It's been a decade since Lady Gaga's hit "Poker Face" was released, but the moms who make up the comedic group Mothers You'd Like to Friend (MYLF) are giving the catchy tune new life with a parody that sends an important message to moms about the realities behind their social media feeds.
In the funny video "Book of Face," Masha Sapron, writer and co-director of the parody, dances to lyrics that explain what's really going on behind the scenes of most moms' "perfect" selfies.
"See us on vacation always having so much fun," the lyrics read as a family posts beautifully posed photos during their travels. "It rained all week. The kids got sick. I hated everyone."
As one new mother takes selfies with her newborn, the verse reveals, "See my new addition, don't you want to kiss her cheeks? Forget I don't make enough milk. I haven't slept all week."
Sapron said the idea for the parody came to her as she was scrolling through her own social media feeds and feeling a bit inferior.
"Sometimes I scroll through my feed and end up feeling down," Sapron told TODAY Parents. "I'm still in my pajamas, picking dried oatmeal off the floor from breakfast even though its 2 p.m. My twins are napping, and I think, 'I need a quick connection with other moms' ... then bam — I am transported into my friends' personal lives, and they all look beautiful, and their kids are smart and funny, and their partners are hashtag perfect, and they take exotic vacations and have meaningful jobs and display their 'perfect' lives. But are they really perfect? I know what we post on social media is not 100 percent of the story."
The parody, co-written by a fellow MYLF, Cat Deakins, touches on all aspects of social media fakery, from pretending to cook only healthy organic meals for kids while secretly microwaving frozen food to posting date night selfies when both parents are practically falling asleep and would prefer to be at home.
Deakins said when it comes to social media, it's important to be aware of what you're taking away from the posts you view.
"If I only see someone’s cherry-picked 'perfect' moments that they post on social media — instead of seeing a bigger picture like you might get from an actual conversation in person with someone — then my sense of reality is really distorted, and it can actually make me feel down about my own life," Deakins said. "We are all doing the best we can. And while we can learn from each other and admire each other and grow, which is natural, it’s good to remember that no one’s life is 'perfect' all the time — or ever. We all have our struggles and frustrations and challenges, because we are all human."
Deakins continued, "Remember these old sayings: 'You can’t judge a book by its cover' — photo — and 'Don’t compare your insides to someone else’s outsides.'"
