“Spinster” was one of the worst insults a person could hurl at a woman in the Victorian era. Typically, a spinster was a single woman who was childless, unmarried and had few prospects. Spinsters were the subject of cruel jokes and thought of as sad, lonely women, left on the shelf.
The term spinster dates back to the 1300s and refers to women who spun yarn for a living. This was often the profession of single women because they didn’t have the resources to purchase expensive materials, so they were relegated to spinning wool. In 1889, the editor of Tit-Bits, a British weekly magazine, asked single women to write in and explain why they aren’t married. The woman with the best response would be featured in the paper and win a prize.
The article was discovered by historian Dr. Bob Nicholson.
In 1889, Tit-Bits magazine offered prizes to single, female readers who sent in the best answers to the question: ‘Why Am I A Spinster?’ Here are some highlights… pic.twitter.com/7gRG0kVbUO— Dr Bob Nicholson (@DigiVictorian) February 17, 2018
The request was a response to an earlier piece the magazine had run asking male readers, “Why are you a bachelor?”
The editor received a ton of letters and they weren’t the cordial responses we’ve come to expect from women of the era. Nope. They were smart, funny and sharp retorts that showed there were a lot of women out there who were single for a reason.
The editor originally only planned to post one response, but instead, he ran 21 responses and gave each one an equal piece of the prize. Each woman earned 5 shillings, which is about $25 today.
Here are 11 of the best responses. The first one is a reference to the tide of American women who flocked to England to marry into the aristocracy in the era.
1. It’s the damn Yankees
“Because I am an English lady, and the Americans monopolize the market,” — Miss Jessie Davies
2. She’s a wild horse
“Like the wild mustang of the prairie that roams unfettered, tossing his head in utter disdain at the approach of the lasso which, if once round his neck, proclaims him captive, so I find it more delightful to tread on the verge of freedom and captivity, than to allow the snarer to cast around me the matrimonial lasso,” — Miss Sarah Kennerly
3. She’s a self-made woman
“Because I have other professions open to me in which the hours are shorter, the work more agreeable, and the pay possibly higher,” — Miss Florence Watts
4. She’s rare china
“Because (like a piece of rare china) I am breakable, and mendable, but difficult to match,” — Miss S.A. Roberts,
5. Only Shakespeare could describe her
“My reason for being a spinster is answered in a quotation from the ‘Taming of the Shrew’: ‘Of all the men alive I never yet beheld that special face which I could fancy more than any other,” — Miss Lizzie Moore
6. Ready for action
“Because I am like the Rifle Volunteers: always ready, but not yet wanted,” — Miss Annie Thompson
7. No need for a beast
“…I do not care to enlarge my menagerie of pets, and I find the animal man less docile than a dog, less affectionate than a cat, and less amusing than a monkey,” — Miss Sparrow
8. We’ll marry when John can afford it
“John, whom I loved, was supplanted in his office by a girl, who is doing the same amount of work he did for half the salary he received. He could not earn sufficient to keep a home, so went abroad; consequently, I am still a spinster,” — Miss E. Jones
9. Men are deceitful
“Because men, like three cornered tarts, are deceitful. They are pleasing to the eye, but on closer acquaintanceship prove hollow and stale, consisting chiefly of puff, with a minimum of sweetness, and an unconquerable propensity to disagree with one,” — Miss Emaline Lawrence
10. There’s no way off the marriage toboggan
“Because matrimony is like an electric battery, when you once join hands and can’t let go, however much it hurts; and, as when embarked on a toboggan slide, you must go to the bitter end, however much it bumps,” — Miss Laura Bax
11. Waitin’ fer a dook
“Dear Mister Tit-Bits,-beein a cook with forteen pund 5/10 1/2 savins in the bank i natterally looks down on perlseesmen soljers an setterar, so i ham waiting fur a erle or a dook or sumthin of that sort to perpose fer my and and art, and that’s why i ham a spinster,” — Miss Annie Newton
A single door can open up a world of endless possibilities. For homeowners, the front door of their house is a gateway to financial stability, job security, and better health. Yet for many, that door remains closed. Due to the rising costs of housing, 1 in 3 people around the world wake up without the security of safe, affordable housing.
