Beth Terry, The Blogger
There are bloggers who seek to portray themselves as “regular” people without a financial interest or incentive beyond the feeling that they have been called to help solve problems in our society. Blogger Beth Terry from Oakland, CA presents herself as such an individual. She reports that she started a blog after reading an article entitled “Our Oceans are Turning into Plastic…Are We?” In particular, she was struck by the image of a sea bird’s carcass that was full of plastic pieces and trash including bottle caps, cigarette lighters, and a toothbrush. This purportedly caused her to reflect on her own plastic consumption, commit to stop buying plastic, and start a blog called “My Plastic-free life.” She has blogged consistently since June 2007. The blog features her musings and guides on living a life free of plastic. She does not post at regular intervals, but on average, there is a post once every six weeks. Terry’s style could be described as conversational and stream-of-conscious. She avoids professional jargon or complex vocabulary and presents information in the vernacular and in lay terms. Her blog could be argued as motivated by the altruistic desire to help rid the world of plastic pollution. Cynically, one may observe that she seeks blog followers (her active followers number in the single digits, but she averages about 8 to 15 responses to her posts). She has written a foreword to a book that she reviews (favorably) in one of her blog posts. Though she may receive royalties or some other financial compensation for the foreword or promotion of the book, the majority of her blog seems to be her own personal feelings and opinions and not directly motivated by a pecuniary/financial interest. In the comments and replies, she frequently seeks to engage with readers and responds in a supportive manner and continues her informal style. Emjois and exclamations are some of her favorite expressions; they almost read like a text message. This continues the perception that the blog is written by a “regular” person and perhaps motivates the reader to think that a plastic-free life is doable and “regular” behavior.
Her more recent posts “Solid Plastic-Free Shower Gel and Body Wash? What do you Think?” and “Sreenivasulu’s Architectural Wonders from Reused Plastic Pen Refills” are a combination of attacking the plastic problem from a commercial standpoint and inspiring abstract thought on the possibilities of reusing plastics that are already in the marketplace. In the former blog entry, she addresses the use of microplastics in bath products. Terry cites mainstream articles and scientific studies and responds to their findings. She also recommends plastic free alternatives. This information is presented in a casual manner similar to a friend educating a peer on a topic that they may personally have little information about. It is not condescending, but friendly and supportive. This supports the overall theme of her greater blog. The second blog on reused plastic pens seems to genuinely interest Terry. She provides background information that she was caring for her dad (which again makes her personable and pulls on her readers’ heartstrings) and notes that she was drawn to the idea of another activist, software engineer M.R. Sreenivasulu of Bangalore, who has made artistic pieces from recycled plastic pens. They are miniature replicas of iconic structures such as the Taj Mahal and Big Ben.
She opines on the creativity of these works and ties it in to her larger theme of reducing plastic waste. Overall, Terry seeks to engage and educate her readers with her casual and supportive style and capture a larger following. Though she does not have a significant following, her blogs do read as genuine and authentic rather than inspired by a financial interest.
