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Jonathan Bennett Reveals He Wasn't First Choice For 'Mean Girls' Role With Wild Story
Dec 09, 2024
Most of us have applied for at least one dream job, only for it to be offered to someone else. But sometimes the story doesn't end with the job offer; in fact, we might get another chance at that job or even something better.
And according to Veronica Mars actor Jonathan Bennett, this concept can be applied to acting gigs, as well.
Before anyone knew who he was, and he was still working at Abercrombie & Fitch folding shirts and sweaters, he tried his luck at getting the part of lead guy Aaron Samuels in the iconic Mean Girls, which would become his big breakout role.
Though Mean Girls is what he's still most known for today, he almost didn't get the part!
During a Hallmark panel event, Bennett explained to the audience in a "Cliffnotes edition" that when he'd gone in to audition, he made Lyndsey Lohan, who had already been cast as the lead in the movie, blush at the perfect moment. The director, crew, and his casting agent believed he would get the part.
However, the studio ended up going in a different direction, because the then-president of Paramount Pictures, Sherry Lansing, wanted him to have a different look. Another guy who had auditioned had the look already without doing hair and makeup, the blonde hair and blue eyes that were so popular in the '90s and early 2000s, so Lansing demanded they go with the other guy.
Fortunately, the story didn't end there for Jonathan Bennett. Asking about October third was still in his future.
Bennett went on to explain that when the other actor went to Canada to table-read his part, he showed up in "baggy sweatpants and a baggy hoodie," he didn't know who the more prominent people in the room were, and he didn't attempt to slip into his role.
Instead, he mumbled his way through it.
Two actors on set, Tim Meadows and Lorne Michaels, who were both well-known for Saturday Night Live, were also used to clean and precise table-reads that would give everyone at the table a good sense of what they would get from each performer in front of the camera. Based on the table-read, all they would get from this guy was "mumbling," even after feedback about it.
Cringing, Bennett admitted that the other guy was "fired by the time he got back to his car."
Then laughing, Bennett explained that he was working a shift at Abercrombie & Fitch when his casting agent tried to call him. When he finally answered on a fifteen-minute break and was told he had a second shot at the part, he was excited but said he had to get back to work and hung up the phone.
Calling back, the agent yelled at him and said he didn't have a shift; he had a plane to catch. So Bennett walked out on Abercrombie & Fitch on the spot, caught the flight, and stepped into the role that would change his life.
You can watch the video here:
@bahamasholly Directly from the source…thank you @Hallmark Channel for a fun holiday weekend
Some were distracted, wondering who originally fumbled the role.
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Other viewers couldn't get past Bennett's amusing and questionable concept of a "Cliffnotes version."
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This story is a great reminder that things can still work out, even when they seem to have already been decided.
Since Bennett also said that the other guy is "famous now," that reminds us, too, that we can always improve to match the opportunities we want to receive.
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People Share Things Their Partner Told Them That Changed The Way They Saw Them
Dec 09, 2024
Actions may speak louder than words, but that is not to say that words do not carry power.
In a single moment, how we feel about someone can totally change because of something surprising they have said.
What they said could turn them into someone totally undateable, or it could make them the most attractive person we've ever met. Only time, and listening, will tell.
Redditor Expensive_Adagio6607 asked:
"What's something your partner or ex-partner has told you that changed the way you look at them?"
How They Treat Service Providers
"Not gonna lie, one time my ex straight-up told me he didn't actually believe in tipping servers because 'they should find better jobs.'"
"After that, I just couldn't see him the same way."
- BabyyChloee
Not A Flex
"My boyfriend at the time proudly declared that he'd never read a book cover to cover. He was 27."
- dixlapped
"That's... not the flex he thinks it is."
- Boogzcarp
"Even in school?! Like, isn't reading one of the things we usually do when we're kids, or like a test on a book you read in class? Never, one one? That's alarming."
- WafWouf
Ableism Revealed
"The moment she dismissed my anxiety as just an ‘excuse for being lazy,' it was like a switch flipped in my brain."
