The Associated Press Can Kiss My Ass
Opinions are like (well you know) and everyone has them. When I make a purchase or decide to buy something, I will look around and see what other people are saying about it but ultimately, I have to be the judge.
When I do a review, I try to give people my overall honest opinion about something and if it is a product that I don’t like then you won’t find it here, on my personal blog. First of all, I like to present products that I like and that I think other moms may like, and secondly, I refrain from posting negative reviews because my time is limited and it is easier to contact a company and just say hey, I don’t think that this is a good fit because of this or that.
Many people think that because you receive a free product that you have just been bought and sold. Although free products are nice, a lot of work goes into my reviews, and that 2 hours I spend posting and sometimes more is so worth that $3.00 box of ice cream I got to try! After all, I sit in my mansion with my free butler service, my free appliances, my free groceries, and eat bon bons in front of my computer glorifying my free stuff just for everyone here.
The truth of it is, I am a stay at home mom, with two children to run after, 10 plus loads of laundry to do each week, a house to maintain, meals to cook, butts to change, cat puke to pick up, dog hair to vacuum, grocery shopping to do, and then I come on here and spend 8 plus hours posting reviews that sometimes take me 3 hours to post with photos, just so I can blow smoke up someone’s *** about my free ice cream!
I enjoy review blogging and having fun with giveaways because it is so cool to hear that someone benefited from something they won here or from an opinion that I gave about a product I liked. If you get home and don’t like something that I said I liked then I can’t help you. You were a little too naive in your thinking. It’s just as bad as saying “hey she said it was turquoise and I say its aquamarine” lets sue her because her opinion lied to us. Ultimately product reviews are my opinion and I am not out stating that if you eat this peanut you will grow your hair back. The problem is that it seems the FTC is always wanting to regulate and people can never think for themselves.
So what’s the point? I was recently sited in an article from the Associated Press about the whole FTC’s involvement in regulating blogs like mine that review products. They mentioned a review I had done on Skinny Cow Ice Cream, stating there’s no clue that Nestle SA’s Skinny Cow division was giving bloggers coupons for free products. Well Nestle didn’t give those to me and Mom Central did which I acknowledged in my post. And to make matters worse they didn’t even have the nerve to link to my site, only mention it in hopes that I wouldn’t find out? or they are a bunch of pansies.
I sent them a reply
Dear Sir or Madam,
I’m writing with regard to the article posted by Deborah Yao on June 21st entitled “FTC plans to monitor blogs for claims, payments”. While I agree with the general thrust of the article, I feel the article incorrectly and unfairly singles out DoubleBugs.Com as having conflicts of interests or somehow acting in an unethical way.I don’t get paid by companies to do reviews, though they do provide me with the products so I can personally evaluate and use the product and develop an opinion of the product or service. If I don’t particularly like a product, I will not recommend it on my blog, and I’ll often work with the company to identify areas of potential improvement. My blog reflects my honest opinions and observations, there is no input at all from companies or anyone else.
Further, at no point did anyone from the AP contact me to get any information for the story. They based their comments on a single 15 minute review of a small number of pages on the DoubleBugs website. That’s just plain shoddy journalism.
There are many sites out there that are essentially shills for companies, sites where bloggers get paid to push products regardless of merit. DoubleBugs.Com is not one of them. I hope the AP will take steps to set the record straight.
Sincerely,
Laurie
DoubleBugs
laurie@doublebugs.com
www.doublebugs.com
And what I would like to know, where is my free trip to Europe? And for people who leave anonymous comments this is for you! At least get yourself some balls, maybe you can find them in a review!
I thought it was pretty obvious that you received those coupons for free. Looks like they didn’t bother to do their research before posting that article. And they say we are unethical?
See, this is why I don’t follow much ‘news’ anymore. It’s all horribly slanted and mis-communicated. How shallow do they think review bloggers are. I know you wouldn’t catch me putting my reputation on the line because I got a product for free. You can buy my time, but my opinion is my own and can’t be bought. I know you operate that way too. Kudos to you for posting your thoughts in response.
