There's nothing some people love more than drama. Not being involved with it, of course, but getting to witness it, and indulge in all the glorious weirdness of it. It's addicting. Don't lie, we all love to hear about it.
Sometimes the tension is too much to handle. Piebalddacshund asked:
What's your greatest, "you can cut the tension in the room with a knife" story
Awkward moments are usually pretty d*mn cringey. Here are some of the wildest stories.
A bad time for twerking.
“I bartended in college. The new manager, during the club rockin, at midnight, proceeded to cut off the music and tell 200 drunk college kids about how he was 120 days sober and showed everyone his coin. Then he preached about sobriety and him not having custody of his kids for about 4 minutes before putting Lil John back on so girls can twerk.
No one twerked.”
Now THAT’S awkward.
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“Graduation day at the college where I work. The commencement speaker, a famous journalist, is giving her inspiring speech, working in little bits of trivia about our school. But something seems off. And as she starts listing our famous graduates, we realize she's Googled the wrong college, and is talking about the hyper-conservative Christian school a thousand miles away that happens to have the same name.
But the speech goes on and on, fifteen minutes more, with more awkward details she looked up on the wrong Wikipedia. And nobody wants to tell her while she's onstage. A murmur goes around, even the graduates' parents have figured it out by now, and several thousand people slowly cringe themselves to death.
To her credit she graciously apologized on her TV show and gave the college a nice promo.”
Yup, she REALLY did something there.
“At my sister's wedding, her "frenemy" showed up wearing a white dress... and to make it KNOWN she came upstairs to her room at the banquet hall before the "big entrance" (classic Italian wedding, you know?). She walked in and all of us bridesmaids and my sister were just slack-jawed. (she had zero reason to come upstairs except to show off her floor length white dress).”
[deleted]
“I just don't understand the mentality here. Is there a single person anywhere who would think ‘wow, she really showed the bride’ rather than ‘that guest in the white dress must be a raging c*nt’? That just makes yourself look bad.”
When family gets involved, that’s when you know sh*t has REALLY gone down.
The husband handled that well.
“Several, it really makes you feel older and make your BP skyrocket.
My cousin (F) came out to our family during a party. In front of her husband of 5 years and their 2 kids. She confessed to seeing another woman behind his back and that they've been together for far longer than she'd been married and she was the true love of her life and the kids names were her idea.
She then introduces her to everyone and as the silence went on and the the color in our faces returned, her husband just stands up and shakes the woman's hand and tells his wife that the papers will be coming along.
Party ended right there and her parents were pissed, they didn't care about her being a lesbian but her cheating was a big problem.
I learned that her lover had been in and out of rehab and is in no condition to support her or the kids.
My cousin had her marriage annulled but she lost custody of her kids, and could not get any settlement. By the end she didn't have a house and was basically homeless.
She's still with her but her kids refused to visit or have anything to do with her. Her girlfriend acts as if she's the one who gave birth to them and sends hateful messages to the father.”
This might win for the most tense.
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“My dad was an amazing father but once, when I was about five, he was gone all weekend. It was not like him to do this. He was a great dad and we were all crazy about him and so was my mother. Mom was stressed beyond belief.
At the time, she didn't work and he was our sole provider. There were four of us. She was a devout Catholic and Friday night, she lit candles and had all of us kneel and pray for his safety. Saturday morning, she called the police and said he was missing. Sunday morning, they called and asked her to come and identify a body that matched the description she'd given.
She was f*cking rattled when she got back. Some guy who was my dad's height and weight had been murdered. I can only imagine what she felt going into that room and seeing THAT on the slab. She asked to see his arm that had a tattoo and it was the wrong tattoo.
Dad came home Sunday evening with some cock and bull story about being slipped a mickey (old school roofies). You would have needed a jack hammer to cut the silence between them.
My mother always brought his plate to the table first. That night she brought all of our plates first. When she put his down, it was SO HARD, I remember his food being about two inches in the air from his plate. He didn't say anything. She didn't speak to him for a good while. Let's just say it never happened again.”
