Here at the Daily Dot, we know you don’t measure a social network’s rising popularity in just numbers.
You measure it in ragetoons. When Pinterest users started making and pinning their own image macros, we knew the platform was on to something big.
You measure it in derivative works. When Pinspire managed to completely rip off Pinterest (and gain a following from users who still hadn’t been invited to Pinterest), that meant something.
And, you measure it in parody. Just as the rise of Regretsy mirrored the growing success of Etsy, Pinterest parodies are proving that in order for there to be something to make fun of, something big has already got to be there. Here are three that have caught our eye.
This was the site that tipped us off on the trend. On a platform designed for people to showcase and share things they find beautiful, valuable, and useful, PYAD finds pins that are anything but.
As covered last week, this Tumblr gives you a glimpse into the dark side of Pinterest—the things nobody should ever want or need. Things like reusable toilet paper.
The curator, who told wishes to remain anonymous, wrote, “I created this blog as a place to curate when pinterest goes wrong … a place to laugh at ourselves and our obsession with pretty, perfect things.”
When we start thinking of upcycled sweat socks as pretty or perfect, that’s when we know we need PYAD to act as the Pinterest police.
If Pinterest You Are Drunk is snarky, then WTF Pinterest is its surrealist sister. This site’s curated pins are so wacky that they probably should have never existed.
From brass knuckles with a planter for growing moss, to a ring that pierces the skin, to… well, we’re not even sure what is going on here, WTF Pinterest is the @horse_ebooks of the platform.
The one feature we wish this blog had? Explanations.
The Pintester isn’t actually laughing at Pinterest; she’s laughing at herself. Like many Pinterest users, she’s got a pinboard dedicated to ambitious craft projects she’d like to try. As it turns out, however, a pinboard does not a Martha Stewart make.
Every few days, the Pintester attempts to create a DIY project from her optimistic Pinterest backlog, with predictably unfortunate results. That beautifully photographed pin of a woman effortlessly wearing an old shirt as a skirt? Not so easy in real life. Pore-cleansing strips made out of Jell-O? Excruciatingly painful and gross.
Pinterest has us under a spell. We see our pinboards of cute clothes, interior design ideas, and stuff to make with our kids as to-do lists instead of what they really are: wishes. We admire the Pintester’s willingness to at least give these projects a try.
Photo by Pintester