I wish people who are writing these articles about bloggers would do more research. They really just end up making themselves look like asses. And do they not think that a blog that’s mentioned wouldn’t find out? Hello? That’s what we DO. We’re online. DUH.
First of all, all ice cream is yummy.
Second, a fact is, free ice cream is yummier.
Third, you DID disclose it was free when you said you got it from Mom Central. Did the AP do ANY research whatsoever?
And WE are the ones needing regulating? I think someone needs to go back to Journalism 101.
That AP mention of DoubleBugs was totally unfair. You DID acknowledge that you were participating in a promotion. And, to for the AP to assume that you would write some glowing review because you were given a $3 container of ice cream? Your time and your voice is worth SO much more than that.
Pretty cool post. I just found your blog and wanted to say
that I have really liked browsing your posts. Any way
I’ll be subscribing to your feed and I hope you write again soon!
Well said!! I think the whole FCC thing is a bunch of crap. Seriously!! Who cares if someone gives their opinion of a product on a blog. (Even if it is bought.) People aren’t dumb enough to take everything they see LITERALLY. It’s someones opinion, and that’s what blogs are for!! I think everyone who read your ice cream post knows you got the ice cream for free. And even if they thought you bought it, so what? Just because you say it’s good doesn’t mean it is. I’m not taking your word for it, LOL. People are smarter than that.
Although, some people must be pretty dumb because I just bought a flat iron the other day that clearly said “do not put in eyes” on the packaging. Some idiot must have sued the company when they burned their eyes from trying to flatten them?? YIKES
Very well said! I really can’t believe the nerve. They have no right assuming that that was a dishonest review just because you got it for free.
Looks like the AP didn’t do any homework. Typical lousy uneducated reporting. I agree with your post!
I saw that AP article. I thought it was hilarious that they would question your integrity when they used descriptive words that made the story read more like an editorial opinion.
Good for you for telling them (very nicely) to kiss your ass!
Waa waa waa….I’m so sick and tired of people thinking that just b/c we do reviews that we’re a bunch of rich, bs’ing, lazy money grubbers! It’s fun…it’s OUR opinion! It’s just the same as word of mouth but it’s in writing instead. Is Joe Shmo standing next to me in the line at Wal-Mart going to sue me b/c I told him that he should try a specific brand of yogurt that ended up giving him the runs? Umm…no! Great post Laurie!
Hey, I would take it as a compliment that you’re big enough to get the AP’s attention. 🙂
I want to know the credentials of some of these writers that the AP and major news sources hire. Let them disclose whether they went to journalism school or not, and what their “degree” is in. Where’s the research? Maybe they never did a term paper to graduate and don’t know the proper way to do footnotes. How many do you think “bought” their term papers?
Mommy Bloggers dislose. The AP should do the research before you put it to press.
I can’t wait for the AP’s Response to this one.
I am so frustrated for you and for all of us Mom Bloggers who review products. For about 90% of the products we receive if you compare the time that is put into not only researching, testing, writing, taking photos and posting but also marketing out posts out with social networking sites and forums to make sure people see it we wouldn’t even make minimum wage!
Yes, there are bloggers out there getting huge products, and yes I have gotten some large ones myself. But we all do our best to disclose and to share that we received the products from the company. I know we on Mommas Review provide full honesty. If a review is going to be a full negative one then the company is contacted with our feedback and we suggest sending the product back (more uncompensated time). We tell what we think is good and is bad.
I love how AP took the time to contact the other Mom Blogger who had a chance to state her case but they did not contact you. Nor did they contact Mom Central for more information. That is really “shoddy journalism.”
All this over ice cream, and by the way I would have given Skinny Cow a rave review too. Their ice cream is amazing, delicious, and low calorie. What more can a person ask for?
I honestly do not even know what to say! On what planet is it right for them to do this to you?
It is VERY evident that you disclosed! Seriously… where are the free tips to Europe?
Good for you Laurie, stick it to them. And I kinda feel bad for pointing the article out to you in the first place, I have to admit I skimmed it and just saw your name and got excited for you, not knowing it was a negative mention. You and your blog deserve better.