I’m a bit slow on the news, but apparently hauls are the next big thing since blogs. Hauls are basically a Youtube version of your conversation with your girlfriends after a shopping spree. They are approximately 10 minutes long and their makers are typically attractive young women. Some of the more popular vloggers have over half a million viewers, and with advertisement partnerships with Youtube and sponsorships, can earn up to$1000USD a month. Some vloggers have gotten so big, they have their own agents and dropped out of school to be “home schooled” so they can concentrate on their vlogs.
When I first found out about all this, I was intrigued. There is something to be said about seeing something in motion instead of looking at its still picture and reading about it. But then I saw a few hauls by the Fowler sisters and was baffled. I just couldn’t relate to them and failed to see the attraction. It struck me as a 10 minute video of a teenage American girl babbling on and on about well… nothing in particular. And by teenage American girl, I mean the “omg!-Mean-Girls” kind. I thought it was just a stereotype people overdo to make fun on TV, but I guess they really do exist!
Don’t get me wrong, as a teenage fashion blogger in my not so distant past, I do get that cheerful ditzy-ness sells. And admittedly they present themselves very charmingly. But I’m just not very interested in knowing that they got scented candles and shower gel for their birthdays and what they have in their bags- not in such a babbling long winded kind of way anyway. I personally prefer it fun but straight to the point. I do have more constructive things to do with my time, like watch a video teaching me how to put my hair up into a complex French braid nest.
On the other hand, I can definitely see the symmetry between hauls and blogs. At the end of the day, bloggers too blog about random things in our lives, like virtual birthday presents, things we bought, what’s in our bag and how we clean our brushes etc. We’re not all fashion insiders after all. Maybe I’m just getting too old to appreciate hauls or I’m watching the wrong hauls.
What are your thoughts on hauls?
Tea with BG 
Sanny said:
I think you chose the wrong vloggers to watch! I loathe the Fowler sisters with a passion! My favourite by far is lollipop26 (Laura) and another favourite is TheCurrentCustom (Lorraine Stanick) – however, Lorraine’s other channel is far superior to her make-up one. I’ll let you see it!
stella said:
I think some blogs could be interesting if you are product searching and in need of a review but for the most part some vloggers ‘over do’ it. I’ve unsubscribed to some youtubers who I felt would just do ‘hauls’ because there was nothing else to vlog about and that haul was a desperate attempt at updating their subscribers or keep the momentum going. Youtube has changed a lot.
Barneys Girl said:
Sanny: Oooh Laura is kind of like Michelle Phan! Does she do hauls too?
Stella: Agreed. There doesn’t seem to be much content in hauls.