This week, Reddit user u/Creative_Waltz_9462 posed the question, "What are you sick of being romanticized or being portrayed positively?"
And there were so many great responses! Here are some of the top-voted answers:
1. "Family bloggers exploiting their children for views."
"I absolutely hate this trend. It's gross, creepy, and pathetic. Never understood how we went from 'be safe on the internet' to 'here's my entire family, inside of my house, full names, stupid staged pranks, etc.' with kids as young as 5."
"I was a nanny for a family who had an Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and their own website. That lady had kids just for her social media. You would think she was Super Mommy. Meanwhile, I was there 12 hours a day, doing everything that wasn’t posted online."
2. "Chasing a girl/boy who doesn’t want to be chased. And then making them feel bad for not wanting to be with you. If someone isn’t interested, then it’s okay. It’s not the end of the world. Don’t harass them; it’s not a good look."
"In rom-coms, the protagonist always chases his crush/ex and refuses to take no for an answer. In the real world, those types are provided with restraining orders."
3. "Poverty. It’s always some family that is struggling but lives in some 'run down' apartment that is merely small and not modern. But it's heated, furnished, and has some amazing view or rooftop access that makes them feel the world is really theirs for the taking. Nope, nope, nope."
"Realistically, it would be an unheated, rat-infested, roach motel with dangerous neighbors and a view of a fire-escape. Cut electric, cut heating, and a dinner of saltines, if anything. Poverty is absolute shit and can be a death sentence to your health and sanity."
4. "Not taking a day off/not utilizing your sick hours. People genuinely enjoy the grind and perceive being tired and sore as a badge of honor."
"As an American who moved to Europe, I can say it’s a very different mentality here. For starters, 5 weeks of vacation and paid paternity/maternity leave. There’s much more of a focus on quality of life, especially in Scandinavia."
5. "I'm tired of movies/books portraying people who just want some alone time as needing a whole 'life-changing adventure.' I just want some time to myself and to avoid other people's BS."
6. "Social media influencers. I’ve never seen such gross vanity on display in my life prior to Instagram and TikTok. It’s so shallow and meaningless."
7. "Growing up in the hood. Sure, the story of triumph and making it out is great. But losing loved ones and friends throughout your childhood is a miserable and traumatizing experience. Not to mention the poverty and daily uncertainty."
8. "Abusive relationships like in 50 Shades of Grey portrayed as 'deep' because a lot of people confuse drama for depth."
"And it’s supposed to be BDSM. Uh, no. A major thing in BDSM is consent and communication!!! Before you go through any scene or get a new partner, you talk about your hard and soft limits, get a safe word, and talk about aftercare. Definitely something that did not happen in that movie."
9. "The starving artist. Starving is not pleasant no matter what causes it."
"Also being shamed if you happen to make money as an artist! Because you can't be 'real' artists if you're not suffering! I was told I shouldn't ask for money for commissions because 'isn't it selling out? Isn't doing the art its own reward?' No, Greg, drawing your OC is my job. I would be working on other things if I didn't need to be paid to live."
10. "Hustle lifestyle."
"A hustle used to be a dodgy thing you did on the side to get extra money. Hustles now are just jobs. Having multiple shitty jobs where you pay taxes is not hustling. It is being employed."
11. "The nerd girl having to change her whole appearance/just taking her glasses off to be hot, and then the popular guy finally acknowledging her."
12. "Not aging. Makeup and media romanticize looking 20 forever. Just let people age."
13. "As an adoptee, someone discovering that they were adopted and then venturing off to find their 'real' parents. This leads to them finding that thing that was 'missing' from their lives."
"I've known that I was adopted for as long as I can remember. My 'real' parents are the the ones who raised me, loved me, and nurtured my thirst for knowledge."
15. And finally, "Alcoholism."
"As a recovered heroin addict, nothing makes me shake my head more than several aunts of mine always posting how it’s 'wine o’clock' on Instagram. They are functioning alcoholics and pass it off as hilarious. Not everyone who drinks is, but I know it when I see it. And since I was on the drug with the stigma, I’m the one who had the drug problem."
What are you sick of being romanticized? LMK in the comments below!
Responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.