For most parents, the Elf on the Shelf is a lovable sidekick who makes adorable mischief all December long. But not everyone's elf stays so innocent. Some parents (and their older kids) delight in making their elf get up to no good and sharing photos of their antics online to give other parents a laugh. In 2013, the popular Facebook page Mommy Needs Vodka became an outlet for these parents when the mom behind the page started the Inappropriate Elf on the Shelf series. Now, hundreds of parents submit their funniest elf photos every single December, and this year's submissions are some of the best.
The Inappropriate Elf series started five years ago as a way for the anonymous mom behind Mommy Needs Vodka to blow off some steam.
"My kids have always loved the elf tradition, and the creative spots I'd put him in each day," the mom tells CafeMom. "It is a burden for parents though, and many page fans expressed the same frustrations. I began finding some hilarious inappropriate elves mixed in with the normal ones, and started posting one daily on my page. Almost immediately, fans began messaging me photos of their own naughty elves, and I began posting those on my page as well."
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The fan submissions feature elves in every imaginable scenario, from drunken nights out to recognizable pop culture moments, like this scene from "Titanic."
"It has become a popular annual tradition, and fans start messaging me even before Thanksgiving asking if I'm going to do it again each year," Mommy Needs Vodka tells CafeMom. "This year I got several hundred submissions! Even professional photographers are submitting their work to it."
Photographer Sandi Petersen submitted this photo of her elf paying homage to the Stephen King classic "It."
If you found elves slightly creepy before, don't look now.
This poor elf is getting her annual colonoscopy.
It's good to see Santa's helpers taking their intestinal health so seriously.
And photographer Katherine Forbes may need to ask Santa for two new elves, thanks to this sticky situation.
Props to Katherine on making use of those giant Halloween spiders long after October.
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Of course, Mommy Needs Vodka posts original photos as well, like this elf who got a little crazy with his old friend Captain Morgan.
Interestingly, it was one of her kids who came up with this one. "Sadly, starting this year, both my kids no longer believe in the elf. My kids have a great sense of humor, and this year, my son put together this one that I posted to the page, and I'm proud to say it's one of the most viral ones of this season thus far," she reveals to CafeMom.
The Facebook page does field a few complaints about the inappropriate photos.
"I do get a few disgruntled people each year who complain, and feel it's 'ruining' the elf experience for kids, but I've made it clear many times that these are for adults only, not for kids," Mommy Needs Vodka explains to CafeMom.
But, for the most part, people love the naughty elf pics and all the creativity involved.
"Some people are page fans for the elf series alone," the page owner notes. "It's a lot of fun! I'm a page owner who loves interacting with my page fans on a daily basis. I regularly read comments on what I post, and spend at least an hour per day corresponding with page fans that way."
You can check out more inappropriate elf photos at Mommy Needs Vodka.
