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2 episodes with sara petersen
3 episodes with sara petersen
2 episodes with sara petersen
2 episodes with sara petersen
2 episodes with sara petersen
2 episodes with sara petersen
Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay are joined by Sara Petersen, author of Momfluenced, to chat about season two of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. Mormon women once pioneered mommy blogging, so how did we get from vlogging to…swinging? The influencers who make up the reality show cast, known as “MomTok,” claim their racy antics are breaking stigmas and modernizing gender roles. In reality, they're weaponizing their misunderstanding of feminism for their own personal gain. This podcast is produced by Daisy Rosario, Vic Whitley-Berry, Candice Lim, and Kate Lindsay. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay are joined by Sara Petersen, author of Momfluenced, to chat about season two of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. Mormon women once pioneered mommy blogging, so how did we get from vlogging to…swinging? The influencers who make up the reality show cast, known as “MomTok,” claim their racy antics are breaking stigmas and modernizing gender roles. In reality, they're weaponizing their misunderstanding of feminism for their own personal gain. This podcast is produced by Daisy Rosario, Vic Whitley-Berry, Candice Lim, and Kate Lindsay. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay are joined by Sara Petersen, author of Momfluenced, to chat about season two of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. Mormon women once pioneered mommy blogging, so how did we get from vlogging to…swinging? The influencers who make up the reality show cast, known as “MomTok,” claim their racy antics are breaking stigmas and modernizing gender roles. In reality, they're weaponizing their misunderstanding of feminism for their own personal gain. This podcast is produced by Daisy Rosario, Vic Whitley-Berry, Candice Lim, and Kate Lindsay. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay are joined by Sara Petersen, author of Momfluenced, to chat about season two of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. Mormon women once pioneered mommy blogging, so how did we get from vlogging to…swinging? The influencers who make up the reality show cast, known as “MomTok,” claim their racy antics are breaking stigmas and modernizing gender roles. In reality, they're weaponizing their misunderstanding of feminism for their own personal gain. This podcast is produced by Daisy Rosario, Vic Whitley-Berry, Candice Lim, and Kate Lindsay. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay are joined by Sara Petersen, author of Momfluenced, to chat about season two of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. Mormon women once pioneered mommy blogging, so how did we get from vlogging to…swinging? The influencers who make up the reality show cast, known as “MomTok,” claim their racy antics are breaking stigmas and modernizing gender roles. In reality, they're weaponizing their misunderstanding of feminism for their own personal gain. This podcast is produced by Daisy Rosario, Vic Whitley-Berry, Candice Lim, and Kate Lindsay. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay are joined by Sara Petersen, author of Momfluenced, to chat about season two of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. Mormon women once pioneered mommy blogging, so how did we get from vlogging to…swinging? The influencers who make up the reality show cast, known as “MomTok,” claim their racy antics are breaking stigmas and modernizing gender roles. In reality, they're weaponizing their misunderstanding of feminism for their own personal gain. This podcast is produced by Daisy Rosario, Vic Whitley-Berry, Candice Lim, and Kate Lindsay. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay are joined by Sara Petersen, author of Momfluenced, to chat about season two of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. Mormon women once pioneered mommy blogging, so how did we get from vlogging to…swinging? The influencers who make up the reality show cast, known as “MomTok,” claim their racy antics are breaking stigmas and modernizing gender roles. In reality, they're weaponizing their misunderstanding of feminism for their own personal gain. This podcast is produced by Daisy Rosario, Vic Whitley-Berry, Candice Lim, and Kate Lindsay. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay are joined by Sara Petersen, author of Momfluenced, to chat about season two of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. Mormon women once pioneered mommy blogging, so how did we get from vlogging to…swinging? The influencers who make up the reality show cast, known as “MomTok,” claim their racy antics are breaking stigmas and modernizing gender roles. In reality, they're weaponizing their misunderstanding of feminism for their own personal gain. This podcast is produced by Daisy Rosario, Vic Whitley-Berry, Candice Lim, and Kate Lindsay. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit virginiasolesmith.substack.comMy dear friend (and our nation's leading momfluencer scholar) Sara Petersen joined me for a very fun Substack Live yesterday to discuss: Momfluencer Brooke Raybould's protein-packed postpartum journey! Why $700 calendars are not the systemic support moms need! Would we eat seven hardboiled eggs in one meal! And so much more. Longtime Burnt Toasties will recall that …
Social media can distort the reality of life in many different ways – motherhood is no exception. Sara Petersen is an author and culture writer with a love/hate relationship with ‘momfluencers', where the private work of mothering is turned into a public performance. The message is simple but fraught: we're all just a couple of clicks away from a better, more beautiful experience of motherhood. We discuss how momfluencer culture impacts women psychologically as consumers, as performers of their stories and as mothers.
You can almost hear the producers trying to sell this show to Hulu: It's hot Mormon moms… who are also swingers. Turns out only one of them was “swinging,” and the swinging was (in her words) “soft.” But it was enough to get Hulu — and now, millions of other viewers — on board with Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, which tracks the interlocking stories of eight Mormon influencers in Utah. Like so much of contemporary reality television, this show is glossy, melodramatic, unhinged, and addictive. It's entertainment, sure, but it's also a way for us to think through some of our own understandings of marriage, sex, friendship, religion, and feminism — which is exactly what Sara Petersen and I try to work through in this episode. That, and whether Dakota is a paid actor. Join the ranks of paid subscribers and get bonus content, access to the discussion threads, ad-free episodes, and the knowledge that you're supporting an indie pod trying to make its way in the world. If you're already a subscriber-- thank you! Join us in the discussion thread for this episode! Got a question or idea for a future episode? Let us know here. To hear more, visit culturestudypod.substack.com
You know when that incredibly divisive Ballerina Farm article by Megan Agnew for The Times created such a social media frenzy, we would have a lot to say about the trad wife of it all. This is particularly interesting because it's the first time in recent memory that a trad wife has broken the fourth wall. Chiming in is guest host Rachel, who has become our resident influencer expert, as we break down all the notable moments in the interview. We debate whether Hannah Neeleman actually needs your sympathy, why influencing seems to have a chokehold on Mormon wives (and how they are weaponized to spread alt-right propaganda!), give our hot takes, and so much more. If you like the show, please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. And if you really like us, consider leaving a 5 star review. If you want to contribute your two cents to the making of the show, follow along on our instagram where we share cool links, form show ideas, and generally gossip @haveyouheardpodcastHelpful References & Links:Meet the Queen of the Trad Wives (The Times, Megan Agnew)My Day with the Trad Wife Queen, and What it Taught Me (The Times, Megan Agnew)Ballerina Farm on TikTokBallerina Farm (About Us)On Ballerina Farm and Ballet's Crushing Lesson's in Femininity (Vogue, Ellen O'Connell Whittet)The Unbearable Daniel of it All (In Pursuit of Clean Countertops, Sara Petersen)
Sara Petersen, author of Momfluenced: Inside the Maddening, Picture-Perfect World of Mommy Influencer Culture, and a newsletter about the myth of the ideal mother called In Pursuit of Clean Countertops. In this conversation, Sara and Erin discuss the impact and evolution of mom influencers, the performance of motherhood, and the pressure and scrutiny that women face in their roles as mothers. Mentioned in this episode: Cult of Perfect podcast with Virginia Sole-Smith: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cult-of-perfect/id1715674143 Mother Brain by Chelsea Conaboy KC Davis Follow Sara on Instagram: www.instagram.com/slouisepetersen Subscribe to Sara's substack: https://sarapetersen.substack.com Follow Erin on Instagram: instagram.com/feminist.mom.therapist Learn more about Erin: erinspahrtherapy.com Introducing the Inclusive Provider Directory! It is free for families to search. Providers can become a member and create a profile, as well as accessing a number of additional benefits. Friends of the podcast get $30 off the first year of their annual membership with code FEMINIST30. Support the podcast with a monthly donation: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/feministmompodcast/support Please note: The information provided on this podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The content shared here is not intended to be professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This page may contain affiliate links. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/feministmompodcast/support
So thrilled to interview Sara Petersen, author of 'Momfluenced: Inside the Maddening, Picture-Perfect World of Mommy Influencer Culture' for the podcast. One of the most memorable books I've read in the past year, 'Momfluenced' helps you make sense of your own complicated parasocial relationship with the domestic goddesses we both love, and truthfully, sometimes hate to follow. We cover everything from trad wives, gatekeepers of the 'good mom aesthetic,' the economic and cultural value of momfluencing, those snarky subreddits, and so much more. If you've found yourself second guessing your follow list, this one is for you!If you like the pod, please consider supporting by sharing with friends and subscribing wherever you get your podcasts. We also love reading reviews, so please rate us 5 stars and write a review on Apple or Spotify. It goes a long way and is much appreciated! For a more dynamic experience, follow us on Instagram @haveyouheardpodcast. So many of our episodes, including this one, are shaped through discussions with listeners.Helpful references and links / pop culture homework:Subscribe here to Sara Petersen's amazing substack, 'In Pursuit of Clean Countertops'Purchase 'Momfluenced: Inside the Maddening, Picture-Perfect World of Mommy Influencer Culture'
It was a pleasure to speak about momfluencer culture with writer and podcaster Sara Petersen. Author of the book Momfluenced: Inside the Maddening, Picture-Perfect World of Mommy Influencer Culture, Sara shared lots of insights into the moms and mums of social media. It was fascinating to hear more and also reflect on mumfluencer culture in the UK, and our relationships with influencers and sharing online in general. Plus, what is the British equivalent of the family pumpkin patch outing?! To learn more about Sara and her work you can sign up for her Substack - In Pursuit of Clean Countertops: https://sarapetersen.substack.com/ You can also connect with her on Instagram @slouisepetersen Mother of All Solutions podcast is hosted and produced by Laura Broderick with music by Ros Fraser. Stay in touch via Instagram and X as @SolutionsMother Thank you for listening - and do tell a mum or mom friend you think might like the pod!