"I had been dealing with panic attacks and struggling to explain what life with anxiety really felt like. Then she just reduced it all to laziness."
"That’s when I knew she would never understand the battles I fight inside my own head. It wasn’t just unsupportive, it was invalidating my entire experience. Trust me, I wasn’t looking for sympathy, just a little empathy."
"It was a sobering reminder that not everyone can walk a mile in another’s shoes, nor even take a single step, and that was a deal-breaker for me."
- GeorgiaLaughs
Purely Transactional
"My soon-to-be ex-husband has said a lot of things that made me change how I see him, but I think the one that really did it was when he told me 'I don't love you, I only married you for your passport, and I want a divorce.'"
"He was drunk and, to this day, claims he just wanted to be nasty and didn't mean it... but that's a line you don't cross."
- Burtonish
"That's an awful thing to say. But that he thinks 'I was drunk and wanted to be nasty' is an EXCUSE and not a massive red flag of its own?? Ooooof. I'm sorry. You don't deserve that."
- secamTO
A Jealous Heart
"An old ex got unreasonably upset at me when I was late coming over after work because I helped a female coworker put her spare tire on."
"We were the only people there, and she didn't know how. She otherwise would have been stranded. When I saw that lack of empathy for another person, I was out of there."
- landlockedyeti
"She thought you were cheating."
- FBI-AGENT-013
"You're right, but there were literally pictures of me changing the tire, lol (laughing out loud)."
- landlockedyeti
"Dang. That's messed up. She also not justified to think that you're cheating, it's just the common one thing everybody thinks so it's actually wise for you to take photos. Sounds like you dodged a very insecure and jealous bullet."
- FBI-AGENT-013
"Yup, you're right, and I did dodge a bullet! My now-wife coached her for a year and had nothing but bad things to say about her (she didn't know we had dated), and now looking back on it, it's hilarious that I ever would have dated her."
- landlockedyeti
"If I Can't Have A Job, No One Can!"
"Well, after he drank too much again, and was late to work again, and pitched a tantrum because it was all my fault apparently, he said that if he got fired, he would call my boss and get me fired."
"Yup, that was it. I never talked to him again after I shuffled him out of MY house."
"He was the only s**tty boyfriend I ever had, but he was a doozy!"
- BnCtrKiki
No Respect
"My ex was feeling under the weather and was telling me he needed to get over the counter medication and he had no idea what to get."
"I was a nurse and recommended something, including how and when he should take it."
"He scoffed, 'You’re a nurse, a doctor’s assistant. You’re not even a pharmacist.'"
"I realized he didn’t respect me, or nurses, at all. We broke up a month after."
- luckygreenleaves
"Ugh. That one hit. My ex scoffed and rolled his eyes and said, 'No, I mean a real job,' when I said being an administrative assistant/executive assistant was a career."
"I said, 'Who do you think does all the work?'"
"That was the least of the s**tty things he said to me but it was the first and I wish I had known that minute to leave. Lesson learned."
- UpstairsTomato3231
A Lack Of Accountability
"My ex once casually mentioned that they 'don’t believe in apologizing' because they 'never do anything wrong.' That one sentence changed everything. I realized I’d never get accountability or real empathy from them."
- Outside-Flow-9510
"Yeah, I am currently separated from my wife of 18 years (a 21-year relationship) because she refuses to apologize."
"I discovered she cheated through texts I found where she was describing everything in detail to her best friend. It never escalated beyond one or two instances of kissing, I’m pretty sure, but then other dude backed out after because he felt guilty for cheating on his wife."
"The fact that she refuses to apologize because she doesn’t believe she did anything wrong boggles my mind and I feel is way more disrespectful than the actual cheating."
- cracker707
"Justified" Cheating
"They said I deserved to be cheated on. This was after we'd had a very long and VERY in-depth conversation regarding my concerns for how close they were growing with my best friend at the time."
- localwageslave
"I'm so sorry. I had an ex tell me that, too."
"I honestly regret not breaking up with him then and there. What a waste of time that clown was."
