What to Know
Some things in life are just unavoidable and certain, like death, taxes, and your grandma’s backhanded compliments and comments. That might just be the boomer way, and something we have come to expect from that generation, but when one woman, Sarah, shared a text from her grandma on TikTok, she pointed out that being criticized by family members for clothing choices or for your body probably shouldn’t be normalized.
The issue, according to Sarah’s grand, was a horizontal striped weather Sarah wore for family photos. When her grandma texted her about wearing vertical stripes instead, well, you can see where this is going. Sarah pointed out in the comments, “Generational ‘truths’ becoming generational insecurities.” Girl, clock it, and say it for the boomers in the back.
The grandma’s boomer comment wasn’t even surprising.
In Sarah’s TikTok, she shared a photo of her, her husband, and their two kids. They all look happy in the family photo and, it should be noted, Sarah is wearing a black and white striped sweater.
Apparently, though, it was too much for Grandma not to focus on when she texted her. The next photo in Sarah’s post is the text in question, and we have all heard this at one point from a mom, grandma, or other form of a boomer in our lives.
“Pictures are great,” the grandma texted her. “Just a little hint though. Stripes going around you make you look bigger and up and down stripes make you look thinner.”
Yep, that’s it. That’s the text.
Mind you, the photo also features happy smiles from everyone and Sarah’s husband looking directly at her, and not the camera like everyone else, with pure love in his eyes. But Grandma just had to comment on something else entirely, as boomers tend to do.
When someone commented on the post to tell Sarah that their mom told them that very thing when they were growing up, Sarah was quick with her response: “Generational trauma but make it fashion advice lol.” That is too real.
Others gave Sarah some possible responses for her grandma, should a similar situation arise again.
“Thanks for the tip!” One user wrote. “You big gals sure know all the best hacks!” Another added, “And you’re more than old enough to know that if you don’t have something nice to say then it’s best not to say anything at all but I guess we all need reminders sometimes so here’s yours.”
When someone commented to say that it isn’t a woman’s sole job to “look smaller” for other people’s benefit, Sarah replied, “Yeah, because Heaven forbid women exist comfortably in their own bodies.”
Some commented on Sarah’s video to say that she is “too soft” and that the comment from her grandma isn’t that big of a deal. But for others, who commented that they’ve heard comments about their bodies and weight for their entire lives from their own family members, Sarah’s post is a reminder that sometimes, those comments come out of nowhere.