In this episode, Lyz and best-selling author and journalist behind the popular newsletter, Burnt Toast, Virginia Sole Smith read your email and talk bodies, love, sourdough dads, and divorce.This is the last week to PREORDER your copy of This American Ex-Wife.Show notes:* Read Virginia's amazing newsletter Burnt Toast.* Also, Virginia and Sara Petersen have an incredible podcast, “The Cult of Perfect.”* Of course, read Virginia's best-selling book and one of my favorite newsletters of hers on “The Life-Changing Magic of Eating Alone.”* This American Ex-Wife is hosted by Lyz Lenz (@LyzLenz) and produced by Zachary Oren Smith (@ZachOSmith). Illustration by Alessandro Gottardo. Show art by Suzanne Glémot (@tape_remover). Get full access to Men Yell at Me at lyz.substack.com/subscribe
Welcome to Sunday Nice Things.....a bonus episode where we share a podcast we love, a book we love, a rant we have to get off our chests. It's a nice thing for Sunday because we deserve them. This week we have an episode of The Cult of Perfect podcast from my friends Sara Petersen and Virginia Sole Smith. The Cult of Perfect explores the intersection of motherhood, public performance, and bodies, and tries to figure out what our addiction to the idea of perfect says about us and the world we live in. This episode is called Let Them Be Beige and explores everything from Ballerina Farm's shiplap, influencers cosplaying poverty when they really have SO MUCH MONEY, the psychology of ownership, and the joy of living with less. You can get more Cult of Perfect right HERE.And subscribe to our newsletter OVER THE INFLUENCE HERE.
American policy failures and bad PR have made millennials dread motherhood. Vox's Rachel Cohen and Momfluenced author Sara Petersen explain. This episode was produced by Victoria Chamberlin, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Rob Byers, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained Support Today, Explained by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Switch on the twinkle lights, it's the Mother Culture Holiday Episode! In which Sara P. (author of Momfluenced and the beloved substack, In Pursuit Of Clean Countertops) shares hot tips for Santa training your kids, Sarah W. finds out about Elf On A Shelf's Jewish cousin. Then, Miranda tries to make everyone talk about big questions — like who and what the holidays are even for, and what ritual does for human beings — and little nice things, like actually really loving the holidays despite the workload, never, ever doing Elf On A Shelf (unless you want to), and the fact that latkes rule. After lots of goofing around, we wrap it all up with a particularly festive holiday edition of our fan-favorite kid culture segment. Links: Sara's Book: Momfluenced Sara's newsletter: In Pursuit of Clean Countertops Ritual: An Ancient Solution To Modern Problems from Hidden Brain Our Family Christmas Rituals That Have Nothing To Do With Religion Kid Culture: Arthur Christmas The Christmas Chronicles Elf Join our Patreon!
Behold, a re-air of our most popular episode of 2023—The Cult of Momfluencers—which takes on new relevance, thanks to the disturbing recent case of (allegedly) abusive YouTube momfluencer Ruby Franke! Motherhood is hard, lonely, and exhausting... except, apparently, if you're a momfluencer. Since the mid-2000s, a crop of seemingly perfect, all-knowing mommy goddesses in billowy tunics have emerged on social media—and we can't help but feel that their highly monetizable (often misinformation-ridden) internet presences basically exist to make other moms feel less than. This week, with the help of journalist and real-life mother Sara Petersen, author of the book MOMFLUENCED, Isa and Amanda spill the (organic, non-toxic, totally baby-safe) tea about how famous internet moms have become their own kind of 21st Century cult leader. To keep up with all things Sounds Like A Cult, click here! Sources:YouTuber mom Ruby Franke arrested and charged in child abuse investigation: What to know: https://www.today.com/parents/moms/ruby-franke-arrested-child-abuse-rcna102754 Here's Everything You Need To Know About Ruby Franke, The YouTuber Who Was Charged With Aggravated Child Abuse, And Her Controversial Parenting Videos Over The Years: https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/leylamohammed/youtuber-ruby-franke-of-8-passengers-child-abuse-explained Mommy Vlogger Ruby Franke Has Been Charged With Child Abuse: https://www.thecut.com/2023/09/ruby-franke-utah-mommy-vlogger-charged-with-child-abuse.html 8 Passengers Update: Ruby Franke Grows Her Cult and Shari Makes Amends With the Griffiths: https://www.therealitysnark.com/post/8-passengers-update-ruby-franke-grows-her-cult-and-shari-makes-amends-with-the-griffiths Mommy Vlogger Ruby Franke's Child Abuse Case Could Take Years, Experts Say: https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/ruby-franke-child-abuse-case-years-1234832227/
Join the ‘momfluencer' conversation with our expert guest Sara Petersen, as we explore the intricate — and often fraught — world of mom influencers. Sara shares her unique perspective on maternal myths, the changing dynamics of influence in today's digital era, and the lesser-talked-about realm of dad influencers. Tune in as we uncover how the phases of motherhood drive specific content interests, as well as how the early days of mom blogging have transformed into today's influencer culture. Expect juicy insights, a bit of controversy, and a fresh take on the age-old tales of motherhood in today's Insta-crazy times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sara Petersen, the author of the book Momfluenced joins me to talk about oversharing your kids lives, and getting influenced by social media and the online world.
School is back and so are demands on parents. There's pressure on parents to join clubs, volunteer, bake goods, coach teams, attend conferences, all the while documenting it all on social media. Sara Petersen, author of Momfluenced: Inside the Maddening, Picture-Perfect World of Mommy Influencer Culture, joins us to take calls on how to rethink "perfect parenting."
