutely, 100%, no question, YES.
Bloggers need to consider that each word that they publish serves as an non-retractable communication of their beliefs. It’s a scary thought to think that we carry such enormous responsibility, but we do. To think that blogs with 15,000 or more hits a day should not be held accountable because the writers are simply reflecting on their own lives is, in my humble opinion, naive and potentially dangerous. If you want to simply reflect, buy a $3 journal and go for it. If you want to reach a mass audience and spread a message of health and hope, write a blog. We cannot sit behind our laptops and malign companies like Ralph Lauren and baby carrot producers and not hold ourselves to the same standard.
Here is one of my favorite quotes, which I feel is appropriate here:
“For of those to whom much is given, much is required.” {John F. Kennedy}
Even if our intended audience is healthy, balanced young women, the fact of the matter is that not all readers are healthy. Many are at extremely vulnerable places in lives, desperately looking for guidance and support. The most vulnerable of these readers will latch on to the words of established bloggers like lifelines, whether that’s the blogger’s intent or not. Particularly when an individual is suffering from an eating disorder, his or her ability to filter information and process rationally is severely compromised. I implore you, fellow bloggers and major media organizations alike, consider when you write how your words might be interpreted by individuals young and old, weak and strong, healthy and struggling.
That said, the average reader also has an important responsibility – to engage in media literacy and become a more critical and wise consumer. Just as when I flip through Marie Claire and see images of waif-like models with messages like, “All your problems solved!” (check the October 2010 cover), I must recognize that things aren’t always what they appear. We are responsible for challenging what we read, see, and hear and helping to inoculate ourselves against unhealthy influences. This is not to say that the blogs in the article are unhealthy – in fact I think quite the opposite is generally true – but as readers must consider that just because something works for a particular writer, does not mean that it is an effective, healthy, or viable option for us. If reading blogs is damaging to your self-esteem or triggering you in any way, discuss it with a trusted friend or mental health professional and, please, stop reading.
Alright, hit it up in the comments. WHAT DO YOU THINK?
KCLAnderson (Karen)
962 days ago
EXCELLENT!!!
KCLAnderson (Karen)
962 days ago
Shoot…I hit “submit” before I was finished…I love that you place responsibility on both “sides” of the equation.
Lisa
962 days ago
I’ve never seen your blog until today but I’m glad I found it. I was really frustrated with this whole “Debacle” and how everyone’s knee-jerk reaction was to be angry at MC. Yes the article was trashy. Yes, it made me angry too. But amidst this mob-mentality anger towards MC, people are forgetting the issue of eating disorders.
I am a recovering compulsive over-eater. I rarely discuss it on my own blog because it’s not who I am anymore and honestly? I felt like it was obvious. You don’t get to weigh 250 pounds eating in a healthy way. I still struggle years later with those demons but I feel like for the most part I have them under control. I’ve lost the weight, I’ve kept it off, I feel like I have a much better grasp on what healthy is.
I feel really badly for the “Big 6″ because it’s unfair to them. I enjoy reading their blogs because they are light and upbeat and positive. Those are good things in this really negative world we live in. I just wish people would openly talk about the ED issue without sugar-coating it.
Lisa recently posted..Is It Working Yet
Sarah
962 days ago
I am so, so happy to read this. All but one blog post I have read on this issue has been in an effort to defend, defend, defend, rather than in the spirit of self-reflection. I have been recovered from anorexia and bulimia for nearly a decade now, so I know when I am being triggered, and I stop reading blogs when that happens. But I think a lot of people are so thoroughly immersed in a semi-disordered (i.e. below the diagnostic criteria for an eating disorder) way of thinking, that they can easily continue to read blogs that fuel that way of thinking. The way I see it, there is responsibility on both sides – as you so eloquently point out – to be real about the impacts of what you write and what you read. Healthy living blogs have amazing potential for good, but also for bad.
I would have loved to see this Marie Clare article become the cornerstone of a self-reflective discussion from the most popular blogs, but I realise that’s probably an unrealistic expectation. The chief problem with healthy living blogs is also the source of their strength: they create an insular community. Like all insular communities, they offer a seemingly endless supply of bonding social capital to the members of the community, but in doing so they fail to create bridges. And like all insular communities this naturally creates social norms and pressures that can be both a positive motivation and a deterrent from stepping outside the norm.
