This is me complaining about stuff. Let's have a discussion, though--what gets on your nerves? Do you agree or disagree with me? And what are some of the positive aspects of the beauty community that really shine for you?
I agree with all of your points. They're very well thought out and generous. I'm much more petty, so I get annoyed by much stupider stuff. Such as the filming set-up clones--do they all have to have Ikea furniture and scented candles burning in the background? Does every single Youtuber have to review the MannyMUA/Makeup Geek collaboration palette?
Oh my God, do you know how much anxiety this makes me feel? Like, I see my bedroom in the background of videos and photos, and I think, "Oh, that's not *right.*" I catch myself doing that constantly.
I agree with lots of things you say. I think that a lot of beauty community culture stems from the US, which results in some of the issues you mention here. Especially the pigmentation thing, since sheer silky eyeshadows are a very Asian style.
Also, being a mother myself, I totally relate to the mother bit (although I haven't actually seen something like that happen.) Kids are just annoying or whiny sometimes!
I think you've really hit on a lot of very sensitive topics in a very sensible and eloquent manner. It was great seeing you discuss deeper issues in the community! And I also liked the judicious use of swear words :D
You know, I hadn't thought about the fact that most big name bloggers and YouTubers are American! That definitely explains some of the biases and predispositions.
I agree with so much of this, especially the culture of ersatz "positivity" that leads bloggers to never criticize any product ever because, well, that wouldn't be nice. If a brand is trying to get our money, it's not a failure of niceness or positivity to criticize their products. As beauty bloggers, we owe a debt not to brands or corporations but to our readers.
I confess, I've been guilty of ragging on YouTubers for their pronunciation at least once. I do think that if they're receiving a product for free, they should make an effort to pronounce its name correctly--but then I care about such things in part because I've had the privilege of years of higher education, and it's not my place to correct anyone. These are amateur videos we're talking about, not NPR. Thanks for making me more aware of this!
And yeesh, our cult of perfect angelic motherhood is so destructive to women. I had no idea such things were happening on YouTube.
I think we all do the "THAT'S NOT HOW YOU PRONOUNCE IT!" thing to an extent; like I said, I was flabbergasted when I ran across a native English speaker who didn't recognize the word "koala." My immediate reaction was, "Seriously? I learned that word in elementary school!" But I had to check my privilege and realize that, like you said, I've benefitted from my education, and furthermore, I mispronounce words sometimes, or pronounce them strangely. I'm human. There are things I don't know. I have an accent. I make mistakes. And I know that I don't mind people saying, "Oh, it's pronounced like this," because that's actually helpful.
I agree with you on most things. I have a tendency to steer towards positive reviews for a few reasons:
1. I usually get a sample. If something doesn't work for me, I don't buy it. 2. Because it's a sample, it's usually enough for one use or maybe a bit more. I often forget to photograph it or swatch it. 3. I'm reviewing what I'm buying (ie liking or loving) unless I have a deluxe sample or I have an allergic reaction I will rarely post about it.
Since I tend to review more than beauty products, I will give bad reviews to foods, wines, beers, cleaning products and things you don't tend to get "samples" of. If I don't like something because I'm not the target market, I'll usually say that and try to show what is good or who might like this. Many foundations are hard to review because of this or people layering on primers doing the heavy lifting for an other wise overpriced product.
I really dislike how many people don't try their foundation bare or explain EVERYTHING they put on before hand. I really enjoy a split face demo on youtube where people will show it with primer and without. If I'm spending $60 bucks on something I'm less likely to want to buy a primer of equal value to make it work. I also like seeing different applications on videos with different tools so you can see what works best for the foundation. It's a lot of work and I appreciate the few vloggers who do it.
I don't really have a problem with blogs that are entirely or mostly positive, though that's not my preference. I have more of a problem with the glowing, ERMAGAHD BEST THING EVAH!!! posts constantly popping up with nary a whiff of, "And by the way, this might not work for X or Y people." It seems disingenuous.
Every point you made in this video was definitely valid. I love how articulate you are when you make videos, you can tell that you've clearly thought about every word. I really love it when you make videos, I think you should definitely making them!
I share most of those peeves. My only minor disagreement is I think people who follow blogs can easily tell the difference between when free products and commission benefits the blog and when they sway the opinions of the blogger, especially when they've been following for a long time.
As always, I love how clear your videos are, and am I the only person who just adores your accent? If I had that kind of money I would commission you to make audio books. :)
I don't necessarily disagree that it's easy to spot very obvious shills. But I know that some parts of the internet are very critical of any blogger or YouTuber who reviews free product. It's a little sad, because yes, it can go too far...but press samples also help bring in new content.
