Yesterday, Mamamia ran a story about the Facebook Group, ‘Mummy Wars – Aussie Style’, a page that openly says it’s a site for mothers to judge other parents.
You can read that story here.
After we published that story, two things happened: We were contacted by women who felt they had been persecuted by the members of ‘Mummy Wars’. We were also contacted by two women involved in ‘Mummy Wars’ who enjoy it and find it supportive.
Today, one of the Administrators of ‘Mummy Wars – Aussie Style’ responds, saying that they aren’t a ‘bully group’, but that sometimes people need to be told ‘you’re a c*nt’…
Dearest Mamamia,
First of all I’d really like to thank you for promoting our fine establishment free of charge. That was ever so kind of you. I truly appreciate your generosity. Second, I’d like to take a moment to thank all of our lovely members and all of their kind words on your post about our fine establishment. A group is nothing without members and our members are gems.
Now, down to the nitty gritty stuff of this open letter. Have you ever walked down the street and saw someone that you immediately thought bad of? Perhaps you thought they were a junkie, or maybe you got a little bit scared that they might rob you. I’m sure you have, we all have. That is judging. It’s human nature. You may have also read a post on Facebook and rolled your eyes or thought that the poster was completely bonkers. That’s also judging, stay with me here.
We all judge. It’s just the way the world works. There are millions of positive parenting support groups on Facebook. Millions. They’re all the same and they all share the same rules whereby you must not judge or criticise. Its inevitable and an inherent feature of a mummy support group.
Top Comments
These are private conversations, within a closed group. The people *in* the group are obviously aware that the content can offend, and they're decent enough to keep it to within their group, within the context that members understand that they're just venting etc. My comfort levels and feminist issues with the word "c_nt" aren't their problem-they never intended for me to read it..
I'm pretty sure that if I was a mother going through stress, self-doubts, exasperation, sadness, anger and guilt about even having those feelings, I'd appreciate a place to voice that safely, in private, with people who get it. Being judged by outsiders for the ways I express myself in a confidential setting, not so much.
A bogan breeding ground. Why would you call your own child a c*!t. If your child is that bad I think we all know who's to blame for that.