Generous People Share The Most Ungrateful Reactions To Gifts They've Faced
Generous People Share The Most Ungrateful Reactions To Gifts They've Faced
[rebelmouse-image 18350225 is_animated_gif=Gratitude is one of those things that you almost don't notice when it exists, but WHOOOOOOOOSAAAAAAAU do we see it glaringly when it's absent. One reddit user asked a doozy of a question, and we picked out 20 of our favorite responses. Fair warming, you're probably going to want to punch people by the end of this.
1. The Pink Laptop
[rebelmouse-image 18350226 is_animated_gif=My sister wanted a laptop. I was in college but had a little bit of christmas money saved up, so I decided to get her something.
I did a bunch of reading about what was the best kind of used laptop to buy. I ended up getting her a IBM Thinkpad T51. I formatted it, installed Windows XP, and went down to the school bookstore and got a student copy of Office to install on it.
I was talking to my mom the next day and mentioned what I Was getting her. My mom says "Oh, well she really wanted one of those new pink laptops, you should have gotten her one of those"
I explain I didn't have the hundreds to spend on a brand new Dell for her, but this was a perfectly nice IBM that would do great for her for her first year of college (she was graduating highschool that year).
Later that day I got a call from my sister where she proceeded to scream at me and demand I get her the pink Dell she wanted.
Fuck that. I sold it on ebay and ended up making some money on it. I don't remember what I got her that year, but it was something cheap, shitty and from walmart.
She dealt without a laptop until she was desperate and I gave her an even crappier one than the IBM a friend had given to me that was destined for his trash can.
2. Twenty-five YEARS or MONTHS old?
[rebelmouse-image 18350227 is_animated_gif=My aunt gave a small birthday party for my cousin (who was turning 25) last fall. He got really upset and angry because she bought him a pair of black skateboarding shoes instead of brown ones. She tried to calmly explain that she couldn't find any brown ones, but he wasn't having it. I almost slapped him.
3. The Car: Round 1
[rebelmouse-image 18350228 is_animated_gif=My sister was so unhappy with the car my parents got her that she tried to sell it every time it was parked. This was back before cell phones so the only number she had to give was the home phone which my parents always answered if they were there. They got her back by moving the car one day and telling her that someone had bought it but since it was their car they got the money for it.
4. Get Out
[rebelmouse-image 18350230 is_animated_gif=I built my stepson a gaming computer, helped him set it up and got some games loaded up on it for him so we could game together and bond some. As soon as I had it all set up he told me to get out of his room and closed the door. I spent 4 months saving and buying parts for it one at a time.
5. The Car: Round 2
[rebelmouse-image 18350232 is_animated_gif=One of my friends received a car for their 18th birthday from their grandparents. A free car. Their response was to break down in tears saying how much they hated it because it was an old man car and then absolutely refused to drive it ever. That's about when I had an epiphany and wanted that person out of life immediately.
6. Suddenly Feeling The Christmas Spirit
[rebelmouse-image 18350233 is_animated_gif=Similar issue with a group of children I'll allow to remain anonymous, they complained about their Christmas gifts being either too cheap, or too lame or one of many other things.
Their Father returned all of them to the store, and bought something for himself and their Mother. The following year they were very humble and thankful for the gifts they received.
7. The Car: Round 3
[rebelmouse-image 18350234 is_animated_gif=After my mom died my step dad took some of the insurance money and bought his daughter a brand new SUV. I heard she threw a screaming fit in the driveway because it wasn't a sports car. BTW me and my other siblings got nothing at all from him. Of course now she is 35 and still lives with her dad and still screams and whines for everything she wants so I guess karma is a bitch (and so is my step sister).
8. Forget The Life, Save The Carpet
[rebelmouse-image 18350235 is_animated_gif=Here's just one of (too) many.. Early morning cardiac arrest call. We worked on this guy furiously, got a pulse back, everything went right. Good call. Guy gets into the cath lab right away, and walks out of the hospital alive a couple weeks later.
Then his cranky ass wife sends us a bill for carpet cleaning, saying that we tracked in mud on her carpet when we were saving her husband's life. :/
9. Made WIth Love
[rebelmouse-image 18350236 is_animated_gif=My grandma spent a whole year, a WHOLE F*CKING YEAR knitting me, my brother and sister sweaters very nice sweaters in our favourite colours. My brother looked at his and said "why would you waste your time making this? I don't even wear sweaters, I'm more of a hoodie guy." he was 18 at the time, that makes it even worse. ungrateful bastard.
