Last updated on July 17th, 2026 at 12:59 pm
I started my first blog in 2003, back in the dinosaur days of dial-up internet when the online world still felt like the Wild West. Meeting someone you knew from the internet made your family think you’d completely lost your mind.
Starting a blog was exciting. The idea that anyone could publish their own thoughts for the world to read was revolutionary. Since then, blogging has evolved dramatically from the days of Yahoo Chat rooms and personal journals.
One thing hasn’t changed:
Blogging changed my life.
I’ve spent more than twenty years helping writers and entrepreneurs understand why sharing content online matters and the opportunities it can create.
When American Blogger Was Announced
I was genuinely excited when the documentary American Blogger released its trailer. Then I watched it. It quickly became obvious why the trailer sparked such a firestorm of criticism from bloggers, journalists, and longtime readers.
The documentary claimed to tell the story of American bloggers, yet it overlooked many of the most influential voices who helped shape blogging into what it is today. Instead, filmmaker Christopher Wiegand centered much of the film around his wife, Casey Wiegand, and many of her blogging friends.
Most were…
Mom bloggers.
You can check out the American Blogger trailer here:
American Blogger – Official Trailer from Chris Wiegand on Vimeo.
The Backlash
Much of the criticism wasn’t aimed at mom bloggers themselves. It was the lack of diversity. The trailer suggested that blogging was represented primarily by one very specific demographic.
One reviewer summed up the frustration rather bluntly:
“I’ve said from the start that this entire project just seems like a way for the Wiegands to circle jerk with their blogger friends…”
Ouch.
What the Film Still Gets Right
Despite my disappointment with the selection of bloggers, I’m thrilled someone finally decided to make a documentary about blogging at all. My own second career exists because I started a blog. As frustrating as blogging can be, especially when life gets in the way, I doubt I’ll ever stop writing online in some form.
People often underestimate what successful blogging actually requires.
It takes grit.
It takes years.
It means continually improving your writing, finding your voice, serving your audience, and showing up consistently long before anyone notices. Publishing online isn’t simply posting random thoughts.
It’s publishing.
And publishing comes with standards.
Why Wiegand didn’t do a more comprehensive documentary on blogging, travel to other countries to see how blogging has changed writers’ lives, and interview the trailblazers who first brought blogging out into mainstream media is lost on me.
Blogging Is About Readers
The bloggers who succeed care deeply about the people reading their work. They create useful, entertaining, or inspiring content over and over again. Simply putting words online isn’t the same thing.
At least one filmmaker is finally acknowledging that.
The Bloggers Missing From the Story
Where the documentary truly fell short was in failing to showcase the incredible diversity of blogging.
- Where were the men?
- The pioneers?
- The travel writers?
- The food bloggers?
- The technology experts?
- The voices that helped build blogging into a worldwide movement?
I also would have loved to see blogging represented across cultures, generations, and countries.
Bloggers I Wish Had Been Included
1. ZenHabits by Leo Babauta
Zen Habits is one of the most visited blogs on the Internet, with millions of subscribers, covering topics such as simplifying your life, living frugally, parenting, happiness, motivation, eliminating debt, saving, eating healthily, successfully implementing good habits, and achieving goals.
Leo Babauta wrote his very first blog post on February 1, 2007. But it’s the way he conducts his blogging that makes him famous.
To quote Leo:
Readers first. This is my No. 1 rule, and it has served me extremely well. When I have a question (“should I promote X or not?”) the answer is always, “What would my readers want? What would help them most?” When the choice is between making some extra money or my readers’ interest, the choice is obvious. There is no choice. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve passed up being part of a mega-sale or affiliate marketing campaign that would have earned me $50K (and sometimes much more) in a day or two if I’d decided to participate. I’ve walked away from at least $1M because it would have put profits before my readers. And I think my readers trust me more because of this.
Leo’s Zen Habits is listed among the top 25 blogs in the world.
2. Kath Eats Real Food by Kath Younger
OK. She’s a white, mom-type blogger. Bite me. But her blog Kath Eats Real Food, is a good example of how sharing content online evolves. She is completely transparent in what she does.
