Do Male Bloggers Receive More Respect?
December 14, 2009 by Deb Ng
Filed under Thoughts and Stuff
By now you probably know that James Chartrand is a pen name. It’s the pen name of a single mom who found more respectful and lucrative gigs using a man’s name. When she contacted me to tell me the truth, I was in shock. The Men with Pens blog is awash in machismo. Never in a million years would I think a woman was behind it. I’m not angry with James. As a mom I’ll do anything to make sure my family is provided for. Anything. Thankfully James’ decision was relatively safe compared to other lucrative choices available to women.
In the days since “James” made his confession, I’ve done a lot of thinking about this. One of my struggles as a blogger is to be taken seriously. I work damn hard to build this blog and while I’m not necessarily looking for fame, I wonder why it’s so much harder for a woman to receive respect as a professional blogger.
“Female” Bloggers
I remember during my first couple of years as a blogger, every now and then someone would come up with a list of top 25 or top 100 bloggers. There were only one or two women on each list, if any. Eventually women would complain and a few bloggers would hastily throw together lists of “top female bloggers.”
I mean, really.
You’re either a blogger or female blogger?
At SXSW I remember watching a flash session of community managers from brands such as Best Buy, Crocs and Jet Blue. There was not one woman in the group. I’ve attended “super sessions” of “make money online” bloggers, with no women sitting on the panel. Each time, I wondered why there was so much testosterone. Is it because the presenters didn’t know of any woman in these niches? Is it because the women said no? Is it because no women were asked? I would love to know the answer.
I remember sitting on a BlogTalkRadio discussion panel and the theme was “social media divas”. While on the air I wondered why we were refered to as “divas.” Men are considered “gurus,” “experts,” “ninjas” and “rockstars.” Women are divas. The person who put together the session confessed he though it was a cute term. Would anyone look for a cute term to describe a male blogger?
“Mommy” Bloggers
Every now and then someone refers to me as a mommy blogger. I don’t blog about parenting. I don’t talk much here about being a mom. I don’t pimp laudry detergent or diapers. Yet because I’m a woman and I have a child and a blog, I’m considered a mommy blogger.
What’s wrong with “Blogger?”
Why so many labels? Why do I have to be a female blogger or a mommy blogger? Why do I have to be a “darling” of the blogosphere or a “diva” of social media. Why can’t I just be a blogger? Why can’t I be held in the same respect and regard as the males in this field?
So let me ask you this. Do you think the male bloggers and social media “experts” receive more respect than women?
Discuss…
I really liked “mommyblogger” when I first heard it because I love reading funny family story-blogs and so I had a way to describe what I like. But now I associate it w/ pitches from marketers who know I have a uterus and a URL, and don’t read any further. I don’t have kids, I’m not married, and I blog mostly about videogames and social media, and yet I keep getting invitations to offer my readers a sippycup giveaway or share a press release about a new program to “help busy moms like me”.
Ok, rant over. While I’ve had a lot of surprise from potential editors and clients that I’m a girl writing about Man Things like games and recreational tech, it’s also worked in my favor. I’ve actually gotten gigs because the editor thought they could use a woman’s perspective (as if my reaction to a new launch would be fundamentally different because I wear a bra).
I’m trying really hard to not be torn on this. My reaction to Bob Younce pretending to be a woman was less than favorable – though it was based on the social interaction of his ‘character’. I’m against dishonesty, but as I told a friend concerning Bob- you do what ya gotta do.
It’s pathetic that anyone has to pretend to be a different sex/person/species just to get work. Yeah, that’s life, but sometimes life really reeks.
Note- pathetic is what I mean about LIFE forcing people to need to do this. NOT the bloggers in that position.
When the Technorati report came out this year, someone said to me, “Have you read the top blogs…? They’re all… men. That’s so sad, isn’t it?”
And I sat there with my pen name and nodded and said, “Yep. It is sad.”
Good post, Deb.
Holy Crap! I’m late on the news. GET OUT! I smell an book coming on that one, how people treated her as James vs. as herself. Interesting social experiment on characteristics we attribute to men and women.
People say men have a brain for web things and we little women only think about our uteri & shoes. I do write about kids & parenting, it’s what I’m into right now w/having them around, however I find less people classify me by my parenting work versus trying to define me by age or by being an African-American.
