'It's Like They Know Us' Blog Mocks Unrealistic Photos of Family Life
She enjoys wearing white, ethereal lighting and staring with quiet repose.
— -- It's been less than three weeks, and chances are you -- and most of your friends -- already know about this blog.
But despite its huge success, very few people know anything about the woman whose wry wit is behind those hilarious captions on photos that show families in situations unfamiliar to most. The blog's amassed thousands of followers in a very short time.
"I have friends who ask me if I've seen the blog," Sara Given said, referring to her Tumblr "It's Like They Know Us," a collection of stock photos and advertisements depicting absurdly perfect family moments that Given then captions herself. Think parents feeding their baby on a perfectly pristine white sofa or a mom pumping peacefully as she gazes off camera.
"I’m just going to post a quick question about my baby’s eating/sleeping/pooping habits. I am sure it won’t escalate from friendly advice into a fiery mega battle of parenting philosophies fueled by deeply held beliefs, anecdotal evidence, and links to articles no one ever clicks on." - It's Like They Know Us.
Given, mom to a 1-year-old daughter, is particularly drawn to the baby carrier photos. "I so wanted to be that mom who swished through the grocery store with my baby in the carrier," she said. "I could never get her in. She would scream and make a total scene."
It all started from a podcast called The Longest Shortest Time on WNYC and that podcast's Facebook page. Given's a member, and one day someone posted a photo of a woman casually eating cereal with pumps attached to her breasts. But the pumps were attached to nothing. So does this woman just enjoy having bottles attached to her for no apparent reason?
People began adding funny captions and someone wrote "someone should start a blog." So Given did. But as a new mom with a full-time job as an orchestra teacher, it's difficult to find the time to keep up with the incredible response she's seen in the two weeks since the It's Like They Know Us launched. This funny mom, like most working parents, can only find the time to update her Tumblr after her daughter goes to bed.