With the turn of the seasons, it's time to revisit my wardrobe, which leads me to consider fashion (intimidating), and then fashion trends (mystifying), and from there, trends in general — especially popular culture trends.What I notice is that very few of them have anything to do with me, now that I've joined a demographic that popular culture doesn't seem to register at all. Check out what it's like to be trend-exempt — and why I'm grateful for it.You can also check out author Sara Petersen and her new book, Momfluenced: Inside the Maddening, Picture-Perfect World of Mommy Influencer Culture, available on Amazon or (better yet) Bookshop.org — also the articles referenced on Vox and Wired. Opening Music by Pavel Bekirov from PixabaySupport the showDo you have comments to share or an idea for an upcoming episode? Need something overthought? I'd love to hear from you!Email me at HeresAThought8@gmail.comOr, contact me on my website at www.JanMFlynn.netOr, DM me on Twitter: @JanMFlynnAuthorTheme music courtesy of Pixabay Music
Commodified motherhood has come a long way, babies! Or has it? Now a multi-billion dollar industry, momfluencing also comes with a side of tradwives and mom guilt. Sara Petersen, author of Momfluenced: Inside the Maddening, Picture-Perfect World of Mommy Influencer Culture, talks to Cristen about the ideals they're selling, the motherhood they're performing and why mega-momfluencer @Ballerina Farm is such a “rich text.” This interview originally aired in 2022 in the Unladies' Room Patreon, and it hasn't aged a day (just like a good momfluencer!). Follow Unladylike: IG | Twitter | TikTok Join the Unladies' Room Shop unlady-merch Contact Multitude Productions for advertising Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Commodified motherhood has come a long way, babies! Or has it? Now a multi-billion dollar industry, momfluencing also comes with a side of tradwives and mom guilt. Sara Petersen, author of Momfluenced: Inside the Maddening, Picture-Perfect World of Mommy Influencer Culture, talks to Cristen about the ideals they're selling, the motherhood they're performing and why mega-momfluencer @Ballerina Farm is such a “rich text.” This interview originally aired in 2022 in the Unladies' Room Patreon, and it hasn't aged a day (just like a good momfluencer!). Follow Unladylike: IG | Twitter | TikTok Join the Unladies' Room Shop unlady-merch Contact Multitude Productions for advertising Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sara Petersen is the author of “Momfluenced: Inside the Maddening, Picture-Perfect World of Mommy Influencer Culture”. Her essays about feminism, domesticity, and motherhood have appeared in the New York Times, Harper's Bazaar, Washington Post, InStyle, Glamour, and elsewhere. Sara shares her American mom's lessons on connecting with the natural world, finding pleasure in small things in life, and keeping a sense of humor in difficult situations. Sara also talks about feminism, avoiding the empty-nester syndrome, the image of the ideal mother, and teaching our daughters that motherhood is a choice. You can learn more about Sara on her website. To subscribe to Ana's new "Mama Loves…” newsletter, please go here. To learn more about "Thank You, mama" creative writing workshop, visit here. To contact Ana, to be a guest, or suggest a guest, please send your mail to: info@thankyoumama.net For more about “Thank You, Mama", please visit: http://www.thankyoumama.net To connect with Ana on social media: https://www.instagram.com/anatajder/ https://www.facebook.com/ana.tajder https://www.linkedin.com/in/anatajder/ https://twitter.com/tajder
On Instagram, mommy influencers abound, offering recipe inspiration, parenting hacks…and advice on which non-stick pan or organic snackbar will definitely, finally make you feel like the mother you always thought you would be! On this episode, Jane and Liz talk to Sara Petersen, the author of the new book “Momfluenced: Inside the Maddening, Picture-Perfect World of Mommy Influencer Culture” about the multi-billion dollar business of momfluencing, and why we're so drawn to watching performances of motherhood online. Sales and distribution by Lemonada MediaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Hey you wild women! My next guest is the author of one of my favourite Substack newsletters, In the Pursuit of Clean Countertops. Sara Petersen is a freelance writer based in New Hampshire. Her essays about feminism, domesticity, and motherhood have appeared in The New York Times, Harper's Bazaar, The Washington Post, InStyle, Glamour, and more. Her first book, Momfluenced, explores motherhood through the phenomenon of mommy influencer culture and what we might learn from it. In this episode, we talk about how patriarchy is woven into our everyday lives (whether we know it or not), why the childcare system is broken, and how mothers carry the burden of most parenting. In this episode, you will learn about: Sara's new book, Momfluenced An inside look at mommy influencer culture How gender norms continue to shape our maternal identities The balance between authenticity and curated content Redefining motherhood in the age of social media What it means to be a wild woman: Rejecting and questioning the norms. Mentions: Sara's Book: Momfluenced ______________ Got a minute? I would love a review! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap, and give me five stars. Then select "Write a Review." Make sure to highlight your favorite bits. Subscribe here. ______________ Connect with Sara Petersen @slouisepetersen Sara's newsletter Connect with Renée Warren @renee_warren @we.wild.women www.wewildwomen.com
Sara Petersen is a mom of 3 and author of the new book, Momfluenced: Inside the Maddening, Picture-Perfect World of Mommy Influencer Culture. Sara has written about motherhood and feminism for The New York Times, Harper's Bazaar, The Washington Post, and elsewhere. She also writes the newsletter, In Pursuit of Clean Countertops, where she explores the cult of ideal motherhood. Sara lives in New Hampshire with her 3 kids, ages 4, 8 and 10. Follow Sara at... Twitter: @slouisepetersen IG: @slouisepetersen Buy Momfluenced on Amazon Subscribe to "In Pursuit of Clean Countertops" on Substack: sarapetersen.substack.com ---------- Come join me in my sandbox of life and in this podcast to explore, play and discover something new every single week… because I know you've yelled "Mommy's on a Call" at least once in the last week!!!
Forgiven Redeemed Reconciled by Dorsey BurkForgiven Redeemed Reconciled is the stories of Paul Tanner, a stressed senior pastor who through his life away, Sara Petersen, a pastor's daughter who is gang raped, and Zach Petersen, a young insecure and traumatized pastor. The choices they make affect not only them but also those around them. Forgiven Redeemed Reconciled shows that great blessings can come was broken, shattered, and scarred lives.Dorsey Burk has served in Christian ministry for over fifty years. His passion for missions has taken him to twenty-five nations in Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and the Caribbean. He has edited and designed books for the Oversea Ministries Training Course, the Alpha Bible Course, and the Global Association of Theological Studies. Many of these books bear his name as author. Forgiven Redeemed Reconciled is his first book of Christian fiction.Yet I Will Praise Him with Bev Burk and Krystin Burk Carlson is my wife's and my spiritual odyssey of living with Crohn's disease for over forty years. It tells of the lessons we learned through our struggles and victories and offers practical help for those dealing with chronic illness. It's a miraculous story filled with laughter and tears, demonstrating God's mercy, grace, and faithfulness in difficult times.https://www.amazon.com/Forgiven-Redeemed-Reconciled-Dorsey-Burk/dp/166286339X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3IM1XLTXDETWI&&keywords=Forgiven+Redeemed+Reconciled&&qid=1679264942&&sprefix=forgiven+redeemed+reconciled+,aps,549&&sr=8-1https://dorseyburkbooks.com/http://www.bluefunkbroadcasting.com/root/twia/61523ec1.mp3
In this episode of "Parenting Understood," we welcome Sara Petersen, who has been challenging the perception of motherhood influenced by media and social media. Sara shares her journey as a writer, inspired by her experiences as a mother and her evolving understanding of feminism. She explains how motherhood ignited her feminism and made her question the idealized version of motherhood portrayed in the media. The conversation delves into the complexities of maternal identity and the weight it carries compared to paternal identity. We highlight the feelings of intellectual starvation, claustrophobia, and the struggle to maintain autonomy in motherhood as well as delve further into the impact of social media on motherhood. We also examine the psychological impact of social media, including downward and upward comparison theories. You can learn more about Sara through her book, Momfluenced: Inside the Maddening, Picture-Perfect World of Mommy Influencer Culture, and by following her on Twitter and Instagram @slouisepetersen
Return to Clearwater Pond! Hannah and Sam are spending Memorial Day trying to read while being interrupted by their father. Luckily, Hannah had already finished "Yellowface" before arriving and so we can have a good chat about the industry's hottest novel and why it's supposed to make us uncomfortable (and succeeded: "I wouldn't do that!"). This leads to a long discussion on the worry of having someone steal your work (Sam is not worried). Maybe it all depends on perspective, which is at the core of "Apeirogon," which you really need to read, just like our Book Club did (they loved it). Oh, plus "George," by Frieda Hughes, which is about a real-life magpie; and "Open Throat," by Henry Hoke, which is about a made-up gay mountain lion. And then Sam remembers he read part of the Lauren Groff ARC, which was pretty interesting. Finally, we wrap with a bit about "Momfluenced," by Sara Petersen, who'll be joining Hannah at Labor in Vain, in Ipswich, on June 6.
