Colleagues horrendous attention seeking baking

[WittysMrs]

Last year a colleague decided to try her hand at baking during lockdown. It went terribly wrong and she posted the results on social media. It was funny at the time and the post was shared and went pretty viral. When she came back into work everyone kept going on about the muffins she’d made (Peppa Pig that ended up looking like Mr Blobby) and laughing about it telling her to make some more.
The weekend after she made something else and posted it on social media. These ones looked like turds. Everyone laughed.

Since then she’s been doing it every few weeks and it’s got really tiresome. It’s not just Facebook, it’s the constant talk about it at work. It’s got boring. She’s been baking now for over a year and is still making the same mistakes that ruins whatever it is she’s trying to make. I suggested yesterday that she’s ruining stuff on purpose now for the laughs and likes. She got quite defensive over it and said I could always unfollow her on Facebook. I said that would be an option if it wasn’t for the constant talk about it at work!! The latest one is some elf muffins she’s made that look like piles of snot on a muffin. She’s “promised” everyone that she’ll bring them in to work today. I’m so tired of it now. I have to work closely with her all day so when everyone is coming over to talk “baking fails” i have to sit and listen to it too.
Enough now ffs. It’s wasting food for a start and it’s ridiculous attention seeking. It’s been over a year, she should know how to avoid creating messes by now.

Well you may be right that she is purposefully not improving. But it sounds like everyone else is having a bit of fun over it so can you not just nod and smile and then get back to work?

Life is so jeffing miserable at the moment. Leave her be.

It's hard when you are lonely and isolated though, and need some kind of interaction from people.

People recognise that someone is attention seeking or that they need to 'get a life' or whatever, but they don't usually want to offer any support in doing that.

I know someone in an activity I go to who talks a bit disparagingly about people who spend time on social media and that they should get a real life, make friends in the real world, how much better that would be etc - but he doesn't realise that some of us are wanting to do that but don't or can't. He doesn't then invite us round to do something or include us in social things or whatever that would give us the chance to do something 'with real people', and doesn't realise that if everyone acted like that, we aren't ever going to have any real friends. He just looks down a bit on people without friends, while not actually being friendly, points out that their lives are a bit sad, but doesn't try to make them any better. Now, it's not his responsibility to be friendly or give them support, but at the same time, he doesn't need to kick someone when they're down, or continually pointing out that they are looking for attention, or living their lives on social media either. They're possibly doing it because they don't have much going on in their lives and it's a bit sad. You don't have to help, but you could understand where they're coming from, and that might make it marginally less annoying.

This would really annoy me and wind me up too, but there is nothing you can do about it as 1) it won't make any difference to whether she does it and 2) you're going to look like an asshole if you comment.

Are you allowed noise-cancelling headphones at all?

I have a similar colleague and it is tiresome so i get where you are coming from. This colleague bakes stuff and it isn't bad but it's just simple stuff like a crumble and he really thrives on the attention, posts everything on fb etc. He is also the type of person who needs to tell us every little thing he is doing and every tiny bit of praise he gets despite being pretty dire at his job. I flip between going along with praising him because I think that his self esteem must be low or something to need constant recognition of the smallest things, and just getting hugely irritated by it all.

@MollysDolly

Irritating woman is irritating. Irritating woman is deliberately ruining her cooking to try and gain likes on social media. Irritating woman steers all conversation at work to her, her deliberate mess of cooking, and her social media. Irritating woman is doing this orchestrated performance, daily, for over a year.

"OP, are you jealous?"

Yeah, that's it. OP is jealous

And yet all these people are still coming to talk to this woman. Gotta love her!

Two minds about if. I love baking and I was hopeless at it to start with, I remember dd first birthday cake was inedible, my dad had to rush out and get an emergency one from the shops.
Maybe she just enjoys it and wants to get better.
On the other hand people do it for attention and praise which can be irritating. My mil does it all the time and posts everything she makes on social media. She is constantly handing out bakes to neighbours and friends and making being all do-goody at Xmas and loving the attention and praise.
So yeah I’m with you it can be bloody irritating but then we all need a hobby.