I always get people citing their 30 years in the news biz as if my 10 year presence during the greatest media upheavals in the last 50 years is just potty training LOL! I also get folks writing to tell me I may want to take my picture off my web site so I’ll get more work from people who aren’t afraid to hire a Black person.
I’ve been operating under the assumption that the web doesn’t get rid of real world prejudices and can actually amplify them. I function like I do outside the World Wide Web – doing what I like to do, work with whom I like and those who take issue or exception can kiss my tush.
I’m one of those who cites 30 years, but 10 years certainly makes one a veteran. Really, if you survive five years on your own (I’ve been on my own for 17), you have to beyond the “hobby” stage.
ACK! I wanted to reach through the computer and smack someone, but I didn’t know who to smack.
Mommy blogger? Mommy what? Get real. Do you think your attorney walks around saying “I’m a mommy lawyer!” Does your surgeon say “I’m a mommy doc?” I can almost bet you she says “I’m a cardiologist.”
You are a professional writer. Start acting like one. Unless you are writing specifically to other moms, for a parenting audience, drop the mommy-writer act and don’t even mention your parenting status. I doubt men introduce themselves as dads first, writers second. Walk the walk and talk the talk of a professional and you will be treated like one.
And if folks are appending that name to you…shudder…ditch it. Fast.
Terreece, you’re a hoot. Don’t take your photo off your profile, ever.
Also I didn’t mean to post my first comment under yours – it was a general statement on the original post.
Terreece, I agree with Jeanne, don’t change a single thing. I visited your site and I love the photo. You are a powerhouse and don’t let anyone tell you different!
As a guy myself, i would love to see more ladies blogging on a wider range of topic especially “male-dominated” topics , rather than just fashion, being a mom or “heres my 1001 self portrait taken on my iphone”.
Having a woman perspective on “man-ly” stuff gives a different view of things and probably highlights most things that a male wouldn’t even see at all. For example, a lady soccer fan probably focus on different things than a male soccer fan. (ps: i don’t watch soccer though)
Also , do ladies prefer to be anonymous on their blog ? I know most male bloggers would show the world their photo readily. Apart from actual pictures posted , there’s really very little clues about the writer’s gender that you can detect from his/her style of writing.
There is nothing wrong with having a brain and a uterus and using both of them.
To my mind, good bloggers are good bloggers, no matter what their gender happens to be.
Oh boy… I missed the Bob Younce as a Jewish woman thing way back… just googled it. I’m afraid I would have thought it sort of funny then. In this context I’m tempted to ask what he’s paid now that he’s using his own name.
Now I’m wishing I’d thought to give my 3 kids gender neutral names… wonder if we all switched to gender neutral monikers what would happen. I actually use A. (former last name) in the phone book to avoid being unlisted… now that we have caller id it’s caused some confusion.
Of course gender neutral names only work if you’re not face to face.
Maybe we need to start consciousness raising groups again – anyone else remember those?
I don’t have a solution – wish I did.
A
Meg’s got it right. To answer this question, all you’ve got to do is look at the topics of PR pitches that get flung at bloggers who happen to be female, with apparent disregard for anything but gender.
Long ago I noticed that almost all of the tech/make money online/top 100 blogs on whatever were almost all men and I wondered too where all the women are. I just figured I was looking in the wrong place but now I wonder if some of those other top 100 bloggers are also hiding pseudonym secrets. Hmm?
Anyway I applaud you James for coming out of the closet and bringing this issue to light. Hopefully people will start to take notice and move in the direction of equality on the ‘net but I can’t say that I will be holding my breath.
Terrace, I feel what you are saying. I haven’t run into any race issues in my time on the internet (I think my name throws people off) but I know a few black women who have. It’s crazy. I think you’re right about the fact that the internet doesn’t get rid of real world prejudice and the relative anonymity of the internet makes it easier to get away with things that would not be acceptable in the real world.
Maybe one day we’ll put all of this insanity behind us
If you think the whole gender/race/age issues are over, think again! There are narrow minded people who believe that if someone is not like them, then they must not be any good. I believe things will get better for women, but only if women make them better. Just like other women before us have knocked down doors we will have to do the same by creating our own opprotunities and tooting our own horns! Yes, girls we are pioneers so grab the chuck-wagons and get ready for an adventure. YEE HA!
