The study found that blogging serves as a medium for self-expression and community building, where ordinary people can feel a sense of belonging. However, some critics reject Drummond's persona as they do not identify with her representation of what a "real" pioneer woman should look like. They perceive Drummond's text and images as incongruent with their idea of authentic country living, leading them to question her authenticity and worthiness of the label "Pioneer Woman." Some comments suggest an inaccurate belief that the blogging genre reveals unfiltered reality and an ambivalence towards Drummond's lifestyle, as it does not align with the historical perception of 19th-century pioneer women as hardworking, manual laborers.
Whether you love or hate Ree Drummond, the intense criticism she receives points to larger societal issues that arise from navigating our online and offline identities. As a graduate student in a digital culture class, I stumbled upon Drummond's cookbook, The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl, at Target in 2014. Through researching her background and journey to fame, I became fascinated by the vehement criticism she garnered in the blogosphere, prompting me to question why people were so passionate in their negative reactions to an apparently harmless homemaker. This phenomenon highlights the blurring lines between public and private spaces and the impact it has on our perceptions and actions in both online and offline realms.
In Chapter 1, "Blogging," I will explore the medium that launched Drummond's career. Blogging has been celebrated as "the medium of everyday people" due to its accessibility to average individuals and its perceived ability to offer an unfiltered view of one's life. However, critics of thepioneerwoman.com often accuse Drummond of misrepresenting the lifestyle of a rancher's wife by presenting a polished, monetized blog that does not accurately reflect the simplicity and modesty of the frontier lifestyle. Some argue that she is fraudulently portraying herself as a "Pioneer Woman" and exploiting the accessibility of the medium to perpetuate this falsehood.
However, I will also examine how Drummond's work as a professional blogger is dismissed by some as failing to meet the standards of "real" pioneering work, which is traditionally associated with hard, physical labor. Critics who refuse to acknowledge the value of Drummond's intellectual labor in constructing blog posts, networking, and monetizing her blog also unfairly label her economic goals and creative vision as inauthentic and unfeminine. Furthermore, by dismissing the blog as unworthy of the "Pioneer Woman" label, they fail to recognize how this virtual space represents the skill sets of a 21st-century entrepreneur.
Drummond faced accusations of being too greedy and capitalist-driven, with critics suggesting that her success is an affront to the hardworking values of real pioneer women. However, I argue that these criticisms ignore Drummond's agency in creating a successful brand that reflects her own experiences and values. By dismissing her as a mere capitalist, critics overlook the ways in which Drummond's brand empowers her as a woman in a male-dominated industry and enables her to create a platform for herself and others. Additionally, I will explore how Drummond's own sense of ambition and desire for success are valid and should not be discounted simply because she is a woman who achieved her goals through traditionally feminine pursuits such as cooking and homemaking.
Overall, my analysis of Ree Drummond's media presence and the criticisms she faces will demonstrate how her work reflects larger societal issues around gender, domesticity, and agency. By examining the ways in which critics attempt to dictate Drummond's image and limit her agency, I hope to shed light on the ways in which women's choices and successes are often unfairly judged and devalued in our society.
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