The Toxic Mother-in-Law TikTok Trend Allows TikTok Users to Air Some Dirty Laundry
Jul. 21 2021, Published 12:23 p.m. ET
A growing number of women are taking to TikTok to open up about their conflicted relationship with their mothers-in-law. The Toxic Mother-In-Law TikTok trend offers a safe space for social media users to vent their frustration and share details about the at-times shocking situations they found themselves in after marrying their partners. Here's what you should know about the Toxic Mother-in-Law TikTok trend.
The Toxic Mother-in-Law TikTok trend encourages TikTokers to freely discuss their in-law-related troubles.
Most short clips filed under hashtags like #motherinlawproblems or #toxicmil draw on real-life situations TikTokers had to face after meeting their significant other. Those responding to the trend tend to paint a damning picture of their mothers-in-law. Some claim their relatives resorted to racist or fat-phobic language in a bid to sow division.
As a Twitter thread by Digital Culture Insider warns, however, the Toxic Mother-In-Law TikTok trend risks perpetuating stereotypes about mental illnesses like narcissistic personality disorder.
Some of the TikTokers responding to the Toxic Mother-in-Law TikTok trend have very real problems.
As a TikTok user, @shewolfnm, shared in a series comprised of 17 short clips, her relationship with her mother-in-law became so unmanageable after her divorce that the older woman started filing lawsuits to obtain custody over @shewolfnm's daughter.
As she revealed in one of the first short clips, her mother-in-law used racist language in her presence and made false claims to get custody. Her attempt turned out to be futile, but she continued to file lawsuits.
As @shewolfnm alleged, her mother-in-law turned to the court to obtain custody over her daughter more than 20 times. Another TikToker named @katethesquirrel revealed that her mother-in-law would make fat-phobic comments.
"I also discovered very quickly that I had to learn Russian because they would stand there and badmouth me to my face in Russian and then turn around and insist I couldn't understand them, so it was fine," the TikToker said.
"Now, I'm plus size and one of her favorite things to go on about was how her son should have married a woman with a gymnast's body, like hers. 'Why couldn't you have married someone with a gymnast's body, like [mine]?' We are now divorced."
Other TikTokers used the Toxic Mother-In-Law TikTok Trend as an opportunity to poke fun at misogynistic stereotypes.
Take Julianna Jennings (@itsjuliannajennings), who skyrocketed to fame with a range of hilarious impersonations and comedy sketches. For her take on the Toxic Mother-In-Law TikTok trend, she compiled a range of passive-aggressive lines that could drive anyone up the wall — but especially a daughter-in-law.
"I'm sorry that I care," Julianna says at the beginning of the TikTok clip.
Demonstrating unmatched dramatic prowess, Julianna delivers each line with goosebump-inducing accuracy, uncanny eyebrow furrowing, and the subtlest lip pursing.
"Of course, I'm wearing white to my only son's wedding," she goes on to add. "It's my day too."
"Whose side are you on, David?" she asks at the end of the clip.