Apparently I have been living under a rock. Or I just work too much and miss all the latest stuff. This is the first I’ve heard of James being a woman. James, you’re brilliant.
It isn’t just blogs. A friend of mine is a freelance writer and when she was doing technical articles she wrote as her husband. Good post, great blog.
There’s something not sitting right about the “James Chartrand is an oppressed woman writer story”. It’s too convenient and reeks of a publicity stunt. We all know plenty of women who are making a very good living as writers without having to resort to virtual sex changes. Even if Chartrand was writing as a man until business picked up, she didn’t have to take it such an extreme.
Unless someone corrects me, I’m going to assume Harrison McLeod is the other woman pretending to be a man who “outed” Chartrand. I make this deduction because no one has seen McLeod in weeks. Methinks McCleod got in over her head and wanted out.
Exhibit A: Chartrand’s original blog was part of a generic writing site. Why take it further and make it so obviously male dominated if they weren’t setting out to prove a point? They were doing well and even won an award, it seems unnecessary to create the extremely masculine Men with Pens. Why not continue with Web Writing Info?
I don’t understand why two poor working moms who only want to support their kids went to such extremes by taking their pretend masculinity up another notch with a name that indicates a very male perspective and a very male design.
Exhibit B: Something else isn’t sitting right with me. Why did Chartrand “out” herself on Copyblogger instead of Men with Pens? Could it be because CopyBlogger reaches more readers and will generate more buzz and publicity?
Exhibit C: Why is Chartrand so fiercely protective of her name?
There’s more here that meets the eye. Count me among the newly former MwP readers who think Ms. Chartrand pulled a fast one. Someone was going to expose her and she created a sympathetic work at home mom story to head off the publicity.
Nice work, “James.”
Can’t wait until the book deal.
Link bait?
Ah, anecdotal evidence, is there anything it can’t do? Blogging and other web publishing is still a field that is overwhelmingly male in participation, so it is no surprise that the “top” of the field is likewise dominated by men.
How about another respect article? Have you ever noticed that very specific topics also dominate those top lists? Perhaps if I pretended to be a SEO/Technology/Politics/Freelancing/Make Money Online blogger, I could make the top ten
Ever see a dog grooming blogger in the top 10, a local charity blogger, or even a home & gardening blogger?
Honestly, I never really thought about it. Perhaps it is because I’m a man, or more likely, because I very rarely follow “people” online so much as I follow specific sites. For example, I am a huge fan of Freelance Writing Gigs, but I honestly have to sit and concentrate for minute or two before coming up with the name of the owner, and I don’t know the name of any other writers on the site. Unless someone goes out of their way to push their name instead of their website name front and center, I usually don’t pick up on it.
There is a online marketing/SEO/make money online blogger by the name of “Court” that I read forever before realizing that it was short for Courtney. The only reason I knew the writer’s name was because it was part of the website name.
Maybe it’s just me.
I want to preface my comment by firmly noting that I am refraining from comment on any specific person. I have quietly read posts and comments that addressed gender inequities inspired by the Copyblogger post yesterday. It was interesting to read the reactions of men and women and I have questions of my own. Gender, racial and age discrimination do exist in our world today but I wonder if we do a disservice to correcting the problem by succumbing to the status quo? Again not an attack but a question. As an African American female who for much of my career was also the youngest I chose the route of being who I was and being accepted on my terms. Again, that was my choice and I respect that we all have the right to choose the path that is right for us. I also wonder if people are okay with a pen name but not a persona. Authors who use pen names traditionally have not extended that persona to creating “friendships” and personal interactions with unsuspecting readers. Does that matter? Finally, what does this all say about trust and authenticity? As some of us try to educate big brands about social media, we have encouraged a level of truth, how does this fit? I am going to state it again because I have no desire to appear to be attacking anyone, these are questions that I am turning over and am genuinely interested in what others have to say.
It’s just like Hollywood. Do you hear about people idolizing female directors the way that people idolize Cameron or Spielberg? It’s a man directed world in many creative venues.
@Josh: It’s true, there are quite a few good women out there making an excellent living off of…well, just about anything you can imagine.
