*Grammar update*
I’m updating this post because I’ve learned something that relates, and I’m sure this little part of the grammar world can be found in my article. (I’m too busy to read it all again.)
Apparently, what every English teacher I know informs of prepositions is incorrect. (If you don’t want to read that page, I’ll write the gist here: some prepositions can be used at the ends of sentences.)
I will now write with less difficulty and, even more happily, less awkwardness. ‘Twas such an awkward rule, wasn’t it?
The View from the Middle: We're All on Equal Ground Now
It isn’t a popular position for a blogger herself to whine about (a) successful blogger(s), but at least that is only a small part of the upcoming several-fold rant. Well I’m not going to whine about success anyway, and I will only half bitch about the editors too. Everyone in the world is sometimes wrong and we’ve been reading so much of this cat fighting that I am itching to say just a few things.
First of all, everyone’s mean! Sure it’s safe to say that corporate-hired folks “started it”. Example: AOL’s Style List Katie Hintz-Zambrano pretty much accused famous 13 year old blogger, Tavi, of being no lady—whatever that means it does sound loaded. Yet then FashionIndie publisher antagonized all professionals for having expensive student loans yet small success. (Rant 2:) While attempting to argue against pros in this piece the blogger didn’t exactly prove one doesn’t need college with an article littered with terrible writing. See a large quote below as an example.
“Katie realize that fashion is a fickle little beast that is addicted to flavors of the week. The current flavor are over the top style bloggers like Tavi, Bryan Boy and Sea of Shoes, individuals with small readerships that manage to get attention cause they look odd* (or fabulous in the case of SeaGirl) and stand out in the streams of black, gray, and weathered that is the traditional garb of old school media types; you know, those overweight, fumpa bellied** folks who work at low readership publications like Paper Magazine and Village Voice who for years have taken over the front rows.”
Yeah I’ve been holding in my opinions – for the most part – about successful so-called writers who are as literate as the average person but actually attempt to publish and, while successfully in their own rights by their own hands, do so with a lot of opinion but zero talent.
Why is paying college tuition as “out” as three-decade-old faded bell-bottoms? While I don’t agree with the degree system, some education itself is priceless when it comes to things like grammar knowledge. Microsoft doesn’t sell that in package with PCs and paying high-speed Internet bills doesn’t grant us magic literary pills. Proper English is not something to disregard and learning it can not come easy. True that the average reader doesn’t know better but professional writers and editors do and I am not surprised they’re pissed that Jr. High-essay-level penners are so popular.
To me it’s not Tavi and her front row that I think is the only upsetting thing to insiders – and I’m refreshed that at least with her I can’t expect better writing than her age (although I think she far from writes worse than most adults). I, as someone who grasps the English language and is tormented by popular readership sites with authors who – to me – can’t write to save their lives — can’t imagine that this is also not upsetting to those who earned their big desk jobs.
~*If you like it then you shoulda put a belt on it*~
*Third part of rant: Yeah, professionals, even fashion ones sometimes, are supposed to dress “professionally”; not “crazy”, most of the time—unlike girls – or boys – playing dress-up in their bedrooms and taking that to the street. Fashion is diverse, often about couture, but to me it’s a lot about flattery and not at all about a drapery, cheap or expensive label, that “fits” like a shapeless sheet. Where is the beauty in this outfit (right) – complete with hideous tights that appear to be mismatched knee socks? Oh yeah, I want to take fashion tips from that. (Not that I need any from anyone after years of Stacy and Clinton – all I need, babies.)
To add to the ugliness, I cannot hold it in, silver hair (or blue as some call it) on her makes her look 90 years old. It’s not cute.
However that FashionIndie representative thinks it’s “unthinkable” to diss Tavi’s (still-rookie?) style (and shows the position with unintelligible wording).
“[Stylelist's Katie Hintz-Zambrano] also does the unthinkable by calling her style “warrant serious eye rolls”. Oh snap!!!”
I do like that, for some time, a fashionista blogger showing her own style can lead to a following – what better way is there? Sadly, I’ve been horribly camera shy for several years with the reason lending itself to a future article on self esteem, weight, accepting oneself, etc. (I plan to follow that by me attempting to keep up with occasional or frequent ensemble shots, even though I still cannot be cloned—I being the only photographer my perfectionist self trusts.)
**The epidemic of not only obesity but of less-endangered-weighted women feeling frightened to be seen by the world or even themselves is my rant #4. It took me a long time to realize I am not actually fat – in fact I look beautiful, sexy, curvy, have a waist etc… I’m just no thinner than average even if sometimes larger. With only that amount of extra size on me, I’ve been terrified to show myself – and even though I’ve recently gotten over that for the most part, my fear of the camera adding 20 lbs (yep 20) is always difficult to overcome.
So to those so called indie fashionistas who are still to this day so insulting of weight as to say “fumpa bellied” (whatever that is) – yes, I am outraged at you and cannot stop at just pointing out this wrong you have made.
Yet who am I to argue? Where do I come from? (How much is jealousy, as one could excuse?) I’d let my posts speak for themselves as that is clearly all I currently have to show (and many are now missing photos, html and categories after years of changes and moves). I don’t think I even necessarily deserve grandeur at this point – I’ve made many individual business mistakes that leave me no wonder as to why I’m not more successful, so I’m not factoring my small position or using any bitterness in this reply. I’m human open to animal weakness but that is the truth. I’ve just seen such horrible lashing out that I’m compelled to put my 2 cents in, as my opinionista self just needs to do. I admire the simple beauty of bloggers making it by showing their style, and I’m hopeful that I can soon make this work for myself a bit – even though I usually go out looking mostly normal (except to male opinion) and if that holds a girl back, so what(?).
I don’t even mind if there’s bad writing by some fabulous or even crazy fashionista making it bigger through beautiful or quirky photos of their style and others’. One, the other, or both – it must be at least visual or literary, I say – and with both makes best. A fashion news or opinion site with apparent lack of even spell check, let alone proofreading, that lends to questioning what the writer’s first language even is —- also not cute, just like a sad sack.
Stop bashing the pros and editors you appear to not even aspire to struggle to equal in talent.
I’ll leave you with this quote, from Tavi’s own final word on the fight she partially inspires.
“The Bloggers vs. Editors! thing is tired. If there was a real competition, editors wouldn’t be willing to give bloggers press. Blogs and magazines are good for different things; it’s like comparing apples with oranges. Collaboration, not competition. Always!”
(And only one grammatical error.) I kind of like her brain, just not always the eye that creates some of her ensembles. 
You should read that article … and/or more of my blog.
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Two moms have invented “Sniffle Buddies”: *extra* mini sleeves upon which for kids to wipe their noses. Because that’s way better than wiping on a shirt sleeve. Oh yeah.