And oh my God, I thought I generally had my accent hidden! I'm using my teacher voice! LOL! Pittsburgh was ranked second for "ugliest accent in the US" a year or two back and I was so proud. XD
A couple of weeks ago, Sali Hughes posted an article called "On Honesty". Sadly, she felt pushed into making her stance on commercial partnerships explicitly clear. She's a well-known and trusted journalist and it made me sad and really frustrated that the general distrust in the blogging world is overlapping into professional journalism.
Now, most of us understand how advertising works in the magazine/commercial website world, and I think it's more or less common knowledge that brands pay to be reviewed or mentioned. And because of this, you rarely see anything less than glowing reviews (but really, you mostly ever only see copy that was lifted straight from a press release.) I used to be a HUGE fan of fashion and beauty magazines, but my interest has waned in the last 5 years or so mostly due to amateur beauty blogs, and YouTube. And because I never read anything that questioned the PR copy.
These sites/videos have been invaluable to me as a source for swatches, news on upcoming releases, tutorials, and general inspiration. They also contributed to a rapidly growing stash of makeup that I could never use up in my lifetime. Now, as a consumer that does not produce content for blogs, I had an ungodly amount of makeup but nothing compared to what many of the people running these blogs/YouTube channels have. There are, of course, some content creators that have managed to turn their hobby into their source of income, but it’s happening less and less as the market becomes more saturated. They took the risk, spent their money to buy the products to review/use, and it paid off because they got in at the right time. Now, they get practically everything for free and can keep up with all the newest releases and trends while growing (or maintaining) their fanbase. Many of them don’t want to rock the boat, put their income on the line, and give more thoughtful and critical reviews highlighting the good AND the bad. I get it. I don’t agree with it, but I get it. Many of them also don’t disclose when they receive something for free (or with the understanding that a review should be produced) even though they are supposed to. Legally bound to, in many areas. I know of a few major content creators that are extremely dishonest in this area and I’ve stopped giving them any views at all, whether it be page views, channel views, Instagram likes, whatever. They are essentially breaking the law because they live in areas where the rules are clear and strict.
And this is where it really starts to bother me. If honest reviews aren’t given, people will go out and blindly buy whatever product these people rave about. I know because I’ve done it. And if free products aren’t disclosed, people wanting to start their own blog or channel think they have to go out and buy every single shade of a new release in order to attract people to their site/channel. It’s like they are playing pretend Journalist or Beauty Editor except with their own money. Smart businesspeople know - don’t ever invest with your own money!
I think it’s extremely dangerous for amateurs (I’m sorry, but if you’re not getting paid to do the job, you’re an amateur. No judgment, it just is what it is.) to try and compete with professionals (or “professionals”, if you like) that ARE getting paid either in money or product. The allure of so many of these sites/channels is that the creators are REGULAR PEOPLE JUST LIKE THE REST OF US. This is actually really awesome and good for the community as a whole. But as companies start to catch on, sadly the things that we liked about that blogger/YouTuber slowly start to go away. I think this is why haul videos are so popular. Hauls don’t require reviewing products, saying anything negative about anything, or putting any real thought into it at all. You’re just showing things off, providing even more free exposure to the products that these companies produce. Exposure that used to cost them a small fortune in advertising costs in magazines.
I don’t really have an end idea here, or a way to neatly wrap this up or any ideas on how to change it for the better. I love the democratization of beauty even though I sound really critical of it here. One thing I do know for sure is that “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all” doesn’t help anyone, especially if the reviewer has chosen to be a voice that people listen to.
I think we maybe need to have different expectations for different types of blogs. Large blogs that manage to give their personal opinion in full-blown detail, like Temptalia, are relatively rare these days, and I think it's because most of them wouldn't get away with it. Temptalia benefits from her extensive swatches, which create a database people will use constantly--brands know this.
I will note that the "disclosure" thing is a bit of a gray area. I find that a lot of people DO disclose that they get free product, but it'll be a small note on the side bar that says something like, "I sometimes receive products for free." Technically, that counts, but it's not as clear or upfront as many of us would like.
Interestingly, I think that interest in hauls has kind of waned. Don't get me wrong, those videos are still popular, but I see higher view counts and more interest in things like "first impression" and even "makeup purge" videos. It's a subtle but fascinating shift.
Word. (There are so many different avenues for discussion here. I'm always impressed when anyone tackles this stuff beyond calling everyone HATERS.)
Maybe I'm really boring and like intellectualizing things but I sure do wish someone would do an in-depth feature or documentary on this side of the internet. Something more than "Can you believe people make videos showing off things they bought!? AND THAT PEOPLE WATCH THEM!?A?" It would be fascinating.
Wonderful observations
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you enjoyed it.