- izzy_e
Holiday Heart
"I started dating my boyfriend four months ago, but it got pretty serious pretty fast. I am traveling across the country to see my family for the holidays and have mentioned how much I would love for him to join us."
" He just celebrates with friends so I didn’t think it would be a huge deal for him to miss a year. He dodged the question the first time it came up but told me last week, 'I really want to, but if I go with you for Thanksgiving, Steve won’t have anyone to celebrate with.'"
"Steve is his 70-year-old coworker. My boyfriend has had him over for Thanksgiving for the last seven years because he doesn’t have family to spend it with, and he cannot bear the thought of leaving him here to celebrate alone."
"I have always admired my boyfriend’s commitment to the village he has made for himself but that conversation really put it into perspective for me. I have a feeling he won’t be coming to my family’s Thanksgiving for as long as Steve is around… and honestly, I love and admire him so, so much for it. He is such an incredible person."
- NurseryManager
The Best Kind Of "Karen"
"For me, I guess it’s more confirmed than changed. My husband and I were at an amusement park recently with friends and their eight-year-old daughter who had gone through cancer treatment."
"She got on a daring ride that did loops and they told her she had to get off, even if she took off her prosthetic."
"She just looked at her parents and said, 'Does this mean I can never go on upside-down rides?' They didn’t know what to do."
"My husband said, 'F**k this, I’m not going to let her think that, time to be a 'Karen.'' And he looked up the ADA and safety regulations on his phone, talked to every manager at the park, and then, even though he gets extremely motion sick, rode the ride with her after they agreed it actually was safe for her to do it."
"It was the sexiest thing I have ever seen a person do."
- Raginghangers
Kindness Goes A Long Way
"My ex once acknowledged that they never expected to find someone who accepted them for who they are. That changed my perspective on them, and it brought us closer together and taught me the value of kindness."
- JenBro1978
"I'm with a new partner. We've only been together maybe 3-4 months, but everything's going really well."
"She told me yesterday that she's never felt as attractive before in her life as I make her feel. And of course that made me incredibly happy... but also kinda sad?"
"She's absolutely gorgeous, and one of the most generous people I've ever been with (even accounting for the fact that I know we're still very much in the honeymoon phase), and it makes me sad to think that neither her family nor her previous boyfriends have made her feel like what she just effortlessly is."
- secamTO
So Wholesome
"He said to me, 'I love that you don't need me to feel entire.' This impacted me hard since it was the first time I felt understood and supported in my independence."
- Lucyymonn
What's In A Name?
"Before we got married my MIL was making oblique comments about changing my last name to my husband's."
"We had talked about it, and I was leaning toward keeping my maiden name due to sheer laziness. His parents are pushy and can be weird about this sort of thing so the prodding was getting annoying and my husband noticed."
"He told his mom, 'I fell in love with FirstName - MaidenName, I don't have any idea who FirstName-HisLastName is, I'm marrying the woman I fell in love with.'"
"When I tell you that I SWOONED. I wasn't expecting a declaration, and it was so validating, supportive, and just generally gave me this overwhelming feeling of, 'D**n, I loved this guy before but he SEES me!' It made me feel like a partner, an equal, like my agency was the most important thing to him and that he would actively protect and advocate for it in the marriage..."
"From then on, I had strong feelings about keeping my name and even stronger feelings for him. It was a small thing, but hearing how he considered me in that moment was the most attractive thing he's ever done, and he's lived up to that standard since. And it's also been an inspiration for me to meet him at that high bar, as well."
- Angsty_Potatoes
A New Perspective
"She said, 'You need glasses.'"
"She was right. She looks so much clearer now!"
- My1stWifeWasWife
"I got my first distance glasses a couple of years ago, and at the optician, as I put them on and looked out of the window, I said something like, 'I don’t think these are going to make much difference because my eyesight is still pretty - OH MY GOD!'"
"I had forgotten that I used to be able to see distant things pin-sharp."
- BiggestFlower
It's no surprise that these were moments that changed these Redditors' relationships. While some were serious red flags, others intensified the good things they already saw in the person.
