Didn’t expect all the outrage. Country songwriter Shane McAnally, who’s one of the most prolific hitmakers of the genre with songs like Sam Hunt’s “Body Like a Back Road,” “Follow Your Arrow” by Kacey Musgraves, “Somewhere With You” by Kenny Chesney, Morgan Wallen’s “7 Summers,” and many, many others, found himself going viral after posting what he thought was a funny video with his husband and young son. McAnally and his husband, Michael Baum, welcomed their third child, Texson Ray McAnally Baum, via surrogate back in October 2025. And earlier this week, McAnally shared a video of his husband playing with their new son and trying to get the baby to say “Dada” or “Pop” – but Tex had other plans, and would only say “Mama.” View this post on Instagram Baum tells the baby that “there is no mama,” and in the comments somebody suggested that they “throw it away and start over,” to which McAnally responded with a laughing emoji. And shortly after, many began criticizing McAnally and the video: “Babies are not accessories to your life . A baby needs mother and a father.” “Every baby needs a mama” “Children are not accessories. We have lost our way.” “This is disgusting beyond belief” “The baby knows this is unnatural” “This is horrifying! I want to cry for this little angel. What a sick world we live in! Breaks my heart!” “Someone, please, rescue that poor baby.” “Paying for a baby to use as a toy on social media for views while laughing at it while it cries for its mother. WOW, truly disgusting & disturbing” Well the Daily Mail caught up with McAnally, who says he was “shocked” by the outrage to what he says was a video that was meant to be self-deprecating: “We found it hilarious. He’s five months old, he obviously doesn’t understand English.” McAnally says that the entire thing was taken out of context, which led to what he says are appalling comments: “I was appalled by what some people have been saying. Some people have taken it out of context.” According to McAnally, he and his husband just thought it was funny that babies usually say “dada” first – but when given the choice between two dads, their son went the other direction: “Babies usually say dada first, but people wouldn’t then say the babies are only wanting their dads? It doesn’t really make sense. People have been saying some awful things.” And he also assured everyone who’s concerned that their son is perfectly fine: “He’s the happiest baby in the world.” While there was plenty of criticism (and outright hate) in the comments, there were also plenty of people supporting the couple and their family: “I am so sorry that you’re on the receiving end of such vitriol. It’s very clear to me that you’re joking around about the baby babble (your little one is adorable btw). Your baby is expressing frustration in the only way they know how and are biologically capable of. For people to think it’s due to the not mama is insane. Again, I’m sorry. It’s so tragic that people jump to the absolute worst conclusions without applying an ounce of critical thinking.” Just another day on the internet.The post “I Was Appalled” – Gay Hitmaking Country Songwriter Speaks Out On Outrage Over Video Of His Newborn Son first appeared on Whiskey Riff.