What to Know
If you have a dynamic with your family that might be a little different from others’, just be ready to defend it on social media at all costs. That’s what happened for one woman on TikTok, Markie Murphy, who posted a video of her husband’s mother giving him a shoulder massage in public, along with her own shocked and seemingly disgusted facial expression at witnessing it.
Markie did note in the caption that she loves both her mother-in-law and her husband, so this seems to be a standard occurrence for their family, and one that she isn’t worried about. But people commented to share their thoughts, opinions, and sheer dislike for seeing the adult son get a very public shoulder rub while sitting between his mother’s legs.
The wife says it’s “not that deep.”
@markiewmurphy Before everyone takes it too far, it’s not that deep + I love them both <3 it’s just silly #husbandwife #boymom #mamasboy #joke #comedy ♬ Saxophones getting louder – Sped Up – AntonioVivald
In the video, someone else is filming while Markie watches her husband sit on the floor in front of his mom, who is sitting on a chair. The mom rubs her son’s shoulders and upper back as Markie watches on with a frown. Then, she breaks into a laugh. On the screen, she wrote, “my genuine face to watching my husband get a massage from his mom.” After she laughs, text appears on the screen that says, “Jk love them both it’s not that deep.”
For Markie, it isn’t. For strangers on the internet, however, it is absolutely that deep. And disturbing. And they let her know it in the comments under the video. Like I said, be ready to get the honesty of the internet and defend yourself and your family if you choose to share parts of your life on social media.
People have other ideas about how icky the incident is.

For Markie, the massage between her mother-in-law and her husband is not a big deal. Hey, at least she didn’t post the video for sympathy and then turn around and bash the internet for having her back, all while defending her loved ones. We see that practice far too much on social media, primarily TikTok.
No, for Markie, her defense of her family came right away because she doesn’t see her mother-in-law giving her husband a shoulder massage as anything inappropriate. But some people definitely do.
“As a mom of adult sons this IS weird!!!” One mom commented on the video.
Another wrote, “As a mom of a grown son — no. Absolutely not.”
“I have a son and I don’t like this…not one bit do I like this,” another mom commented.
It seems to be the older moms of adult sons that are opposed to the idea of the massage. But some people did come to Markie’s defense.
Others defended the mom and her adult son.

Other users in the comments noted that things are only weird if you make them weird, and that’s a pretty fair assessment. Parents and adult kids commented to point out that, to many parents, their kids will always be their kids, regardless of age.
“My mom would give me a massage if I asked,” someone wrote. “Mom will always take care of their kid, don’t think it’s weird.”
A parent added, “I feel like people make things weird that aren’t weird at all. My girls still sit in my lap and ask for me to rub their back. That’s still her baby and always will be.”