In all deference to the people of Florida, the Sunshine State is not known for being the ideal place to live.
Aside from being a major tourist destination and an escape from the cold weather months in other parts of the country, the retirement refuge is reputable as being problematic and the butt of a joke for a number of reasons.
But the real kicker is the frequency at which many Florida residents make headlines for unhinged behavior earning them the label of "Florida Man," prompting the rest of the U.S. to shake their heads and remark, "Only in Florida."
Curious to hear about other parts of the world that have a similar reputation, Redditor Ltimbombo asked:
"What is the 'Florida' of Europe?"
These are almost, but not quite, Florida.
The "Crazy Sh*t" Stereotype
"In what sense? Spain's Costa del Sol ticks the 'entitled retiree destination' box but the 'people inexplicably doing crazy sh*t' stereotype firmly belongs to Russia."
– epeeist
Deutscheland
"Adam Carolla used to have a segment on his radio show called 'Florida or Germany' where he would read newspaper articles of strange crimes and callers would guess if it took place in Florida or Germany. I thought it was entertaining."
– CurvySmokeShow
It's A Zoo Out There
"As a Florida Man who has found an Alligator in my backyard before (no joke, this is serious) I’d definitely have to say Russia."
– anon
"I’ve had 2 pythons show up in the yard of the house I grew up in, years before it was widely known how invasive they were."
"Never got a gator though."
– Sss00099
Talking Geography
"In that the Ural mountains are the technical dividing line between Europe and Asia, I'll have to go with Western Russia. In particular, you could overlay Florida on top of the part of Russia that spans from Voronezh to Saratov and then down to Volgograd."
– themistergraves
Gotta love some o' the Brits.
Im-Posh-ters
"When I was in Barcelona this past June I had the opportunity to witness a young, trashy British couple act as though they were posh. It was then that I realized that the British are the Floridians of Europe."
– mattswa
"Ohhh trashy Brits are on another level, you have to see it to believe it lol."
– YetiPie
Defined By TV Shows
"I was in Dublin last summer, met some Brits from Leeds and they literally asked the Irish guy I was hanging out with if they had the same queen. Then when it came up I was american one of the women shrieked and said 'Young Sheldon’s me favorite tv show' and Jesus Christ I couldn’t help but laugh"
– BureaucraticHotboi
Admittedly Floridian
"Florida is kinda stupid for stupid’s sake. Here in the UK we tell ourselves we are civilised, refined, smart and in control while still doing equally stupid stuff."
– npri0r
Making Up For Size
"Blackpool, England. Admittedly it's on a smaller scale but what it lacks in size, it makes it up in STD rates, welfare distribution and average tooth count."
– DavosLostFingers
"Fun fact! Blackpool is the only city in the uk with the same average lifespan as the US!"
– TinyChairty4151
Feels Like Home
"I went on holiday to Britain, driving the whole island. Some seagulls nicked my chips and my pastie in Blackpool while some guy vomited into a trash can next to me. Same exact thing happened to me in Miami (swap the pastie for a taco). So ya this checks out."
– sothatsathingnow
Meanwhile, over in the Mediterranean...
Cretins
"It’s probably Greece and specifically Crete. People like to go there for vacation, it’s hot and all the people own guns and are conservative religious madlads."
– SpaceAgeIsLate
Italiano
"Italy, it's hot, full of tourist, and has a history of going facist."
– weedtrek
"And it's the wang of Europe."
– swash_mcbuckle
Looks like every Floridians are not alone in their tainted reputation thanks to the number of people who had to ruin everything.
But one thing seems certain.
It's doesn't seem to be about what's in the water Floridians drink.
"Florida Man" – which depicts a male from the Sunshine State who commits stupid crimes – became a huge internet meme around 2013 and has entered common parlance.
Typical characteristics of a Florida Man's shenanigans involve drunkenness, nakedness, and lack of intellect.
Some examples that made news headlines in recent years include a man who called 911 so he could hitch a ride to a Hooter's restaurant or the guy who was caught watching the solar eclipse during an attempt to steal a vehicle.
