The blogosphere is ablaze today with the release of Forbes’ favorite blogs. Gothamist got mentioned as a “Forbes Favorite,” as did the great Galleycat for when you need your literary/publishing fix. Other personal favs receiving “Best of the Web” Top-100 notice include Maud Newton and Stereogum, but while browsing the “Forbes Directory of blogs where they actually review all their favorites, I noticed something very disturbing.
All the blogs are separated into categories: Art Blogs, Automobile Blogs, Blog tools, Career Blogs, Economic Blogs, Health and Fitness Blogs, Literary Blogs, Marketing Blogs, Media Blogs, Medical Blogs, Meta Blogs, Political Blogs, Shopping Blogs, Small Business Blogs, Sports Blogs, Technology Blogs, Video Blogs, Video Games. Hmmm … what’s missing. It’s on the tip of my tongue, or at least my fingers. Just out of reach. What is it? What! Is! It?!?
Ah yes … where the hell are Film Blogs? Or even Entertainment Blogs? Why is our little corner of the web constantly forgotten in any media mentions of blogging? I mean seriously. (For that matter, there should also be “Pop Culture Blogs” which is probably where Stereogum really belongs and which should obvs be led by Whatevs.org.)
Believe me, I’m not shilling for any personal notoriety here. This blog certainly doesn’t deserve a “Best of the Web” notice in any category compared to so many of my compatriots, especially in the film blog world. There are people out there (many listed in that column on the right, yelling at the screen right along with me, although possibly with less blatant venom) who deserve the same notortiety and are as clever and expert in this field as any of the writers in theirs. Is it because the film industry is considered a bit of joke? Or is it because there is the impression that there is a divide between mainstream “Hollywood” pop-culture-influenced film and academic consideration? Can’t we all exist in the same world?
Come on cinephiles — I think an uprising is in order. It’s time for GreenCine Daily and Cinetrix to get the widespread publicity they deserve. And hell, I keep finding new film blogs every day; there’s not even time to read a fraction of them.
So why the hate, yo?
Out of Focus 
the guardian published this film “blogwatch,” which is a start, but it’s squirreled away in a sponsored section. nice to see david get a nod, at any rate.
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Discrimi-fucking-nation – that’s why!
Somehow we alone are lumped into the “scary pale geek” category — little more than fanboys (and girls) with an obsession that veers dangerously close to the comic book set.
Seriously though, I was having a chat with a Guardian writer who lives in my neighborhood, and he told me that some newspapers and magazines perceive film bloggers as a threat — they find us more dedicated and passionate than many of their staff writers. I find that claim somewhat dubious, but I did have an interesting (and ugly) run-in the other night with a film critic whose star no longer shines too bright — there actually was a time when he was respected, sort of — who said that we (film bloggers) don’t play by any other rules than our own, and that we are doing more harm than good in our endless praise for EVERYTHING. Whatever.
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Aaron: Thank you for the kind words. Honor enough.
Filmbrain: I have a very nice little tan going, thank you. Hell, I even have freckles. Granted, it’s nothing next to that sunburned nose of Aaron’s…
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