10. Feeling Ashamed Of Yourself?
[rebelmouse-image 18350237 is_animated_gif=My brother and I were raised by a single mother, our father having died when I was four, my brother eight. After he died we moved from where we lived to where my grandparents live, to be closer to family. One day, my brother and I were apparently just acting like brats. I don't remember it, I was young, maybe seven at the time. We wouldn't help my mother clean up or something. Well my mother told my brother to watch me for a little and then she left for my grandma's, three minutes away. I learned later from my brother, who was told by my grandma, that my mother left that day so that she could sit at my grandma's and cry. She just cried about how she couldn't take everything that we were doing. I've never felt worse about anything in my whole life, and I was probably eight years old when I found out.
11. The Car: Round 4
[rebelmouse-image 18350238 is_animated_gif=A girl at my high school put a brick on her gas pedal and crashed her brand new mustang into a concrete wall, at school.
All because the car she got for her 16th birrthday was the wrong color.
And she kept bragging she'd "get a new one. I'm just teaching my parents a lesson."
She got expelled, and arrested. After that I don't know. It was two months from graduation.
12. Not Very Fair
[rebelmouse-image 18350239 is_animated_gif=Know a friend whose mom absolutely spoiled her. Her mom, despite being disabled and with limited income, does everything she possibly can for her only daughter. Buys her phones, expensive clothes, whatever else she wants, and most recently a new car. Hell, she even does her homework for her, since my friend is D'ing or failing all of her classes, simply because she hates school and can't be bothered (even though she says she wants to go to college.)
All in all, this girl is blessed with this awesome fucking mom. My friend, however, usually doesn't have many pleasant things to say about her mom unless it's on Facebook.
So apparently there is this fair that they go to as a family every year, and her dad had recently died, so it would be the first year without him. Her mom brings it up and the ingrate called my friend point-blank says she is not going to let her mom go. Why? Because she only wants her cockhead of a boyfriend there. Her mom, who was on the verge of tears, said, "But.. we go every year.."
Broke my heart.
13. A Verbal Beatdown
[rebelmouse-image 18350240 is_animated_gif=My spoiled teenage cousin almost earned himself a dickpunch last Christmas. We were talking about what we each got for Christmas that year, since we're both gamers. I was excited that my wife had gotten me SWTOR. He got a bunch of games, a new 360 since his old one was "dirty and scratched" (from his nerd-raging) with Kinect, a Fender guitar, a new drumset, an iPhone 4 (to replace his "stupid 3gs"), and since he'd just turned 16 his parents gave them their "old" 2009 Toyotta suv (thing is sweet, fully loaded, beautiful). I was like "Damn dude, that sounds like a hell of a haul." His reply:
"Yeah right that car is f*cking gay. My buddy at school's parents got him a Honda S2000, a Burton snowboard, and him and his girlfriend new iPhones, plus they got to go on a cruise for Christmas. I told my parents what car I wanted, they're just cheap." I gave him a verbal beatdown the likes of which he needed to hear, rubbing in just how rough his life is, all the while he's rolling his eyes.
14. Scene-Kid Sweater
[rebelmouse-image 18350241 is_animated_gif=It wasn't the most expensive of gifts, but my mom bought me a sweatshirt I really wanted for Christmas. I was in my scene kid stage and wanted my clothes to fit tight, so I told my mom to get me a medium even though she'd normally buy me a large. Well, I opened up my gift, got excited when I saw it was that sweatshirt, and then immediately threw a fit when I saw the sweatshirt was a large. I basically threw it on the couch and went "Great, well now I'm never going to wear this". I acted like a dick the rest of the day and made it a point to not even try the sweatshirt on.
Eventually I put it on in my room and it fit perfectly. I thought about the fact that I had yelled at my mom for something that she bought out of love for me, and didn't need to get me in the first place. I felt pretty fucking ashamed of myself and gave her a sob-filled apology. I'm always grateful anytime anyone gives me any sort of gift now, even if it's something that I wouldn't in a million years want.
15. Santa's Failed Miracle
[rebelmouse-image 18350242 is_animated_gif=One Christmas the only thing I wanted was a Super Nintendo. I was probably about 10 or 11. Granted, this was after the N64 had already come out, but I believed so hard that Santa Claus could work miracles that I thought he could get me a Super Nintendo new in box. After I opened all my gifts and realized a Super Nintendo was not among them, I began to cry. Looking back on that day, I feel really horrible about it. We ended up with a compromise: I returned one of my gifts and used the money to purchase a used Super Nintendo. The Super Nintendo stopped working a couple years later, but that Christmas morning is something I'll always be embarrassed of.
