Blogging Babes Draws Competition and Controversy

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This post is by Michael Pollock, the original owner of Small Business Branding. Yaro Starak now owns and produces the latest content for this blog.

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It’s happened. The clouds of competition and controversy have formed around my Top Ten Smartest Blogging Babes awards. Thank goodness! At least someone’s reading it.

First the competition. Paul over at Brand Autopsy suggests:

"I think it’s only fair that we open this award to bloggers of BOTH sexes. Therefore… I make available the Boo-Yeah! Bloggers Award."

Thanks Paul! The universe is back in balance. Finally.

Now the controversy. Redgumball57 is irked (i.e. pissed off? offended?) about the awards. The thing is, I can’t quite put my finger on what it is that’s got their undergarments bunched. Here’s the comment from redgumball57:

"Seems kind of one-sided. No pictures to reference their looks – which is inferred with the word babes, and frankly I find this a bit sexist. You titilate by referring to women as "…who are also, shall we say, aesthetically pleasing." which is selling their smart, informative blogs with the idea of sexual appearances. Using seex to sell a blog, clever but you don’t deliver. I would suggest you find another way to "Maxim"-ize your content instead of re-packaging theirs."

So, what’s the complaint here? Is it that:

  1. I haven’t provided pics to justify these brilliant bloggers’ babe-ness?
  2. I’m being sexist?
  3. I’m using sex to sell their blogs?
  4. I’m using sex to sell my own blog?
  5. I don’t "deliver?"
  6. I’m "re-packaging" someone else’s material?

In response to #1. You will find pics on these brilliant babes’ blogs. Hence the links.

Regarding #2. "Sexist" is defined as:   

"adj: discriminatory on the basis of sex (usually said of men’s attitude toward women) n : a man with a chauvinistic belief in the inferiority of women."

I’m clearly being discriminatory, leaving out men from my awards. But frankly, I’m just not comfortable enough with my manhood to refer to another man as a "babe." However, I’m hardly espousing a belief in the inferiority of women. Quite the contrary.

Regarding #3. How do we get from "aesthetically pleasing" to sex? This award is about beauty and brains. Not sex. And do we really want/need Maxim telling us what beauty is?

Regarding #4. See #3.

Regarding #5. I’m trying! Would you give a guy a break already?

Regarding #6. Guilty.

I really do appreciate the feedback, Redgumball57. Sincerely. I appreciate your feedback because it underscores one of the many injustices in western culture.

(here’s where I get philosophical)

In our noble endeavor to be politically correct, to avoid offending or avoid making anyone feel badly about themselves, something vital tends to get lost. Our humanity. Our individuality. Our personality. With all its failings and flailings. We end up walking around like robots. Looking the same. Sounding the same. Emptied of the verve and vigor that is the human soul.

Most people, including me, simply want to be themselves. They want to be accepted for who they are, warts and all. When I started this blog, I made a choice to just show up as me and let the chips fall where they may. If people find my material valuable in any way, perfect. If not, at least I’m being me. And I don’t believe those two are mutually exclusive.

Ultimately Redgumball57, I’m not sure what’s really got you in a tizzy. And I’d be lying if I said I didn’t care. I’d love for all my readers to come away with a positive feeling about me, but also, mostly about themselves. If my Blogging Babes award makes you feel bad, I’m truly sorry for that.

If, however, you’re simply being a putz who stands along the sidelines criticizing the people who, despite their imperfections, really engage in the game of life, I suggest you launch your own blog, and see if you can improve upon my alleged inability to deliver.

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