If anyone ever hears of an idiotic crime that was committed, the default response would be, "it was probably Florida Man."
And chances are, they are usually right.
But how do Floridians feel about their unfortunate reputation?
Redditor ohyeahthatsthestuff1 asked:
"Floridians, how do you feel about the "Florida Man" stereotype?"
"Pretty Accurate"
"I encounter them fairly often and I find it pretty accurate. It doesn't describe all of us, but there are a non-zero number of them in any public space, so it make sense that it has caught on."
"So Chill"
The keys is basically wild floridians in their true form."
"Everything is so chill down here though. I've been in Key West for about 2 years now and everyone is so laid back. Great change of pace from the year I lived in Texas.
Three Alligators
"So I've lived in Florida for the last 10 years in my most bizarre interaction with Florida man was that a golf course. It was the beginning of February and I went to the local track to play 18. The starter paired me with a threesome and on a par three overwater lying just off the green were three at least 10 foot alligators. One of the guys made a joke about there being no unplayable's, and we all hit.
One of the guys, as luck would have it, hit right in the middle of these three alligators. We all drive over to the green and the guy drops his ball just off of the green to chip on. Another one of the guys got furious at this and started calling him names. He casually walks over to one of these at least 10 foot alligators and reaches over and grabs it by the tail and gives it a shake. All three of them shoot off into the water like they were more afraid of this 5 foot nine guy than anything else in the world. To this day it's one of the most amazing things I've ever seen."
In Sarasota County
"Having spent a lot of time in Sarasota county. Can confirm, a lot more crazy sh*t happens that doesn't make the press, because no one got arrested for it."
Hanging With "A Bunch Of Rednecks"
"Oh yeah. Born and raise in FL. One of my last good memories there was going out with a bunch of rednecks (all of us were in HS) to the swamp with home made potato shooter gun and shoot potatoes to feed the gators. Another time those same rednecks wanted to go out and hunt wild boars with nothing but knives. I passed on that one."
"Floridamany" Places
"Yeah where I grew up in Boca Raton, this didn't happen. When I was in Pensacola for Navy training, it definitely did. Nothing really floridamany happens in Palm Beach or Broward counties, particularly east of 441."
Some Redditors embraced the myth and were amused by the ridiculous news headlines coming right from their own backyard.
One person admitted they wore the Florida title like a "badge of honor," and another incorporated reading news about the Florida man as part of their morning ritual.
That Bites
"I find it entertaining. Weird stuff definitely does happen here. I once went to a party and ended up in the start of a zombie apocalypse because a crazy girl bit me on my arm and wouldn't get off me till her roommate came across the room and kicked her in. I only offered my hand to help her off the ground and she bit me, totally unprovoked. I'm sad I don't remember her name or I'd fb message her on our bite-iversary."
Florida Pride
"I wear the Florida Woman title as a badge of honor- I wrestled a gator in a Christmas hat! (My Uncle is an alligator trapper for the state, FWC, who needed help removing a large nuisance alligator when I was home from the navy. It was a perfect Christmas card opportunity)"
"Edit: A link to the picture for the nonbelievers https://i.redd.it/l4ztoun69yc61.jpg"
"This was in Sarasota FL. The gator was reported to the state after it attacked a lawnmower, ate a calf, and tried to eat the farmers daughter. Yeehaw"
"I had to sit in a bush by the waters edge making a baby alligator call to attract the gator when the speaker died.... Nearly had a heart attack when the gator beelined towards me to investigate! Baby alligator calls sound like you are saying 'oww oww' in a constipated voice."
Morning Ritual
"I give a quick look at the local Florida city police arrest report online every morning as I sip my coffee and sit down to work. It gives my life a bit of perspective. I know that correlation is not causation and all that, but,...... Do bad haircuts cause crime? Or does crime cause bad haircuts?"
Spoken Like A True Floridian
"I've lived in Tampa for 15 years and that stereotype is total fiction that the deep state wants you to believe to keep you in the dark."
"Now if you will excuse me, I have to go freebase some bath salts so I have the energy to wrestle the alligator out of my above ground pool (tarp in the bed of my pickup truck filled with water)"
Crazy Came To Visit Florida And Stayed
Some people refused to believe the sunshine state breeds crazy.