16. The Robot
[rebelmouse-image 18350243 is_animated_gif=Well, unfortunately the only one that comes to mind was me. It was Easter 1995 (I think) and I'm all excited to be getting me some new toys. Then I see this big, stuffed robot sitting there with my Easter basket and I got upset because it wasn't what I wanted (what I wanted was most likely something Power Rangers related, but in any event it was anything but that). So I ran to my bedroom crying and sat on my bed thinking what a waste this Easter was. Cue my dad, who comes to the scene and sits down with me and explains that the robot in question was a gift knitted by my mom (which I'm sure took a long, long time), who was now upset by my reaction. He then went on to let me know that if I kept this kind of behavior up, it would be the last time I would get any presents for a while. Soon after I apologized to my mom, thanked her for the present, and then bawled because I felt really super bad about how I had acted. Especially since it was such a fucking awesome robot. A few years later, when we were still moving into our new house, I couldn't find my robot and asked my mom where it was. She told me that she had thrown it out because it was starting to get a little old and ragged, and I about cried. To this day I'm grateful to receive gifts, even if I'm not wild about them.
17. The Small Potential Murderer
[rebelmouse-image 18350245 is_animated_gif=Just the other day my little 6 year old cousin, another 12 year old cousin, and myself were playing my PS3 in my room. We were playing Skate 3 which in only single player on one machine so we had a rule that you play untill you fall three times and then you pass the cotroller around and let the next person play. This system was working fine untill all of a sudden the youngest cousin fell his third time because he got the skateboarder run over by a car on one of his turns and when me and my other cousin told him it was time to share the controller he completely seriously replied with "I hope you both get run over by a car in real life... I will kill both of you in front of your fathers."
I was completely shocked by this and didn't know what to say, I just took the controller off him and told him to leave the room.
18. The Cell Phone Blackmail
[rebelmouse-image 18345392 is_animated_gif=I work at a popular place that sells Cell phones. and The most cringe-worthy one I can think of is how this mom and her teen daughter come in the store looking to add another line to their family plan for the daughter. she was told to pick out anything in the $50 dollar range, and the mom said how the $50 is all that's left in their current budget. The teen girl pointed to the biggest most expensive android phone she could find and said "I want that one", it was a $200 phone. The mom says "sorry hun, we don't have the money to do that, its not in the budget, we can only get you a $50 phone". the kid's response was to so casually say "hah, well if you don't get me the one I want, I'll just misbehave until you get it for me" The mom instantly buckled and got her the $200 phone. All the while I'm standing there praying that she instead would do the right thing, take her child out back and beat her.
19. Regretting It Ever Since
[rebelmouse-image 18350246 is_animated_gif=My mother was terminally ill with Colon cancer. She was bed ridden and I remember 8 year old me wanting to go to the public pool with a friend. At first I told my mom I would understand if she said no, but could she take me? She reluctantly told me no, she couldn't get out of bed. I flipped. I screamed and cried and threw a tantrum. I accused her of irrational things such as "if my sister asked you would!" or that "it really isn't that hard!"
Less than two months later she died. It wasn't until I was 14 that I found some writing she left for me. "I love you, but you need to curb your anger" was what made me fall apart, because I knew what she was talking about. I've regretted how I treated my mother every day. Kids can be so cruel.
20. A Happy Ending
[rebelmouse-image 18350248 is_animated_gif=It isn't really a present or anything... But one time my mother made Tuna Noodle Casserole for dinner. Now, a lot of people in my family hate fish, me included, but we were tight on money and we already had all the ingredients in the house so my mother didn't have to go buy stuff. My mom made it and sat down at the dinner to eat with the family... everyone said "I hate fish, why did you make this, I'm not eating this!" even my dad said "I'm not really in the mood" and of course I wasn't really all that thrilled either since fish, any fish, are my least favorite meals... but when I looked up at my mom and saw her really look sad at that empty dinner table with her sadly eating the casserole by herself it made me sad and angry that everyone abandoned her, so I sat down, loaded my plate (which was almost half the casserole dish) and started eating all the casserole my family wouldn't eat and saying "This is pretty good mom" me and my mother had a wonderful time eating together and truthfully it wasn't that bad, but I still wouldn't look forward to eating Tuna Noodle Casserole... I almost finished that whole pan.
H/T: Reddit
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People Explain What They Bought With Their First-Ever Paycheck
Reddit user MisterChiTown92 asked: 'What did you buy with your first ever work paycheck?'
Working a first job is an important part of growing up.