A fascinating conversation with Sara Petersen on her hit new book Momfluenced: Inside The Maddening, Picture-Perfect World Of Mommy Influencer Culture
Today's guests: Lawrence M. Krauss, Best-selling author, theoretical physicist, author - "The Edge of Knowledge: Unsolved Mysteries of the Cosmos” Jen Gerson, Co-founder - The Line / contributing columnist - The Globe and Mail. Franco Terrazzano, Federal Director - Canadian Taxpayers Federation Sara Petersen, author - "Momfluenced: Inside the Maddening, Picture-Perfect World of Mommy Influencer Culture" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week, Kate interviews Sara Petersen, author of Momfluenced: Inside the Maddening, Picture-Perfect World of Mommy Influencer Culture, and they discuss all sorts of topics regarding the performance of motherhood online, from the origin of the ‘cult of domesticity' to modern moms rebooting civilization as homesteaders and beyond. Enjoy!SUPPORT OUR SPONSORSPre-order my book, One in a Millennial here!Right now, BÉIS is offering our listeners 15% off your first purchase by visiting BEISTRAVEL.com/BETHEREINFIVEVisit OliveandJune.com/BETHEREINFIVE for 20% off your first System! Get 10% off your first order sitewide with code BETHEREINFIVE at OSEAMalibu.com. You'll get free samples with every order, and free shipping on orders over $60.Head to shadyrays.com/TangleFree with code: BETHEREINFIVE for 30% OFF their best-selling Tangle Free Aviator and much more.
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny Moms
Why do the "momfluencers" who post perfect pictures of their crisply dressed children in lavender fields hold such a sway over us, and what can we do about it? Sara Petersen, author of the new book Momfluenced: Inside the Maddening, Picture-perfect World of Mommy Influencer Culture, gives us a glimpse into what makes mommy influencer culture so seductive. Sara Petersen also writes the newsletter In Pursuit of Clean Countertops, where she explores the cult of ideal motherhood. Amy and Sara discuss: What exactly a momfluencer is How parasocial relationships can backfire on momfluencers The benefits of momfluencers on social media It's natural to want external validation that we're "good" mothers by collecting likes of our carefully staged pictures on social media. In addition to simply logging off Instagram for awhile, it's good to check in with yourself about what you really value as a mom versus what you feel pressured to perform for others, and that could save you a really stressful trip to a blueberry patch. Here's where you can find Sara: Twitter and Instagram: @slouisepetersen In Pursuit of Clean Countertops: https:///sarapetersen.substack.com/about Buy Sara's book: https://bookshop.org/a/12099/9780807006634 We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://www.whatfreshhellpodcast.com/p/promo-codes/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Momfluenced author Sar a Petersen talks about the pressure and responsibility of navigating social media as a mom! PLUS: Heather gives the full scoop on the Finals Four's travels through Rome, Venice, the Orient Express, and Paris!!! Check out our great sponsors! Fly-U-Home: Get up to a $100 eGift Card with a new membership by using code "HEATHER" at AirMedCareNetwork.com/heather ReliefBand: Go to Reliefband.com and use code HEATHER to get 20% off plus free shipping! Caraway: Visit carawayhome.com/HDW for 10% off your next purchase! Indeed: Visit Indeed.com/heather to start hiring now!
This week, we are talking all things momfluencers with author Sara Petersen whose new book Momfluenced comes out this month. We reminisce with Sara about some of our favourite momfluencers, and why they also irritate us. We discuss the weight mothers carry to perform a certain kind of motherhood online, and some examples of mom culture getting it really right that you'll want to check out.Sara has written about motherhood and feminism for The New York Times, Harper's Bazaar, The Washington Post, and elsewhere. She also writes the newsletter In Pursuit of Clean Countertops, where she explores the cult of ideal motherhood. She lives in New Hampshire.Links:Rebekah Taussig and Mia O'Malley, two momfluencers who are disrupting the assumption of a monolithic online cultureKarni Arieli's project Eye MamaFor more from Sara, follow her on Twitter and Instagram, and check out her website We love hearing from our listeners! Leave us a voice message, write to the show email, or send us a DM on any of our socials.If our conversations support you in your own reframing practice, please consider a donation on our Patreon, where you can also hear bonus episodes, or tipping us on Ko-fi. Subscribe to the Reframeables Newsletter. Follow us on TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube too.We love hearing from our listeners! Leave us a voice message, write to the show email, or send us a DM on any of our socials.If our conversations support you in your own reframing practice, please consider a donation on our Patreon, where you can also hear bonus episodes, or tipping us on Ko-fi. Subscribe to the Reframeables Newsletter. Follow us on TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube too.
There are many images we can conjure up when we think about online influencers in our current day and time, but there is a very specific image that comes to mind when we think of moms who are influencers. What is it about “momfluencers” that intrigue us and keep us wanting more? In this episode, Aliza speaks with writer and author, Sara Petersen, who gives us an inside look into “momfluencer” culture and where moms are looking to fill the much needed gap of togetherness, support, and community in a society that provides almost none of those things. Links & ResourcesSara PetersenSara on InstagramMomfluenced [Book]Sara's NewsletterDo you trust this momfluencer? Good, because she has something to sell you [Article]The Dream PodcastEmily Lynn Paulson “Hey, Hon” [Book]Want more from SheSpeaks?* Sign up for our podcast newsletter HERE! * Connect with us on Instagram, FB & Twitter @shespeaksup Contact us at podcast@shespeaks.com
Sara Petersen, author of Momfluenced: Inside the Maddening, Picture-perfect World of Mommy Influencer Culture joins the show to share her sharp observations on this shiny world. In this candid conversation, Sara and Tara discuss how mommy influencer culture impacts women psychologically as consumers, as performers and as mothers. They both share their personal experiences of being influenced and offer strategies on becoming more aware of the messaging. This conversation will leave you thinking of how to define motherhood for yourself without letting a narrative determine it for you. If you ever went down a social media rabbit hole or said “Instagram made me buy it,” you should listen to this episode. Links:http://sara-petersen.com/Momfluenced: Inside the Maddening, Picture-Perfect World of Mommy Influencer Culture: https://amzn.to/40YABdL Follow & DM me @modernmomprobs Pick up my book Check out modernmomprobs Shout out to Citizens of Sound Leave a review
Motherhood is hard, lonely, and exhausting... except, apparently, if you're a momfluencer. Since the mid-2000s, a crop of seemingly perfect, all-knowing mommy goddesses in billowy tunics have emerged on social media—and we can't help but feel that their highly monetizable (often misinformation-ridden) internet presences basically exist to make other moms feel less than. This week, with the help of journalist and real-life mother Sara Petersen, author of the forthcoming book MOMFLUENCED, Isa and Amanda spill the (organic, non-toxic, totally baby-safe) tea about how famous internet moms have become their own kind of 21st Century cult leader. To support Sounds Like A Cult on Patreon, keep up with our live show dates, see Isa's live comedy, buy a copy of Amanda's book Cultish, or visit our website, click here! Thank you so much to our sponsor, Modern Fertility! To receive 50% or more off your first month of therapy, go to modernfertility.com/CULT.