I guess I just wish the Healthy Living Blogging community spent more time on context, rather than every day decisions. This is why I love your blog…it’s all about the context, and it’s coming from someone who seems to have a firm grasp on what makes human beings tick.
maria
962 days ago
Wow, I totally missed the MC debacle, and wow wow wow is all I can say. What those bloggers are doing is damaging to themselves, and even worse, it’s potentially damaging to the readers. Obsessive behavior is never healthy in my opinion, especially about an absolutely normal human behavior like eating.
To me it’s almost an ethical question. I do not believe it is ethical to publish a blog that promotes obsessive and damaging relationship with your own body and food.
While I do agree that some responsibility lies with the consumer (reader), it does not free the author of all the responsibility!
I’m still shocked that those blogs not only exist, but that they have such a big following. It’s just sad.
Ashley @ Nourishing the Soul
962 days ago
Maria – Not to disagree with your opinion, but make sure you check out the blogs themselves. I’m not sure if you only read the article, and I didn’t want to give the impression here that the blogs named are damaging specifically. Much of what the article stated was taken out of context. There’s a lot of great, body-loving, healthy stuff in them. I just want to be clear I’m not blasting any specific blog in this post, but rather stating my belief that we are responsible for what we post.
Justin
962 days ago
Very well put. The issue here should not be about pointing fingers at the “big six” or the author of the article, the focus should be on thoughtful reflection and understanding of the issues presented. While I certainly have no idea if the “big six” have eating or exercise disorders, I think the question must be, how are the things they write understood by readers? I agree there is a responsibility by the authors to not only live healthy lifestyles, which I generally think they do, but also to ensure that the online persona they create reinforces a healthy body image and lifestyle of the reader.
This article in MC may be a great point of conflict in the blogging world today, but I hope that it will lead to some truly thought provoking discussion that will help the entire community come to a fuller understanding of health and wellness in the messages they put out to the world.
Christie {Honoring Health}
962 days ago
Ashely, I say three cheers to you and bravo for standing up for what you believe in. I too wish that everyone could have taken a step back and realized that this was a time for reflection on what this community actually fosters and what it might could foster if we all took some responsibility for our actions.
Christie {Honoring Health} recently posted..Poll- Honoring Health Events
Margarita Tartakovsky
962 days ago
Ashley, as always a very thoughtful response! I also love your emphasis on both sides taking responsibility. As bloggers, it’s important for us to realize that we do have an impact, especially if you have a larger readership. And it’s so crucial to step back and self-reflect, to take into consideration what you’re putting out and whether your message may be misconstrued. Self-reflection is important for growth. And I hope this article, however horrible, inspires that at least a little. And of course, at the same time, we as consumers, too, must become literate of the media and not consume everything as fact and be more discerning.
Jayna @ Healthy Living Bites
961 days ago
First of all- BRAVO to Justin for encouraging you to write this post, and THREE CHEERS to you for writing it!
Since this debacle first made the scene I have been reading every reaction I see come out on twitter. I have followed the links to other articles contained within those posts. It has left me feeling astounded at how many knee jerk reactions there are, angry at another example of media twisting facts, and slightly jealous at all the attention these women are now getting (that is just the attention whore in me coming out). I can’t say that I’ve yet fully finished processing how my views mesh with all of this.
First of all I must say, I don’t actually read regularly the blogs in question. I can not comment on if they promote lifestyle or activities that are unhealthy. Knowing that these are ladies are friends with one of my favorite blogger’s though predisposes me to believe that these women are truly engaging in healthy lifestyles- if maybe a bit extreme. Oh, and the piece on money- does anyone else feel that $10,000/year in revenue doesn’t even begin to adequately reimburse the amount of work that goes into maintain a blog of that popularity? I read that and immediate thought “so? what’s your point?”.