Whether it's working a paper route (do kids even do this anymore?) or working at a video rental store (do those even exist anymore?) first-ever part-time jobs establish important life values and lessons to the youth.
Also, there's nothing that validates accomplishment at a young age more than being able to buy something with their hard-earned money.
Curious to hear examples of this, Redditor MisterChiTown92 asked:
"What did you buy with your first ever work paycheck?"
These generous Redditors found value in paying it forward.
Dinner's On Me
"It was 1976, I was making a whopping $2.50/hour at age 16 (20 cents higher than minimum wage, and it was an office job so I wasn't on my feet all day)....my family didn't have a lot of money (which is why I started working while in the 11th grade), so with my first paycheck I took my Mom and brothers out to dinner at Big Boy. I remember being all proud to say 'Get whatever you want, even the combo meal and a milkshake, it's on me."'
– Ouisch
Dinner Miscalculation
"I took my mom out to a fancy French restaurant. I had no idea how much it was going to cost, then plus tip, I didn’t even have enough! So she had to help me pay the rest. My mom still joke about that from time to time when we go out with the family."
"That was almost 25 yrs ago, damn time flew by."
– jonwtc
Gift For Mom
"I bought my mother a beautiful shawl. I never saw her wear it but it was in with her things when she died nearly 50 years later."
– WakingOwl1
These Redditors got to reward themselves with the things they enjoy most.
Creating Memories
"About twenty bucks of my first paper route earnings, for the pizza buffet and soft drinks, and some arcade games, with my best friend."
"While the shape I've been in has varied over the years, I've kept that stamina I built up hauling around damn near my weight in newsprint. For long endurance rides, hikes with a loaded-up pack, and running."
– ArmsForPeace84
Brand New Kicks
"I was 14 and got a job as a bus boy at a local BBQ joint. With my first check, I went and bought myself a pair of blue/brown Airwalk shoes. I remember how cool it felt to be able to buy something for myself and not have to ask my parents."
– johnnybmagic
Scoring Big Time
"A Playstation 2. Excellent buy, kept it for a over decade before buying an Xbox One."
– Birdo-the-Besto
"It was an Xbox 360 for me. Loved that console."
– HabeLinkin
"Still have a modded PS2. Had a hard drive with games on it too. It still turns on last I checked, I wonder if the hard drive still works..."
–DubaU
A Timeless Treasure
"My family owned a construction business, and my father had me on site for as long as I could remember. I don't remember the first thing I ever bought with what he paid me, but I remember the first thing I set out to buy and had to work for weeks to get the money for. It was a Lego castle set. $49. I'm almost 50 now, and I still have it."
– Spodson
Naughty Pleasures
"lol I bought a candy g-string so I could eat it off of my girlfriend while she was wearing it, and a black cowboy hat with spikes on it from Hot Topic hahaha"
– dirtydickmf
Some recalled having to prioritize taking care of business over indulgences.
The Necessities
"gasoline and insurance to continue to be able to go to work."
– TurpitudeSnuggery
"I remember getting my first paycheck being so proud of it and my stepfather goes wow you don't have enough for gas. How are you getting to work for the next two weeks? Made me realize I needed to work more."
"I should also put in here that this was my first on the books paycheck. Made it feel a little different."
– truelydorky
Saving Up For Wheels
"Used to mow lawns and do odd jobs for cash when I was a kid. When I got my first 'real' paycheck that I had to cash at a bank, I saved every penny for several months until I bought my first car at age 16."
"Had zero expenses back then, which made it easy to save money. Fun memory."
– YupHio
Building A Wardrobe
"Clothes."
"I had to start working at the age of 12 because my parents could no longer afford to buy clothes for me."
– Opposite-Purpose365
I worked at a video game store in the mall when I was 15.
I was miserable being stuck behind a counter in a tiny corner store with hardly any adequate air circulation. Working with a personality-clashing co-worker didn't help things either.
But when I got my first paycheck, I remember thinking it was a major milestone and reward for enduring the unpleasant work conditions.
I used my first-ever earnings on a denim jacket from the Gap at the mall where I worked. I wore that stone-washed jacket with pride at school for years.
What was your most prized purchase from your first paycheck?
People Break Down The Most WTF Things They've Ever Seen At A Wedding
Weddings are built up to be magical events heralding a happily ever after for the newly minted spouses.
But like any major life event, a lot can go wrong.
Weather, illness, natural disasters, relationship drama, family squabbles... you name it and someone, somewhere has seen it at a wedding.
Reddit user Professional-Owl-341 asked:
"What’s the most WTF thing you’ve ever seen happen at a wedding?"
