Not everyone has the "Happy Birthday" we wish them. For some people, birthdays are an outright disaster.
Personally, I've only ever had one really tragic birthday - the year my grandfather died and I got pulled over twice (once to give me a ticket, and then the officer pulled me over again just a moment later to tell me Happy Birthday.)
Reddit user kaancanpinar asked:
Dear askreddit what's the suckiest thing that happened in your birthday?
And as bad as my one birthday was, it was just one birthday. There are some people who seem to have a weird birthday curse and just can't get away from having bad ones! We're looking at you, person whose parents keep getting married and divorced on your birthdays. Jeez.
Tipsy Girlfriend
Giphy"My girlfriend at the time got a little tipsy and proceeded to act like an absolute wreck. She left me sitting alone at our "romantic" table for two - twice, for about 10 minutes each time, to go outside and smoke. This was during a meal that only lasted, maybe, an hour and a half."
"Then she told me she loved me for the first time, but proceeded to get angry with me, because I didn't say it first."
"On the drive home a Beats Pill (a very small speaker that weighs about a pound) dropped from the dashboard onto her knee - so she obviously had to have a fake freak out and tantrum - to the point that I pulled over at a gas station and had to come to her side of the car and inspect her knee. Which, of course, became perfectly fine and a non-issue in about 15 seconds as she stood up."
"Jesus christ, I've never written that out and it makes me cringe."
Sleep Apnea
"My cousin died suddenly of sleep apnea the day before my birthday, he was 23. We spent my 20th birthday driving across the country to attend his funeral."
- terminater112
US Invasion
"The US invaded my country when I was turning 10. Cool thing was they took down the military dictatorship of Noriega..."
"Sucky thing was I was not able to go to the movies and catch a Baby Herman & Roger Rabit short film I wanted to see."
"Oh yeah... and the dead. Yeah... all the dead also sucked."
Scared She Had Done It
"On my 17th birthday, I woke up at 2 am to realize that my mom was not home. The day before my birthday she and my brother had a huge fight."
"My mom would always threaten to kill herself because "no one loves her and nobody understands her." She always pulled this whenever we didn't back her up with what she believed or when she couldn't control us anymore. I grew up with her doing this all the time so it made an impact to me."
"I was always scared that she'd actually do it. I would even choose to go home rather than play outside after school so I could watch over her."
"So, back to my birthday, it was 2 in the morning and she wasn't home. Because I was scared about what she would do, I went out to look for her. I was crying the whole time because I was scared that she had finally actually done it. Also because I was scared for my own safety - I was a kid wandering around alone at 2 am! AND IT WAS MY FREAKIN' BIRTHDAY!"
- missjnrs
A Morning Stroll
I was a fat kid. On my 14th birthday, my dad took me with him on a morning stroll. I didn't know he was going to turn it into a workout. I gave up as soon as we started - so he kept yelling at me as army sarges do in the movies."
"When I had finally given up he called me "mara مرة": A degrading word directed to women in general and whores specifically."
- Tuebimur
Mom Stole My Party
"I'm Filipino, the 18th birthday for girls is like a big deal. You throw this huge party and everything. Ever since I was young I always wanted to have one, so when I was 17 I asked if I could have one. My parents said no. So I kept on asking and asking, and told them I would do all the planing, the venue stuff and everything all they needed to do was pay."
"So they finally agreed, after months of planning my mom decided to tell me last minute that she wants a part of the party to be dedicated to their anniversary. So I was like "uhh okay then..." Cause I felt bad for saying no since they were paying for everything."
"All I really asked them to do was to pay, make a speech, do the decorations and tell me what they wanted to do for their anniversary. I did all the plannings the guest list, the program etc. All my mom told me was my dad was going to sing for her. So I'm like cool that's easy enough, shouldn't take up too much time. I consistently told them to make a birthday speech, make a speech."
"On the day of the party, my mom insisted that the MC should follow her script instead of the MC script - which made the whole event longer than needed (which kinda annoyed me, but I was trying make the best of it.) Then when I was suppose to perform and whilst I was getting ready, my mom decided that it was time for their anniversary part and went on with it without letting me know."