I do find it ironic that this article came out in Marie Claire, a fashion magazine that further supports our societies obsession with thin. How can you bash six women for being young and beautiful, then go on to encourage weight loss to look better and show emaciated and airbrushed models? Seems kind of hypocritical don’t ya think?
Onto the questions posed by NTS- Do bloggers have an obligation to their readers? Yes, but maybe not in the way you said. Is it societies job to walk on egg shells to avoid upsetting those who might be triggered by any number of things? No. Is it our job to ensure that we make clear any research we’ve done or why we are saying the things we are saying? Yes, so that opinions are not misconstrued as fact. It is important as we’re writing to acknowledge that we are sharing experience, acknowledge if we know things as fact and how we know them for that, and make clear that blogging is a venue that involves sharing opinions. If we get the inclination that our readership is extending to those that are struggling with disordered eating, exercising, or anything else, then I believe we have a HUMAN responsibility to encourage them to find help. If I found out one of my readers was struggling I would want to be able to point them in the direction of a place to get help. I am sure you can let me know a great resource for those struggling with disordered eating. These are just my half formed thoughts and opinions.
Do readers have an obligation to be informed consumers? YES. Readers have to understand that blogs are online journals. They are a voice to share our stories with the world. All of us bloggers started our blogs for various reasons, with various target audiences, and take very different medium’s from those sharing information to those sharing their lives (and food). Readers have to understand what children are taught in school today- just because you read it on the internet does not make it true. It is common sense. When you see one of my blog articles picked up by the AP, then MAYBE you can look at parts of it as fact- until then, it is just an opinion.
I am trying to keep this relevant to NTS’s post, just as I am trying NOT to write a blog post on this airing my opinions. I do not blog on this subject so it has no relevance there. I’ve got many many more opinions on this though, from the restrictiveness of “dieting” to an issue I haven’t seen addressed- ummm, hello publicity!!!! I also haven’t been involved in this world long enough to have seen the “dancing around” of this issue that so many are saying has been going on. I have been watching as various bloggers come out on one side of the article and then flip flop. C’mon blogging community- take some time to reflect and process before coming out with strong opinions either way. . . the flip flopping just makes you look like sheep! (I know that sounds mean, I just think our societies tendency to take everything they read as fact is one of the core problems in America today)
Jayna @ Healthy Living Bites recently posted..Spark People
Christine (Blisschick) Reed
958 days ago
I’ve actually had many of those blogs in my reader and then taken them out exactly because of their unhealthy obsessions and their refusal to deal with the REAL issues underlying ANY kind of food/eating/image disorders. I no longer read Fit Bottom Girls, for example, because there is nothing challenging of the wider culture about their approach. They never go beyond “here’s a great new dvd to get skinny with” approach.
We don’t need any more of that. And we really really do not need it from other women.
Maria@LaPiattini
957 days ago
Thank you for your honest opinion and insights. Your point about buying a $3 dollar journal versus writing on a blog that attracts thousands is truly valid.
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Ashley @ Nourishing the Soul
957 days ago
Thanks, Maria.
Nancy
878 days ago
I’m really glad you took the time to share your opinion on this subject, as it is an opinion I respect and admire.
With that said, many bloggers take the time to blog as a means of journaling public struggles. I have a girlfriend who is struggling through issues of personal identity and recently started a blog as a way of keeping herself accountable when it comes to her own negative self-talk. Blogging also helps her build a virtual support network as her physical support system is quite lean. Not all blogs are part of the media circuit, in my opinion, because not all blogs are created equal. My friend has every right to her benign self exploration through her public journal, and I’m concerned that a suggestion that individuals who use the Internet need to explore their thoughts should be overly worried about readers in the way a printed magazine worries is akin to a suggestion of censorship. It would be a beautiful world if Internet bloggers were more cautious with what they said, but they have every right not to be. Furthermore, it’s so hard to know what triggers people that even a cautious blogger can get in trouble. I’m reminded of animal rights activists PETA in this case. A lot of people dismiss everything they say because of percieved excess on their part.
Marie Claire is a bit different due to it’s accessibility and the rules of journalistic responsibility that absolutely apply to print media. There are fewer shades of grey there I think.