Not Sister Wives
"My aunt was a justice of the peace and officiated a wedding where seven women were wearing bridal dresses. Not white dresses, full on wedding dresses with accessories."
"Turned out the bride was very shy and hated to be the center of attention, but also wanted to wear a bridal gown for her groom."
"Her friends promised to wear their bridal gowns if she would wear one, and so they all did."
~ LaoBa
Mouth-to-Mouth
"The 'you may kiss the bride' the groom practically swallowed the bride’s face and it lasted a good eight to ten seconds."
"It was her second marriage, his fourth.
"It was so cringy."
~ GoingNutCracken
Hands Up
"Bride’s mother pulled a gun on the groom prior to the wedding starting."
"For some reason the wedding got cancelled."
~ justin_caseimhigh
Games People Play
"Male stripper in a leopard print thong was hired to provide entertainment at the wedding I was attending."
"Nobody paid any attention to him or tipped him. He got bored and sat by the buffet tables."
"I felt sorry for him and joined him for the remainder of the reception. We played many games of Tic-Tac-Toe."
"I was 6 years old."
~ Schwarzes__Loch
Floor Show
"I attended a wedding reception where the wait staff started to become generally distracting during dinner...they were sweeping the floors, spraying windows, creating more of a mess than anything."
"They would ask guests to move, interrupting their conversations and meal. They would clear away bottles of wine and champagne that hadn't been finished, then quickly bring another, just to grab it away again."
"One of the waiters even sat down and poured himself a drink. It was confusing and a bit appalling, but not as much as it was amusing.
"Turns out, they were the hired entertainment!"
"It created quite a buzz of conversation once we had all processed what was happening. I've never seen anything else like it."
~ slinkylizard
Got It!
"I sprinted full speed and slid along the ground to beat about thirty women to where the bouquet landed once."
"I was a 6-year-old boy, and didn't get the concept of the bouquet toss."
"Whoops!"
~ EleanorRigbysGhost
Not It!
"I was at a wedding in my early 20s where we ALL stepped out of the way of the bouquet and it landed on the floor."
"We all looked around at each other, then the maid of honor picked it up and handed it to the girl with the long-term boyfriend."
"She reluctantly took it."
~ TheCrankyOptimist
Psych!
"After the toast the bride said she had a surprise for everyone and started playing a video."
"They got married a year ago in secret and only 2 people there knew about it and kept it a secret from everyone."
"Even the parents didn't know."
"At the end of the video the bride turns to the camera and said 'Surprise bitches, you are at our 1 year anniversary!'."
"It was followed by a lot of screaming and yelling 'WTF!'."
"It didn't ruin the wedding or anything—it was kind of funny and shocking."
"Heard one of the groomsmen complaining in a jokey manner that they owed him money for the suit since it was not a real wedding."
"Anyone that knew the bride knows she love play pranks—everyone knew it was her idea."
~ EdgyEmily
Sweet Moves
"Maid of honor did a wide receiver dive trying to catch the bouquet and went right through the wedding cake."
~ JoeyMaddox
Young Love
"Groom got up during the reception to announce that they (both 18 yrs old) were already expecting a child."
"They had purposefully gotten pregnant so their parents would have to let them get married and the very religious parents were very ashamed and trying to keep it a secret."
"But after the groom so loudly announced it to everyone else, a brawl broke out between the families, each accusing the other's kid of entrapping the other."
"Definitely couldn't be their smothering and oppressive religious expectations that turned what would have likely just been teens having their first experiments with young love into forbidden fruit."
"If left alone, it likely would have eventually run its course like how most of our relationships do at that age."
"But no, had to be a scheming trollop anchoring down their precious baby boy or that scheming manipulative horn dog who ruined their promising young woman."
~ amusingmistress
💩 Happens!
"They wanted their German shepherd in the wedding."
"He walked down by the bride and took a dump."
"Hilarious."
~ Most_Wonder_1871
"My dog peed on the flowers at the end of the altar."
"I was bummed I missed it and the photographers didn’t get pictures."
"It would’ve been hilarious to see."
~ CottonCandyDreamzz
Toxic
"Attended a wedding where they had hired private security to ensure the bride's father and stepmom wouldn't come in and disrupt everything."
"After security blocked them from going in I guess they decided to get drunk in the car. They then came back and proceeded to beat the security guards up with their empty liquor bottles."
"Before the wedding I overheard the groom's family calling the bride paranoid and selfish, and that she should have invited her dad."
"Obviously, they had never met him before..."