**This episode is sponsored by Full Spectrum Features, a nonprofit social justice organization that uses film to inspire dialogue and create impact. They're a Chicago-based 501(c)(3) committed to driving equity in the independent film industry by producing, exhibiting, and supporting the work of women, BIPOC, and LGBTQ filmmakers.You can find out more about Full Spectrum Features and their support of artist caregivers in this episode and on their website at fullspectrumfeatures.com as well as their Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.**—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------We're excited to share with you this season finale compilation episode that draws together the voices and insights from this season. Together, we've examined how we wrestle with our conceptions of motherhood, the constraints of patriarchal structures on caregiving and art, and ways in which the fractured inevitability of early motherhood could perhaps provide new frameworks for creative production that work against existing norms and provide wholly new opportunities for expression, empowerment, and community.Timestamps:11:51 - Namrata Poddar, EP 1312:32 - Sara Petersen, EP 0813:09 - Heather Powell, EP 0714:08 - Nancy Reddy, EP 1215:02 - Amanda Montei, EP 1515:27 - Namrata Poddar15:45 - Nora Fiffer, EP 1116:57 - Sarah Chaves, EP 0118:18 - Nora Fiffer20:30 - Emily Pérez, EP 1221:27 - MM De Voe, EP 0922:04 - Dani Rowe, EP 0622:34 - Vanessa Hua, EP 0523:17 - Jackie Leonard, EP 0223:58 - Sarah Chaves24:57 - Vanessa Hua26:40 - Amanda Montei, EP 1526:57 - Minna Dubin, EP 1527:16 - Cindy DiTiberio, EP 1527:47 - Heather Powell28:30 - Sara Petersen 29:38 - Emily...
There's an influencer for every thing these days. Camping equipment? Sure. Nutritional supplements? You bet. Miniatures? You know it. College admissions? But of course. In this episode, though, we're going to focus on one of the original influencer niches: MOMS.The rise of the influencer ushered in a new outlet for self-help. Now, not only are there motivational books and talks, there's a product endorsement to help you live your best life. Influencers give us, perhaps, the direct line between personal growth and consumer capitalism. I talk with the author of the forthcoming Momfluenced, Sara Petersen, about all of that and more.Footnotes: Subscribe to Sara Petersen's newsletter Pre-order Momfluenced “Life After Lifestyle” by Toby Shorin “The Rhetoric of the Image” by Roland Barthes The Society of the Spectacle by Guy Debord Episode 393 with Kelly Diels Episode 395 with Steph Barron Hall “The Influencer Industry: Constructing and Commodifying Authenticity on Social Media” by Emily Dean Hund Radically rethink how you set goals: pre-order Tara's new book, What Works: A Comprehensive Framework to Change the Way We Approach Goal-Setting. Find it anywhere books are sold or at explorewhatworks.com/book. ★ Support this podcast ★
Self-help is everywhere. But for a long time, I tried to avoid it. "I just focus on business," I'd say. What I didn't realize back then was how much the structure, grammar, and discourse of personal growth permeate every layer of a business—and the entrepreneur behind it.Self-help sells. It's an $11 billion industry that's predicted to go to $14 billion in the next 3 years.And that's only counting products and services that are sold under the banner of "self-help." Even bigger than the explicit "live your best life" market is the valence of messaging, media, and cultural ventures that orbit it. In fact, there is a very good chance that, in one way or another, you and your work are part of the greater self-help ecosystem. You don't have to be a life coach, motivational speaker, momfluencer, or day planner designer to produce products and services that tap into the desire for a better, easier, or more fulfilling life. You might be a copywriter that leverages personal growth messaging in the copy you write. You might be a non-profit director that leverages donors' desire to "make a difference" to raise funds. You might be a management consultant that helps companies build better workplace cultures so employees feel a greater sense of purpose.Or, like your humble podcast host, you might one day make the startling discovery that: yes, you wrote a self-help book after more than a decade of declaring that you help people build better businesses, not better lives.I've gotten really curious about the business and politics of self-help. What makes self-help-inspired messaging so effective? Why are we constantly on the lookout for better ways to live and work? What compels us to follow aspirational Instagram accounts? Are we all in the self-help business? Next up on What Works, I have an 8-part series called Self-Help, LLC. It's a look at how the gospel of self-improvement shapes our lives, our work, and the businesses we're building I talk with writer Sara Petersen about Momfluencing, sociologist Patrick Sheehan about the coaching industry and backlash to credentialed experts, and brand strategist India Jackson about how our bodies are shaped by self-help. I also talk with Nine Types Co founder Steph Barron Hall about the draw of self-knowledge on Instagram, coach and writer Kelly Diels about the female lifestyle empowerment brand, and coach and author Jadah Sellner about the politics of hustle culture. My intention is that this series gives you a fresh perspective on what you create, what you consume, and how the underlying values of self-help culture influence them both. We'll dig into the business models behind explicitly self-help ventures and examine how less explicit personal growth businesses build on self-help's logic.The first episode in this series—Winners and Losers—drops September 6. Make sure you hit "follow" in your favorite podcast player and share the show with a friend who loves to think critically about the world we live in. ★ Support this podcast ★
“Motherhood makes us all so insecure and vulnerable as it is. It's just an innately vulnerable experience that's just rife for feeling bad about yourself or feeling unsure about your choices. We're just ‘onslaughted' with so many people—most of them strangers—that we're just constantly consuming other people's renditions of motherhood. And it's dizzying in terms of feeling comfortable and solid with your own decisions.” ~ Sara Petersen Momfluencers on social media are pervasive in today's culture, with focuses on everything from fashion, to parenting philosophies, to humor. It's interesting to see the impact of performative motherhood, both on practicing artists and mothers, how we present our private and public selves. And there's a lot to learn from Sara Petersen's work, especially as it holds a mirror to American motherhood in this particular socio-historical moment. Join Kaitlin as she talks with Sara, a writer based in New Hampshire, about momfluencers, as well as how she became the writer and mother that she is today. Sara's first book, http://sara-petersen.com/ (Momfluenced) examines the performance of motherhood through the multi-layered phenomenon of momfluencer culture, what this reveals about the texture of modern motherhood and what we might learn from it. Momfluenced will be coming out in 2023 with Beacon Press. Sara and Kaitlin talk about: How Sara became a writer and how she manages to juggle writing with motherhood. The early life experiences that informed Sara's views and fantasies of what motherhood should look like, in juxtaposition with the performative aspects of motherhood that she now unpacks in her writing. Momfluencer culture and it's different faucets and trends The broad spectrum of postpartum mood disorders and intense changes we experience after birth, plus how they are habitually glossed over and downplayed. Find out more about Sara: Website: http://sara-petersen.com/ (http://sara-petersen.com/) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slouisepetersen/?hl=en (https://www.instagram.com/slouisepetersen/?hl=en) Twitter: https://twitter.com/slouisepetersen (https://twitter.com/slouisepetersen) In many of these episodes, we've covered the privilege of moms pursuing creative work who have the resources to do so without working a traditional 9 to 5 out-of-the-home job. If you're a creative parent building an artistic life while also caregiving and working an unrelated 9 to 5 job, we'd love to hear from you and how you're able to find creative moments in the mayhem of your daily life and work. Drop us a line hello@postpartumproduction.com Related resources: Sara Petersen's recent newsletter about her takeaways from this podcast interview: https://sarapetersen.substack.com/p/babies-dont-need-cardigans?utm_source=email (https://sarapetersen.substack.com/p/babies-dont-need-cardigans?utm_source=email ) Listen to Sarah Chaves in Episode 1 as she reflects on her juggle of creative pursuits with motherhood and a 9-to-5: https://www.postpartumproduction.com/episodes/01 (https://www.postpartumproduction.com/episodes/01) Here's Emily Henderson's blog: https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/all-posts (https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/all-posts) Naomi Davis on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/taza ( https://www.instagram.com/taza) More about Writer and poet Kate Baer: https://www.katebaer.com/ (https://www.katebaer.com/)