"Then they proceed to have their vows renewed, a video of them throughout the years, my dad singing 2 songs and a dance with just them two. Which took up a whole hour."
"What pissed me off the most was that she didn't even make a speech, didn't bother saying happy birthday to me, and even got mad at me for not wanting to take photos with her friends whom she invited last minute and who I didn't even know. When I confronted her about it the day after, all she said was "Uhh I didn't know I had to make any speech."
The Favorite
"My mum decided to Celebrate my brothers birthday and not mine. Cards, cake, presents, etc..."
"F.Y.I. This was my TWIN brother."
- Kirkn97
Divorce
"My parents decided to use my 17th birthday to announce they were getting divorced."
Only One
Giphy"My 21st. My girlfriend at the time arranged for a surprise party for me inviting all my friends."
"Only one person showed up."
Mom V. Grandparents
"On my 16th birthday, my mother was in the middle of a several year long fight with her parents. She told me I should call them to see if they would like to come over for coffee (because she wouldn't call them herself). During the call I'm talking to my grandmother and get the usual "happy birthday" and "how are you" - it's important to note that I haven't seen them in months and we only lived like 10 minutes apart."
"So I ask if they would like to come over for coffee and my grandmother says she's going to ask my grandfather if he would like to go. Now, I don't know if she didn't realize that she didn't cover the phone, but I heard them talking back and forth a and heard my grandmother say "I don't want to hurt her feelings but I don't want to go over there."
"I already felt when I was a kid that they didn't love me as much as my older sibling, but this was the confirmation that it was true. They couldn't get past their bull and come see their granddaughter on her birthday. When she began talking to me she said some sort of excuse as to why they couldn't come over. I didn't hear it, I was trying not to cry so I could still talk. We said our "I love you's," though it was hard for me, and hung up. I just went to my room and laid down and cried. I didn't give a damn about anything and just wanted the day to be over."
"My mother had a small surprise party for me by having my friends over, I tried my best to pretend to be happy and have fun, but I just wanted it to end. I was so mad and so hurt that I just wanted to crawl in bed and stay there forever."
In My Bed
"Got told my girlfriend at the time wanted a break. Then she went locked me out of my house and slept with a dude she saw when she was out - in my bed!"
"It was my 20th birthday."
Love And Marriage
"My parents got divorced on my 10th birthday. My 11th birthday my dad got married to another girl. On my 12th birthday they divorced. On my 13th they remarried. 14th divorced. Yes these all happened on my birthday or during that birthday week."
He Needed Attention
"Someone broke up with me that day."
"I arranged a nice birthday party, invited a bunch of friends and I was so happy that my boyfriend at that time was behaving as a decent person (e.g. not causing a scene, but smiling and chatting with mostly everyone). Little did I know that he kept on acting like this only to build up to a huge scene after we headed home."
"He started to criticize all of my friends, how shallow and ignorant they were and how I should had stopped them talking about politics when I knew he was of a different opinion, so he would not had to listen to all the BS."
"Then he said he doesn't love me enough to put up with me, so he left me crying in the middle of the street at night."
"After a day he kept on calling me like nothing had happened. I did not understand what the F was going on."
"Quick disclaimer: you might already know, but it is worth stating, that most psychopaths don't like when the attention is not focused on them (in this case it was focusing on me, since it was my birthday), so they will cause a scene to get back the attention. I did not know that until years later when all the things just started to make sense."
Prove It
"My mother forgot it, then called me a liar when I told her. I had to get my driver's license to prove it."
"I was in my late 20s."
"Mom is just very self-centered. My mother is one of those people who isn't actively malicious but can't conceive of a world without her at the center. She knows best in all things and is always right, anything she dislikes is a personal offense created by the world at large and/or someone specifically to spite her, anyone with other views is objectively wrong, that sort of thing."
The Family Dog
"Last year our family dog had to be put to sleep on my birthday. His stomach flipped the week before and caused irreparable damage. He'd already had it turn a few years ago. My mum went to pick him up and the vet told her he wasn't going to recover and was in pain. I got a phone call on my way to work where she was distraught. Thankfully my manager was incredible and let me use a sick day to go home."
