We've spent a good dead of time talking in class about mothers, "monstrous" mothers, mommy bloggers, what makes a "good" mother... we've also discussed the different standards held for mothers and fathers, gender stereotypes/inequalities, etc. But let's think about something atypical for a moment. Lesbian moms!
Though perhaps not as common as the average mommy blog, blogs of "two-mom families" like this blog called 'Mombian' provide some interesting perspectives on common mommy-blog topics.
For example, in this article the conflict between homosexuals who want to have children and those who feel it is "selling out" to the heterosexual status-quo is likened to the mommy wars between stay at home and the working moms who accuse the others of being against feminism.
In this volg by the site's creators, books about lesbians and motherhood are discussed. They make an observation that I never really thought of before - in regards to one work of fiction revolving around a lesbian couple's legal battle over frozen embryos from a previous (heterosexual) marriage, the couple remarks that it is refreshing to read a bestseller book about lesbian motherhood that doesn't focus on the search for a sperm donor. I'm suprised that this theme is so common. Actually... the only other popular work I can think of featuring lesbian mothers also prominently features the sperm donor... (The Kids Are All Right).
That aside, even the concept of lesbian motherhood is challenging for our current society. As the bloggers remark, people feel a need to ask "which one of you is the 'real' mom?" Many people just aren't able to wrap their heads around the fact that - gasp! - more than one person can mother a child, that the person mothering may not even be female, and that providing an egg or carrying the child to term does not magically make someone in to a mother, let alone a child's "real" mother. Maybe this has something to do with why most works of pop-culture featuring lesbian families also prominently feature a male (or the search for one's chromosomes, at least).
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
#2 Dumb Mom on What Not to Wear
Hey everyone!
I was watching TV yesterday when lo and behold, TLC's What Not to Wear came on and the person getting a fashion intervention was a popular mommy blogger Amanda, otherwise known as "Dumb Mom."
During the show's transformation process Amanda shared her insecurities; body image issues after having children, only thinking about herself in a critical/manner, etc. The sort of thing that I don't really see much of on any of the mommy blogs I have visited. Even Amanda admits that her online persona is more confident and outgoing that she actually is. I'll admit, it greatly suprised me when I read through a sizeable amount of mommy blogs and found that most of them offered giveaways, craft/recipe tips, product reviews, and that sort of thing... I'm sure it's out there, I just didn't run in to any posts talking about being covered with spitup, not having the energy to wear anything except sweatpants -- you know, the unglamorous parts of motherhood. Maybe those sorts of blogs don't make it to the top 100 mommy blog lists, not enough giveaways! Ha ha.
If I ever write a mommy blog, I'll try to make it as accurate to myself as possible. None of this supermom junk. If you read the comments on Amanda's entry about the show, lots of the women commenting say that they feel exactly like Amanda does. They think negatively about their body images, think of themselves as ugly now that they have post-pregnancy bodies, etc. Discussion and support related to these sorts of subjects are the sort of things that I would want from a mommy blog I followed. Sure, giveaways are nice and all, but my favorite part of blogging is the ability to post your thoughts and feelings out there for the world to see and the random friendships that are from from it. I doubt becoming a mother would change that for me.
Maybe I've just been peeking at the wrong blogs? Anyone have any good links to mommy blogs that "tell it like it is?"
I was watching TV yesterday when lo and behold, TLC's What Not to Wear came on and the person getting a fashion intervention was a popular mommy blogger Amanda, otherwise known as "Dumb Mom."
During the show's transformation process Amanda shared her insecurities; body image issues after having children, only thinking about herself in a critical/manner, etc. The sort of thing that I don't really see much of on any of the mommy blogs I have visited. Even Amanda admits that her online persona is more confident and outgoing that she actually is. I'll admit, it greatly suprised me when I read through a sizeable amount of mommy blogs and found that most of them offered giveaways, craft/recipe tips, product reviews, and that sort of thing... I'm sure it's out there, I just didn't run in to any posts talking about being covered with spitup, not having the energy to wear anything except sweatpants -- you know, the unglamorous parts of motherhood. Maybe those sorts of blogs don't make it to the top 100 mommy blog lists, not enough giveaways! Ha ha.
If I ever write a mommy blog, I'll try to make it as accurate to myself as possible. None of this supermom junk. If you read the comments on Amanda's entry about the show, lots of the women commenting say that they feel exactly like Amanda does. They think negatively about their body images, think of themselves as ugly now that they have post-pregnancy bodies, etc. Discussion and support related to these sorts of subjects are the sort of things that I would want from a mommy blog I followed. Sure, giveaways are nice and all, but my favorite part of blogging is the ability to post your thoughts and feelings out there for the world to see and the random friendships that are from from it. I doubt becoming a mother would change that for me.
Maybe I've just been peeking at the wrong blogs? Anyone have any good links to mommy blogs that "tell it like it is?"
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