I was shocked and insulted to read the headline, “Big Food Uses Mommy Bloggers to Shape Public Opinion.” This had been going around on Twitter with whispers that mommy bloggers were getting paid by none other than Monsanto to shill for them. How dare Monsanto pay off mommy bloggers and not include me?! I mean, I want the image of me and my Monsanto Money Piles to come true, right?!

I had to click on the link to find out where I could get my hands on some of those sweet shill benjamins. So I headed over to Al Jazeera to check it out. The piece opened with this:

“This past weekend, biotech giant Monsanto paid bloggers $150 each to attend “an intimate and interactive panel” with “two female farmers and a team from Monsanto.” The strictly invitation-only three-hour brunch, which took place on the heels of the BlogHer Conference, promised bloggers a chance to learn about “where your food comes from” and to hear about the “impact growing food has on the environment, and how farmers are using fewer resources to feed a growing population.” Though the invitation from BlogHer explicitly stated, “No blog posts or social media posts expected,” the event was clearly designed to influence the opinions — and the writing — of a key influencer: the mommy blogger.”

WTH? Here I am writing pro-GMO and anti-labeling pieces of my own accord for free when I could be rolling in a cold hard pile of $150? This was like a stab in the back, you guys. I feel a little used myself. Here I am toiling away to spread awareness about how GMO technology has potential to improve health and environmental outcomes worldwide. And for what, just personal satisfaction?

Note – this piece is satire.

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