"I had to arrange the home visit to put him to sleep because my mum couldn't do it. I called my dad to tell him (my parents are divorced and he hadn't seen the dog in years.) I arranged everything so he could be brought home and go to sleep peacefully with me, my mum, and my sister. It was one of the hardest things I've ever done. My birthday is two weeks before Christmas and I'd already got him a present."
"This big goofball got me through my parents' divorce and the hardest breakup I've been through. I'm in my late twenties and it was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do."
Knock Knock
Giphy"High school one year, my birthday fell on thanksgiving. It was my birthday AND thanksgiving and my boyfriend dumped me. Through text. Using a knock knock joke"
"The joke was as follows:"
Him: "Knock Knock"
Me: "Who's there?"
Him: "Single"
Me: "Single who?"
Him: "Single you."
"He was not very clever, but he did tell the whole school about it proudly"
- ccc2373
Wasting Money
"On my 6th birthday my dad openly said on the phone he wished I wasn't born so he didn't have to waste money on me. He didn't know I heard him then got mad when I said I wanted to go back to my moms."
"Yeah we didn't get along for a long time."
Newlywed Flu
"Four months after our wedding, my ex husband told me he had a "football practice." He then proceeded to get obliterated at a bar, blocked me from calling him, slept with another woman and came home at 5am on my birthday. He was so messed up the next day, I had to pretend like he had the flu to my family who drove into town to see me."
"My whole birthday was spent trying not to cry and imagine what he'd been up to, faking like we were the happy newlyweds everyone expected us to be. No gift, no "happy birthday", no explanation until years later when he confessed. Just me wondering what I did to deserve it all."
Well, these certainly take the (birthday) cake!
Do you have similar experiences to share? Let us know in the comments below.
Redditor OfficialVickiLuv wanted to share the truths we need to know, so they asked:
"What is a common 'fact' that you know is bulls**t?"
There is no such thing as an alternative fact.
So let's start there.
Not a Forest
the ice pirates shaving GIF by Warner ArchiveGiphy"Shaving makes your hair grow back thicker."
Heavy_Educator9822
"I used to believe this one. I was very disappointed when I learned it was BS."
leebon427
Both Sides
"There are two kinds of thinkers: Right brain people are who are creative, and the people that use the left side who can do math."
Beaver_Buster
"Try telling that to psychologists/psychiatrists who do research/clinical studies/trials. I’ve been denied dozens of times to partake in research studies revolving around mental health, specifically depression, and anxiety."
"Why did they deny me [even tho I was a perfect candidate]? Because I write with my left hand. And apparently it would make their study 'invalid' because they 'don’t want to interfere with results.'"
"Please tell me how excluding a large amount of people from a research study would somehow give you the correct answer for treating mental health for everybody?"
asianstyleicecream
Find them...
"That you have to wait 24 hours to report someone missing."
Zatiebars
"Especially with children, the quicker the police can get to the 'crime' scene the fresher the evidence and easier to follow leads. I used crime in quotes because there could have been a crime or the kid might have just wandered off."
"But it's not just for kids though... If you know someone is a home body and never leaves home and you know something has happened, by all means call the police. Even if they like to take random trips, it never hurts to inform the law."
Zatiebars
Crackle... Pop
"Cracking your knuckles causes arthritis."
Famous-Background329
"Probably just normal. Cracks are just little bubbles of nitrogen that settle where there's space. They don't build up over time, once the space is occupied by a little bubble then no more can join it. A knuckle that hasn't been cracked in 50 years is the same as a knuckle that hasn't been cracked in a few hours."
ConstantSignal
Give a Howl
Angry Wolf GIF by CuriosityStreamGiphy"Alpha wolves being real. The guy who did the original study disproved his one study and gets mad when people get it wrong now... lol."
Silverj0
"Came looking for this, also extrapolating this BS to human beings and 'sigma,' go read. The articles are all available. It's nonsense that people still believe s* like this with access to everything in their hands."
artemispock
The wolf pack is always ready.
Trivia
Facts GIF by Judge JerryGiphy"A 'factoid' is an often repeated statement that isn't true, but is now believed to be true due to people saying it all the time. Its not a mini fact, or like, fun piece of trivia."
