Gemma Cartwright has a bone to pick with catty women...
For the past two days, over at Catwalk Queen we've been covering the launch of the controversial Kate Moss for Topshop collection. I've not been particularly happy about the amount of coverage I've had to give to a woman who I think is an appalling role model and a waste of column inches...and I think the collection is unimaginative and overpriced. But we are providing a service, and we do what the masses want. This was a huge event in the world of fashion and as expected our liveblog, in-depth reviews and dozens of photographs definitely got people talking. It's been a very successful few days for us, but the comments on our posts (some of which we've had to delete) have left a lasting impression on me in terms of how I look at my fellow females.
It will never fail to amaze me just how catty women can be, especially when they comment on blogs or post in forums. Why is it that we say things online that we wouldn't dare say in real life? After all, you wouldn't walk up to a stranger on the street and tell her she looks fat...
...would you?
I've always had issues with people who are intentionally nasty. I know plenty of girls who 'say what they really think' and 'tell people stuff to their face'. That's all very honourable, but there is a fine line between being honest and just being mean, and sometimes I really do think it's best to keep your trap shut. Your friend's just spent £200 on a haircut that she loves even though you think it doesn't really suit her? Tread carefully. It's like the age-old 'does my bum look big in this' question. The answer is always NO. Most of the time when women ask for an opinion, what they really want is just confirmation that what they think is right.
When you put yourself out there in the public forum you expect to get responses from people who might not agree with you. This is a given. One of the greatest things about blogging as opposed to writing for traditional print media is the interactive nature of a blog. I can write something and within a few seconds I can get a response from a reader. It's wonderful to know that people are reading and responding to my thoughts, even if they disagree.
But next time you post a comment on a blog remember one thing. The majority of bloggers do it for fun. They're blogging simply because they love it, and they do not deserve abuse for having a hobby. Blogging is my job, so I'm expected to take the bad with the good, and I'm slowly beginning to realise this and toughen up a bit. I've even learned to put up with my biggest pet hate in the world - sentences that begin with the words 'no offence'. At the end of the day, for every mean comment I get, there are plenty of nice ones to cancel them out. But as everyone knows, we always dwell on the bad stuff.
Constructive comments, debate and even passionate 'I disagree' rants are brilliant. The world would be a very boring place if we all thought the same thing. However, nobody is paid enough to put up with personal attacks...and that's what the 'delete' button is for!
Gemma Cartwright has been told she's ugly, fat, thick, arrogant, fake, a poser, a loser, an airhead, an egotistical bitch and various other things by blog commenters. It's probably all true, but she doesn't need a reminder.