DeleteI agree with all of your points. They're very well thought out and generous. I'm much more petty, so I get annoyed by much stupider stuff. Such as the filming set-up clones--do they all have to have Ikea furniture and scented candles burning in the background? Does every single Youtuber have to review the MannyMUA/Makeup Geek collaboration palette?
ReplyDeleteOh my God, do you know how much anxiety this makes me feel? Like, I see my bedroom in the background of videos and photos, and I think, "Oh, that's not *right.*" I catch myself doing that constantly.
DeleteLove the facial expressions at the start :D
ReplyDeleteI agree with lots of things you say. I think that a lot of beauty community culture stems from the US, which results in some of the issues you mention here. Especially the pigmentation thing, since sheer silky eyeshadows are a very Asian style.
Also, being a mother myself, I totally relate to the mother bit (although I haven't actually seen something like that happen.) Kids are just annoying or whiny sometimes!
I think you've really hit on a lot of very sensitive topics in a very sensible and eloquent manner. It was great seeing you discuss deeper issues in the community! And I also liked the judicious use of swear words :D
You know, I hadn't thought about the fact that most big name bloggers and YouTubers are American! That definitely explains some of the biases and predispositions.
DeleteI agree with so much of this, especially the culture of ersatz "positivity" that leads bloggers to never criticize any product ever because, well, that wouldn't be nice. If a brand is trying to get our money, it's not a failure of niceness or positivity to criticize their products. As beauty bloggers, we owe a debt not to brands or corporations but to our readers.
ReplyDeleteI confess, I've been guilty of ragging on YouTubers for their pronunciation at least once. I do think that if they're receiving a product for free, they should make an effort to pronounce its name correctly--but then I care about such things in part because I've had the privilege of years of higher education, and it's not my place to correct anyone. These are amateur videos we're talking about, not NPR. Thanks for making me more aware of this!
And yeesh, our cult of perfect angelic motherhood is so destructive to women. I had no idea such things were happening on YouTube.
I think we all do the "THAT'S NOT HOW YOU PRONOUNCE IT!" thing to an extent; like I said, I was flabbergasted when I ran across a native English speaker who didn't recognize the word "koala." My immediate reaction was, "Seriously? I learned that word in elementary school!" But I had to check my privilege and realize that, like you said, I've benefitted from my education, and furthermore, I mispronounce words sometimes, or pronounce them strangely. I'm human. There are things I don't know. I have an accent. I make mistakes. And I know that I don't mind people saying, "Oh, it's pronounced like this," because that's actually helpful.
DeleteI agree with you on most things. I have a tendency to steer towards positive reviews for a few reasons:
ReplyDelete1. I usually get a sample. If something doesn't work for me, I don't buy it.
2. Because it's a sample, it's usually enough for one use or maybe a bit more. I often forget to photograph it or swatch it.
3. I'm reviewing what I'm buying (ie liking or loving) unless I have a deluxe sample or I have an allergic reaction I will rarely post about it.
Since I tend to review more than beauty products, I will give bad reviews to foods, wines, beers, cleaning products and things you don't tend to get "samples" of. If I don't like something because I'm not the target market, I'll usually say that and try to show what is good or who might like this. Many foundations are hard to review because of this or people layering on primers doing the heavy lifting for an other wise overpriced product.
I really dislike how many people don't try their foundation bare or explain EVERYTHING they put on before hand. I really enjoy a split face demo on youtube where people will show it with primer and without. If I'm spending $60 bucks on something I'm less likely to want to buy a primer of equal value to make it work. I also like seeing different applications on videos with different tools so you can see what works best for the foundation. It's a lot of work and I appreciate the few vloggers who do it.
I don't really have a problem with blogs that are entirely or mostly positive, though that's not my preference. I have more of a problem with the glowing, ERMAGAHD BEST THING EVAH!!! posts constantly popping up with nary a whiff of, "And by the way, this might not work for X or Y people." It seems disingenuous.
DeleteEvery point you made in this video was definitely valid. I love how articulate you are when you make videos, you can tell that you've clearly thought about every word. I really love it when you make videos, I think you should definitely making them!
ReplyDeleteI try to do one a month! :)
DeleteI share most of those peeves. My only minor disagreement is I think people who follow blogs can easily tell the difference between when free products and commission benefits the blog and when they sway the opinions of the blogger, especially when they've been following for a long time.
ReplyDeleteAs always, I love how clear your videos are, and am I the only person who just adores your accent? If I had that kind of money I would commission you to make audio books. :)
I don't necessarily disagree that it's easy to spot very obvious shills. But I know that some parts of the internet are very critical of any blogger or YouTuber who reviews free product. It's a little sad, because yes, it can go too far...but press samples also help bring in new content.
DeleteAnd oh my God, I thought I generally had my accent hidden! I'm using my teacher voice! LOL! Pittsburgh was ranked second for "ugliest accent in the US" a year or two back and I was so proud. XD
Well, it's in my top 5 cutest accents in the world!