What all of these incidents have in common is the time that has passed. While there are many conversations in a lifetime that we will forget, these are the types of moments that will last.
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Fox News
Jesse Watters Dragged After Obsessing Over Men Who Take Bubble Baths In Bizarre Rant
Dec 09, 2024
The right-wing panic about masculinity continues apace, and the latest chapter in this very weird obsession comes via an unlikely villain: the bubble bath.
Fox News' Jesse Watters had an on-air rant about a government employee who shared a photo of himself working from home in his bathtub.
So what? Couldn't tell you, but if you're Watters and the assorted weirdos who sit in front of Fox News all day, the problem is that men aren't supposed to take baths, apparently.
Watters contends that males "age out" of taking baths at age five. Okay! Slow news day over at Fox, Jesse?
Watters ranted:
“What kind of man takes a bubble bath? Men age out of bubble baths at 5. If you’re a guy and you’re alone in a bubble bath, that’s a problem. You have to have someone with you.”
Ah there we go—baths are only for sex if you're a man, apparently. If you've ever tried to have sex in a bathtub you'll know that it really only works well in movies, but whatever.
The uproar came after far-right Iowa Republican Senator Joni Ernst shared the photo as part of a report she compiled targeting remote-work policies for government employees, which Republicans have of course decided they hate now. (Mainly because Elon Musk told them to.)
Watters then had Trump staffer Stephen Miller on his show to get his hot take on whether or not men should be taking bubble baths.
Miller agreed that "grown men should not be taking bubble baths" and that they shouldn't do their work from one either. He of course put air-quotes around the word "work" to imply that government employees don't actually do anything.
IDK man, this is an awful lot of interest in men's bathing habits for two supposed paragons of heterosexual masculinity!
And on social media, most people just found this whole thing ludicrous.
Anyway, it's worth noting that there are no bubbles visible in the photo. It's just a dude in a bathtub. But it's good to know the right is on the case and will soon free us from the scourge of *checks notes* men bathing. MAGA!
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iMBC/Imazins via Getty Images/Netflix
Netflix Sparks Backlash After Casting Cis Male Actor To Play Trans Woman On 'Squid Game'
Dec 09, 2024
Netflix has sparked outrage for casting a cisgender male actor to play a trans female character in the second season of the popular survival thriller Netflix series, Squid Game.
In a meet-the-cast special, South Korean star Park Sung-hoon revealed he would play Hyun-ju, a.k.a. Player 120, a willing competitor in the murderous reality game show for a chance to win the grand cash prize to help pay for her gender-affirming surgery.
Squid Game is a Korean drama centered on the premise where financially strapped contestants from different backgrounds participate in a series of deadly children's games until a remaining survivor wins approximately $40 million.
Sung-hoon, known for playing leads in popular South Korean TV series like The Glory and Queen of Tears, described his Squid Game character in an interview, saying:
“Hyun-ju is a former special forces soldier and a transgender woman. She joins the game because she’s short on money for her gender-affirming surgery."
We should be moving past cis actors playing trans roles.
[image or embed]
— Queer Skies Ahead (@queerskiesahead.bsky.social) December 6, 2024 at 10:09 AM
The 39-year-old actor continued:
“Even though she faces prejudice and tough situations, she shows incredible strength, decisiveness and natural leadership. Through her resilience, she breaks down stereotypes and shines as an aspiring character.”
The casting of a cisgender male to play a trans woman in 2024 caused significant internet backlash.
Many users noted that actors from marginalized groups in countries like South Korea are never given opportunities in an industry that tends to lean towards heteronormative casting.
Honestly, it would have been amazing to have an actual trans person play the role. But let's be honest, it's South Korea, where same sex civil union illegal. I'm relieved they even made the small step of showing a pre-op trans woman in a positive way. Hopefully they will continue forward.