Things That Are Normal Where You Live But Crazy Anywhere Else | George Takei’s Oh Myyy
This is so sad.
“My mom died due to an overdose and without a will. At the funeral home, my stepdad, grandmother, aunt, brother and I were in the office to plan my mother's funeral.
My aunt and grandmother hated my stepdad. They said he enabled my mother, and didn't take care of her. My stepdad also owed my grandmother money.
My stepdad hated us all. My brother had stolen from him, he thought my grandmother and aunt were over-bearing, and he blamed me for my mother dying because I had cut off contact with her (it was for my own well-being).
My brother was just plain angry at everyone but me. He thought my grandma hadn't supported my mom. He also was in such denial that he thought my stepdad had murdered our mother.
My grandma also partially blamed me for my mother's death because of going no contact. My mother had been an addict for years, but apparently I was the reason she overdosed.
I was fuming angry that all of these people blamed me for the actions of someone else and I was being scapegoated again for my mother's actions. I was mad at my mom for not having a will, and for dying when I was 25.
I cannot imagine the tension that funeral director felt in that room, as all these people who detested one another tried to agree on funeral arrangements.”
Friendships can be really fickle, especially when we’re young. Definitely makes for a whole lotta awkwardness.
That’s karma.
“Back in highschool, my best friend was dating one of the most popular guys in school (not just our grade, the entire school). So it was a huge deal, and she gained a lot of popularity from it. This meant her getting invited to a lot of parties and I got to tag along to many of them.
During one of these parties, I was sitting with her boyfriend and another mutual friend of ours. I had gotten up to go inside and wash my hands, when I heard muffled sounds coming from the pantry in the kitchen. I went and looked, and my friend was in there hooking up with another dude. It wasn't just any dude either, it was the "weed guy" of our grade who was very awkward and weird.
Word spread around the party about this, and basically everyone knew what was going on but my friend's boyfriend because he had stayed sitting in the same spot for a while and nobody had the balls to tell him what was happening.
Finally after like twenty minutes, my friend comes out with the "snacks" she was getting and sits next to her boyfriend. You could've heard a pin drop as everyone got silent and stared at the two of them.
Worst part of it all, her boyfriend chuckles and says "you were in there for a while, what'd you do, lock yourself in the pantry?"
The tension was practically unbearable. Eventually he found out the truth, not sure how, but they broke up the next day and she basically became ostracized from hanging out with anyone that was even slightly popular. It never really blew over either, she had to transfer schools for the next school year and she deleted her social media accounts for several years."
We’ve all been in this situation.
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“I had a friend back in middle school that invited me to spend the night at her house. I was there for maybe 1 hour when she asked her mom if we could order pizza and her mom said no. My friend then proceeded to have the absolute worst, over dramatic screaming temper tantrum at her mom and then started screaming at her that I wanted the pizza and they were being rude for not buying it. This carried on for the rest of night and I just sat on her couch beet red waiting for it to end.”
Awkwarddddd.
“"When I was in 6th grade or so, I was invited to my friend's birthday sleepover party. She tells me to be there on Friday after school. So I show up with my overnight bag. Nobody else is there yet but I didn't think much of it. I just thought she wanted me to be there early to help set up and hang out. She says nothing. Her parents say nothing. But I could start to feel something was up when her mom takes us to Walmart to get things for the party. I said things like "we're going to have so much fun tonight!" that was met with awkward silent tension. I sat and watched TV with her family for a while and I could feel the whole room just go stagnant.
About an hour after we got back from the store, her mom started making dinner. I asked if I could help her, but that I thought she was going to be ordering pizza for the party. She finally told me that I was an entire day early for the party and that I needed to go home.
Edit: for those who asked, the party was terrible. She invited all the "mean girls" from school. It felt like Jenna's birthday party in 13 Going on 30 fr. I ended up leaving early after they started making tiny baby gay me uncomfortable by daring each other to kiss."
Not the impression you wanna make.
“My ex's family camping trip. Her mom is talking to one of her daughters, and the daughter says something along the lines of "I don't think I've ever seen you actually angry" and my dumb*ss has to chime in, ‘she was pissed at me once when I took your sis to two movies in a row and forgot to give her a heads up that we were gonna be back later’ mom chimes in ‘nope, I was pretty mad at you around thanksgiving a year or so back’.
