AI Summary
5 min readA viral clip on X shows mothers pretending to accidentally drop their babies, toss them into dryers, or knock their heads against doorframes. The caption calls it "insane women pretending to hurt their infants for clicks." The comments call it murderous, vile, and proof that men should not trust women. But Brett Cooper argues that what is actually happening is something far more mundane and far less sinister: postpartum women are using humor to cope with intrusive thoughts—the sudden, unwanted fears of accidental harm that flood a new mother's mind as her brain rewires itself for caregiving.
What the Viral Videos Actually Show
The compilation that set off the firestorm is not new. Some of the videos were posted as early as 2023, long before the Lindsay Clancy case entered public discourse. The women in them are not fantasizing about hurting their children; they are acting out the irrational fears that plague many new parents. A mother worried she will trip and drop her baby down the stairs. Another terrified she will accidentally throw the infant into the dryer with the laundry. A father on X, responding to the backlash, explained that his wife spent weeks afraid a car would fly off a freeway, through three walls, and hit their son. "For her, it was a visceral fear," he wrote.
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What you'll learn
- 1 Timestamped Outline
- 2 (00:00) **Introduction: The Need for Nuance** - Brett introduces the Lindsay Clancy case as an example of how political discourse has lost all nuance, creating a toxic men-vs-women, right-vs-left dynamic rather than allowing for a balanced conversation about postpartum experiences.
- 3 (01:45) **The Viral Video That Escalated the Fight** - Brett describes a viral X video that has triggered widespread attacks on mothers, with commenters calling the content "sick," "vile," and evidence that men shouldn't trust women around children.
- 4 (03:15) **What the Video Actually Shows** - Brett reveals the video is about postpartum anxiety and intrusive thoughts, not women wanting to hurt their babies.
- 5 (04:45) **Intrusive Thoughts Are Normal and Commonplace** - Brett explains that these types of thoughts are a standard part of the postpartum experience, shared by mothers and even some fathers.
- 6 (05:47) **The "Clancy Excuse" Trap** - Brett highlights an exchange where a woman who mentions normal postpartum hormones is immediately accused of making an excuse for murder.
- 7 (06:56) **A Conservative Mother's Perspective** - Brett shares a powerful comment from a woman who had ideal pregnancies and postpartum experiences, yet still found the brain changes "very scary."
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Show Notes
Come see me on tour!! https://brettcooper.com We need to talk about the viral trend surrounding postpartum intrusive thoughts, the backlash against mothers online, and why this conversation has become yet another example of media illiteracy. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2YLBDwgHHalgoBmti86plt Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-brett-cooper-show/id1792925325 Join the Cooper Confidential Community to get Farm vlogs, Q&As, and ad-free episodes: https://cooperconfidential.com Subscribe to my newsletter: https://brettcooper.beehiiv.com/ American Financing: Call American Financing today to find out how customers are saving an average of $800/mo. NMLS #182334 https://nmlsconsumeraccess.org . APR for rates in the 5s start at 6.327% for well qualified borrowers. Call 888-976-5555 for details about credit, costs and terms. Visit https://AmericanFinancing.net/Brett . Average savings based on borrowers who save over $199.99 MUD/WTR: Start your new morning ritual & get up to 43% off your @MUDWTR with code BRETT at https://mudwtr.com/BRETT ! #mudwtrpod
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