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. 

“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."

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.”

“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."

"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.  

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.”

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."

“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.” 

“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.

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!