Now, before I go much further, let me make it perfectly clear: I am not doing this to start any kind of flame war, nor am I doing it for the publicity. If I wanted that, I would have done it a long, long time ago. ‘Nuff said.
Men with Pens started as an experiment. Most of my ideas start out that way, with a simple “What if?” James and I had two businesses at the time and I posed the question “What if we presented one business as men? You think it would do better?”
At the time, I had a day job. A very good one. Working for an advertising agency doing graphics here in Vegas. I am not a mom. Have no kids, so my motivation had nothing to do with supporting a family. Just me, and the opportunity to do something more worthwhile than “working for da man” (or woman – it’s just a manner of speech).
Although James is a very talented writer, the ball didn’t start rolling until we put up our first redesign. After that, the graphics jobs started coming in fast and furious. And you know what? It had nothing to do with whether or not we were men or women. The work spoke for itself.
This was great. I don’t think there’s a single one of you here who wouldn’t have been happy to see that happen to yourselves.
There were several times over the years where I suggested that we let go of the pen names. But James was the one calling the shots, and I abided by the rules of the game. Tell no one. And I didn’t. For many years.
A coming out, if handled properly, could have had a very positive spin instead of what we’re seeing now. We had a lot of offers from a few top names to handle the PR on this. Still, the answer was no.
When I resigned from MwP in early November of this year, it wasn’t because I felt in any way, shape or form “over my head”. I’d had enough of the personal conflicts that James and I fought so hard to keep out of the public eye.
All I wanted to do was go quietly and start over on my own merits. There was no motive for revenge involved, only the desire to recover and build myself up using the skills and talents the world already knew I had.
Was it scary? Hell yeah. How do you start over when the blogosphere is really a lot smaller than everyone thinks it is? Out of respect for James’ position, I couldn’t use any of the work I’d done over the past 5 years. People aren’t stupid, anyone could put two and two together. In fact, many already had.
And you know what? Nobody really cared. That’s it, the bottom line right there. There were also quite a few people who knew the truth already and I ended up being the one shocked to find out that they did.
I can’t help but understand what many public figures go through now. Everyone making assumptions about what went wrong, who was to blame, who was responsible for forcing who’s hand and whatnot.
That’s all it is, though. Assumptions. Unless you were there, you’ll never know what the real truth of the matter is/was. And even the two people telling that story will have their own perspectives.
James has her own reasons for being so overly protective of her name, and if you want those answers, you’ll have to ask her for them. As for me, I’m not afraid. I’m done with the constant cover ups, even though I was never the one in the public spotlight. But being in the spotlight was never me to begin with. Sure, I’m only human and who wouldn’t want 15 minutes of instant fame? Deep down inside though, I’ve never been a public person, and I’m still not. Anyone who’s followed MwP from the beginning will know this.
“Harrison McLeod” was a pen name. A character. At no time did I let the name slip into a persona. Those are two very different things. I would like to believe that all the people I’ve interacted with both on and off the blog were treated with the utmost professionalism at all times.
Maybe this is why I was met with more laughter and understanding when I came out to that small handful of people I regarded as friends. I don’t know. Every one is going to have their own take on this.
And my name? It’s right up there at the top. Yes, I do have a new business and a site of my own, but in keeping with just setting the record straight and not using this as what might be misconstrued as a publicity stunt to gain more recognition for a new biz, I’m not linking it to my site.
My main objective here was to give you, Josh, a straight answer. You were the first person to read between the lines and ask some very good questions. Thank you.
Take it for what it is, folks. That’s all I’m going to say on the matter.
Deb
aka: The Artist Formerly Known As Harry
First of all Deb, great name.
I want to thank you for coming and telling your side of the story. I’m sure it took a lot of guts since there’s so much publicity about this right now. I’ll be watching to see how well your business takes off. Would you ever be interested in writing about the differences between working as Harry and working as Deb? I think it would make for a very interesting read.
@Deb: I think there’s a good chance I’d consider writing something like that, although from what I’ve seen so far, there really isn’t much of a difference between the way I treated people as Harry and as I treat them now, or even in the way people treat me. I think many of them were just happy to have their designer back.