Influencers can include pretty much anyone who has a significant following on social media – whether it be chefs, models, actors, or celebrities of any sort. And there is a new type of influencer on the rise, the influencer that is also a mother - the 'Momfluencer'. I am joined today by Sara Petersen, author of the upcoming book MOMFLUENCED, coming out in 2023 from Beacon Press. twitter & instagram @slouisepetersen
Before I found Sara Petersen's work, I had no idea what a momfluencer was and why I should care. On the podcast, Sara shares how important it is to have awareness around momfluencers so that we can stay anchored in our own values instead of being aimlessly influenced by those that want to sell us a product and the promise of being a better mother along with it. Sara shares how momfluencers often sell the “whole package”, and therefore when they sell health, diet or nutritional information, people are more apt to buy into it. Sara Petersen's first book, Momfluenced is coming out in 2023. In the book, she examines the performance of motherhood through the complexities of mommy influencer culture, what this reveals about the texture of modern motherhood, and what we might learn from it. Join Sara's newsletter, In Pursuit of Clean Countertops here- https://sarapetersen.substack.com Connect with Sara on twitter and insta @slouiseptersen
Listen now (39 min) | The potential and power of momfluencing in marginalized communities, with Sara Petersen
There’s a slew of “Look at this mama, she’s so beautiful inside and out.” And it’s always on the photos of women who are thin. We see this equating of “you are slaying motherhood,” with “you don’t have any physical reminders that you’ve created a human and birthed a human.” Welcome to Burnt Toast! This is the podcast about about diet culture, fatphobia, parenting, and health. I’m Virginia Sole-Smith.Today’s conversation is with Sara Petersen, a writer based in New Hampshire. Her first book Momfluenced, which examines the performance of motherhood through momfluencer culture, what this reveals about the texture of modern motherhood, and what we might learn from it, is coming next year from Beacon Press.If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe, rate and review us in your podcast player! Andsubscribe to the Burnt Toast newsletter for episode transcripts, reported essays, and more. (Here’s a 20% discount if you’d like to go paid!)Quick disclaimer: Sara and I are both white, straight, cisgender women who had our children biologically. We both have varying degrees of thin privilege. This conversation is inevitably focused on the experience of motherhood as this white, straight, cisgender phenomenon because that’s the reality of momfluencing. It’s not an inclusive world.If a conversation about pregnancy, childbirth and body changes does not sound safe for you, feel free to skip this one. Episode 27 TranscriptVirginiaHi, Sara, thank you for being here!SaraHi, I’m so psyched.VirginiaWhy don’t we start by defining some terms. What is a momfluencer? I loved the way you put it in your Harper’s Bazaar piece, that “they enrage us and yet we cannot look away.”SaraThe standard definition is an influencer who is also a mother who has monetized her social media platforms. I’m broadening it for my research and book to look at how we all perform motherhood on social media, whether or not we have a monetized following.VirginiaInteresting. That makes sense because it is true you get micro-influenced by mothers in your space, even if they’re not “capital M” momfluencers.SaraTotally, and it impacts how you think about posting your own motherhood content on your own page. It’s this self-conscious narratization of your own story. You start calling yourself a mama versus a mother or a mom. And there’s a romanticization of the basic facts of motherhood.VirginiaAs professional momfluencers have become a legitimate industry, we are seeing much more analysis and discourse around them, which I really cannot get enough of. And I’m so excited for your book. What made you want to dive so deep into this topic?SaraTaza, Naomi Davis, was one of my first obsessions. She made motherhood look so joyful. That was confounding for me because I’m someone—obviously I love my kids and I’m super grateful for them—but nine times out of ten, I don’t love the work of motherhood. It’s tedious, it’s monotonous, it’s boring a lot of the time, like playing store or whatever. So seeing someone constantly posting this beautiful, joyful picture of motherhood got in my psyche. Why wasn’t I so readily able to access that same joy? And then I went down the rabbit hole from there.VirginiaThere’s also the aesthetics of momfluencing. I’m recording in my four year old’s bedroom right now because my office is under construction. I’m sitting next to a giant sloth named Stella who is an important part of our family and she’s pretty hideous. SaraI really should have brought Kevin. I have a dolphin in my house. Oh, it’s narwhal named Kevin.VirginiaI find motherhood is a real drag on my aesthetic vibe. This room is filled with stuffed animals that I would never have chosen to surround myself with because they bring my children great joy. But in the momfluencer vision, your children perfectly fit into this beautifully curated life. Their children do not have giant sloths and narwhals. Or they have the cute Etsy versions. SaraThe detritus of children in a home is ugly, nine out of ten times. I just spoke to Bethanie Garcia about this—The Garcia Diaries. She’ll do the staged photoshoots with her kids in cute little shaker fishermen cardigans, but she’s transparent about the fact that she bribes her kids to wear those because as soon as the photoshoot is done, they want to wear their SpiderMan onesies. VirginiaWe should mention for folks who are as fascinated by momfluencers as we are, if you want more on these topics, we recommend Kathryn Jezer-Morton’s newsletter Mothers Under the Influence and the podcast Under the Influence with Jo Piazza. And Meg Conley wrote about the mommies of Instagram. But we are going to talk about momfluencer’s bodies and how the momfluencing sphere intersects with diet culture. It’s important to articulate that these women are both products of and creators of diet culture. They are both living under these rigid standards about what their bodies should look like and reinforcing those standards through all this content creation. There’s also a very specific vernacular to how much influencers do diet culture. SaraPregnancy and postpartum are the two biggest phases where you’re going to see it. Documenting of pregnancies and the barrage of comments. Like, “how do you look so good, pregnant with your fifth kid? I’m pregnant with my first.” Then there are the postpartum photos. It’s “How did you get your body back so quickly? How did you bounce back?”VirginiaYou have made humans and yet you look like you’ve never made humans, which means you’ve achieved what diet culture tells us is a woman’s primary goal in life: To be a mother and to look like that never happened to you. There’s often a lot of body positive talk woven in with the “bouncing back.” Which can get murky, because there’s a lot of “I’m doing this for me. This is #selfcare,” without acknowledging that you’re reinforcing fatphobia in that process. There’s also the reality that there are very few major name fat momfluencers. There’s often this rhetoric of like, “Oh, you’re so brave, because you’re showing us stretch marks.” But the only people who get to be brave are thin white women. SaraAnother one of the tropes is the conflating of moral goodness with how one’s body is presenting. There’s a slew of “Look at this mama, she’s so beautiful inside and out.” And it’s always, again, on the photos of women who are thin. We see this equating of “you are slaying motherhood” with “you don’t have any physical reminders that you’ve created human and birthed a human.” Which adds to the erasure of the labor of motherhood. It erases the need for things like postpartum leave and universal preschool, things that actually help mothers in systemic, meaningful ways, versus the hashtag #noexcuses. VirginiaYou’re right. If you manage to look like you never had a kid at six weeks postpartum, then why do you need maternity leaves? Because you got your body back. You’re done. Oh, that’s infuriating. So you have some case studies for us to analyze. SaraAlright, so the first one we’re going to look at is Hannah Neeleman. She’s @ballerinafarm. She’s