DeleteHey, thanks! LOL!
DeleteOh man. Buckle in…
ReplyDeleteA couple of weeks ago, Sali Hughes posted an article called "On Honesty". Sadly, she felt pushed into making her stance on commercial partnerships explicitly clear. She's a well-known and trusted journalist and it made me sad and really frustrated that the general distrust in the blogging world is overlapping into professional journalism.
Now, most of us understand how advertising works in the magazine/commercial website world, and I think it's more or less common knowledge that brands pay to be reviewed or mentioned. And because of this, you rarely see anything less than glowing reviews (but really, you mostly ever only see copy that was lifted straight from a press release.) I used to be a HUGE fan of fashion and beauty magazines, but my interest has waned in the last 5 years or so mostly due to amateur beauty blogs, and YouTube. And because I never read anything that questioned the PR copy.
These sites/videos have been invaluable to me as a source for swatches, news on upcoming releases, tutorials, and general inspiration. They also contributed to a rapidly growing stash of makeup that I could never use up in my lifetime. Now, as a consumer that does not produce content for blogs, I had an ungodly amount of makeup but nothing compared to what many of the people running these blogs/YouTube channels have. There are, of course, some content creators that have managed to turn their hobby into their source of income, but it’s happening less and less as the market becomes more saturated. They took the risk, spent their money to buy the products to review/use, and it paid off because they got in at the right time. Now, they get practically everything for free and can keep up with all the newest releases and trends while growing (or maintaining) their fanbase. Many of them don’t want to rock the boat, put their income on the line, and give more thoughtful and critical reviews highlighting the good AND the bad. I get it. I don’t agree with it, but I get it. Many of them also don’t disclose when they receive something for free (or with the understanding that a review should be produced) even though they are supposed to. Legally bound to, in many areas. I know of a few major content creators that are extremely dishonest in this area and I’ve stopped giving them any views at all, whether it be page views, channel views, Instagram likes, whatever. They are essentially breaking the law because they live in areas where the rules are clear and strict.
End of Part 1...
Part 2....
ReplyDeleteAnd this is where it really starts to bother me. If honest reviews aren’t given, people will go out and blindly buy whatever product these people rave about. I know because I’ve done it. And if free products aren’t disclosed, people wanting to start their own blog or channel think they have to go out and buy every single shade of a new release in order to attract people to their site/channel. It’s like they are playing pretend Journalist or Beauty Editor except with their own money. Smart businesspeople know - don’t ever invest with your own money!
I think it’s extremely dangerous for amateurs (I’m sorry, but if you’re not getting paid to do the job, you’re an amateur. No judgment, it just is what it is.) to try and compete with professionals (or “professionals”, if you like) that ARE getting paid either in money or product. The allure of so many of these sites/channels is that the creators are REGULAR PEOPLE JUST LIKE THE REST OF US. This is actually really awesome and good for the community as a whole. But as companies start to catch on, sadly the things that we liked about that blogger/YouTuber slowly start to go away. I think this is why haul videos are so popular. Hauls don’t require reviewing products, saying anything negative about anything, or putting any real thought into it at all. You’re just showing things off, providing even more free exposure to the products that these companies produce. Exposure that used to cost them a small fortune in advertising costs in magazines.
I don’t really have an end idea here, or a way to neatly wrap this up or any ideas on how to change it for the better. I love the democratization of beauty even though I sound really critical of it here. One thing I do know for sure is that “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all” doesn’t help anyone, especially if the reviewer has chosen to be a voice that people listen to.
Buckled in!
DeleteI think we maybe need to have different expectations for different types of blogs. Large blogs that manage to give their personal opinion in full-blown detail, like Temptalia, are relatively rare these days, and I think it's because most of them wouldn't get away with it. Temptalia benefits from her extensive swatches, which create a database people will use constantly--brands know this.
I will note that the "disclosure" thing is a bit of a gray area. I find that a lot of people DO disclose that they get free product, but it'll be a small note on the side bar that says something like, "I sometimes receive products for free." Technically, that counts, but it's not as clear or upfront as many of us would like.
Interestingly, I think that interest in hauls has kind of waned. Don't get me wrong, those videos are still popular, but I see higher view counts and more interest in things like "first impression" and even "makeup purge" videos. It's a subtle but fascinating shift.
Word. (There are so many different avenues for discussion here. I'm always impressed when anyone tackles this stuff beyond calling everyone HATERS.)
DeleteMaybe I'm really boring and like intellectualizing things but I sure do wish someone would do an in-depth feature or documentary on this side of the internet. Something more than "Can you believe people make videos showing off things they bought!? AND THAT PEOPLE WATCH THEM!?A?" It would be fascinating.