Fmylife.com helps us feel better about our crappy days
“Today, as I sat on the table in my gynecologist’s office for my yearly checkup, I realized that was the most action I got in the past year. FML.”
“Today, I was having sex with my boyfriend. When he was about to orgasm, he screamed “Yes Brittany!” at the top of his lungs. My name’s not Brittany. That’s his sister. FML”
“Today, my phone rang for the first time in four days. It was my mom. She dialed the wrong number. FML“
If you’ve been living under a rock for the past week or so, welcome to the newest internet obsession: fmylife.com. The idea of the site is simple. Every entry must begin with “Today…” and end with “FML”, an acronym for the oft-uttered phrase “fuck my life.” In the past week or so, traffic to the Web site has exploded in popularity on this campus. I’ve seen it as Facebook statuses (including my own), GChat away messages, on laptops in class and being read aloud in dorm hallways. The highlight of my week was when, browsing fmylife.com, I found a new submission that resembled a Facebook status I had seen the day before. Fmylife.com has clearly found an audience here at Northwestern, but why is it so appealing?
In times of hardship and anguish, perpetual midterms and economic distress, it seems appropriate that we have flocked to a Web site that shows us the one thing that could comfort us: the fact that other people’s lives suck more. This isn’t an unusual or even undefined part of our nature. The infamous puppet-musical Avenue Q has a song about it. It’s called “schadenfreude,” a term defined by philosopher and sociologist Thedor Adorno as “largely unanticipated delight in the suffering of another which is cognized as trivial and/or appropriate.” Essentially, it’s the part of our psyche that makes us laugh when Scarlett takes a tumble. There are have been studies conducted about the concept and articles written about the subject. And of course, simply the popularity of videos of guys getting kicked in the crotch helps reinforce the validity of the idea.
Here at Northwestern, we seem to have formed an attachment to the site with complete enthusiasm. “Our generation likes latching on to sites like that,” Medill freshman Zahra Barnes said, “sites with no purpose but to make us laugh.” Barnes found the site comforting. “It’s nice to know that someone else is going through the same thing.” Bayle Ellis, Weinberg freshman, says the site makes her feel better when she’s having a bad day, since she can “see the ridiculous things that happen to other people.”
Readers can also vote on each FML (either “I agree, your life is f***ed” or “You deserved that one”) which adds an enticing JuicyCampus-esque level of interactivity. In addition, the site provides space to comment on the complaints, whether to provide empathetic support or simply a “LOL”, making every moment a discussion topic. Charles Hwang, McCormick freshman, finds the site completely addicting. He loves that “it’s basically open to anybody, which makes it one of the most up-to-date sites with fresh content practically ensured every 24 hours.” He adds that the site “allows for user feedback, regardless of how limited it is.”
So reading the site is fun, but why do we submit our own FMLs to it? It’s the same idea as PostSecret or having a Twitter, a Tumblr or GroupHug. We feel compelled to spill our guts to the world, to bitch and moan whether anonymously or with our names attached. Perhaps it’s part of the voyage of self-discovery that is the college experience. Maybe it’s playing into our inherent narcissistic tendencies as 18-23 year-olds. Or maybe we just need to get it out there to get over it, to process it and move on.
Whether we’re reading or submitting, fmylife.com has turned into a cheap version of therapy. It’s self-medicating through laughter and empathy, and the understanding that we’re not alone in our troubles and sorrows. In fact, our lives aren’t half as bad as they could be. That awkward hookup from Friday night won’t seem as bad when you compare it to this: “Today, I kissed the girl I love for the first time. Her reaction? She vomited. FML.”
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Doggies make another great way to feel warm and fuzzy inside Or you can return home.
self-medicating therapy? why do northwestern students have to analyze EVERYTHING?
it’s a website. it’s there to be funny. just chill out and enjoy.
i love fmylife a LOT but man, this article totally turned me off.
cm
February 17, 2009 at 9:02 pm
Everyone knows that 80% of the stuff on that blog is bullsh*t. People just post random stuff to be comical. The other 20% is people dealing with real pain. I just can’t take this seriously at all.
I EaT sO mUcH PeAnUt bUtTeR
February 19, 2009 at 9:59 pm
Yeah dude, who cares if it’s fake? I can see myself in a lot of these sitautions. Like bending over to tie your shoe, then sneezing and breaking your nose on your knee? That’s totally something that’d happen to me. Fake or not, it’s fuckin hilarious.
jp
February 23, 2009 at 2:29 pm
omg this website is funny as hell! its obivious that most of this stuff is fake but most of it is funny. like there was this one – i sent an ivatation to 300 ppl and said my b-day is in a few weeks reply if your interested in going. 2 ppl replied and said i cant make it. haha that was prolly fake but GOD THAT WOULD SUCK ASS! haha
jd
March 2, 2009 at 10:06 am
Good website…http://mylifeiscrap.com actually was the unofficial english version until, FML was lunched a couple of month later. Viedemerde.fr is the original website…
Julien
March 3, 2009 at 4:51 pm
i guess that guy really likes his sister lol hahahahahaha
jake
March 13, 2009 at 7:20 am
i love the website, it just makes feel better after a long day. its just damn funny
kubandi
March 19, 2009 at 12:36 pm
im addicted to fml, but I came across a site called fwhyme . com and I think it’s much better than fml. and also fwhyme is american. I rather support an american site. and they also don’t start all their articles with “today” so u can post things that happened yesterday
tasha
April 28, 2009 at 6:17 pm
thjis website suckss ass!
lalalalalla
May 5, 2009 at 7:33 am
This is a very interesting to know people have the most shittiest of days….like me.
Booty Licious
May 5, 2009 at 12:09 pm
i love FML its great…..just like my ex gf.
Booty Licious
May 5, 2009 at 12:09 pm
FML is funny, but I have some issues with them. The admins, and possibly the owner is attacking a similar site FWMcalling the owners of FWM “stupid”, and “big babies” (I know, they could of done much better than that, they’re immature), and accusing them of ripping off FML.
FML has no right to make any accusations. If you look at Jinxed.org, FML ripped them off, and they can’t say Jinxed copied them because Jinxed was created way before their french domain, and FML was even registered.
So why can’t Fwhyme.com pull a move on them like what they did to Jinxed?
They are afraid because up until they learned of fwhyme.com they didn’t have any competition.
trisha
May 9, 2009 at 7:31 pm
i love unicorns and harassing cady and skylar.
i am a tranny with one arm :D
anna kelly
May 28, 2009 at 12:55 pm
I agree 100%. It’s always good to get these things off your chest. Even more so, it can always be worse; just read a few fmylife stories to find out how worse lol.
Just as much of a downer can be the dating game!
Julie Trump
August 5, 2009 at 1:38 pm