Recently, I’ve developed a wee bit of an attitude problem. “Recently,” as in some time about, oh, I don’t know, 30 years ago? The thing is, I don’t know exactly from where this most recent stressed-out snarkastic attitude stems. One of these days, I’ll figure it out, battle it, and beat it (and let you all know about it!), but for now, the reality is that I don't like anything these days. I don't look forward to going to my office by the ocean. I don't get excited about blogging. Worst of all, nothing, not even Benito's nachos, tastes good to me anymore. Maybe I'm just....jaded?
Top 20 Signs You're a Jaded Food Blogger:
- You haven’t updated your blog in five weeks…and you don’t care.
- You don’t feel the need to write an “apology” post for not updating your blog because you finally realize that no one else really cares either.
- You write fluff posts like Top 20 Signs… just to update your five-week stale blog.
- You’ve moved on to “updating your blog” via Twitter because really now, blogging is just sooo web 2.006.
- You don’t comment on other food blogs anymore. In fact, you don’t even read other food blogs anymore. Hell, you don’t even read your own blog because it hasn’t been updated in five weeks and you never wrote an apology post to yourself for the lack of posting.
- You snicker when someone says “I’m a food blogger” with pride, as if it were something to be proud of.
- Food porn doesn’t turn you on anymore. In fact, regular porn doesn’t turn you…uh, never mind. Wrong blog.
- You don’t answer to your “handle” anymore.
- You use the word "handle" to refer to "names" in the "blogosphere."
- Instead of blogging about food, you blog about food blogging. Sometimes you blog about nothing related to food or blogging.
- You forgot your login and password for your blog's stat counter.
- You don’t take pictures of food anymore. You don’t take pictures of food anymore because you don’t cook because you don’t want to take pictures of food. Because you don't cook. Because...
- You finally realize that you don’t have to blog about every single thing you eat. That’s what Twitter is for (see above).
- You realize that when a PR rep wants to send you a sample, you aren’t special.
- You don’t go to blogger meetups anymore. Not that you ever did.
- You don’t participate in memes.
- You start a new blog that has nothing to do with food, wine, restaurants or eating. In fact, it’s called Drugstore Beauty Queen.
- You realize how fat you've become from food blogging, so you go on a diet.
- You become a “secret eater” so no one will ask you if you are “going to blog that?”
- You only go to restaurants that you’ve been to before so you don’t feel pressure to blog about a new place. “Let’s go to Johnnie’s since I've already blogged about it.”
been there.
blogged that.
My sister, brother-in-law, and I went to Johnnie's New York Pizzeria in Century City. I've been there before. I've blogged about its sibling on 3rd Street Promenade before. The garlic rolls weren't burnt this time. The Vegetarian Chopped Salad was fresh. The pizza was pizza.
That's all I feel like writing. And don't call me "Delicious."
** a year ago today, we sang amazing graze **
** two years ago today, chicken salad comes from china **
tags :: food : and drink : italian : restaurants : reviews : blogs : blogging : los angeles
sabrina says
hahhah... I totally know how you feel, i think there's a top off at about 3 years and then you just need a break.
Sean says
Oh dear ... I think I'm about 66% jaded. Tho I got over the guilt around not posting, or not posting regularly, or not posting about what people think I'm going to post about, long ago.
Linda says
Hey Sarah. It'll be alright. Treat yourself well.
Dr. T says
Maybe it's signs of depression.
sarah says
sabrina: and i'm not even at three years yet! but then again, my mom told me i was precocious.
sean: i'm almost there. the "getting over it" part, that is. at least, transitioning from "i don't care" to "it's okay."
linda: thank you for the encouragement :)
dr. t: temporary depression, perhaps. more like stress. just have to figure out how to handle it. but i have to be quite honest. i've always thrived on stress.
Rachael says
It's just part of having a new job coupled with the fact that basically blogging can be a really boring and tedious thing to do.
Oh wait, thats my excuse.
sarah says
rachael: i never thought i'd think of blogging as tedious, but sometimes, it amost feels like a job. that doesn't pay, of course.
