Marie Kondo, a peer-reviewed compendium

I make no secret of disliking Marie Kondo. I’m gonna link to proof here and here. And I watch very little television these days, follow the news through secondary sources (Facebook, the Weather Channel) and trace it back to primary sources (The New York Times, Washington Post, reputable websites, etc.) as needed. It’s not ignorance, far from it, but a very happy bubble.

 

So imagine my konsternation when, duunnn dunnn… duuuunnnn duun… duuunnnnnnnn dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dunnnnnnnnnnn dunnnn, there she was AGAIN, haunting my Netflix feed and setting the Internet roiling, Poltergeist of Professional Organizers.

 

And so, dear viewers, I give you a small compilation of scholarly (that is, from my colleagues or other vetted sources) articles about Marie Kondo’s latest contribution to culture, pop or otherwise. She evokes thoughtful, grateful, funny and outraged responses in outlandish proportion. The rock-solid final arbiter of whether her methods work for you or not: you. Trust yourself.

 

I’ve never seen Poltergeist. I don’t like scary movies. But yea, I’ll be watching the series. Someday. And I’m serenely assured I’ll have an opinion. Which I’ll post.

 

I’m starting with What White, Western Audiences Don’t Understand About Marie Kondo’s Tidying Up Hufington Post, Culture & Arts, 01/22/2019, Margaret Dilloway deliberately. Ms. Dilloway has undeniably caused me to soften my stance on Ms. Kondo. And a marvelous colleague of mine, Cindy Jobs, was saying this when the first BOOK came out!

 

Ignore the Online Backlash: Marie Kondo’s Netflix Show is Good Huffington Post Culture & Arts 01/23/2019, Claire Fallon and Mallika Rao

 

Marie Kondo brings something besides her famous tidying skills to reality TV: gratitude Washington Post Entertainment Section, TV, December 30, 2018 Hank Stuever

 

Tidying Up with Marie Kondo Isn’t Life-Changing, But It Is Surprisingly Watchable Vulture, TV Review, Dec 31, 2018, Jen Chaney

 

Marie Kondo Now Has A Reality Show: Netflix’s ‘Tidying Up’ The New York Times, Style, Jan 2, 2019 Penelope Green

 

Tidying Up with Marie Kondo Review TV Destined for the Bin Bag of Shame The Guardian, TV and Radio, (translation for Americans, this is The Guardian after all – those Brits… “bin bag” = “trash bag”) Fri Jan 4 Jan 2019, Jack Seale

 

KonMari Home Organizing is the Latest Craze, But Does It Really Work? Forbes, January 24, 2019 Amanda Lauren features colleague James Lott Jr’s calming advice.

 

Hazel Thornton, one of the most accomplished members of our community EVER… My Kondo-lences and Sincere Kon-gratulations

 

Kathy Vines, Clever Girl Organizing, has a superbly-articulated opinion in her blog post 10 Things I hope you get out of Marie Kondo’s “Tidying Up” (and no, “spark joy” isn’t one of them)

 

The collective wisdom of the staff at Get Organized Already gathered in 5 Truths and 3 Lies about professional organizing from “Tidying Up With Marie Kondo” is honest and invaluable.

 

Mandy Manley, Skeleton Key Organizing, The Magic and Misleading Moments of Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. A must-read. And then read her bio, and you’ll understand why.

 

And now, my AH-HA moment about why two of my go-to charities couldn’t accept my items on 1/23/2019.

 

The Marie Kondo Effect Reaches Beacon’s Closet, The New Yorker, January 9, 2019, Rachel Syme  Beacon’s Closet is a consignment shop, but hey, the similarities outweigh the differences.