I immediately grabbed my toast, downed a big ol glass of shut the f*ck up, and dipped out of that conversation. She was referring to when she found out I took her daughters virginity.”
We've all been there, on every end of it. Awkward moments are just a part of being human. Just remember, “this too shall pass". Or something.
Tension passes. Don't forget that
When we're intoxicated, or even the slightest bit tipsy from having a little too much to drink, our immediate perspective on things is hazy.
But there's nothing like a bit of alarming news or a jarring incident to snap us out of the fog and focus on the moment.
Sometimes alcohol isn't always to blame for our impairment.
It can be a state of mind, like a perpetual numbness from being complacent in life, and all it takes is one shocking moment to rattle us back to our senses.
Curious to hear from strangers online about this type of scenario, Redditor Known_Challenge_7150 asked:
"What’s one thing that sobered you up real quick?"
These individuals were witness to shocking events that sobered them up right quick.
Bleeding Out
"Got out of a taxi and found a naked man profusely bleeding from his head crawling up the driveway in my condo. Called him an ambulance completely forgot I was absolutely wasted until 45 minutes later when I'd helped him translate and in to an amublance and stepped in my front door."
"Later a few days later learned he'd slipped in the tub and literally crawled out for help. Poor dude. He was fine but I genuinely thought he was going to die there."
– DongLaiCha
Tragic News
"At a bachelor party and we got a phone call that the groom’s father had suddenly passed."
– accountnameredacted
Bottom Of The Barrel
"I went to visit my parents back in July. I was homeless and deep into fentanyl addiction so I lost a lot of weight. My folks could see it. They knew something was up. Anyway, I spent the night and I was getting ready to leave in the morning and I looked at myself in the mirror for a good long time. I finally had enough and told them everything. They took me to detox, from there I went to rehab. Graduated in August and been living with them ever since then. I have 160 days clean and sober."
– Crotch-Monster
A reality check can be enough for some people to snap out of it.
Like Father, Like Son
"Was driving a drunk friend home, he had been on a bender again and was smart enough to call me for a lift rather than try and drive. As I helped in to his house his mother came down the stairs and said 'your as drunk as your father' and went back upstairs. I haven't seen him drunk since then, he still drinks but the thought of turning into his dad scared him out of hard drinking."
– psycospaz
Busted
"Flashing blue lights."
– FiddleOfGold
"This sobered me up just thinking about it."
– redmaple_syrup
Losing Sight
"Woke up to no sight in one eye. I had cataract surgery so just thought one of the lenses had slipped and it was an easy fix. Eye doc says nope, you had a stroke. I loved soy sauce, teriyaki sauce and salty food, which caused high blood pressure, which caused retina damage. Over six months was able to get most of my eyesight back with medication, and all back within a year. Trying to navigate life with one eye was very sobering. Started taking HBP much more seriously."
– MissHibernia
Quitting The Bottle
"Looked up someone I went to highschool with who was an awesome guy. Found out he had been dead for 3 years from alcoholism, at age 33. I made an overnight change. I hadn't started drinking that night yet, 10 months ago. Haven't touched it again since."
– omgtater
These disturbing moments were enough for Redditors to immediately come to their senses.
Unplanned House Guests
"Me and a buddy Woke up in someone’s living room, realized neither one of us knew the people, they were just nice and let 2 drunk guys sleep on their living room floor. We didn’t even say goodbye."
– Oneinsevenbillion75
Serious Health Warning
"Elevated liver enzymes."
"And the knowledge that this sh** was gonna kill me and I just couldn't orphan my family over it."
"So I opted for recovery, instead."
"Clean and sober since June 5, 2009."