Androo says
But you ARE paid! Paid with occasional kudos from people who have formed complete opinions about you based on what food you like. Surely you can turn those into a gas payment.
SteamyKitchen says
Have you had your daily ration of chocolate lately? I know that helps!
Professor Salt says
I'm SO feeling this post.
Caroline on Crack says
I totally know how you feel and when I go through it I chalk it up to what every writer goes through: ennui. It'll pass. You've got some good stuff here and you'll have more. :)
Caroline on Crack says
I totally know how you feel and when I go through it I chalk it up to what every writer goes through: ennui. It'll pass. You've got some good stuff here and you'll have more. :)
joanh says
at least you are still getting comments and reading them right? i think i'm about 50% there.. part of it is that it does become a job that takes a lot of time and we don't get paid... part of it is that we spend so much time analyzing the food and taking notes and taking pictures, we don't get to just absorb and enjoy the food. so yeah, take a little break...
condiment says
Of course, eating on the Promenade as often as you have been is bound to sap your will to live.
Taste-Buzz says
What helps me is the knowledge that I haven't even begun to scratch the surface of where to go. So I make it a point to visit lots of places and not take the camera or detailed menu notes. If it really is that good, I'll be back with my reinforcements.
Seriously, the food is for you. The blog is for us. You come first.
Taste-Buzz says
What helps me is the knowledge that I haven't even begun to scratch the surface of where to go. So I make it a point to visit lots of places and not take the camera or detailed menu notes. If it really is that good, I'll be back with my reinforcements.
Seriously, the food is for you. The blog is for us. You come first.
Anonymous says
hi, Sarah
I was surfing Tastespotting and came across to your blog. I haven't read/seen all the messages, but intent to eagerly. I liked this post. It made me laugh.
I am a blogger too, so I can understand how you feel :)
elvira
H. C. says
Hey there,
It's OK when you don't feel like blogging -- I'm sure every blogger has that jaded point too (esp. in comparison to the initial eagerness and frequency of posts when the blog starts up). And given that you aren't paid to blog, it really should something you do when *you* feel like it.
Nonetheless, I look forward to your future food-related musings -- at your convenience ;) But even if you decided to throw in the towel -- three years was a good run for a blog, and you'll be missed.
H. C. says
Hey there,
It's OK when you don't feel like blogging -- I'm sure every blogger has that jaded point too (esp. in comparison to the initial eagerness and frequency of posts when the blog starts up). And given that you aren't paid to blog, it really should something you do when *you* feel like it.
Nonetheless, I look forward to your future food-related musings -- at your convenience ;) But even if you decided to throw in the towel -- three years was a good run for a blog, and you'll be missed.
Sarah C. says
Hey, as a foodie in the tasteless mid-west, I enjoy reading about the life I could be living were I on either coast. Keep up the blogs, even if they arent as frequent as we would all like. A jaded blogger is better than no blogger at all...
Julian Hsu says
You're still my favorite food blogger, even if you are jaded.
sarah says
androo: you are right, and honestly, the comments on THIS post alone made my week :)
steamy kitchen: chocolate=allergy. BUT! i think i most definitely could use a cupcake. *sigh*
professor: feeling jaded? i think it's a syndrome that's hitting a lot of us right now.
caroline: yes, this too, shall pass. just wish it would pass...faster.
joanh: haha. i think i did take a break. i just want to eat something that makes me...cry.
condiment: you're telling me. seriously, i think i should pack a lunch so i don't have to eat from the same rotation of cafe bellagio, la salsa, and famima every day.
taste-buzz: hm...maybe that's what i should do. only blog about it after i've been there twice. but then again...sometimes i like whining about the bad :)
elvira: glad you found me! and hope you like tastespotting!
hc: oh no! i doubt i could actually ever throw in the towel! leave blogging completely? never! i need the therapy :)
sarah: GREAT NAME! ;)
and honey, i LOVE the midwest (born there, grew up there...). don't call it tasteless! maybe i need another trip to chicago so i can fawn all over the hot dogs, steaks, and go to someone's house and have them feed me a damn good casserole ;)
julian: awww...you just made me smile.
annie says
oh no! i hope its not contagious!
annie says
oh no! i hope its not contagious!
glutster says
i thought it was just me, i wonder what's wrong with us?