a rancher in Utah. She’s Mormon. She’s married to one of the heirs to JetBlue. But that’s not a big part of her platform because that would go against the homesteading rancherwoman vibe.This is the birth announcement for her seventh child. The comments are praising her superwoman powers. Like, “How does she look like this pregnant with her seventh kid?” Then there’s another comment that says, “I think she’s just got amazing abs and was able to hide it this long!” So there’s this really pointed dissection of mothers’ bodies where commenters are saying, “I knew it!!!!!!! I thought I saw a little pooch last week!!! ❤️❤️❤️ congrats!!!” VirginiaThere’s a sense of ownership over this woman’s body. That’s a very uncomfortable dynamic.SaraYep. She posts a lot of cleaning videos where she’ll clean up the mess of six children and make it look like a lark, with lots of thumbs up. She does it all with a smile. There’s a comment under this pregnancy announcement post that says, “This is what true feminism looks like! Doing it all! So cool.”VirginiaSara, help me, how is this feminism?Sara Feminism here is being a mother, assuming motherhood as a gender essentialist, natural role that a mother should do easily and well and with a smile on her face. She’s adhering to all the patriarchal standards that there are. She is conventionally attractive. She’s retaining her heterosexual desirability, in spite of and despite motherhood. She’s in the home and she’s happy about it all. She’s not complaining.VirginiaI think about young women, especially coming from rural America, from a conservative background, aspiring to this. It feels like such an unfair bar. There’s so many things about this that are resting on all the different kinds of privilege she has. She’s only doing it all because she’s married to a gazillionaire. I mean, and she’s certainly not doing it all.SaraShe also homeschools her kids. And there’s never any acknowledgement of outside childcare help or housecleaning help. Another part of her “doing it all” narrative is the idealization of her marriage. When she went to the pageant, she made a big point of posting stories like “Daniel’s staying at home with the kids and he’s the best.”VirginiaThat’s interesting. It’s almost like a cosplay of equality and co-parenting, with that need to overly praise your husband for doing his part.Who do we have next? SaraAmber Fillerup Clark. She used to be known as Barefoot Blonde. I don’t know if I would call her ex-Mormon, but she’s written some really insightful posts disagreeing with the church, which is refreshing. But she, again, is a thin woman. This is how she announced her fourth pregnancy.I guess we could say she feels “empowered” to lean into her sexuality in a way that not all momfluencers do. There’s a comment that says "No wonder he keeps putting babies in you. LOOK AT YOU! 😍" So she gets a lot of the hypersexualized comments that make me feel feelings.VirginiaWell, again, it’s the sense of ownership over her body that her followers have. Because yes, she’s putting a semi-naked photo of herself out there for the world to discuss, but I still feel violated on her behalf. Does she not deserve some privacy? SaraTotally. This is the whole, “but they’re putting themselves out there so they deserve whatever intrusive behavior or commentary they get.” Which is obviously absurd logic. There’s a comment here that says, “She already looks hungry and then to think that she’s meant to be nurturing a baby as well in there 🥺”VirginiaI think a lot about the responsibility of influencers putting these images out for young girls. They do have a responsibility to not perpetuate these dangerous beauty ideals. And yet, we do not know this woman’s health. We cannot make assumptions based on her body that she has an eating disorder or she’s not eating enough to nourish her pregnancy. Healthy pregnancies look different on every person. There’s no evidence here that she’s doing anything dangerous for her pregnancy. I’m troubled by the standard this reinforces and I feel like it’s important to just emphasize that we don’t actually know what we’re seeing. We also don’t know how much of this is even real, right? Because the photos are heavily edited and styled.Alright, who’s next?SaraI just wanted to briefly touch on Rachel Hollis. I included her infamous tiger stripes bikini shots. Do you want to describe the image Virginia?VirginiaYes. She is standing on a beautiful beach and she is wearing a monogrammed bikini top. Her hair is very messy. She’s giving us a lot of beachy waves and big sunglasses. This does look like something that maybe her husband just snapped on his iPhone. It has a much more loose, casual, lower quality vibe to the photo. Her stomach, which is very flat because she is a thin person, has some bumpy skin. I wouldn’t even say it’s loose skin exactly. It’s like her skin is just not perfectly taught. There’s a little bit of texture to her stomach.SaraThis one exemplifies something that is characteristic of Rachel Hollis’ whole thing, which is, “Everything I have is a result of my individual hard work and not because of my various layers of privilege.” And she writes, “Those marks prove that I was blessed enough to carry my babies. And that flabby tummy means I worked hard to lose what weight I could.” So again, it’s this imperative. I have to work out. I have to change the way my body looks after birthing humans because that makes me morally superior to people who choose not to exercise or choose not to prioritize weight loss after pregnancy. She goes on to uphold her sexual desirability when she says, “I wear a bikini because the only man whose opinion matters knows what I went through to look this way. That same man says he’s never seen anything sexier than my body, marks and all.” VirginiaI feel frustrated that none of these women are even questioning the premise. There is never a sense of maybe I don’t have to lose the baby weight. Maybe my body is allowed to look like it changed. SaraKatie Crenshaw—she’s a great follow—writes a lot about body image stuff as it pertains to motherhood. She talks about the b******t of calling images like these brave. She says, let’s stop qualifying perceived flaws. Imperfections aren’t more beautiful or acceptable because someone produced a child. There’s no moral hierarchy. That’s so important to underscore in this whole conversation, this assumption that if our bodies changed because we had children we are somehow given more grace than people who haven’t birthed children when their bodies change.VirginiaYes, lots of people’s stomachs who look like Rachel Hollis’ stomach, or significantly fatter, are actually just fat stomachs and they haven’t had kids. They don’t owe us an explanation or justification for that either. You don’t have to earn the right to have a flawed body.SaraIt goes back to the tiger stripes, like Rachel Hollis saying that somehow her body looks the way it does, because she’s gone through some sort of whatever. The warrior goddess mentality of motherhood.VirginiaWhich is also another way of fetishizing motherhood, instead of seeing motherhood. If you’re equating the experience of giving birth to running a triathlon—now you’re stronger than ever, and it’s made you a better person—then we don’t have to do anything for moms because they’re walking through this fire so willingly and bravely. If they can withstand that, then they don’t need paid leave or childcare. So this justification for her body is both harming moms and harming all the people who are not moms.SaraWhich goes back to @ballerinafarm and how she does it all with six kids and one on the way. That’s not good. We shouldn’t be worshiping this cult of burnout.VirginiaI will just quickly shout out of course Maintenance Phase did an excellent two part episode on Rachel Hollis. So, if you want way more Rachel Hollis analysis, Aubrey and Michael have you covered there. SaraDo you want to go into Hilaria?VirginiaOkay. She is another extremely thin woman. She’s in a profile, so you can really see the definition of her ab muscles, which I feel is important to the story. She’s wearing a black lacy bra and underwear. She is holding a cute little baby in a red onesie. They are near a bathtub, although they are both wearing clothes. Her hair is also in a nice half up style. So I feel like this is not post-bath. She is sniffing her baby in her underwear. SaraSo again, a lot of the same patterns that we’ve seen in our other case studies. The “Oh my goodness you look absolutely incredible!! 👏👏🙌🙌❤️❤️ After baby number 2 my body decided to give in to gravity. 🤦🏻♀️” That demonization of a body doing what a body does. VirginiaThat other comment you pulled is “Dam girl!!!!!!!