It feels like mommy-shamers have been hitting their keyboards unusually hard recently to put down the likes of Jessica Simpson, Chrissy Teigen, and more. But they’ve really messed with the wrong momma this time around.
Instagram users who came at Julia Stiles after she posted a photo of herself and her son late last week ended up face-to-face with the witty wrath of her 10 Things I Hate About You character, Katarina Stratford.
The actress posted to Instagram to share the mommy products she was loving at the time, including a baby carrier from TULA. Nothing too out of the ordinary. But in classic internet fashion, this endorsement quickly turned into a mom-shaming bloodbath.
Commenters were up in arms about the way her then six-week-old son, Strummer Newcomb Cook, was strapped into the carrier.
Commenters pointed to the positioning of her little one, saying his head was too far down and his legs should not have been tucked in. After all the controversy ensued, someone even told her that reacting in defense of her photo was “having a bad attitude.” The hater went on to say, “Don’t be offended, say thanks.”
Stiles channeled whatever amount of Kat she still has in her, posting a photo of the Clash with a caption that read: “Wow, I didn’t expect that. What was supposed to be a shout out of products I like, suddenly becomes an invitation to comment on my baby, and my ability as a mother. That’s the internet for you, the carnivorous plant from “Little Shop of Horrors”. I was trying to keep much of my son’s image private, including, I guess, his little feet.
And it was just a photo taken at home, not how I normally carry him around. Thanks for the concern, anyway. Yes, Mothers, always read the safety instructions. But also, Instagramers: instead of writing snarky comments about a 5 week old, try dancing around your living room to a Clash record. It’s way more fun.”
Okay, so she didn’t exactly ask “What is it, A**hole Day?”, but we can definitely see her alter ego Kat making a similar comeback. After posting the bold clapback, her original post received an outpouring of support from new moms, old moms, and non-moms who just wanted to show their love. One ‘gramer, @shwu013, said, “Um, I carried my son like that too… I guess I’m also the worst mom ever! Congrats, and enjoy it. No one actually knows how to mom, even if they pretend they do.” Amen to that.