[image or embed]
— AskAubry 🦝 (@askaubry.com) December 5, 2024 at 6:51 AM
Heart absolutely sank reading that they're putting a cis man playing a trans woman in this show 😞 I liked the first season and this one is going to be awful the whole way now isn't it
— Katy Montgomerie 🦗 (@katymontgomerie.com) December 5, 2024 at 7:29 AM
Bleh. It's a step but damn, how dismissive of transpeople and that character too really.
— azombieee.bsky.social (@azombieee.bsky.social) December 5, 2024 at 7:46 AM
So.... And please, someone correct me if I'm wrong or off the mark or anything.... But how is this different than someone doing blackface to fill the role of a POC?
— Papahrf (@papahrf.bsky.social) December 5, 2024 at 7:07 AM
Also, it's a bit sensitive: LGBTQ actors don't want to be cut out of cis or straight roles. However, trans women in acting have had very few opps even as trans stories (not written by us) got popular, hence the criticism, that's the context. Also, the representation has been... not good.
— Flxible (@flxible.bsky.social) December 6, 2024 at 6:31 AM
The controversy was also addressed on the Trans subReddit.
Redditor melancholymeows, a trans ally, argued the move was still a positive step toward representation in South Korea, "a very conservative country" that "doesn't have any laws in place for queer people let alone trans people" even though they noted there had been "some positive movement recently" towards change.
The original poster also asked their trans friends their thoughts on the controversy, writing:
"I saw a post from a influencer i follow (who’s a trans woman) and she was upset about how the character is played by a cis man and not a trans actress."
"I understand this point of view but i see it as more just representation in general that many people will see, i mean squid game is the most popular k-drama, it’s super global too."
"I think representation is important no matter who plays the character. but im super curious what other trans people think."
They noted, "Obviously the show has not come out yet so we don’t know how the character is portrayed, so this could totally be different."
One Redditor wrote:
"I'm concerned that the writers and directors may struggle to treat a trans character with kindness and respect. I think if the performer did research for the role and is actually allowed to present a thoughtful, nuanced performance, then fine. But I'm not holding my breath."
Another said:
"Caring isn’t enough. Unless you have lived experience with trans people, anything you portray is going to be a thought experiment."
"Cis actors don’t have a great record at playing trans roles, and they don’t care because cis audiences aren’t experienced enough to tell."
A third user said they had one minor problem with it.
"The only issue I have with cis men playing trans women is the media around the play or the movie; the actor remains a cis man, and it reinforces the idea that a trans woman is 'really' a kind of man."
However, one Redditor minimized concerns by replying:
"Personally I don't mind. It's acting. We've seen gay actors play straight characters and vice versa. I'll be more interested to see how they write the character and how the actor plays her."
Other fans said they didn't mind the casting of Sung-hoon, especially since his character hasn't received gender-affirming surgery yet.
One social media user pushed back against that argument.
“People in the quotes insisting that it totally makes sense to cast a cis man for this role because she’s trying to fund her gender-affirming surgery, no it doesn’t," they wrote, adding:
"Transition is more than the surgery and Park Sung-hoon isn’t doing any of it. Cast a trans actress,” demanded one person.
Disapproving users on X (formerly Twitter) continued weighing in.
One fan defended against the criticism by explaining the lack of South Korean talent who are actually trans in real life.
“How do you expect them to find the trans actress who is willing to out herself to get the role, who hasn’t done any gender-affirming surgery, who can act the role and who is willing to withstand transphobic comments from people from [South Korea] and all over the world?” they wrote.
Several social media users agreed.
In South Korea, gender-reaffirming care is legal for people over 20.
And while a 2019 study found that public opinion regarding transgender people was more positive than negative, LGBTQ+ rights are still facing legal roadblocks.
You can watch a trailer for Squid Game season 2 here.
- YouTubeyoutu.be
While the first season became a global phenomenon after its 2021 premiere, Squid Game, which was subtitled in over 30 different languages, had a controversial influence on its audience.
One of the children's games featured on the show became a TikTok challenge that should never have been attempted at home.
A 14-year-old boy from Australia sustained first-degree burns on his hand as well as deep burns and nerve damage to his leg after he tried what's called the "honeycomb challenge."
