A couple of weeks ago, there was a BlogHer invite to, I assume, all the NYC BlogHers for some sort of gathering with Margaret Cho and whoever the lead woman is of this new Life.time show that is premiering soon. Now, I LOVE Margaret Cho, as all smart people should. And she had been on my mind because she apparently just hung out with and wrote a song with my old friends of the band Girlyman (I saw the photos on their Facebook pages and nearly passed out). I got childcare coverage and RSVP'ed yes for the gathering that they said would take place during the day on Thursday of this week.
And then I felt torn. I am by no means a pop culture blogger. I barely mention TV or any other form of media. I have a few shows I love but I am just not the person who is going to be all up on the newest chick show. So it felt weird to me to have said I would go. Surely they would expect a blog post. Surely it should be at least fair and considerate if not gushing and laudatory.
I just went off about this a few weeks ago, bloggers being courted by big business. But this really was different, right? I vounteered, was not asked specifically. I was not overtly asked to write something. It was Margaret Cho and she is totally friends with my friends so it was more like getting the opportunity to just, like, hang with my friends' friend, right?
Tonight I logged on to RSVP yes for Thursday's event. And then I discovered that it's Wednesday.
The original invite from BlogHer said Thursday but the Life.time invite said Wednesday. I could scramble and try to move not only my childcare (not likely to work) but also the Aveda Institute appointments I made for Thursday because I have the day free (even less likely to be move-able). But in the end, I decided not to scramble. I decided not to have Wes scramble. We have enough scrambling in our life. Maybe I will meet Margaret Cho someday while actually hanging out with my Girlyman friends.
I can't help but think the universe stepped in to relieve the weirdness of my first bloggy invite. I read all these things about experiences and events that bloggers are invited to attend. I get jealous sometimes. But when all those posts were being written a few weeks ago about paid mommybloggers, I really examined my feelings and my goals and realized that I don't really want to go that path. I don't want to be famous for giveaways and I certainly don't want a sponsor for my blog. I am thrilled to pay for my typepad account with my BlogHer ad and that is good for now.
I know that this totally unpaid and mellow TV event is just small potatoes and not a big deal and not exactly what the paid review hoopla was all about. It just felt related. I agreed to go as a blogger even while I knew that my blog is just not that kind of blog. I would have written about it and that would have been free publicity, no matter what I had to say about it. Is that the path I want? Not really.
And... here I am writing about it anyway. You're welcome, Life.time. And future friend Margaret Cho.
And I hope it goes without saying that I will consider whatever other things come up in future on a case by case basis. I am not making any sort of no-sell-out FOREVER promise here. I have nothing against being filthy rich. Or going to Disneyworld.
