Most of us have been in a serious enough relationship that we had the chance to meet our partner's siblings, parents, and possibly other family members.
We can all attest to how nerve-wracking that moment was and the pressure we inevitably felt to impress our partner's family and try to "fit in."
This is likely what one fiancée was feeling when she was invited to Thanksgiving with her future in-laws—and to participate in their annual family tradition: running a 10K "Turkey Trot" on Thanksgiving.
"Turkey Trot" is a fun tradition where people work up an appetite for the big meal of the day. From one mile all the way up to 10K, often with music and costumes, it's a fun way for families to connect before sitting around the table and gorging themselves.
But instead of uniting their family, there's a distinct possibility that the Butlers just lost themselves a fiancée.
It all started when the Butler family, shared by the @Parksyyyyy TikTok channel, invited a family member's future bride to participate in their 10K Turkey Trot months prior to Thanksgiving.
If she was not already a runner, the future bride probably trained so she could keep up during the 10K, which is roughly 6.2 miles and no small feat for someone without running experience.
On Thanksgiving morning before the race, everyone wore running clothes and a matching white t-shirt that read "The Butler Family Trotters." The bride wore expensive-looking running gear and $200 Hoka sneakers, and as the "newbie" to the group, she was asked to wear a colorful, turkey-tail-like skirt and a soft felt hat that looked like a roasted turkey.
As the group gathered to say, "Cheese," one of the future sisters-in-law instead said:
"We're kidding! There's no run!"
The video then features a text overlay:
"Watch the relief set in when she realizes we're joking."
TikToker @Parksyyyyy has since taken down the video and made their account private, but you can still watch it on TikToker @hmcruc2's account here:
The video quickly went viral, and people noted the time and effort involved in the prank and questioned the claim that the bride looked "relieved."
It might have been funny if the family had gotten together for a group photo and then announced it was time to go for their annual run on the spot, saying something like, "Oh, didn't your future husband tell you about this?" Then they could have let her off the hook, saying that they were kidding. Haha.
But by telling her about it months in advance, they gave her time to actually prepare, suggesting she was not already a runner and would need time to condition, buy running gear, and anticipate something that she thought was important to her partner's family.
Now that she had trained, fellow TikTokers encouraged her to run away from this family before she got married.
@corinnezoethomas/TikTok
@corinnezoethomas/TikTok
@corinnezoethomas/TikTok
@corinnezoethomas/TikTok
@corinnezoethomas/TikTok
@corinnezoethomas/TikTok
There was also the issue with how the future bride reacted to the prank's reveal, and arguably, it seemed like anything but actual relief.
Instead, it looked like she was shocked, probably thinking about the time, effort, and money she'd invested, not to mention the fact that she was potentially marrying into a family full of people who were collectively willing to lie to her face.
Fellow TikToker Corinne Zoe Thomas, who claims to be a "body language expert," pointed out that the bride was not relieved and that she did not like the prank at all.
And Fellow TikTokers were quick to agree.
@corinnezoethomas/TikTok
@corinnezoethomas/TikTok
@corinnezoethomas/TikTok
@corinnezoethomas/TikTok
@corinnezoethomas/TikTok
@corinnezoethomas/TikTok
Pranks can be fun and even a bonding experience when they genuinely do not hurt anyone. But tricking someone into months of effort only to reveal it was all for nothing is potentially hurtful—and not exactly in spirit of the holiday.