The game involved making a thin sheet of honeycomb and carving out a shape using a pin. In Squid Game, the consequence of cracking the candy in the process led to execution.
The boy had found a honeycomb recipe on TikTok and tried to melt the water, bicarb soda, and sugar mixture in a non-microwavable plastic cup in the microwave instead of in a pot on the stovetop.
When he went to retrieve the mixture, it allegedly exploded in his hand.
Three other children in Sydney were reportedly severely burned from attempting the same dangerous challenge.
The second season of Squid Game will be released on December 26, 2024.
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Aslan Kumarov/Unsplash
People Reveal How Their Boss Managed To Get On Their Last Nerve
Dec 09, 2024
Many employees look up to their bosses for guidance.
That is if they are inspirational leaders. Not all leaders are worth looking up to if they constantly look down on employees and view them as cogs in a machine.
Sometimes, bosses cross the line when they say that one thing that determines whether or not a job is worth keeping.
Redditor vigilantee001 asked:
"What did your boss tell that got to your last nerve?"
Abuse of power is typical of bad bosses.
Endless Responsibilities
"Can't you just be late to your other job? You have responsibilities here."
"Yes, and those responsibilities end when my shift does. You have a responsibility to make sure the shift is adequately staffed, but I don't see you doing that."
– Agnol117
"This has pissed me off at a couple of places. Yes, we work at a place where phone calls come into us from field techs, but if one person out of 4 or 5 can't leave for an hour for lunch because they're afraid the call stats will suffer, then the bosses aren't doing THEIR jobs to keep us adequately staffed. Never could convince anyone, though."
– irving47
How To Sink Your Business
"Told me that my raise was not in the budget, and that 'lazy IT' are paid enough, and we play video games all day."
"He gave himself and all managers a raise a month later."
"I found a better job, left, gave my two weeks, and because he was cheap with IT, lost his website, and it took him a year to hire or keep anyone long enough. His company lost millions in online sales."
"His company never recovered and went under."
– anon
Picking Favorites
“We couldn’t have asked for anything more from you as an employee, but this jobs going to Taylor because he’s more of a go getter.”
"I told this a**hole okay, I’ll go get another job elsewhere then and quit immediately. Exceptionally satisfying and the place has been going down in flames since I left."
– Pigbenis7687
"This happened to a buddy of mine. He went in and told his supervisor’s supervisor, the head of the department, what happened and he was like 'okay so you’re gonna quit, cool. Here are some companies I recommend, I’ll put in a good word. Here are a couple I don’t recommend, steer clear of them. Also never work for Barry Lewis, guy’s an absolute prick.' ”
"When he gave notice to his supervisor, the guy that dangled the job in front of him for months, he said 'wait, have you signed anything? Don’t, I can get you that job, we’ll make a new role.' F'king guy was ready to just create a new job out of thin air to keep the same guy he passed over for promotion."
– rawker86
Are these the kinds of people you want to work for? Probably not.
Job Description
"Get hired because the complex system is all messed up. Upgrade hardware, write scripts, automate tedium, and improve availability to 100%. Keep it running with application upgrades as all the competing software companies roll out changes, deter cyber attacks, get the network restored in the middle of the night."
"Sit back and admire the efficiency of your system during the day."
"Boss: 'you don’t do anything all day.' ”
"That’s definitely a last nerve one."
– psgrue
Salary Negotiation Heads South
"I had a boss tell me that the salary adjustment I asked for was more money than he made."
"The salary adjustment was to bring me closer to the average pay for my job, adjusted to local cost of living and what was closer to what our competitors paid."
"Then told me he had to ask the VP, the VP responded with 'too high, tell him to try again.' I told my boss I'm not negotiating with myself. My boss said I had to talk to the VP."
"The VP kept messaging me to talk after the time he knew I left everyday. I finally set up a meeting and put it on our calendars. He said it would take 30 minutes, he showed up late, then he told me I was wrong about the salary, so I showed him my offer letter from our direct and local competitor (I had a non-compete, so I couldn't take the job) and all the national and local data proving I was 20-30% under paid."
