FML: New Web site chronicles embarrassing life stories

By Missy Smith

Sometimes my life is a joke.

When Monday rolls around, I might spend it wondering why I let myself take that last tequila shot and guessing how much I will be made fun of by my loving friends.

It is college, I often tell myself, but really, it’s just plain embarrassing. That is, until I found a new little Web site that showed me that my life is not as big of a joke as I thought it was.

In fact, it is downright angelic compared to other people’s lives.

Welcome to Fmylife.com, a forum in which people from all over the world anonymously post their embarrassing stories to make others feel better about themselves. The motto of the Web site is, “My life sucks, but I don’t give a f***.”

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Emily Zaideman, sophomore in LAS, said friends sent her to the Web site, and she has been hooked since.

“I like it because some of the things people write literally make me laugh out loud,” Zaideman said. “It is very entertaining if I am bored at the apartment or in class.”

Though Zaideman submitted a FML moment to the Web site, it was not posted because something similar was already on the site. She said she enjoys looking at the relationship moments the best because, in her opinion, they are the funniest.

Alan Holding, moderator and public relations director for the site, said looking through the submitted FML moments, he has a favorite style of submissions.

“The ones that make me laugh are also the ones that make me cringe the most,” Holding said. “Where people end up in the most ridiculous and embarrassing situations as possible … cruel I know!”

Users create accounts to post to the Web site and keep track of any comments, favorite FML moments and create a profile to contact other users. It also allows users to share links on their Facebook page or Web site, spreading the word about the Web site as well as sharing hilarious stories with others.

Each FML moment is organized categorically, as well as by the top, worst and random moments by day or month. Whether it is an awkward sexual experience, an embarrassing work encounter or something completely random, there is a place to share any ridiculous experience.

Users vote on whether they agree the user’s “life is f*****” or whether they “deserved that,” and with the collapse of Juicy Campus, it may be a wonderful way to procrastinate from starting on mounds of homework or studying for the midterms that are creeping up.

Holding said one of his favorite FML moments is one of the top moments about the preteen book series “Twilight.”

“The FML is ‘today, my girlfriend dumped me proclaiming she wanted someone more like her ‘Edward,'” Holding said. “I asked her who Edward was. She held up a copy of her ‘Twilight’ book. She was talking about a fictional vampire. FML.”

Holding said the “Edward” FML moment illustrates how relatable the moments are, and that is what makes the Web site appealing to people across the world, both young and old.

“The amazing thing is the way that people from different countries and different cultures can relate to the crappy stuff that has happened to other people,” Holding said. “All through the comments section you can get someone from India commenting on something that happened to someone in Canada, either to comfort, mock or empathize!”

So the next time you think your life is joke or you are bored in lecture, surf on over to Fmylife.com and feel better about yourself. At least you can laugh at other people’s misfortunes while you try to sort out your own.