The Momfluencer Multiverse
The Momfluencer Multiverse
What does Momfluencing look like on my timeline?
In today’s post:
A Q (not) A More questions and fewer answers
The Full Beat The Momfluencer Multiverse: What does Momfluencing look like on my timeline?
A Q (not) A
A brief series of questions that probably shouldn’t be answered.
Isn’t the idea of pheromone perfumes a bit ridiculous? Not to be all, old woman yelling at clouds, but it is ridiculous, right? Geza Schoen, perfumer and founder, explains (in the article trying to sell them to us) that “There are no exact replicas of the body's pheromones lining the shelves of perfumeries.” So what are we doing here people? *Although with about 37% more influencing, I may just try Glossier’s You.
Is this the most interesting year in hip-hop? Someone on the internet said this is the most interesting year in hip-hop, in at least the past decade, and I think they might be right? Latto v. Nicki Minaj, Drake v. Literally Everybody, J.T.’s limited venue run, AI Tupac, Diddy…
Is All of Us Strangers the most heartbreaking film streaming right now? I can’t say for sure because I haven’t seen very many others this year (I’m sad enough on my own without external support thank you very much). I did watch the film and every time I think about it I want to hold everyone in the cast tightly so it may be.
The Momfluencer Multiverse: What does Momfluencing look like on my timeline?
Whether these moms are homesteaders with thirty thousand dollar ovens or anti-bougie moms who regularly tell their followers they prefer Wal-Mart over Target, they are all in the business of selling. These women are selling their followers tools that may make mothering easier or, at the very least, more appealing. I am confident that no product will accomplish this. Anna North describes momfluencers as,”... a construct, created by real mothers in the mid-aughts, in concert with tech companies and consumer brands, as a way of making a living on social media.” This post is an exploration of a few types of influencers that have come across my timeline, who are selling something different and yet the same.
Scene One: Mother focuses intently as she carves out even slices of some massive casserole and places equal slices onto dozens of small plates. (Note: Mother wears an apron and a half-smile that never leaves her lips. She has also sourced most of the food from their at-home garden, which we will tour in the next video.) Small children of all ages enter and exit the frame, tugging at her modest and heavy clothing or being strapped onto and off of her chest. We hear babies fussing gently and “mom, mom, mom” repeated impatiently. Eventually, Father enters, kisses Mother on the cheek, and joins the children at the head of the table he carved in an older post. Mother sets his plate down before him, it is heavy with the biggest chunk of casserole. Mother takes her place at the seat nearest him and Father leads the family in a handheld prayer before they eat.
She is selling: Pre-made pancake mix that has organic, all-natural, non-GMO, high-quality, and hand-scythed, wheat.
Scene Two: Mom pushes her messy hair out of her face as she leans over the stove and multiple pots. She rips open bags of frozen food and pours it onto well worn sheet pans and into pots of boiling water. She moves in and out of frame pointing at things and giving small children directives. The video is split into many pieces so the audio is disjointed, “DON’T YOU DA–” is punctuated by “Honey, share the….” or “In a minute sweetie.” Children enter and exit the frame grabbing snacks from the fridge, asking her questions, leaning on her arms while she cooks. In the background we hear children arguing, things dropping, and “mom, mom mom” repeated impatiently. (Note: Mom often looks into the camera while wiping the sweat from her brow.) Eventually, Dad enters, slaps Mom's butt and we hear her yell at the family to “quit playing around and get to the table.” Mom serves everyone and the camera catches Dad and small child playing around while Mom’s head is bowed in prayer.
She is selling: Affiliate links to the mega-chain store that sells the food she cooked, t-shirts her children wear, and the stove she’s cooking on, all of which are linked in her bio.
Scene Three: Mom claps her hands together and asks us to get ready with her. She initiates a multi-step skincare routine. She gets dressed off-camera and reappears in taut athleisure. Her caption responsibly tells us that this is a sponsored post for ___, her “most favorite athleisure brand ever.” We meet her infant and toddler in the next series of quickly cut clips. Both children’s outfits match hers in either color or pattern. Mom seats babies around the table and jokingly wipes no sweat from her brow. She tells us that she is so excited that her “most favorite food delivery brand ever” sent over a pre-prepped dinner for tonight. Eventually, Dad enters, kisses the kids, kisses mom, notices the camera, and is surprised by it. He waves at the audience and takes a bite of the prepared dinner. The pop song playing in the background is muted so that he can tell us that this meal is “really delicious” and “you guys have got to try this.” Mom nods her approval as everyone eats and giggles while the pop song gradually increases.
She is selling: A free trial to the dinner service, just for her followers, which is available in her stories of course.