~ unnamedbeaver
Fight Night
"At the reception the best man and groom were drunk and started fighting. Cops were called and the groom decided he would win a fight with the 6 foot 5 state trooper."
"They had to hog tie him after he kicked two other officers."
"I was the photographer doing a favor for a friend. I got some of it in pictures."
"It was dark out and the trooper gave me a look after the third flash so I stopped. Only one came out clear."
"I mentioned them to my buddy later that I had them and he asked to let him see. He laughed and they added them to the wedding album."
~ soldmyblood
The weddings I've attended seem very tame in comparison.
Have you ever been to a wedding with a WTF moment?
The Best Examples Of 'They Don't Make 'Em Like They Used To'
Growing up we used a can opener, toaster and hand mixer that my Mother received as wedding gifts. She was married in 1966 and those small appliances were still working well into the 1990s.
When Mum sold her house and downsized, she decided to get new small appliances that matched. The old but still functioning ones were avocado green, stainless and harvest gold.
Since then I've gone through countless electric can openers, toasters and hand mixers and none worked as well or as long as those ones from the 1960s.
The ones with moving parts don't have the same power as the old ones and the toasters all lose heating coils in just a few years.
My complaints about small appliances are mirrored by many.
Reddit user Texasraised420 asked:
"What is the best example of ‘they don’t make ‘em like they used to’?"
Dr. Martens
"Boots, specifically Doc Martens."
"They used to be made as actual worker's boots and were very sturdy, could last you decades."
"Now even the leather ones still somehow get holes in them."
~ mythsofthevalley
"They were better quality boots until about a decade ago, and now they're just trash."
"Not repairable, terrible quality leather, plastic finish."
~ kv4268
HP Printers
"HP Printers."
"The old grey bricks that you saw 20 years ago in every office that connect via the old parallel printer port were amazing workhorses."
"Anything from the last 15 years is the epitome of cheap garbage."
~ LotusCSGO
Clothes
"Clothes."
"In 2001 or 2002, I got a pair of pajama pants from Walgreens, of all places."
"I wore them pretty regularly for around 15 years and finally threw them out due to them getting threadbare are forming a few holes near the knees. All the seams were mostly still fine."
"The pair I got to replace them began tearing at the seams after six months. Like, not just the seams ripping, but the FABRIC ripping near the seams."
"It's infuriating."
~ tastyprawn
Shoes
"Shoes."
"Cobblers weren't as niche of a profession in the past as they are now... all shoes were repairable."
"Now you need to buy expensive, heritage shoes for them to be worth repairing."
"Otherwise you're happy if they last 2 years."
~ tjrdnyr
Movie Theaters
"Movie theaters."
"They used to say 'the show starts at the sidewalk' and dazzle patrons with unique architecture meant to transport them to another world, with neon and statues and murals and more; sensational displays and activities to promote different movies; constant diligent attention to the picture and sound; and 'complete presentations' packed with the feature film plus shorts, organ music, a prize giveaway, and sometimes even a live stage show."
"It's tough to understand the extent of this style of showmanship because even the 'nice historic theater' that survives in many towns and cities was often a low- or mid-tier example in its prime, and very few places have the resources to offer all the trimmings even if they wanted to."
"Instead, now it seems many theaters are just dirty shoeboxes with a high schooler trying to do their best to ensure a fair presentation on 10 screens, there are 20 minutes of previews, and you're hustled out before the credits are over—but at least there are recliners?"
~ 853fisher
Refrigerators
"Refrigerators."
"I've gone through about a half dozen refrigerators in my adult lifetime—all built after 2000—and none lasted more than five years."
"But the one my parents had in the basement was older than God and ran no matter what we did to it."
"It was the size of a small car, weighed as much, and apparently was armor plated."
"Pretty sure it would have laughed at any gun we owned."
~ Kiyohara
"In 2018, my family's old fridge finally gave up after 59 years of service."
"In that time, it never broke down."
"Earlier this year, the replacement fridge we bought broke down."
"59 years versus 5 years."
~ ThePeasantKingM
Corning Ware
"Corning Ware."
"The new ones chip and scratch so easy."
"You can find people with ones from the 60's that they still use."
~ Bawkalor
Jeans
"I feel like jeans aren't made as well as they once were."
"When I was younger a pair of jeans were sturdy and would last 2 years at the minimum."
"Now I'm lucky if I get a year without them getting ratty, plus the material is thin and flimsy as f*ck."
~ severaltalkingducks
Chocolate
"The kind of chocolate you give out at Halloween."