In her own words:
I started blogging in March of 2006 at Calorie King as I set out to lose 30 pounds. A year and a half later, at the request of family and friends, I decided to start a photo blog of my recipes and meals. I began blogging at Blogspot in September 2007, which then moved to WordPress, and finally to my own domain, KathEats.com. After working in public relations for a few years, I went back to school to become a Registered Dietitian in 2008.
For five years, I blogged THREE TIMES A DAY: breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Kath’s KERF blog is listed among the top 25 blogs in the world.
3. Bacon is Magic by Ayngelina Brogan
Yes. The word bacon is what first drew me in.
Ayngelina Brogan is a Canadian travel blogger and frequent solo traveler (don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love world traveler Natasha von Geldern’s travel blog; she has submitted her travel stories and images on this website). Still, I list this blog because the name is too awesome to ignore.
Blogging is supposed to be a bit pithy. Ayngelina’s story is the story of bravery.
In her words:
I left an amazing job, boyfriend, apartment and friends to find inspiration in Latin America. Today I share stories about the people and places behind the meals I enjoy around the world.
Despite her fear, she took a chance on her big dream and decided to write about it:
The fear was petrifying but it was not paralyzing. As much as I was afraid to go, I was more afraid to regret not going. I traveled solo through Latin America trying to figure out what my life is all about.
I also love her photographs.
4. Oh She Glows by Angela Liddon
Oh, She Glows is an award-winning vegan recipe website created to please vegans and carnivores alike. But to me, it’s everything a food blogger’s website should be.
Staring at it makes me feel healthy. Angela started her blog on October 31st, 2008, to share her recovery from an eating disorder, her journey to health, and the fantastic transformation it created in her life.
She is another blogger who shoots amazing photographs of her process. I am still working on my photography … it’s about equal to how I am on a cell phone. I was never good with small gadgets. Just ask the men I have dated.
5. Woulda Shoulda Coulda by Mir Kamin
Maybe I’ve always liked Mir Kamin because she is a former geek girl who worked in the mortgage industry. (HEY! It’s my twin!) But honestly, it’s because she is one of the original female bloggers online. She started Woulda Shoulda Coulda in 2004.
That’s YEARS of blogging!
Mir wrote honestly about her divorce, single parenting, unemployment, and in her own words:
“… a whole boatload of squelched hopes and expectations about my life and who I want to be when I grow up.”
Leaving Mir out of a documentary about women bloggers boggles my mind the most. She was there at the beginning of blogging with Heather Armstrong of Dooce and Penelope Trunk of Brazen Careerist, and the rest of us who were crazy enough to start blogs way back when.
And then to leave out the mammoth blogs like Huffington Post, Gawker, ValleyWag, Seth Godin, and my personal hero, David Weinberger. Or Trey Ratcliff, Amber Wilson, Ree Drummond, Guy Kawasaki, Steve Pavlina, Brian Clark, Darren Rowse, and Jenny Lawson. OR LaShanda Henry, Brandon Stanton, Postcards from America, and Post Secret.
So many great bloggers. So many great voices were left out of the story.
I’m not quite sure what to think.
Blogging is more than what the world believes it to be, and this film opens a window into the lives of bloggers. It’s more than simply a way for writers and entrepreneurs to self-publish and learn about the publishing industry. It’s about caring for the public. It’s about sharing what you love. It’s about artists who, through blogging, learn to quit focusing on themselves and instead look at what they have to offer the world.
And sometimes it can change your entire life.
The simple act of blogging has made countless dreams come true.
That’s a story worth telling.
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Catherine Hughes is an accomplished magazine columnist, content creator, and published writer with a background as an award-winning mom blogger. She partners with companies to create captivating web content and social media stories and writes compelling human interest pieces for both small and large print publications. Her writing, which celebrates the resilience and achievements of Northern California’s residents, is featured in several magazines. Beyond her professional life, Catherine is passionate about motherhood, her son, close friendships, rugby, and her love for animals.
Note: Articles by Catherine may contain affiliate links and may be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on an affiliate link.