Thanks again, Deb. And since you’re going to be keeping an eye on the biz, you’re going to need these *hands her a pair of sunglasses*. It’s looking mighty bright out there.
@Josh – I’ll weigh in on one aspect of your statement. While I believe that some of the James/MwP success could have been gender-related, I’ve stated on the Business Tips for Writers section of FWJ some other factors that I think contributed to the mix. Take a look there, let me know if you agree or disagree.
Having said that, I spoke with James at length about this whole idea early on, just after they made the switch from JCME to MwP. It was after I discovered who James was. Even then, she believed that gender played a big role in their success. There was no talk back then of being outed or anything like that. In fact, I had a discussion with her last year about coming out on purpose in order to generate some heat, and she was against it. Whatever else may be going on here, it’s not about PR. I can promise you that.
There are other elements of your theory that are off, but I’ll leave those to others to discuss (or not) as I’ve got no real dog in this fight myself.
@Karen,
I think you raise some very good questions in general about the importance of trust and authenticity in any business. I also think there is a difference between a professional business relationship and personal friendships and in the world of blogging a lot of times those distinctions begin to blur, making it confusing. Personal bloggers have every right in the world to take on pen names, hide behind characters and create any fantasy world they desire. When it comes to doing business…well, it can become a gray zone to some people’s way of thinking. We have entered a time of discloser for every little detail. Sigh. Accountability and Disclosure in business has really been ratcheted up in the last year. I commend Deb and James both for knowing when enough was enough each in their own way. Deb is a quieter person who preferred to just go quietly into the night and James..well, I think Copyblogger yesterday speaks for itself.
They both had the right to handle it in their own way in what worked best for them. As for their work ethic and professionalism. As a past client of MwP who worked closely with Harry/Deb, there was always the highest level of service and integrity, the pen name/ gender issue didn’t effect the quality of work in any way in my opinion and when I found out about both of them, knowing they were a different gender didn’t change the previous opinions I held about each of them regarding their work ethics. It didn’t change a thing. Both of them are exactly the same.
Just as I suspected, we’ve been punk’d. I didn’t have much respect for James to begin with, but I lost a tonne of respect for CopyBlogger for riding the traffic and publicity train.
Plain and simple, James Chartrand is a troll. She’s the worst kind of troll because she doesn’t hit and run. She sticks around and continues to troll every single day. My tent is now staked firmly in the “I will never trust James Chartrand again” camp. So much of her story doesn’t add up. I’m not the first to point out how James and Harry built up a trust among their community, a trust they didn’t reciprocate. That James took his news to Copyblogger instead of the community he so publicly praised speaks more volumes than he’ll ever know.
Deborah, When you hired James you said one of the reasons was to have a man on board. You already hired several bloggers who were women and you said James would add a balance.
How do you feel about this now? I know you didn’t hire James only because you thought she was a man, but it was one of the determining factors. Do you feel duped?
I wonder how many others hired James because they wanted a male voice and now feel duped. I doubt it will happen but if James misrepresented it can be gounds for a lawsuit.
You would have thought that there would have been some sort of equality in the world of blogging. That there wouldn’t be any differentiation between male and female bloggers.
Personally it doesn’t make any difference to me what sex the blogger is as long as they’re providing interesting content. I certainly do not respect male bloggers any more than their female counterparts.
Thanks for posting this information. In my point of view, women are working just like men. And if its a blog or something else, women can do better as compare to men now a days.
Regards,
Before I had stumbled on this post, I had never even considered this, but now thinking about it, I think you’re right.
In my niche – personal finance, I can only really think of one top female blogger out of the group that comprises “full time” bloggers. Even below that it seems the majority of personal finance bloggers in general are male. I’m not sure why that is. Maybe men place a higher value on personal finance, or is it, in your opiinion that more men blog? I suppose I don’t have any answers, just questions.
Very interesting article, Deb. Come think of it, I’ve never thought much about a stigma against female bloggers, though now that you mention it, it might be present (and I didn’t know James is just a pen name until I read it @ your post!) I do think there is possibly a stigma against Asian bloggers though (I’m Asian), but that’s something which is more of an intuitive feel than proven. Whatever it is, I believe that as long as we are providing true value, the valuable readers will eventually know what we have to offer, rather than judging with a label or tinted lens.