I’d be PA and give her a baking 101 book for Xmas and tell her that by following it her stuff will be okay, that as long as she follows the book it’s foolproof and now she’s got that problem solved. Yes, I really would spend $ on a book to do this. I’d also give it to her saying exactly that in front of everyone.

Well, this would annoy me, but like a PP said, this is why I don't work in an office. I did for a few years and that was before social media etc but even then I couldn't stand the cake culture, showing off, attention-seeking, having to be nice to horrible/annoying/manipulative people etc. I agree it may be that this gives her a social role and helps her feel connected, but it places social expectations on others and that was something I always found stressful.

But tbf I removed myself and went freelance, because I'm not cut out for it. I agree you don't have to be mean. However one problem with this type of situation is even if you're not actively rude, people will take it as rude if you're not enthusiastic.

So YANBU to be annoyed but YABU a bit to criticise her, but I understand you feeling like you do.

It’s on you to find something more interesting to talk about.

You sound so spiteful. Leave her alone!

God what a misery you are leave her alone she is bringing laughter and joy to people at Christmas why do you care if its attention seeking. Unfollow her like she suggests. How rude of you I am sure lots of people are bored of the same conversations at work but most people are nice enough to bite their tongue and keep it to themselves. Stop being such a grinch

Sounds inane.

Club together and get her a voucher for a baking class?

I can see why it's become annoying, but actually making it an issue with her, causing awkwardness, embarrassment and bad feeling when you could have just let it slide (does it really consume office culture so much?) shows a far bigger lack of social grace.

@Lokdok

You sound so spiteful. Leave her alone!

And the woman sounds like a bad head….

She's found her niche. Lots of people have SM schticks - hers could be 'expectations vs reality' baking. Let her be.

It sounds mildly tedious, but I would just muster up a weak smile. Your colleagues seem to be enjoying and encouraging it, so it is serving a purpose for everyone else. It's like football, cricket, Love Island and the Eurovision - I may not enjoy these things but they are talking points which the group can bond over.

If people are finding joy in her comedy baking, then that’s all for the good. You don’t have to join in conversations about it & can unfollow her on Facebook.

Regardless of your being mardy, when it comes to baking, you can’t taste shapes.

I can see this one ending up in the Daily Fail.

Everyone else obviously enjoys it and are encouraging her to continue so she’s obviously going to. It sounds silly to me and clearly to you but your other colleagues clearly enjoy it so you’re in a minority and will have to let it ride its course.

This reminds me of why I hate offices too.

You clearly dislike this lady.

Sounds like the green eyed monster at work here.

She is popular with her colleagues and you feel affronted.

Office jokes are the things people remember fondly in years to come.

I suspect this is one of those things that takes on bigger meaning when you're close ot it and thinking about it everyday.

Just detach. Unfollow on FB and simply look up and smile (or tune out) whenever anyone comes over.

For context 'frequently bakes cakes that look like turds' is not the crime of the century. In the grand scheme of things what this person is doing is very mild indeed. Even in the larger picture of your life, this will not even qualify as a footnote.

A mental step back is maybe what's needed?

@HalfWomanHalfMincePie

I suspect this is one of those things that takes on bigger meaning when you're close ot it and thinking about it everyday.

Just detach. Unfollow on FB and simply look up and smile (or tune out) whenever anyone comes over.

For context 'frequently bakes cakes that look like turds' is not the crime of the century. In the grand scheme of things what this person is doing is very mild indeed. Even in the larger picture of your life, this will not even qualify as a footnote.

A mental step back is maybe what's needed?

this but its minor.....step back, tune out.

She sounds absolutely insufferable. Unfriend her on FB and just walk away when she starts talking about it at work.