"He then says there was no room in the budget, so I used our pricing system to show him that I personally produced my salary on profit alone in about 2 weeks. He then kept telling me 'no' for over an hour. He told me that even the president gets job offers that pay more, but our work is important (I worked in medical.)"
"I finally gave him a super low amount and said 'anything below this isn't even worth discussing,' he repeated there was no room in the budget. I said 'no room? Disappointing.' and hung up."
"A few months later, I got a new job paying more, and a year later, another new job paying more than I had originally asked for. Apparently, my experience and knowledge is highly sought after. My current company loves me and I love them."
– notwhoyouthinkmaybe
Irritable Manager
"My manager was off recently and left us with no cover. I forwarded something in an email because it’s something that only management can raise. Nothing urgent, so figured it could wait and be picked up when she was back."
"Got a snotty reply less than 5mins later saying 'You know that I’m not in today. Send this to [person]' ”
"I would do that. IF YOU’D ACTUALLY BOTHERED TO TELL US THAT THEY WERE COVERING FOR YOU."
– Shas_Erra
Ungrateful And Condescending
"My boss said to me several times in our last meeting 'This is [our field], not therapy', when discussing projects I've been working extremely hard on. Other co-workers were present."
"He is known for never, ever, ever being satisfied with the rate of progress in a project, which is something I've come to accept, but to imply that I'm treating my job like some kind of relaxing recreational activity is just delusional on a galactic scale."
"Still in two minds about whether to book a meeting with him soon where I can explain just how incredibly condescending and unprofessional I felt this comment was and how I never want to hear it again."
– Feline_Diabetes
False Alarm
"I'm with a non-profit. They asked me to cut next year's department budget by 5%. I confirmed the task and deliverables multiple times and gently pushed back since our expenses scale up with program delivery and we had a 4-5% growth target on top of an approved year of massive anniversary events and programs planned."
"After losing multiple nights of sleep over it, I delivered the cuts. Then they said, 'Oh great, don't worry, it was just an exercise. You manage budgets well.' Lost my trust."
– manicjazzer
Some supervisors have no excuse for being unreasonable and for lacking empathy.
The Final Straw
"Working 24 hour shifts on an ambulance. We used to get run to the ground often. On one occasion, we were running calls non stop from 8 am to midnight without a break. I called dispatch to ask for a break to get some food (there were other ambulances in service so a 20 min food break was reasonable)."
"My boss happened to be dispatching and he denied my request and said 'this is what you signed up for. Just run the calls or you’ll be written up for insubordination.' Mind you, I’ve been doing this for 5 years at that time. That’s when I realized that private ambulance sucked."
"I was also his 'Top EMT,' and for him to say that, was the final nail in the coffin. I got a job with a hospital shortly after working as a tech. Best decision I’ve ever made."
– Ok-Economy9827
"Private EMS is a nightmare in the US. Not only can they work you for 24 hour shifts without breaks or letting you sleep. They can force you to keep working after 24 hours if coverage is lacking."
"One week I worked a 10 hour shift that turned into 16 then no sleep before a 24. I had a panic attack toward the end from consuming around 8x the safe amount of caffeine instead of sleep."
– Corey307
No Time For Grief
"My dad passed away. He had been sick, but it was still unexpected. My mom and I had long before booked a 4 week holiday, which now happened to be 1,5 months after his passing. It was perfect timing, because I was taking it all pretty badly."
"When I returned, I had a pretty rough time. I still showed up to work, all my coworkers were very appreciative and understanding. Except for my boss. After my first week back, he planned a meeting in which he told me: 'I really hope all that stuff with your dad finally got sorted, so you can focus on work again.' I found another job and left 4 months later."
– ladyemippo
Some people don't have the luxury to leave a job if they work in a toxic work environment.
New jobs aren't easy to come by, and depending on that weekly paycheck is necessary for many workers trying to get by or raising a family.
However, the emotional toll of dealing with an unreasonable or even abusive boss may not be worth the psychological damage.
Would you prioritize your mental well-being over a paycheck?
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