I never had much of a problem with the term "MILF." Granted, it's not classy. But I always liked the fact that it presented mothers as alluring, sexual beings, when mostly our culture has trouble accepting moms as either (with the exception of celebrity moms whose nutritionists and nannies prevent any unsexy domestic drudgery or weight gain). Plus I love Jennifer Coolidge. Maybe the term would give new moms and their partners a boost during postpartum recovery, or the minivan years, I (optimistically) figured.
But now there's baby apparel emblazoned with the words "My Mommy's a M.I.L.F." Yow. As Nerve's Scanner puts it, "No child's Oedipus complex should ever be this well-developed, no mom should ever take infant-as-accessory to this level, and no one should ever buy clothing from a merchant called Pimpfants." (Yep, Pimpfants is the company behind the gimmick. I was hoping it would also offer some really sweet rims to put on your baby, but I can't find any so far.) The MILF shirt is part of a line of tasteful "baby beaters" undershirts.
Of course, these duds are intended to be tongue-in-cheek. But if sexy motherhood has become such a social expectation that even babies attest that their moms are fuckable (or moms feel compelled to decorate their tots with testaments to their own viability), we've clearly turned some kind of corner. Is it too late to go back to celebrating relaxed, even frumpy motherhood? Is MWWOANAN -- or Mom Who Wears Overalls and Needs a Nap -- too clunky a slogan?
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