The Aftermath

“It’s all work, it’s never fun. As I mentioned to others: 1% thanks, 9% moans, 90% silence”
It was to that tune – sung by the event organiser on Twitter – that we descended on Belfast for the Irish Blog Awards on Saturday night.

This was to be my first time attending the most controversial night on the Irish blogging calendar.
Most of you probably didn’t know this, because I refused to mention it here, but I was actually a finalist in the Lifestyle Category, formerly known as the Fashion/Beauty category.
Yes I know I’m not a Lifestyle blog.
Yes I know I was actually a Personal Blog finalist last year.
I was SO aware of this fact that I emailed the IBA contact email THREE TIMES after the shortlists were released, telling them I wouldn’t consider myself a Lifestyle blog and that there seemed to have been some mistake.
Did I get a reply?
Nope.
And then a week or so later, I find myself in the Final Five of the Lifestyle Category.

“Are you excited?” people asked me.
“No,” I replied. “It’s not fair on actual Lifestyle blogs that I’m taking up a place. I’m a Personal Blog.”
“What will you do if you win?” they asked.
“I’ll hand the award right back to them,” I said.

Thankfully, whoever was judging the last stage for the category had some sense and I wasn’t forced to “do a Brando” as one of WR’s Belfastian Friends put it.

I wasn’t even the only one put in a position like that.
The Irish Language category had a finalist that hadn’t written an Irish post in a million years. She too emailed and although she was privileged to receive a reply, she was pretty much told tough and that she was going to be left there.
And then her blog was mysterious left off the list when it was read out on Saturday night.
And had now been scratched off the list on the website.

The Personal Category had what a lot would consider a cookery blog finalist and Best Blog by a Politician was won by Dylan Haskins….who is not a politician*…and whose first post was at the end of January.

Am I attacking these individual bloggers? Absolutely not.
You’ve got to respect anyone who works hard on their blog all year round and continues to write interesting posts (in fact I’ve gotten some lovely recipes from IMAIF).
I’m criticising the system that put them in the positions they were in.
In fact, I’m going to go ahead and say I’m criticising the whole bloody event.

There was nothing but moaning from Damien in the lead-up about how much hard work it was.
We were expecting the feckin’ Oscars with the way it was made to sound.
We walked into a very plain, boring room, with people sitting or standing awkwardly in almost-silences.
Was this it?

The whole night came across as the product of someone(s) who just didn’t give a shit.
With the exception of the amazing cupcakes and the amusing styrofoam decorations.
Rick O’Shea sped his way through the ceremony, and though he tried to inject some life into proceeding, it did seem as if he wanted to be anywhere but on that stage.
The nominations for the categories were pre-recorded and left no time for clapping between blog names without drowning out the next nominee.
There weren’t even screen shots of each blog projected on the wall like there was last year.

I read the following on The Sociable this morning: “There had been no hint during the ceremony, skilfully hosted by Rick O’Shea, that this would be the last Irish Blog Awards – Mulley’s announcement at the end of the proceedings came as a surprise to the 100 strong attendees. The long and genuinely emotional gasp that followed his speech showed the audience’s disbelief, as did the number of confused glances swapped between members of the audience.”
Did you all enjoy that dramatic announcement as much as I did?
He didn’t say “Oh I won’t be organising the event next year”; it was a egotistical “There will be no awards next year” type of announcement.
As if the blogging community can’t function without him.
Of course there will be an Irish Blogging Awards next year.
Fret not, dear readers.
Also while I’m sure The Sociable are trying to be sweet, there was no emotional gasp or even surprise from the audience.
It was no secret that he wasn’t going to organise the awards next year.
He’d made that perfectly obvious.

It’s actually a relief to know that there will be a brand new ceremony next year.
We are desperately in need of a more transparent event, with people running it who will actually inform and interact with the blogging community and not just their mates.
Yes it’s hard to organise an event like this and nobody is criticising the attempt to create this gathering but that doesn’t mean it’s ok to behave like a jerk about the whole thing.
While I’m not one for conspiracy theories, you can’t help but see the sense in arguments put forward by people who think the awards are fixed.
I seriously hope that’s not the case, but those making the claims can be very convincing.
You have to wonder why no one knows who the hell judges the finalists or what exactly qualifies them to do so considering some of the results?
Does anyone double-check whether scores are fair?
Is there no adjudicator to override stupid, nepotistic results?

For one, let’s look at Twenty Major, who everyone seems to give out about in private, but still does really well every year.
In the humour category.
Even though most people don’t think using an excessive amount of curse words makes you funny.
It was SHAMELESS to see that among the newly-launched IBA tee shirts on the Irish Blog Awards site, there was a Twenty Major Tee.
No other blog got their own t-shirt.

“Well guess who’s getting Best Blog this year,” we said as Damien tweeted that the Twenty t-shirt was his favourite.
However, when Best Humour Blog was announced and our favourite Manuel won, we were surprised (and obviously delighted).
Hmmm, not Twenty….I guess we were wrong.
But then he went up to collect the Sports Award for ArseBlog and when he gave an emotional speech when it won Best Overall Blog, it dawned on us.
Wait, was Twenty behind ArseBlog too?
Had we been right all along!?
(feel free to enlighten me in regards to this!)
Anyone who may feel I’m being a tad harsh in singling out one blogger, shouldn’t worry.
The guy launched a nasty and unprovoked Twitter attack on the lovely Darren from Culch.ie yesterday.
He should be able to take a bit of criticism considering he loves to dish out obscene insults at the drop of a hat.

Also, has anyone else noticed that when Beaut.ie won Best Blog last year, there were plenty of bitchy comments about mascara being seen as more important than current affairs, but there doesn’t seem to be anyone criticising the fact a SPORTS blog won this year?
Not really surprising, is it?
Speaking of Beaut, I really wanted to commend the girls for stepping down after their amazing wins last year and letting some new blood have a shot at the category this year. It was a genuinely admirable thing to do, and not only that, but they actually sponsored the category themselves.
The young one who accepted Nialler9‘s fifty-millionth award and spouted off proudly about how she was making him continue to make himself eligible for the awards so he could win nine years in a row should take a cue from the gracious ladies who post about ‘mascara’.

Good God, this is some rant.
And probably not very well written considering the state my head is in after the celebrations…those Belfast Folk are crazy!
It’s been pent up all weekend and fuelled by the numerous bloggers I spoke to during the two days.
I’m sure I could keep on going for another couple of thousand words, but you’re probably already asleep at this stage.
So I won’t.

“It’s all work, it’s never fun. As I mentioned to others: 1% thanks, 9% moans, 90% silence”
Won’t you miss the self-pitying tweets next year?

*Lol, ok, I’m being told that it’s not fair to say Dylan isn’t a politician. I’d define a politician as someone who was elected by the people and worked in the government (past or present), so you can count that point as my own opinion if you don’t think that’s requirement.

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