There were a handful of Redditors who adamantly believed that the Florida Man or Florida Woman came from somewhere else.
Not From Here
"Born and raised Floridian. I feel like it's appropriate and wrong at the same time. The biggest problem with it is most of the 'Florida men and women' you hear about are originally from somewhere else. Same reason we're seen as being bad drivers. No one is actually from here. You throw a million different driving styles into one place, you're bound to have a bad time."
State Of Being
"Florida Man is a state of being, not an accident of one's birth. A Florida Man or Woman may be born anywhere, but they will always, inexorably find there way here, like a moth drawn to a flame."
– cbusalex
It's A Theory
"In my experience this is usually what happens. Grandma or Grandpa (or both) move to Florida. They have one f'k up son or grandson that has pissed everyone off from wherever they're from. So they go to Florida to leech off their parents/grandparents since they're the last ones on earth that'll still somewhat support them. Then they do their crazy stuff."
While every state undoubtedly has its share of bad behavior, Florida, unfortunately, gets a bad rep due to the state's frequency of bizarre crimes.
And there are a couple of reasons for that.
The freedom of information laws in Florida make it easier for journalists to obtain information about any arrests, and public records laws help journalists receive access to police reports.
Or it could be the dramatically fluctuating weather. Who knows?
Florida has earned the unfortunate reputation of being the progenitor of the "Florida Man" – an individual who commits really stupid crimes.
Examples of ridiculous crimes include a man having sex while stealing a trailer; the man who sets off fireworks inside a Wendy's; and a man who was caught watching the solar eclipse while trying to steal a vehicle.
Those are just the tip of the iceberg.
Florida's reputation is not helped by the fact that a state law allows easy access for public records – which include police arrests.
The numerous bizarre headlines leave many residents planting face to palm as non-Floridians endlessly mock the sunshine state.
Which leaves many like Redditor broseidon_13_ to wonder:
"Non Americans of reddit, what's your equivalent of the 'Florida man?'"
It turns out, "Florida Man" has plenty of international counterparts.
Naples Man
"Here in Italy it's 'Man from Naples,' usually. I don't wanna be racist, I love Naples and Neapolitans, but there are some weird 'Man from Naples' headlines lemme tell you."
"As somebody who leaves in Avellino, that is roughly 2 hours from Naples I can confirm you they are the italian 'Florida Man.'"
– ConteIT
Kenyan Politician
"Here in Kenya it is our Governer. This guy broke out of jail, started a taxi Buisiness, said he hates politics, and proceeded to become Governer."
He's Finnish
"Finland here, Nokia man. They be always popping pills and driving a head on crash to a moped-car and say they thought it was a semi-truck. Taking over a cop car and flipping the bird..."
"Or maybe Vantaa man, but that's pretty Helsinki centrist imo."
An Estonian County
"Im estonian and we have a place called Idavirumaa witch means east viru land and people there are like florida man mixed with a russian and drunk finniah man."
– awchtit1
The Hungary Man
"Hungary: it's Miskolc. This city is Florida and Alabama in one place."
– Matyezda
"Oh no. Florida and Alabama in one place sounds like a degenerate nightmare.. I'm from the North Eastern US (New England) and I would 1000% rather be euthanized than live In Alabama or Florida. Specifically those two states."
– jebzz12
Logan Man
"Every city has its equivalent. In Brisbane, QLD, Logan man is probably the most infamous. My father contacts around the Logan shopping centre, and has a story every other week of the police clashing with the locals. About two months ago, one tried to burgle a Hungry Jacks (Burger King), only to find that the restaurant, which was still doing drive through, was still staffed. Shocked, he ran over the road, stole a car and posted admit his cunning theft on social media, which the police just happen to monitor. This was all within 24 hours of him being released from prison. 'Logan man' is typically the start of a great headline in a Brisbane news feed. The Aussie slang for a lazy, willfully ignorant, possibly deranged miscreant is a bogan (and yes, bogan from Logan is a source of much mirth and many a derisive headline)."