JackofScarlets
Breakfast Companies
"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. The quote was made by Kellogg's to make people buy more cereal. If you search up articles that say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, most are sponsored by Kellogg's."
Jazzlike-Caramel7103
"I’m not sure Kellogg’s made it up. In my country there’s a saying that’s been around forever that alludes to the importance of breakfast that goes 'have breakfast like a king and dinner like a poor person.' Kellogg’s might’ve simply exploited an existing popular belief."
kaleidoscopichazard
Hey Stumpy
"Caffeine makes you short."
CForey62
"This one makes me laugh. I've been drinking coffee since I was like 9 years old and turned out 190cm tall."
TurquoiseBeetle67
Spuds
"Potatoes absorb toxins. The amount of people that believe putting potato slices in your shoes or wear them around your neck as a holistic medical treatment is shockingly high. It’s just oxidation."
wheresmychin
"I recall seeing a antivaxx meme that said if you had to get a COVID shot to put a potato slice at the injection site to absorb all the toxins. I’m all for sharing that idea if it makes people get vaccinated."
OrangeTree81
Look Out
Flying Fox Bat GIF by Barbara PozziGiphy"Bats are blind."
IWantOneSpatula
"I remember getting into a really stupid argument shortly after high school with a friend over this who just couldn't believe that bats weren't actually blind."
__M-E-O-W__
"Fine. Bats are legally blind."
shifty_coder
Now I've learned more.
Do you have anything to add? Let us know in the comments below.
Redditor KentuckyFriedEel wondered what movie moments have left scars for life, so they asked:
"Which movie scene is really hard to sit through and watch?"
The death of Artax in 'The Neverending Story.'
Scared me for life.
Stop Dialing
vince vaughn beer GIFGiphy"Swingers. Mike calling and leaving messages over and over for the girl whose phone number he got at the bar."
Careless-Ground-7349
"Never. Call. Me. Again."
playblu
Look Away
"Trainspotting. Specifically the scene where they wake up from their drug induced haze to find the dead baby. The decomposition effect made to look like they neglected to check on her for DAYS... Then their best and only response is to shoot up and get high again. Dull the pain. Just tragic."
SqAznPersuasion
INTENSE
"A very good portion of the original French version of Martyrs."
"That movie is both the definition of gore porn, but also a solid story that makes sitting through how uncomfortable it is completely worth it. It’s unfortunate that Hollywood somehow made a mostly shot for shot remake and completely ruined the movie."
egnards
"My housemate and I watched Martyrs and spent like the next three days talking about it, that movie was INTENSE."
raz0rflea
Too Dark
"Green Mile. I leave when Mr Jingles chases the thread bobbin, and again for the execution scene gone wrong. I've seen both scenes once. Don't need to see that again."
Publandlady
"The book is as heart-wrenching as the movie. It's my all-time favorite Stephen King book, but it's tough to get through."
F**kImCold
"When I saw that execution scene as a kid I was at a friend's house and decided to go home right there. Came back next day to finish it though cause didn't wanna get made fun of."
canadianclassic308
Just No!
Bom Dia Hello GIFGiphy"Annihilation. The bear quietly screaming. ‘Help me.'"
"Absolutely not, thank you."
HaunterUsedLick
Never saw that one. Maybe I'll take a peek.
Too Tough
Toni Collette Crying GIF by A24Giphy"Hereditary. Watching the kid just pull up to the bed is pretty tough to watch. The scream by the mom the next morning is also pretty tough."
happymyself
Shiny Trauma
"I've never gone back and watched it again, because it skeeved me out so much, but that scene in Dr. Sleep, where the Shine Vampires are stealing all the shine from that kid through pain was ROUGH."
Horknut1
"I came here to say this. Jacob Tremblay practiced for months before the scene to be sure he could get it right. When the time came to shoot it he did so well that all the Shine Vampires forgot their lines and struggled to finish the scene. The first time I saw it was pretty traumatizing."
