In defense of the sanctimonious women's studies set || First feminist blog on the internet

20 thoughts on Sister Bloggers

  2. The Mormon church also actively proselytizes. Telling people about their lifestyle is something they are supposed to do. The church is currently sponsoring an overt ad campaign to make Mormonism seem more mainstream (those ads with people talking about all the normal things they do, followed by “and I’m a Mormon”).

    I wonder if the mommy-blogging thing is part of the ad campaign. Did the church tell Mormon women to start blogs declaring how happy they are to be pre-feminist? The Mormon church is big on demanding compliance with uniform behavioral patterns (special underwear, “missions”, apocalypse planning, Family Mondays). “Encouraging” coordinated blogging would hardly be a stretch for them.

  3. Kevin T. Keith – no, the church did not instruct Mormon women to create Mommy Blogs. However, you’re right that the LDS church encourages its members to proselytize through the internet, and Mommy blogs could be an indirect answer to that encouragement. I know plenty of LDS individuals who take the popularity of Mommy blogs as a sign that blogging is a form of missionary work. Me, I’m not convinced that’s why people read Mormon Mommy blogs, but as an LDS woman myself, I tend to find Mommy blogs as embarrassing as Glenn Beck. I promise, we are not all like that.

    Also, I think Mormon culture is bigger on conformity than the church itself is.

  6. I do appreciate that this article makes people of faith, regardless of allegiance, look totally normal. A few months back I spoke to a Christ-centered Quaker. He ordinarily would not have been inclined to use profanity, but did so anyway on occasion so that his students would view him as an ordinary person.

    There will always be the ultra-orthodox observant types who seek complete purity. And then there will be everyone else who struggles with doubt and fitting in to the outside world.

  8. Wow, what was that throwaway paragraph about how anti-Prop 8 protesters picketed the Mormon churches and not black churches because the black churches have too much of an “intimidating crowd”? That really made me cringe.

  9. Aydan: Wow, what was that throwaway paragraph about how anti-Prop 8 protesters picketed the Mormon churches and not black churches because the black churches have too much of an “intimidating crowd”? That really made me cringe.

    Check out the comments section where she blames the author for how badly that comes across (taking it out of context, promised she wouldn’t that quote, yadda-yadda-yadda…).

    1. The comments are well worth a read. Jordan is mad that her exact words were used, and then commenters unearth the fact that she actually donated to the Mormon church’s Prop 8 campaign. And then is all sad-faced when people protested, because how unfair, her church is liberal! So liberal they ask for anti-gay donations. And she’s so “liberal” that she gives them.

      It’s pretty amazing.

  11. What Jill said. And of course now the thread is filled up with that really cool variety of internet commenters who see it as their life goal to assert that “journalism has bias.” Golden. But also infuriating.

    1. Seriously So Blessed is the best thing I have read in forever.

      Oh Happy Day! has so many exclamation points I want to die, and had to hit “close tab” after about 6 seconds.

  14. OMG THE POLL JILL THE POLL

    Which one is saddest? Girls who have stretch marks (20%) hairy legs (27%) jobs (51%).

    I am too amused to speak.

  15. I’ve been reading a lot of Christian mommy blogs and ex-pat blogs. I like the ex-pat blogs better, and some of the Christian bloggers creep me out. There are hair-covering debates, the ongoing vaccines are made from people debate, and the bizarre insistance that there can be such a thing as Christian rock music.

  16. Nahida I DIED at the poll. Obviously “jobs” is the answer.

    And it’s true: Girls with jobs are the saddest! I hate child labor.

  17. I enjoyed Nona’s article. I never knew this particular genre existed within the blog sphere, and so this is all extremely new to me.

    I just had a quick glance at Nat the Fat Rat. All I got out of it was “..shopping blah blah zombie police woman” and endless reels of stock photography. I don’t understand why these are so popular, however I can see why they are called “designer blogs.” For a brief moment, I thought I was glancing through some kind of Retail Christmas Flyer.

    I got a good chuckle out of Jordan’s quotes, as well as the comments posted at the bottom of the article. It’s so infuriating and over-the top. Hard to believe someone would actually say that… As a matter of fact, I’m pretty sure Seth McFarlane wrote that as part of a script to be used in a future episode of Family Guy. . .

  18. I read the article and as interesting as it was there is one thing I don’t understand. Why do writers who do articles on Mormon mommy blogs include Nat the Fat Rat as a “popular” blog? Popular blogs like the daybook or rockstar diaries have 10 000+ readers on their blog alone! Nat the fat rat has been around forever (compared to other bloggers) and has maybe 2000 readers?? I don’t see how her blog is “popular”.

    I’ve ventured to her site a couple times and forced myself to read through a couple months of her posts, and quite frankly it’s not for me. Her photography is mediocre and she strikes me as a ‘wannabe’ the way she dresses and decorates. The other “popular” Mormon bloggers have a very strong sense of style and personality (plus amazing photography) which is why I think so many people love to read them.

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