A man was ridiculed for proposing at KFC — then strangers bombarded him with generosity

We all know that social media can be a cesspool of trolly negativity, but sometimes a story comes along that totally restores your faith in the whole thing. Enter the KFC proposal that started off being mocked and ended up with a swarm of support from individuals and companies who united to give the couple an experience to remember.
Facebook user Tae Spears shared the story with screenshots from Twitter, and the response has been overwhelming.
It all started with a tweet from a self-proclaimed journalist (whose Twitter account is now private) who mocked a man in South Africa for proposing to his girlfriend at Kentucky Fried Chicken. She wrote, "SA men are so broke they even propose at KFC...they have absolutely no class, I mean who proposes at KFC."
RELATED: Viral stories of people helping strangers pay for groceries are inspiring other acts of kindness
Who does propose at KFC? Perhaps someone who has some kind of personal history with the chain? Maybe it's where the couple met. Maybe KFC is some kind of meaningful inside joke in their relationship. Maybe they don't give two hoots what people think about where they get engaged.
Whatever the reason, KFC South Africa decided they wanted to do something special for the couple who was being made fun of. They responded with a request to all of "Mzansi"—an informal name for South Africa—to help them "find this beautiful couple."
Find them they did—but that isn't all.
Company after company in South Africa started joining the prenuptial Twitter party, offering various wedding gifts to the KFC couple.
Woolworths offered them a R15K voucher, the equivalent of about $1000 USD, saying "We love it when Twitter shares the love."
Coca-Cola offered to provide all of the soft drinks for the wedding.
And a jewelry company offered up the rings.
Someone offered to provide the groom a suit, someone else offered to make the traditional wedding outfits, and yet another person offered to pay for them.
A lager company offered to help out with the lobola negotations—a traditional monetary gift from the groom's family to the bride's family.
Tech companies jumped in with devices and data, and a news station offered to livestream the whole wedding. (I mean, not everyone would want their wedding live streamed in front of the entire country, but it's a generous offer nonetheless.)
RELATED: A fan jokingly asked Nicki Minaj to pay his tuition. Her response was A+.
Honeymoon offers came in...
...with additional offers to get the couple to wherever they decide to go.
All in all, dozens of companies, corporations, and individuals showered the couple with gifts and offers, from photography to performances to food to lingerie. The kindness and generosity of strangers will undoubtedly more than cover the cost of their wedding and honeymoon, but more importantly, let the couple know that a proposal is something to celebrate, no matter where it takes place.
What a wonderful example of how one thoughtless comment can lead to a wave of support and solidarity. This is what social media can and should be.
Best wishes to Mr. and Mrs. Kansi. May your life together always be finger-lickin' good.
- Man enlists the help of a cockatoo for one of the most unique proposals ever caught on video - Upworthy ›
- Man proposes to girlfriend at Adele concert—with Adele's help - Upworthy ›
- Couple in love since fifth grade get engaged in classroom where they met - Upworthy ›
- Man proposes to girlfriend using Pokémon cards - Upworthy ›
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."