I’m not a woman anymore, I’m a MOM!

Excuse me if I’m a bit ranty, but, well…I’m a bit ranty.

I keep seeing something around the blogosphere, links on Facebook and twitter, etc. that is really disturbing to me.  And no, it’s not politics, or child soldiers, or anything of any actual consequence that has me riled up.

It is the over-targeting, from a marketing standpoint, of women who have children.  It’s the heavy, ridiculous, almost comical marketing to “MOMS”.  Sure, there are many products and services (such as diapers!) that only a mom would have a need for.  But there are also many things that should be marketed to women in general that are now pointedly being marketed with ” a twist” FOR MOMS.

Because apparently, once you give birth to or adopt a child, you are no longer just a woman.  And you need to be told SPECIFICALLY what to wear, and how to wear it.  You need to be told what meals to make your family, and how to make them.  And you need to only read blog posts and articles that have the word “mom” in the title.

Let me urge you to no longer read blog posts with the word “mom” in the title unless it is a post or article about parenting.

I am tired of reading about fashion FOR MOMS, cooking FOR MOMS, products FOR MOMS.

I’m a woman.  If I read an article about how to wear the latest fashion trend, I am going to be reading about WOMEN’S FASHION, not MOM FASHION.

I recently saw a post titled something to the effect of “How to wear skinny jeans if you’re a mom”  – that is not the exact title because I don’t want to be a total jerkwad, after all this rant is completely impersonal – there are dozens if not more bloggers and writers using the word “mom” to get search engine traffic (plenty of whom I think are super-great people).  I was immediately incensed when I read the title. Because really, if you’re a mom, why would you wear skinny jeans any differently from any other woman?  If that’s the case, shouldn’t women who delivered vaginally wear their jeans differently from c-section moms? OH MY GOSH WHAT IF YOU’VE HAD BOTH TYPES OF DELIVERIES??? Then HOW IN THE WORLD DO YOU KNOW HOW TO WEAR YOUR SKINNY JEANS?  Oh! Or what if you’re a mom by ADOPTION!!??  Or a STEPMOM?  Ohmagah I am hyperventilating just thinking about the crisis I would have over skinny jeans if I were a MOM OF MULTIPLES!  Or a mom with biological, adopted, AND stepkids.  That type of mom probably shouldn’t even wear clothes at all.  Too difficult!

{Are you picking up my sarcasm?  I hope so because I am laying it on pretttttty thickly.}

It’s not mom fashion, it’s fashion.  And females who have children should not have separate rules for wearing clothing.  There should be fashion difference for women of different ages, perhaps, but not rules, articles, tips, or tricks based on being a mom. The reason these articles and post exists is because the word “mom” brings in good search engine traffic.  That is the bottom line.

To give you another example of this ridiculousness, I saw another post the other day, the title of which began with “Mom Fashion:” – then the rest of the title was about the appropriateness of teen clothing for prom or something like that.  You see, the article was not about mom fashion at all.  It was about whether you should let your daughters wear slutty clothes to the school dance.  Sure, moms were the article’s intended audience, but the title was written just for search engine optimization (SEO), not to, you know, MAKE ACTUAL SENSE.

So if you see those posts, don’t click on them.  Go to a fashion website instead.

Because you are a woman.  Even if you have a child.  You are a woman.

Don’t you guys love it when I get pissed off??

Let me say in closing, that I realize this is what some feel they have to do to be successful in business, if their business is a blog or website. Perhaps this is just a game you have to play these days.  But I am 100% uninterested in participating in it as blogger or a reader of blogs. (Or a WOMAN).

As much as it pains me to say this, however, I know my opinion is not the only valid one on the subject? Anyone care to add theirs?  Just please be nice and respectful in your comments.