Things "Polish Man" Would Do Or Has Done
"Polish man, it's pure gold."
"Polish man mistakes iron for telephone"
"Polish man finds a bullet in his head five years after party"
"Polish man electrocuted while peeing"
"Polish man tries to bury wife alive"
"Polish man tries to rob a bank with a spoon"
"Polish man dressed as Gandalf stops an upcoming train"
"Polish man decapitates himself during a macho contest"
"Polish man blows up house after his family goes to a picnic without him"
"Lost Polish tourist made fire to signalize his location, starts a huge fire in Montenegro"
"Polish man terrorises a village with a tank"
The French Conflict
"For people from Paris, it's people from anywhere else in France, for everybody else in France it's people from Paris and sub-urban Paris."
Oh, Brian
"In Denmark we got Brian, don't know why though."
"I'm old enough to answer that. It's due to a radio satire program with a character named Brian back in the 80's/90s. It became popular to an extend where it crept into everyday language. Like tuned golf GTI became a 'Brian-car' etc etc."
Mom Outraged After Florida Teacher Confronted 11-Year-Old Daughter In Front Of Class And Asked If She Is A Lesbian
Grade school teachers calling on students to answer a question should relate to the lesson, not to a student's personal life.
A fifth-grade student at Northport K-8 in Port St. Lucie in Florida is embarrassed to go back to school because a teacher asked if she was a lesbian in front of the whole class.
The 11-year-old girl's mother, Jezenia Gambino, is duly upset after hearing about the incident which stemmed from a circulating rumor.
"The rumor was that my daughter and another 5th-grade little girl were dating."
You can watch the WPTV news report below.
Gambino said the teacher confronted her 11 year-old daughter and her friend in front of other students.
"She asked them if they were together if they were dating as a couple together and she asked them in a way that they felt they were in trouble."
Gambino did not know about what happened until her daughter received a text from the other girl.
"She wasn't sure if they should hang out together anymore because of what happened in school. She didn't want anyone to think they were gay."
Gambino reported the incident to the school principal which led to the St. Lucie County School District opening an investigation.
On Friday, she learned in an email that the unnamed teacher was given a verbal warning. They were also reported to the Florida Department of Education for engaging in inappropriate communication with a student.
The teacher's actions sparked outrage online.
Ann Glassford wrote on Facebook:
"This is so wrong in many ways!! This teacher should not be teaching since she is biased!!! Every child being taught in school should be able to be themselves without being a accosted for being themselves!!!"
"Especially in a public school! Private schools ya might as well give up on! They have their old ways and won't be accepting of humans without their beliefs!!"
Pruz HM thought the situation should have been handled differently.
"I think asking them in front of the entire class was wrong and should've been handled differently. I think she should also address why the other kids think the two kids are dating."
"The teacher and could also make it a general lesson how not to spread rumors about people when you dont know the facts."
Dana Brooks and many others asked why the teacher had any business in making the inquiry in the first place.
"I would be very angry if a teacher did this to my child. It is so clearly inappropriate to bring something like this up in front of the whole class."
"In the workplace if two employees were dating and a manager needed to address it the company would very much be responsible for creating a hostile work environment if the manager brought the issue up in front of staff that didn't need to be involved."
"These are children they are far less equipped to handle something like this. Also the power differential (from the child's perspective) is far more extreme."
850 WFTL/Facebook
Orlando Sentinel/Facebook
Orlando Sentinel/Facebook
Orlando Sentinel/Facebook
Orlando Sentinel/Facebook
@HomeschoolE The issue with this is that she accused in a shameful way. What if the girl was a lesbian and not read… https://t.co/5ZDGO2YuTO— ⟭⟬MichelleWithLuv⁷⟬⟭ (@⟭⟬MichelleWithLuv⁷⟬⟭) 1581621608
Port St. Lucie mom says her 5th grader's teacher accused her daughter of being a lesbian https://t.co/M0tUVN3BPu Th… https://t.co/6AwvdiK57w— James A Clark Jr 🏳️🌈 (@James A Clark Jr 🏳️🌈) 1581535798
Ryan Thoreson— an LGBTQ researcher at Human Rights Watch—told Head Topics that the incident was a result of a lack of training for school teachers and administrators on LGBTQ cultural competency.
