I set aside “Monday Morning Status“, my weekly round-up of interesting sites and links from the web, to cover the ONE site that’s taken over my Internet today. STFU, Parents
This site, which is short for Shut the F*ck Up, Parents, is billed as a “public service” blog providing a “guide for parents on what NOT to post about their kids” and “a place non-parents to vent about their TMI-related frustrations” through submitting “offending” over-the-top parenting posts from their Facebook feeds. But the truth is, there are just as many parents who comprise the site’s 1.5 million page views per month.
It’s “a reminder for moms to laugh at ourselves” says Mommyish contributor and parent, Lindsay Cross:
Plenty of moms and dads read the site, and they take comfort in knowing that they aren’t alone in being annoyed with oversharing, mommyjacking, and sanctimony from other parents.
Following over three years of anonymity, Blair Koenig, the site’s founder and creator, was just outed in a New York Post spread claiming that moms and dads despise it. The Daily Mail referrer to the site as “vicious”, “scathing and sarcastic”. Both publications glaringly point out that Blair has the nerve to NOT HAVE KIDS OF HER OWN…
Because no one who has ever had kids has snarked the snark-snark outta the web. People, I beg you to look again. Sadly sites like this are nothing new and all of the attention directed towards STFU, Parents, the criticism (and praise) seems to be scattered.
Is there a reasonable expectation that any conversation on happening over social media (even a “personal page”) be private?
If you’ve been following me for any amount of time, then you already know what my answer to this will be. NO!
Does that mean that your “friends” should be taking screenshots of your posts and submitting them to another site where they will be publicly mocked and jeered? NO!
If your friends’ over-sharing bugs you that badly, it’s called “Hide”, “Unfollow Post”, and “Unfriend”. (Use liberally.) I don’t understand the need to publicly shame them on another site.
The site mocks the situation, not the people, and we have ALL have someone in our lives that doesn’t know where to draw the line…
It’s true that Blair makes an effort to keep the anonymous submissions on this site anonymous by withholding faces, names, or any other identifying info. What is being mocked is the situation, not the person… I think the point she is trying to make is that you have to be mindful of what you put online.
As a blogger and social media obsessive mom, I take this to heart daily. I am carefully about what I post and have often chosen to protect my kids’ online reputations over the gratification of sharing something online. I maintain strict boundaries around my personal life and have long list things that I will never write about. I understand that there are certain things that NO ONE wants to hear. On the top of that list is my kids’ bathroom habits…
Is everyone like me? Of course not and thank goodness for that or else I would have gone insane with isolation in those early, early days of motherhood. I would never dismiss someone’s right to reach out to their community for support, even I may not feel comfortable reading about it.
So while I agree with her point, I’m not in support of her method. I definitely wouldn’t want any of my Facebook posts slayed and torn apart on this site either.
Who does this childless person think she is telling parents what is and is not over-sharing?
It was actually another parent who turned me on to this site shortly after it launched. While I haven’t exactly been a regular visitor over the years, I have referenced its existence from time to time when my own Facebook posts have gone a bit blubbery. As in, “…and with that, please report me to, STFU, Parents…”
Now, I wonder if that “friend” ever did? Hmmm…
Blair Koenig is very nice.
People who seem to know Blair personally have nothing but wonderful things to say about her. Apparently, she is very funny and likable. After watching her on The Today Show and The Ricki Lake Show, I get that. I couldn’t help but like her too… in spite of my misgivings about STFU, Parents.
On the other hand, I tend to like and find good in almost everyone, so take that for what its worth!
Watch the clips and decide for yourself:
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Thanks for this thoughtful and balanced post! It came up in my Google Alerts. I appreciate your taking the time to decide for yourself how you feel about the blog. That’s all I could ever ask for. 🙂
Thanks again,
Blair