– Far_Meal8674
The Joyride
"Grew up in a rural area. The little town hosted dances at the hockey arena, everyone (adults and kids) went and they overserved everyone, regardless of age. I was maybe 16 or 17 and was absolutely sh*tfaced, and jumped in the back of someone's truck with about 8 other people to go back to someone's cottage for after dance drinking. The driver (still don't know who it was) started racing one of his buddies and we whipped around small dirt roads, flying around blind corners on the wrong side of the road, going god knows how fast. It was basically a disaster waiting to happen. It was crazy scary and I was sober and thankful to be alive when we finally arrived."
– foxfood9116
The human psyche is a fascinating thing, isn't it?
How we can automatically focus on something urgent at a crucial time, even after getting buzzed from drinking too much alcohol.
But as we're in the thick of the holidays, it's a good reminder to drink responsibly and stay off the roads if you drive to your celebratory destination.
Cheers. Stay safe. And happy holidays.
We've all complained or vented about something in our lives which, in the grand scheme of things, wasn't exactly a problem, or is very easily solved.
Then there are those who complain about things that others almost hope will happen to them at some point in their lives.
These are known as "first world problems", as they are problems that pretty much only the world's one percent faces.
From having to fly business class instead of first class, or being served Roederer instead of Dom Pérignon, these complaints are often met with amusement, bewilderment, or even anger.
Redditor jennimackenzie was curious to hear the most absurd "first world problems" anyone ever complained about, leading them to ask:
"What’s the most ridiculous 'first world problem' you’ve seen people get worked up over?"
"Tale As Old As Time..."
"I once knew a mom who was legitimately devastated, to the point of tears/grief, because a doctor predicted her 8 year old daughter's final height to be around 5'2","
"Which wasn't tall enough to get cast as Belle at Disney World."
"That was the child's (and her mother's) only dream in life, apparently."
"Didn't appreciate my suggestion that she could be Minnie or Mickey."
"Lol!"
"Only a face character would do!"- TravelLovingMom
"Must Be Funny, In A Rich Man's World..."
"My boss from about a decade ago was this insanely rich dude who always went to the bank to get fresh and crisp currency."
"He'd call the bank in advance to make sure they had some on hand."
"I think he was a germaphobe."
"He had a trash can that he'd throw $1 and $5 bills in that he thought was 'dirty' and regularly just donated it vs spending it."
"I asked him why he did this and he said it was too much trouble and asked if I wanted it."
"I said f*ck yeah dumped it into my bag and when I got home it was close to $400 in singles and fives.
"Another time, he wanted to upgrade all the computers in his studio, so we went to a store and bought 10 PCs."
"They all had $150 mail in rebates and he wasn't bothered to go through the trouble of mailing them in."
"3 weeks later I received $1500 after spending a whole afternoon filling out all those goddamn forms."- azninvasion2000
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Who Wore It Better?
"When I was about 19 years old, I was at my boyfriends family BBQ."
"I was wearing this pretty floral sundress."
"His cousins girlfriend showed up in the same dress and she was SO mad that she went and changed."
"I will never understand being upset when someone is wearing the same thing as you.'
"Did you really think that your shirt you bought off the rack is going to be unique to you?"
"No."- mertsey627
Seeing Red! Or Blue In This Case...
"The blue of the balloons wasn't quite the same as the bridesmaid's sashes."
"Years ago my wife and I attended a wedding."
"It was very low key."
"The dinner was in the dining hall at the university where the couple met, cinder block walls and all."
"It was a Baptist wedding - no booze and very serious."
"The dark blue balloons attempting to liven up the hall were a slightly darker shade of blue than the sashes on the bridesmaid's dresses."
"The bride lost here sh*t and absolutely raved for nearly an hour."
"I can't remember how they finally managed to talk her down."- mechant_papa
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See You In Court!
"Rich neighbors who end up in expensive court battles because they disagree about where a tree can be planted or whether the color of a fence fits in with the street’s 'amenity'."
'These disputes get really heated and rack up huge lawyers’ bills."
"The most pathetic part is after the judgement when they are arguing about who should pay the other party’s costs."
"Lots of affidavits filed citing the 'emotional distress' they had to endure, or painting themselves as brave warriors who were forced to take a stand to fight for 'justice'."
"Also lots of pompous litigants insisting that the judge refer to them by their 'Dr' title."