Thoreson wrote in an email on Wednesday:
"One of the most surprising findings from our research on LGBT issues in U.S. schools was that a lot of students said teachers and administrators were a bigger problem for them than other students."
"Other students knew it wasn't OK to be overtly homophobic or transphobic, but school staff would still publicly humiliate LGBT kids for who they dated, what they wore, or how they identified."
Gambino believes the district has not done enough to protect her daughter.
As a result, she felt forced to home-schooling her daughter for the rest of the school year.
She also found herself trying to undo the psychological damage that was inflicted.
"What they did affected my daughter in a way that now I'm having to go back and fix."
You might not think there are very many people who identify as LGBTQ who would choose to support Donald Trump...
...and you'd be right.
A recent rally of the Broward County Log Cabin Republicans is being lambasted online for its measly turnout.
A pathetic showing at the Log Cabin’s press event to tell LGBT community to vote for Trump. Ironic it’s being held… https://t.co/7SG3iQsHGf— Michael Rajner (@Michael Rajner) 1578931077
The event—which was aimed at convincing LGBTQ individuals to vote for Donald Trump—was held in Wilton Manors, but only about 12 people arrived.
Things proceeded to become even worse, with the sound system quickly failing and counter-protestors arriving on the scene.
One of the event's speakers then went on an islamophobic rant.
Andrew Brett, president of #LogCabin Republicans preparing for event in Wilton Manors where he plans to pitch… https://t.co/hTqx9FdpDN— Anthony Man (@Anthony Man) 1578931150
The South Florida Gay Newscovered the event. According to the outlet, organization leader Andrew Brett shared many anti-muslim "wild claims, conspiracy theories and inflammatory rhetoric."
Fortunately, it was hard to hear Brett over the counter-protestors, who reportedly outnumbered attendees by a factor of three.
In a transcript, Brett claims he said:
"The Democratic presidential candidates support socialism in which suporpts [sic] Sharia law. The GLBT Democratic residents of Broward County don't understand or comprehend the catastrophic results of Sharia Law."
The gay Log Cabin Republicans held a pro-Trump rally in Florida yesterday and 12 people showed up. It's believed th… https://t.co/UtmfiDwNDm— Paul Rudnick (@Paul Rudnick) 1579201725
Brett also singled out Democratic lawmakers of color Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar, both of whom support LGBTQ+ rights to a much further degree than any Republican, claiming they "are not friends of the GLBT community and support the execution of beheadings of GLBT people."
He then offered several anti-semitic conspiracy theories about philanthropist George Soros, just to make sure he covered all his bases.
@PaulRudnickNY https://t.co/J9nDnuNs3I— lvnvrcd (@lvnvrcd) 1579224497
Bob Darrow, who works in real estate locally, had a comment for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
"I'm offended that they would bring their message to the home of the gay community here in Wilton Manors when everything they stand for goes against equality for gays and lesbians."
A small sample of the speech given today by Andrew Brett, president of the Broward Log Cabin Republicans. I took th… https://t.co/6PTfbt1r46— Michael Rajner (@Michael Rajner) 1578969789
@MichaelRajner @DWStweets @TedDeutch @browardpolitics @SFGN WHY IS HE YELLING ??????— WM (@WM) 1579231500
The leader of the counter-protest, LGBTQ activist, Michael Rajner, also said:
"I think it's important to be here because generations that follow us will be subject to the horrible laws and punishments from this administration if [Trump] should be reelected."
@TrumpVictoryBRO THIS WAS A JOKE right? “The Democratic Party has become the party of division in America,” Brett r… https://t.co/Sra5fqpgl4— Frank Conway (@Frank Conway) 1579194749
Rainer also added:
"He's appointed some terrible judges that are hostile to the LGBT community, and our protections are eroding so quickly. We must stand up, we must register to vote, and we must get the community to mobilize to stand up against this hate."