A bit of a dispute broke out on twitter when @AlexisNeely, who now bills herself as “America’s favorite lawyer,” twitted, “Anyone know how the mommy bloggers score free cars in exchange for review/blogging?”

Brian Cuban then took her to task for blogger payola, though acknowledging that if she could find anybody “desperate enough” to give her a free car, more power to her.

After watching some interviews with mommy bloggers on GMA, where they explained how baby companies were sending them stuff, expensive stuff like strollers and toys, for them to review and, as expected, to promote, I found the issue of blogger payola quite fascinating.  Do bloggers carry enough clout to be worthy of bribes? 

I review books occasionally, and the books are sent to me for that purpose and without charge.  Amy I guilty of blogger payola?  Perhaps.  Of course, as my reviews show, the fact that I don’t buy the books hasn’t inhibited me from panning them.  But I suppose that I should make clear that I received something for free.

I’m with Alexis on this one, and Brian too.  Send me a free car and I’ll tell you what I think.  I’ll let you know that it was a freebie too, but just send me the car and we’ll work out the details.  As a blawger, I write about a somewhat broad variety of things, and might persuade someone to give a product a chance.  So send me stuff. 

The fact is that blawging doesn’t net the blawger much of anything, aside from a few free books.  That clients don’t flock to blawgers (the claims of marketers notwithstanding) has been discussed to death,  We aren’t invited to A-list parties.  We aren’t even invited to E-list parties.  Sometimes, we’re not even invited to our own family’s parties, but that’s a different issue.

So if manufacturers, retailers, whoever, want to spread the word about their products, why not bloggers?  And if they are looking to sell to the demographic that reads blawgs, as opposed to those who have a keen interest in baby strollers, why not law blogs?  We likely reflect an very desirable demographic, though it will be hard to quantify the numbers per se.  And we use stuff, and there’s no reason why we can’t post a review about the items that readers might be interested in purchasing.

As to disclosure, as well as honesty, I don’t see an issue.  If it’s free, then we should say so.  The credibility of the review is less dependent on the price paid (or not paid) as it is on the credibility of the blawger.  If someone should send me a free, oh, Mercedes Benz SLS Gullwing (hint) and I hate it, you’ll know.  Besides, if I already have the car, it’s not like they can take it back.

Let’s face it, blawging is a relatively thankless thing to do externally.  What would be so terrible about getting a little vig for the effort, provided that we play it straight and maintain transparency?  So if anybody wants to reach my readers, feel free to send me stuff at will.  I don’t promise I’ll like it.  I can’t say that my review will sell a million of ’em.  But it certainly seems worth a try. 

I’ll be waiting at the front door for the car to arrive.  Holding my breath.  Turning blue.  Don’t make me wait too long.

H/T Bennett

Update:  Naturally, the very same day that I write that blawgers don’t get invited to A-list, or even E-list, parties, what do I get but an invite to a party at Christiane Amanpour’s house because of my blawging.  That’s pretty cool.  But I still want the free car.