"When I was younger Snickers and Reeses and all of that type of stuff was delicious."
"Now it just taste like manufactured plastic."
~ Scarlaymama0721
Sewing Machines
"Sewing machines."
"All the interior parts used to be metal. My mom's 50 year old machine (Kenmore) is still going."
"My 20 yearokld machine is a f*cking tank (Husqvarna)."
"New ones wear out so stupid quick. Even the new Husqvarnas aren't nearly as good as mine and they're still stupid expensive."
"I spent $800 on mine, but I got an $800 machine, ya feel me?"
~ GreenOnionCrusader
Washers
"A repair technician told me that the new HE washers are meant to last about 7 years."
"It’s literally a metal tube that agitates clothes and soapy water at various speeds."
"And why would an $800 circuit board give out so quickly?
"Meanwhile, my parents’ Kenmore from 1987 is still going strong."
~ PaperbackBuddha
Dryers
"I've gotten very good at repairing our mid-80s Kennmore dryer via YouTube videos and Amazon replacement parts."
"Neighbors up the way have been through 2 HE dryers in the past 10 years."
~ RicardoMultiball
Dehumidifiers
"Dehumidifiers."
"I’m on my 3rd since buying a house in early 2018."
"Everything is made to break."
~ sonofthenation
Video Games
"Video games, at least in some respect."
"It feels so common nowadays for games to be released in an unfinished, unacceptably buggy state because companies want to rush it out. They know people will buy it, and they can just finish it later."
"Plus there's still the issue of DLC that feels like 15-ish years ago would have been a part of the base game. Now you gotta cough up extra money for it."
"And the preorder bonuses and different editions that can come with different preorder bonuses."
"Either with a super omega deluxe version that's twice the cost of the game and comes with everything, or the lack thereof so you can't possibly get all the content being offered."
~ NathanHavokx
I switched to manual can openers about a decade ago, but now even those don't last.
Pull tops are my friend now.
What things do you think were better in the past?
Double standards are an unfortunate part of society.
A double standard is when two or more individuals or sets of people are treated differently when they should be treated the same.
A good example is the difference in the way my brother and I are treated when we cook. I'm big on baking and have a natural talent for it. Whenever I bake anything, even something complicated, like cheesecake, I'm given minimal praise, if any at all. This is because I'm a woman, and in my family culture, women are expected to be able to bake.
My brother isn't as good a baker as me and rarely does it, but when he does, he is praised for subpar brownies because he's a man and it's amazing he can even cook as well as he does.
I'm not the only one who has experience with this.
Redditors have identified many double standards in society and are eager to share.
It all started when Redditor Extreme-Minute-4746 asked:
"What double standards make you angry?"
Civil Service
"As a federal government employee, why do I have to follow all kinds of ethics rules, but politicians and judges don’t?"
– mittychix
"F**k, right? I have to spend six weeks reviewing documentation and hearing out dozens of random companies to award a £100k contract but the minister who runs my department can give his mate's company a multi-million£ contract to run ferries without even getting quotes - DESPITE THAT COMPANY NOT HAVING AND FERRIES AND THE PORT IN QUESTION NOT HAVING CAPACITY FOR THEM."
"I left the civil service after that one."
– Disco_is_Death
"This. Yeah I could get in trouble for accepting a gift over $50 (like I have that much influence anyway) but politicians and judges get lobbied millions..it's infuriating."
– gtbeam3r
"Yes. And they get to keep their jobs for being completely dysfunctional, but if I pulled a fraction that garbage, I’d be fired."
– TrekJaneway
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
"That some people expect you to respect their no, whilst they will most definitely not respect yours."
– IvyBloodroot
"On that note, respecting someone as an authority is often equated to respecting someone as an individual."
"Eg. Teachers who say if you don't respect me (as a superior), I won't respect you (as a person), when they're really not the same thing."
– Paperonia
The Bullied
"School bullying."
"The kid getting picked on has essentially no power. Go to a teacher? Get labeled a snitch and tattle tale. Don't do anything? You're just made an easier target. The moment they fight back, they're the ones who end up dealing with detention, suspension, expulsion, etc. You have more power as a bully in the schools than the victim."
– FriskeCrisps
"It's because bullied people are usually rule followers, and the school wants the problem dealt with as quickly as possible. Best way to do that is to expect the rule follower to follow rules, rather than the rule breaker to suddenly change their ways."
"Fairness ends up on the chopping block."
– darsynia
Services Cliff
"I'm 41 years old and have Cerebral Palsy. If I try to find anything related to the disease - how to deal with it, any kind of ongoing care - it is virtually impossible because all the care is just for children with CP. It's like once you turn 18 the world just doesn't care anymore."
