One of my absolute favorite things is having a picnic with my friends. Setting up camp on a blanket in a park on a warm, sunny day and sharing delicious treats we’ve prepared at home feels like the perfect way to bond with loved ones. Well, it did feel like that. But now I’m starting to have trust issues because I’ve just taken a trip to the This Is Why I Don’t Do Potlucks Facebook Group, and I’ve completely lost my appetite. 

Below, you’ll find some of the most unsettling and disgusting food photos that might make you swear off picnics and potlucks, as well as an interview with the group’s creator Sarah Slabodnik. From questionable cooking methods to dishes that look like one-way tickets to salmonella city, this list has it all. If you don’t want the experience of sharing food with your pals to be ruined, I would run now, pandas. But if your stomach can handle these horrifying pics, be sure to upvote the ones that have convinced you to eat before going to your next potluck!

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Image credits: EwdatsGROSS

If you’re not familiar with this unappetizing corner of the internet, let me get you acquainted with This Is Why I Don’t Do Potlucks. This group was created in September of 2020 and has amassed an impressive 153k members since then. There’s even an adorable poem on the group’s “about” page giving members an idea of what horrible photos they’re about to find lurking in the group, “Potlucks are something that I do not do, it should be so simple, just sharing some stew… Cooks that reek of the cigarettes they smoke, or they smell like cat pee so much that you choke, I’ve seen turds in a pot where a toddler shat right in the kitchen is where that pot sat.” Charming, right?

Well, lucky for us, we were able to get in touch with the creator of this group that’s caused potluck-phobia to run rampant on the internet, Sarah Slabodnik. Sarah was previously interviewed by Bored Panda the last time we featured her group as well, but she was kind enough to provide some updates on how the page is doing now. Previously when we spoke with Sarah, she explained how this shocking and unsettling page started: it was actually born as a spin-off of another Facebook group she runs called Messy Houses You Zoom In To See The Background Of. 

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Image credits: Awkward Family Photos

#3

Image credits: C. Anita Nuñez

“We were getting so many gross food prep areas posted [on Messy Houses You Zoom In To See The Background Of] that someone suggested making a separate group just for that,” Sarah told Bored Panda. “We got the title from the most common type of comment on those kinds of posts, which was that this was why people didn’t trust food from a potluck.”

The creator of the group also went on to share a bit about what the community of This Is Why I Don’t Do Potlucks is like. “It’s mostly people from the States, but I bet many of our members would be surprised to know our group was created by a Canadian,” Sarah noted. “I think a lot of people are drawn to our group because they’ll have had a bad experience with a potluck, food poisoning for example, and they’re happy to find there are more potluck weary people out there.”

“Some join because they love potlucks and don’t understand why we don’t,” she added. “After a quick scroll on our page, they start to understand, and soon they become people who no longer do potlucks.”

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Image credits: Cora Lane

#5

Image credits: Twiggy Lloyd Spadafora

#6

Image credits: Shitty Food Porn

As far as how the page has changed since the last time we spoke with Sarah, she shared that the group has gained an impressive 25k new members in about six months. “There were also a lot of complaints from members about fly egg posts, so we took a poll in the group and decided to dedicate one pinned announcement to fly eggs,” the administrator went on to explain, referencing posts that were apparently quite common the last time we spoke with her. “Now members can only post fly egg pictures on that post, so they don’t show up on member’s newsfeeds anymore.”

We were also curious if there were any new trends emerging in the group. “One thing that comes up often and goes way beyond your typical potluck food is urine therapy,” Sarah told Bored Panda. “If you’re a consenting adult who wants to drink their own urine, that’s one thing, but some people are sneaking urine into other people’s food or drink without their consent. That’s assault, not to mention disgusting,” she explained. “We had a post recently where a parent was sneaking her urine into her child’s popsicles in order for the child to do well at school.”

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Image credits: Jae LaShon

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Image credits: Lisa Zettler

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Image credits: Zafirah Jenique

“A great (and non urine related) post from a few days ago mentioned that [someone had] found a bottle of Salon Selectives hair spray from the 90’s in their parents’ kitchen, marked with a piece of masking tape stating the contents were teriyaki sauce,” Sarah added.

