Lately it seem like everyone is taking offence to absolutely everything that is posted on social media! It's becoming an epidemic.
If you live in Australia, you may have heard about the 'fake mamamia' hashtag that was flying around the twitter-verse last night.
For anyone who doesn't know, here's a run down. MamaMia is an Australian online publication, aimed at women and run by Mia Freedman. It's basically an online version of a women's glossy.
They pride themselves on providing a casual, social 'round table discussion' arena for women to discuss and engage with the issues that are impacting them i their everyday lives.
They publish news, current affairs, lifestyle, opinion, fashion, beauty, parenting, relationship advice etc.
After the controversy in Ireland over doctors denying a women an abortion which would have saved her life because they are "A catholic country", MamaMia published several reports on the issue of abortion, from various stand points. On post, published yesterday, which related to this topic was shared by MamaMia on Twitter. The tweet read:
Mainstream media (The Age, Sydney Morning Herald etc) have since reported that tweet alone was the cause of a series of tweets that began appearing with the hashtag #fakemamamia. Although those involve say that was simply the catalyst.
Some of these tweets included:
So after a while the notorious Charlotte Dawson decides to put her two-cents in, accusing those participating in the Hashtag of attacking Mia Freedman and then turning on each other. Which by most accounts is not what happened. This triggered a few other minor Australian celebrities to get involved, which of course alerted the main stream media.
Neither Mia Freedman or MamaMia have commented and really don't seem to be all that bothered by it really.
Heres what some people said when the backlash began:
If you read through the tweets you will see that they were using satirical humour to mock the entire women's magazine industry. Not specifically Mia Freedman or MamaMia. It's true the women's magazine industry can seem a little shallow at times, but it caters for an audience, a niche market if you will, of women who want to know about the latest trends and receive the latest relationship or parenting advice.
In this 21st century information age, MamaMia serves it's purpose and it's market, as does every other publication.
The FakeMamaMia hashtag was not an attack on Mia Freedman or MamaMia but instead a satirical look at the ways of the women's magazine world and the way that we, as women, have created this industry through our insistent desire for all things pretty and fluffy.
I think this is the perfect example of how society has become far too politically correct lately. When someone makes a joke about something, more often than not they are making fun of society. Of themselves. For the way that we perceive the world. For what we deem to be important.
Next time your about to get offended by something someone says or writes, maybe you could ask yourself, why am I offended? Who is this comment really attacking? and Does this actually hurt or impact me in any way? Chances are, it's not all that offensive anyway!
What's the most overly-politically-correct thing you've seen lately?
Until next time :) xx