"An absolutely insane dumpster fire of entitled rich people problems."- ElectrocRaisin
It's Always People With Money Who Don't Want To Pay!
"I work in a public library."
"People will get so so mad if they have to be put on a wait list for a book."
"A popular book that just came out."
"Ok our services are not only free but so are the books."
"You’re welcome, a**holes."- Switchbladekitten
A Warm Butt Is A Happy Butt!
"My own."
"We have a bidet toilet seat (Fabulous! Everyone should have one!) and not only does it wash your bum and blow dry it, but the seat's heated!"
"It's shocking how much a heated toilet seat makes the whole process more agreeable."
"Except: We had a power outage and I went to use the toilet and the seat was cold!"
"Unacceptable!"
"This shall not stand!"
"I was really upset because it didn't feel good."
"Then I stopped and thought: This is the most first-world problem anyone's ever had."
"I was really pissed because my heiny was tepid."
"I got over it."- DeathGrover
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Holy Matrimony!
"Weddings are a gold mine for this question."
"People get so hyped up over their 'most important day of their life'."
"They'll destroy friendships, go into debt, and have crazy expectations."
"It's not always the couple who go crazy, either."
"Sometimes, it's the parents or another family member who feels entitled to control the wedding."
"It's just a party."
"Be considerate of guests, have plenty of food and drinks, and enjoy it."- magicrowantree
When Fast Food Isn't Fast Enough...
"Having to pull off to the side to wait for a drive-thru order to be brought out to you because your food isn't ready and there's a line building up behind you."- demanbmore
In Case You Don't Think Customer Service Employees Are Undervalued...
"I was working the return desk at a Target next to a military base so I have so many stories."
"One of my favorites was a lady who had her baby shower before revealing the gender and was livid that she had received floral newborn diapers when she’s having a boy."
"It was a huge box of super expensive, all organic diapers, that we didn’t carry and therefore could not return."
"I cannot accurately express her fury and disgust."
"How dare either suggest her boy could wear feminine diapers."
"I suggested she donate them if she didn’t want to use them and she instead threw away the entire box."
"When she left we pulled it out and threw it in our donate bin."
"There have also been multiple times where mom’s order massive toys and when we bring them out to the car they get furious that they aren’t wrapped."
"We don’t offer wrapping services."
"Here’s the thing, if you don’t want your kids to see the toys you got them for Christmas or their bit to day DON'T BRING THE CHILD WHEN YOU PICK IT UP."
'I’ve had multiple women scream and curse me out that I had ruined their kids Christmas by bringing the toys they ordered out to the car like they requested."- clever-mermaid-mae
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Happiest Place On Earth!
"I used to work for Disney."
"That in itself should tell you everything."
"However for fun I'll give you two specific stories one form our tech department and one from my wife who worked bookings."
"I specifically worked for their call center to help with technical issues with magic band and the website."
"Suddenly got worse huh?"
"A right of passage call everyone has at least one story of is the 'Dome call'."
"Basically there is a subset of Disney Guest (TM) that believes if it rains at Walt Disney world there is someone that will push a button to encapsulate the whole of Disney property in a dome to keep out the rain."
"I'm not kidding."
"If this button is not pushed they call our tech department to angrily ask why."
"My wife worked booking."
"Pretty much everything including Bibbidi Bobbidi boutique and Pirate's league."
"These two things did roughly the same thing difference being price and theme."
"BBB was expensive did more and was focused on princesses, pirates league did a bit less and focused on mermaids and pirates."
"Lady called up my wife, and got pissed about BBB being booked up (It goes FAAAAST)."
"Karen: 'Im going to give the phone to my daughter and I want you to tell her how you are ruining her vacation by not letting her do BBB'."
"Wife proceeds to explain how pirate's league is so much cooler and how she can be a mermaid or pirate and basically gets the kid to start demanding to their parents about how they want to be a mermaid instead of a princess."- trollsong
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The horror!
Being booked into a junior suite at Disney World instead of an executive suite!
It's almost as bad as having no money for groceries, or no food to feed you children...
Said absolutely no one.