Grab The Popcorn: Moms Who Were Publicly Shamed In 2014

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(Our Grab The Popcorn posts look back at the biggest Mommyish stories of 2014. Read them all here.) 

It seems like every year, society finds new ways to publicly shame mothers. And sadly, it seems like every year, the reasons for it get even more ridiculous. This year was no exception as I found myself scrolling my social media feeds with my jaw on the floor as it seemed like every week another mom was being humiliated for a totally nonsensical reason. Without further ado, here is the Mommyish round-up of moms who were publicly shamed in 2014:

1. A mom’s rant for being shamed for her stretch marks is pretty spot-on. A mother of five children dared bare her body in a bikini on a public beach and some shitty kids decided to shame her for it. While I will admit that I was rubbed the wrong way by her “what great and amazing feat has YOUR body done” rhetoric, I can definitely get behind her message. Anyone who wants to wear a bikini at the beach should be able to without feeling ashamed of how they look. Golf claps for this mom for making us all stand up and take notice.

2. The “happiest place on earth” is not down with boobs. Even a teeny bit. Remember this poor mom, just trying to enjoy herself at Disneyland with her family when some old turd of a Disneyland employee decided to shame her for showing “cleavage”? Those quotation marks are very necessary because when you see the picture of her, you will definitely wonder what in the actual fuck the guy was talking about. The shirt she is wearing shows virtually nothing inappropriate and I doubt most people would bat an eye. I am so glad, though- that all the world’s dudebros and guys with hairy backs are allowed to wear a tank top and you KNOW no one will say a peep. It’s the womynz who get all the wonderful wardrobe advice.

3. A mom shamed by a school principal for breast-feeding during the summer lunch program. This school principal took mommy-shaming that extra mile by shaming a woman for daring to feed her child in a public space with her BOOBS HANGING OUT. I am so over this whole thing. I don’t think I have ever seen more than a sliver of boob from a breast-feeding mother. This idea that a woman would nurse in public with her entire shirt off and both boobs dangling free is so freaking ridiculous, I can’t even. Walk by the Victoria’s Secret store and the giant breasts in your face are FAR more than you would ever see on the average nursing mom but that’s acceptable by society’s standards because it pleases the male gaze. Yuck. I hope we can go further with changing that mindset for moms in 2015 because this shit is for the birds.

4. Poor Hayden Panettiere was just being pregnant and got fat-shamed for it on the internet. This one got me all sorts of riled-up. As a fellow short person, I totally understand how Hayden probably felt at 8-9 months pregnant. You are tiny in height and that baby has nowhere to go but out so there you stand- nine months pregnant and looking kinda big but it’s totally normal because of your height. That is when the dudebros of the internet stepped in to express their outrage that poor Hayden was not fuckable in their eyes for a brief number of weeks. How dare she gain a healthy amount of weight while GROWING A HUMAN BEING. If a pregnant woman can’t gain weight without being publicly shamed for it, then I don’t even know what to say.

5. This mom was probably creeped out enough that she decided to start using a cover to breast-feed in public. This story does not include any blatant shaming but what would you do as a nursing mother if you discovered that whilst doing so, some asshole deli worker at the store was taking pictures of you?? This poor woman was going about her business at the deli, nursing her baby, when she noticed the employee taking pictures. Her sister confronted the employee and told management. The employee was fired and the store was quick to respond but now, can you imagine this mom will EVER feel safe breast-feeding while visible in any way? I would think not. Thanks, creepy deli worker.

6. Jet Blue decided to shame both a mom AND her toddler. Two shames for the price of one. Being asked to hold your urine for a spell can be tough for an adult but can you imagine telling a 3-year old who has to pee that they are not allowed to go and then being all shocked and indignant when they wet themselves on the seat? That is what one Jet Blue flight attendant did when a toddler stuck on a tarmac for half an hour (not allowed to use the bathroom due to FAA regulations) ended up wetting her pants. The mother and child were threatened with being booted from the plane and the pilot said so OVER THE INTERCOM. Unreal. Luckily, an off-duty pilot was sitting near them and intervened on their behalf but how humiliating for this mother and her child.

(Image: /Shutterstock)

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