Capteverard
True Pain
"The shower scene in Schindlers List. It took me years to get through it, even though it ends up just being a shower and not a gas chamber. Also the Tony episode on the new Dahmer series. I was hysterical watching it and feel sick thinking about how much real people suffered because of him."
ashleylauren3
"I watched Schindlers List for the first and only time a few years ago and couldn't stop crying after."
wearyomask
Dried Up
"The scene in the SpongeBob movie where SpongeBob and Patrick dry up."
crossbowman44
"I know this guy that loved movies and would give me all these high brow recommendations. One Saturday morning, I decided I wanted to watch a movie and was considering one of his recommendations. I watched the SpongeBob movie instead. And I made the right choice. Saturday morning is for cartoons."
Brawndo91
War Crimes
Screaming Matt Damon GIFGiphy"Saving Private Ryan - when the German soldier is plunging the knife into Mellish."
LackOfStack
"For me it is when the medic is dying after attacking the machine gun nest. All those soldiers standing around absolutely helpless."
DramaticWesley
"Oh God don't get me started. Only scene from a movie that gets my physically angry."
crispycritter909
All good movies. All to never watch again.
The ones that have come to fruition but caused an uproar were mentioned when Redditor Future-Game asked:
"What is the most controversial TV shows of all time?"
Shows pushing the envelope were so risqué. Some aged well over time. Others didn't.
Taboo Topics
"I don't know about all time but the time it aired here in Canada, the original Degrassi High series. They covered so many topics that weren't really covered on mainstream shows back then. Even still somewhat taboo today. And everyone my age watched it and talked about it the next day."
– YEGMusic43
Outing Ellen
"When Ellen Degeneres's character came out as gay on her sitcom, there was a f'king firestorm."
– seanofkelley
Tame Drama
"Believe it or not the comedy SOAP was highly controversial when it premiered in the late 70s. It's done by the same people who did GOLDEN GIRLS. SOAP is so tame by today's standards a ten year old could watch it."
– ComedianRepulsive955
Chappelle's Show.
"I like South Park as an answer, but if we are talking about pushing boundaries, Chappelle's show at least deserves a mention. The Black, White Supremacist alone was wild to see on TV, and it was the first episode of the show to air."
– WaKa_
Reality bites. So did these reality competition shows.
Trash Talk Show
"Jerry springer, what a sh*t show."
– Jok3r609
When Looks Are Everything
"The Swan - a show about generally average, everyday women with low self esteem (due to a variety of factors), receiving plastic surgery and whole makeovers. Every episode would feature two ladies and a "winner" would be decided between them. At the end of the season, all of the winners would be put in a pageant to compete and see who would be dubbed 'The Swan'"
– DungeonFam30
Questionably Racist
"Takeshi's Castle / MXC wasn't exactly controversial at the time, but the production of that show seems awfully exploitative by today's standards (and for the English dub, horribly stereotypical and downright racist at times). We've since watered it down severely with versions like Wipeout, but the real ones know what the lineage of shows like that is."
– plasma_dan
Ultimate Exploitation Of Privacy
"Big Brother. How about we mix the worst people with the most exploitative form of entertainment whilst also casually normalising invasion of privacy."
– JFSOCC
Just because it was family friendly didn't mean everyone approved.
Representation Matters
"Sesame Street - When this show debuted in 1969, TV channels in the southern US refused to air it because it’s racially mixed group of children playing together was too controversial."
– virago72
Beavis And Butt-Head
"Surprised I haven't seen Beavis and Butt-Head on this list yet. When it came out everyone was freaking out."
– l06ic
Swearing
"Southpark, we went from outrage at Bart saying "eat my shorts" to Cartman feeding children their parents."
"I mean swearing on TV was less prominent , then Southpark pushed that forward quickly as well, all of a sudden "A**" and "Bullsh*t" were on standard TV."
– nonaestet
Every now and then a show comes out and sends audiences clutching their pearls.
But sometimes, even an episode from a relatively tame TV show can send viewers reeling with topical moments.
Examples of this include the much-hyped same-sex kiss on Melrose Place in the 90s that was ultimately edited to imply the act and the One Tree Hill arc that explored school shootings–which was considered daring and admirable at the time for addressing a malaise that continues plaguing the US today.