Stephanie says
Take a holiday from it.... a month, six months. The people who love reading you will still be there in a month, six months. As a former food editor and restaurant reviewer of a newspaper in Australia, everyone kept telling me I had a dream job ... and I did, for a while. But it seemed to me that the pleasure I got out of food, restaurants, cooking etc diminished the longer I had the job...it became just that - a job. It's taken me five years to be able to watch a cooking show on television even with any interest. Can't believe that I've thrown myself into it all again with a blog: at the moment I love it, but that pressure is always there, isn't it? I think it still is an enthusiasm for me because it allows me to vent as you have done, and offload some of the rubbish in my life, and people's comments have been so generous and warm and sustaining. But perhaps you should take that holiday and do it for love for a while only ... then you might find the love for blogging returns.
j.gabriel says
1.) If you stop food blogging, I will have lost at least 3 laughs a day. That's 1095 smiles you'll be robbing from me.
2.) You're 30?
sarah says
teenage glutster: but at least we know we're not alone
stephanie: i honestly do love blogging, but somewhere along the path to today, i forgot why i was doing it: simply because i love food and dining out and "talking" about it (of course, that also means "whining" about it, too). i guess i started to put this weird pressure on myself to "perform," write for an audience, to entertain, to write well, and that is what has made it hard. as soon as i remember that it's a blog, that it's my blog, and that i should just write freely and comfortably as myself, i will have gotten my groove back, right?
i don't think my break will be too long :)
j.gabriel: eh, i could never really stop blogging. i might implode.
and honey, i am nowhere NEAR 30.
i am 32. :)
Anonymous says
What about:
21. You don't bring your camera to restaurants with you on purpose
22. You start doing "linklove" posts because all you have to do is link to other blog posts instead of actually writing something.
23. If you DO eat something good, you tell yourself you want to keep that secret to yourself.
Anonymous says
What about:
21. You don't bring your camera to restaurants with you on purpose
22. You start doing "linklove" posts because all you have to do is link to other blog posts instead of actually writing something.
23. If you DO eat something good, you tell yourself you want to keep that secret to yourself.
sarah says
anonymous: funny!
in fact, everyone: if you have more of your own "signs of being a jaded blogger" to add, please do. it'll make me feel even...worse! yes! because there will be more, and because i didn't think of them myself.
awesome.
;)
e d b m says
haha, very nice posting. too many of the bulletpoints are true. i have a few additions as well...
21. You 'report spam' when a PR person emails you about a new restaurant, food event or 'package'.
22. You look at a mirror in the morning and go "what the f*ck have i done to myself?"
23. If you're too lazy to write, you find someone else's post and say something like "Oh i want to try this place out next." and still expect a monumental amount of comments.
Huoy says
Oh Sarah! You know I'm a fan. Has it really been that long? I swear time flies by like no other!
Deborah Dowd says
Even though I am a neophyte blogger, I know what you mean! Since most of the food bloggers on the net have real (paying) jobs as well as many other responsibilities it is sometimes over-whelming. Unless you are making money at it, if blogging ceases to be enjoyable, it's time to take a break! For me, a well-placed comment, a new link can sometimes help recharge my blogging battery!
hermz says
I don't think you're jaded. I think your blogging biorhythms have hit a down cycle. These things happen.
Jess Winfield says
I recommend you embrace "jaded." I did it a long time ago. I find that if I keep telling myself it's part of my weekly grind, purely for promotion of my other work, and it makes my meals and camera tax deductible, it's no more depressing than the rest of life... and that makes me happy!
Tempered Woman says
uhmmmm, that list was so perfect, it was creepy...
how about "you don't bother to comment just to beef up your own comments any more" & "you don't bother responding to your own comments because you realize no one bothers to check back anyways." heh
Thanks for the fun post~ and this is why I follow you on Twitter. I'm web 2.007 like that.