🔥 I wish I'd looked like that. If I had, I too would have had more! But I didn't, so I stopped at 2.”SaraYeah, that one really stuck out for me. We’re in a place where we’re considering how many children to have, how many human beings to add to our family based on how our body responds to pregnancy?VirginiaI think she’s saying the silent part out loud. The postpartum experience can be so brutal and put you through the wringer in so many ways. For me, personally, it was more about like, I want my body back. I don’t want my body to belong to this other creature anymore. But I can understand what they’re saying, even though it makes me also die inside.SaraWhat I hate about that is the emphasis on the visuals of the body. I had a heinous time, especially postpartum with my first kid. It had nothing to do with how my body felt or looked, but it had everything to do with postpartum depression and the huge mental and emotional shifts that I went through. We’re putting so much emphasis on the appearance of the body versus what the person in the body is experiencing.VirginiaYes, like if this person had only managed to look a certain way—even if two was the right number to stop at, or the postpartum experience was brutal due to mental health—it would be like, well, I can have more because my body bounces back. SaraThis perceived notion of success runs rampant in all things motherhood. I successfully breastfed, I successfully potty trained. VirginiaWasn’t there some controversy about her and surrogacy or secret surrogacy? SaraYeah, her next kid was born via surrogacy. There was some discourse about, “Oh, she just didn’t want to be pregnant and put her body through that again. So she had someone else do it.” The assumption that we all should be and can be judging mothers and their behaviors.VirginiaWe’re assuming it’s a choice. I mean, it may have been a choice for her. I have no idea. But obviously, using a surrogate is often not a choice. We’re also then feeding into this hierarchy of the best mothers are the ones who can have them biologically and look like it never happened. Second to that would be you—I apologize, I may be using the wrong terms—gestated them yourself, even if you look like that happened. You can be a brave thin mom who gestated your own children. Moving down the hierarchy is people who need IVF or need assistance or go the adoption route. We’re playing into this terrible hierarchy of who’s the the “real” or “true” mom. We’re also belittling the experience that every mom has with their body. Only if you went through some hideous natural birth experience is your story worth telling, is that a true motherhood war story. Other ways that motherhood intersects with our bodies isn’t worth talking about isn’t worth holding space for. I know moms who adopted their kids whose bodies also changed dramatically. It’s still a very physical experience of being a mom.Also, if your body was your job in the way this woman’s body is, maybe it is a reasonable business decision to say I can’t be pregnant because I have to maintain my body looking like this. SaraThere are lots of burgeoning conversations happening in the momfluencer space about how we need to be focusing less, obviously, on mother’s bodies and more on the experience of motherhood, which is work and which is often rendered invisible. VirginiaI’m so here for that shift in conversation. And I hope some of these influencers feel like they can participate. There’s definitely some opportunity to change some narratives here.SaraYeah, it’s almost always met with overwhelming fan support. VirginiaI think the next phase of this is we need to see non-thin moms able to do the same thing, and non-white moms, and non-straight moms, and non-cisgender moms. We need to blow apart this definition of motherhood in so many ways, right? And I am grateful you are doing it. Butter For Your Burnt ToastSaraOkay, so my favorite thing to do these days is to knit while listening to a podcast. It’s so heavenly. Because you feel like you’re doing something. Not that you need to be productive at all times, but there’s this virtuous sense of here I am using my hands while also feeding my brain that just feels very good to me. It’s just basically relaxing.Some of the podcasts I’ve been really into are: Once Upon a Time at Bennington College, and The Plot Thickens.VirginiaAnd what are you knitting while you’re listening to all these things?SaraThe patterns I mostly use are from a knitting momfluencer. Her knitting patterns are beautiful. It’s a cosmos-pink, funnel neck, chunky sweater that I made for my daughter.VirginiaMy recommendation is ignoring your children to read books. Because unlike when you stare at your phone while you’re with your kids—I do that as well, to be clear, but you have to feel guilty because you’re not “present”—when you’re reading, you’re modeling “good behavior.” I’ll pick up my book, become invisible in plain sight, and just read. I do recommend starting out with some light fiction, something you can dip in and out of, because you will get interrupted. The thing I’m reading right now, which I’ll admit is so beautifully written it’s not ideal for this, is Matrix by Lauren Groff. I can tell I’m already going to be mad when it’s over. I’m actually going more slowly with it because I don’t want this to end and I want this to be a 500 page book and it’s not.SaraThat’s the highest praise.VirginiaSo Sara, tell listeners where they can follow your work.SaraSo, I’m on Twitter and Instagram at @SLouisePetersen. Louise is my middle name. And then I have a website Sara-Petersen.com.The Burnt Toast Podcast is produced and hosted by me, Virginia Sole-Smith. You can follow me on Instagram or Twitter.Burnt Toast transcripts and essays are edited and formatted by Corinne Fay, who runs @SellTradePlus, an Instagram account where you can buy and sell plus size clothing.The Burnt Toast logo is by Deanna Lowe.Our theme music is by Jeff Bailey and Chris Maxwell.Tommy Harron is our audio engineer.Thanks for listening and for supporting independent anti diet journalism! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit virginiasolesmith.substack.com/subscribe
Listen now (41 min) | Parsing the motherhood we're allowed to see, with Sara Petersen
For Part 1 of a two-part series on momfluencers, Emily is joined by Sara Petersen, author of the Harpar's Bazaar article, "Momfluencer Content Enrages Me. Why Can't I Look Away?" Emily and Sara talk about the unattainable "authenticity" of the most elite momfluencers, reveal which ones really got in their heads, and discuss the term "hate follow."Follow Sara Petersen: http://sara-petersen.com/https://twitter.com/slouisepetersenhttps://www.instagram.com/slouisepetersen/Sara's momfluencer articles: https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/a35266612/motherhood-instagram-influencers/https://www.instyle.com/lifestyle/momfluencers-nostalgia-instagramhttps://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/features/a36595860/wellness-mommy-bloggers-and-the-cultish-language-they-use/https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2021/06/10531901/influencers-pyramid-schemes-mlms-beautycounter-momfluencersFind the books mentioned:Amazon: https://amzn.to/3EFpmeu Indie option: https://bit.ly/3CCB20RFind the full list of momfluencers mentioned in this episode here: https://mothermotherpodcast.com/episode-4-momfluencers-with-sara-petersenFollow Mother Mother:Learn more about Mother Mother at https://mothermotherpodcast.com/Follow Mother Mother on Instagram at https://instagram.com/mothermotherpodcast Get the newsletter: https://bit.ly/3BgTydsFollow the host, Emily Farris:Instagram at https://instagram.com/thatemilyfarrisTwitter: https://twitter.com/thatemilyfarris-Questions? Comments? Want to advertise? Contact Emily at info@mothermotherpodcast.com.Thanks for listening and be sure to subscribe so you get a new episode of Mother Mother every Tuesday! Our theme song, "Mother Mother" by Tracy Bonham, is performed by Jocelyn Mackenzie with Harry Bolles.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/mother-mother. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
What happens when a mom influencer broadcasts the attempted kidnapping of her children in the parking lot of a crafting store in California wine country? What happens when those claims are completely untrue? This bonus episode dives into the case of mom influencer Katie Sorensen and what happened last December when she falsely accused a Latino couple of trying to kidnap her two children. Sorensen was recently charged with giving false information to the police. Those charges could carry a sentence of six months in jail. Along with journalist Sara Petersen, Jo delves into what happened in that parking lot and also talk about why it may have happened. Nearly 4.5 million people watched that video Sorensen posted. Her followers skyrocketed. If crisis and tragedy drive more and more attention then is there an allure to post the kinds of things that will get you that attention. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
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