New York, 7:56 AM
Tue Dec 8
68 posts in the last 24 hours
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| posts about #femaleconfessionaljournalism more → |
Broadsheet Writer: Confessional Journalism Not New, Not Bad For Women |
Female Confessional Journalism And The Business Of Self-Hate |
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Jezebel 
07/06/09
In my opinion, the issue isn't with women being confessional. It's with the 4th estate breaking down the 4th wall. Columns are generally a place for reporters and editors to exercise some more literary writing, to reflect on some personal experience...but when does it become "I'm a name you know, so let me tell you more about myself, and let this inform you every time you see my byline"?
As a journalist, I'd have a problem with trying to maintain an appropriate professional "distance" between my work and my personal self, if the personal side is so viscerally exposed in the professional realm, in the same spot. Now if one retired or quit the job, and then wrote a book, that'd be a different story.
07/06/09
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07/06/09
Also, I think poetry and novels and memoirs are meaningfully different from the sort of thing that appears in the Daily Mail. I'm not sure it's fair to lump poetry in with confessional journalism.
07/06/09
*tap tap*
Editors' demands? Deja vu?
More female-on-female snarking, as opposed to possibly confronting what the real problem(s) might be?
And having been possibly pressured by your own editor to feed the argument, for pageviews?
Or having come up with that bright idea yourself?
*headdesk*
07/06/09
I mean, off the top of my head, I can think of a lot of "confessional" type pieces that weren't meant to be particularly incisive, or artistic, or even, I dunno, "serious." Like Moe's tampon piece.
At the same time, there's a difference between that sort of writing, and the "OMG BAW POOR ME" stuff that seems to be the filling in the shit sandwich that is the Daily Mail. All, "I USED LIP GLOSS AND IT WENT ALL WRONG! A heartbreaking expose of one woman's torment!" and "MY LACOSTE POLO LEFT ME FOR A MORE PRETENTIOUS PREPPY! A story of my sadness and VERY VERY SERIOUS NAVEL-GAZING!!!11"
07/06/09
07/06/09
I suppose that's why it doesn't bother me on jezebel (Moe's tampon piece is a great example); jezebel is "Celebrity, Sex, Fashion for Women." It's not the new york times. I like it this way.
07/06/09
We think of her as one of those because most of her work has been viewed by critics and readers through the lens of her biography. We can't say that that's what she intended to happen.
07/01/09
But to my sisters who admitted to self-snark to beat others to the punch? You are NOT alone. I do think we're trying to prove we're not conceited princesses - that we're flawed human beings that deserve care and kindness - AND we're insecure.
07/01/09
Now, in one sense, I don't want to said it's an invalid form of communication because it's not. Sometimes you need to get the uglies out, and really out, and not try to make them sound better of profound or even particularly dealt with. They just need to be out.
But I feel like the venue is important, as much as the material. Your personal blog about all things you is probably the place for that more than national mag. Which should have level of awareness and respect and insight into something if you're going to write about it.
I think it's important for women to be more honest about these things, definitely. We spend a lot of time feeling isolated in our various shames and guilts.
But at the same time, there needs to be more point to it than just a vent, in this sphere. Otherwise it's just perpetuating, not exploring.
07/01/09
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07/01/09
There is a big difference between a piece about how a woman overcame anorexia or learned to live with her imperfect mothering and one about how much a woman hates her body or how sad she is that she's single.
You see a lot of pieces from both men and women about how they overcame a personal problem, but it seems to be mostly women who write about how much their life sucks right now.
07/01/09
However, I noticed there started to be this one-upmanship that grew out of it. A testimonial that was like "I was 9 and decided I wanted to follow Christ's example, so I did" was BO-RING. But if you'd had wild teenage years and plenty of drugs, got in mild trouble with the law, drowned yourself in sex and frivilous pursuits, felt empty, and then wanted purpose so you decided to follow Christ, THAT was a testimonial.
The point I'm making is that there is a line from relating and common experience (and finding solidarity in that experience) and then trying to show how you're so brave and valiant for overcoming your own demons, and the worse the demons, the better.
07/01/09
We share these kind of confessionals all the time on this site. It makes us feel better. I don't think that the rest of you are losers or disturbed or neurotic - and it makes me feel that I'm not, either, because look at you guys - you're awesome!
07/01/09
Everyone has insecurities, but I do find it disturbing that women are encouraged to wallow in their insecurities rather than recognize them for what they are: irrational and damaging.
07/01/09
And knowing that these obviously successful, kick-ass women have some of the same insecurities doesn't make me wallow, it makes me snap out of it. It's cool, and it's helpful.
07/01/09