And although she loves being an administrator for this terrifying Facebook group, Sarah previously shared with Bored Panda that it’s not always a walk in the park. “There are some recurring debates in our group, like whether or not it’s acceptable to prepare food in a sink for example, and members are quick to pick their side and stick to it,” she explained. “Members can debate the food as much as they want, but if anyone gets out of line and starts criticizing other members instead of the food, we don’t put up with that.”

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Image credits: Jami Rose

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Image credits: Nicolle Nyx

#12

Image credits: Cindy Wood

“Shame food, not people” is the number one rule of This Is Why I Don’t Do Potlucks. Members are encouraged to share any photos of disgusting or shocking meals or food prep areas, but the admins make it clear that bullying and discrimination of any kind are not tolerated. Members are also asked to block out faces and names when submitting a post. Another important rule is that videos where food is wasted for entertainment purposes are not permitted. Especially nowadays, when there are so many people out there struggling to put food on the table, wasting food for comedic effect or entertainment value is tasteless and tone deaf.  

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Image credits: Rachel Mae

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Image credits: Faith Abernathy

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Image credits: Wendy Miller

And although running this group has made Sarah more weary of potlucks in general, she confessed to Bored Panda that she actually did end up attending one in January. “The next morning I felt unwell, and the only person I could blame was myself,” she admitted. “If anyone should have known better, it’s me. Most of the food was delicious going down, I just wished it had stayed there. It’s so hard to trust food that others have made.”

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Image credits: David Williams

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Image credits: Annabelle Benge

#18

Image credits: Amanda Amanda

Sarah had previously explained to Bored Panda that it’s not only the posts that put members off of potlucks, it can also be the comments from others. “We had a post about someone displaying their cooked bacon next to their raw bacon for size comparison,” Sarah went on to note. “The problem was that they were putting the cooked bacon where the raw bacon was, so now their cooked bacon was contaminated. Many members commented that you actually don’t need to cook bacon. Many other members, including me, were shocked. Shouldn’t it be common sense that you have to cook bacon before you serve it? Apparently not. Common sense is not common when it comes to safe food handling.”

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Image credits: Adda Litts

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Image credits: Brandi Maggard

#21

Image credits: Group member

“If you do go to a potluck, there are a few tips that seem to work well,” Sarah shared with Bored Panda. “You can bring your own dish and only eat that, you can only eat food that people have bought prepared to bring. Make sure you’re first in the line to get food (less likely someone will have handled it, coughed or sneezed on it by the time you get there), claim you’re on a diet, claim you have dietary restrictions, eat before you go or tell them the last time you ate insert questionable food here you got ill.” 

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Image credits: Dusty Bawls III

#23

Image credits: Julia Meyer

#24

Image credits: Dani Jossart

“I think ignorance can be bliss when it comes to potlucks,” Sarah added. “It’s all fun and games until you find pet fur in the icing or part of a fake fingernail in the burgers. Or until you’re so ill that you can’t even keep water down.” Honestly, these photos aren’t just giving me the heebie-jeebies when it comes to potlucks, I’m questioning all food that I haven’t prepared myself. When visiting a friend’s apartment, how clean is their kitchen? When eating out in a restaurant, how do I know the staff values cleanliness and personal hygiene? New phobia: activated.

#25

Image credits: Autumn Lake

#26

Image credits: Tynesha Talley

#27

Image credits: Robert McNulty

Have you completely lost your appetite, pandas? These photos have been making me feel relieved to be vegan, as I usually can’t partake in much of what is served at any potluck I attend. I don’t think I’ll swear off gatherings like this for the rest of my life, but I’ll definitely be more careful about who I trust to be preparing my food… We hope you’re enjoying these frightening photos, and if your stomach can handle even more, be sure to check out our previous article featuring This Is Why I Don’t Do Potlucks right here!  

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Image credits: Group member

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Image credits: Jenn Loreal

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Image credits: Heather Wilson

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Image credits: Group member

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Image credits: Lindy Sproul

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Image credits: Group member

#34

Image credits: Matthew McClelland

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Image credits: Group member

#36

Image credits: Erin Danielle

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Image credits: Deb Hastie

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Image credits: Alyce Dumke

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Image credits: Shaun Cabrera

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Image credits: Taina Solis

Source: boredpanda.com