– Zechnophobe
"I’m autistic and in the same boat. “How to deal with a child who…” I'M ASKING FOR ME."
– aroaceautistic
A Two-Way Street
"People who are obsessed with the idea of kids being respectful towards adults, but don't treat kids with respect in turn."
"Edit for example: I went to a very old-fashioned school where the rule was that when an adult entered the room, even in the library and break/lunch, every student in the room had to immediately fall silent - mid sentence, mid word, didn't matter - and stand up until we were given permission to sit back down again. If we didn't, we were chewed out and sometimes even given detentions. The argument was that it trained us into respect, but I was also brought up to believe it's rude to interrupt, and it felt like the teachers were constantly interrupting us."
– MerylSquirrel
"My father in law is like that. He’s “kids should be seen and not heard” type of old school."
"But then he wonders why the children in the family all steer clear of him and why they disregard most things he says."
– Macintosh0211
Doctor, Doctor
"This might be a bit controversial, but I’ve come across a couple of doctors who demand special treatment away from work but preach and practice treating all their patients equally."
– kimchi-pancake
"They charge you a fee or cancel if you’re 5 minutes late but have no problem leaving you waiting for hours. I’ve waited an hour in the lobby and another in the actual examination room."
– SadComfort8692
"Same! i can understand if it’s out of their control but i could hear her, clear as day, giggling with her coworkers about her weekend. i waited 20 in the lobby and 20 in the exam room. i love a good gab but, for f**k’s sake, do it later! if i yapped outside for 20 minutes, it would be a $50 fee and another 4 month long wait to be seen again."
"I suddenly had a $50 i-can-hear-you-nattering-through-the-wall fee. she laughed but it’s been collecting interest ever since…"
– manyfeetball
Alcohol Is Alcohol
"Beer drinkers act like they aren’t alcoholics because they don’t drink hard liquor. Ok sir you just drank 25 beers and then looked at me sideways for drinking a g&t at the family reunion."
– Brainfog_shishkabob
"Same goes for the “sophisticated” wine drinkers..."
"Stop judging me for enjoying a drink on the terrace a few times a year, when you empty 1-2 bottles each evening..."
– 2Madam_Mimmm
"That’s definitely the way it is. I’ve got a snotty alcoholic family member, that THINKS she’s sophisticated, because she drinks high dollar wine, out of very expensive glasses."
"Yeah, pissing yourself and passing out, in front of the mailbox, are definitely the traits of a sophisticated person."
– sweathogbrooklyn
Mr. Mom
"Fathers taking care of their kids."
"I take my kids to doctor appointments, dentist appointments, take them to school, and pick them up. I do all that stuff."
"Every single f**king time, it's, “Dad’s babysitting today?” Or some stupid comment like that. No, I’m not babysitting. I’m being a f**king parent!"
"I hate the double standard that dads can’t do stuff like that with their kids."
"I can’t take my daughter to the park without being questioned or looked at funny either."
"People need to give dads more respect. A lot of us bust our a**es too. I work hard. I take care of my kids, I play with my kids. I clean the house. I do laundry. I don’t stop. I don’t rest, I don’t relax."
– moms-sphaghetti
"Give us changing tables in the men's room!"
– Da1UHideFrom
"Nothing bugs me more than when a place only has changing tables in the women's bathroom."
"It's 2023, I take my son to the aquarium by myself sometimes... Looking at you London SeaLife centre 🤨"
– AstonVanilla
Household Split
"The laundry is always a wierd one. My wife is a much better cook than me. And she hates me cooking when she's in the house. So to compensate I do all the laundry, including ironing before someone mentions it, and all the washing of dishes."
"But even at work, this doesn't seem to be understood as possible. I complained my washing machine had broken and the comment was 'Oh no, what's wife's name going to do?'"
"To which the answer was 'Wonder why I haven't done the washing this week.'"
"But it's infuriating."
– RelativeStranger
Justice Is Bought
"The American justice system. You can afford the best and many more lawyers when you have money."
– TooAfraidToAsk814
"Justice is blind, but the b*tch sure can smell money."
– burgher89
Worship
"I am supposed to respect people's religion, but people aren't supposed to respect my non-religion."
"Particularly when their religion instructs them to not respect my non-religion."
– GeebusNZ
"It kinda makes my head spin that there are people who I get along well with who, per their religion, think I deserve to be tortured in agony for all eternity."
– Daztur
Yup, me and my non-religious self have personal experience with that last one!