Since 1976, Habitat for Humanity has made it their mission to unlock and open the door to opportunity for families everywhere, and their efforts have paid off in a big way. Through their work over the past 50 years, more than 65 million people have gained access to new or improved housing, and the movement continues to gain momentum. Since 2011 alone, Habitat for Humanity has expanded access to affordable housing by a hundredfold.
A world where everyone has access to a decent home is becoming a reality, but there’s still much to do. As they celebrate 50 years of building, Habitat for Humanity is inviting people of all backgrounds and talents to be part of what comes next through Let’s Open the Door, a global campaign that builds on this momentum and encourages people everywhere to help expand access to safe, affordable housing for those who need it most. Here’s how the foundation to a better world starts with housing, and how everyone can pitch in to make it happen.
Volunteers raise a wall for the framework of a new home during the first day of building at Habitat for Humanity’s 2025 Carter Work Project.
Globally, almost 3 billion people, including 1 in 6 U.S. families, struggle with high costs and other challenges related to housing. A crisis in itself, this also creates larger problems that affect families and communities in unexpected ways. People who lack affordable, stable housing are also more likely to experience financial hardship in other areas of their lives, since a larger share of their income often goes toward rent, utilities, and frequent moves. They are also more likely to experience health problems due to chronic stress or environmental factors, such as mold. Housing insecurity also goes hand-in-hand with unstable employment, since people may need to move further from their jobs or switch jobs altogether to offset the cost of housing.
Affordable homeownership creates a stable foundation for families to thrive, reducing stress and increasing the likelihood for good health and stable employment. Habitat for Humanity builds and repairs homes with individual families, but it also strengthens entire communities as well. The MicroBuild® Initiative, for example, strengthens communities by increasing access to loans for low-income families seeking to build or repair their homes. Habitat ReStore locations provide affordable appliances and building materials to local communities, in addition to creating job and volunteer opportunities that support neighborhood growth.
Marsha and her son pose for a photo while building their future home with Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity in Georgia.
Everyone can play a part in the fight for housing equity and the pursuit of a better world. Over the past 50 years, Habitat for Humanity has become a leader in global housing thanks to an engaged network of volunteers—but you don’t need to be skilled with a hammer to make a meaningful impact. Building an equitable future means calling on a wide range of people and talents.
Here’s how you can get involved in the global housing movement:
Speaking up on social media about the growing housing crisis
Volunteering on a Habitat for Humanity build in your local community
Travel and build with Habitat in the U.S. or in one of 60+ countries where we work around the globe
Join the Let’s Open the Door movement and, when you donate, you can create your own personalized door
Every action, big and small, drives a global movement toward a better future. A safe home unlocks opportunity for families and communities alike, but it’s volunteers and other supporters, working together with a shared vision, who can open the door for everyone.
Writer and illustrator Aubrey Hirsch jokingly asked her followers on X (formerly Twitter) what’s a “universal thing that most men like?” because she was writing a comic and “just realized I don’t actually know any men in real life.” The tweet inspired an avalanche of funny responses.
Hirsch is the author of “Why We Never Talk About Sugar,” a collection of short stories, and her work has appeared in The New York Times, Vox, American Short Fiction and TIME Magazine.
The interesting thing about the responses is that they weren’t the typical stereotypes about men. She didn’t get a ton of people talking about sex, sports or toxic masculinity. Instead, there were a lot of folks that mentioned very specific male behaviors as if they were talking about a bizarre species they discovered in the wild.
What’s a universal thing that most men like? I’m making a comic but I just realized I don’t actually know any men in real life.
There were, undeniably, two things that got the most comments on her post. First, men enjoy watching construction sites. Evidently, the phenomenon is so popular in Italy that there is a specific word for this type of person in Italian.
When asked why men enjoy watching construction sites so much, a poster on Reddit had the perfect response. “I just find it really satisfying and interesting to see the process behind things being built,” he wrote.
The other beloved male activity is throwing heavy objects into bodies of water. Preferably, as large a rock as possible, and as deep a body of water as possible, and getting to throw from the highest vantage point possible.
Gotta say, as a man, I have seen dudes do this and I have done it plenty of times myself.
A few more that rang true
Here are some more fun ones:
If a guy walks under a low hanging sign he will jump up and try to tap the bottom of the sign as he passes.
Guys like being asked to open jars.
Power tools. Give a guy a new drill and he'll wander around looking for stuff that needs holes.
— Alan Morgan BLUECHECKMARK (@lettersndigits) March 21, 2022
(When we do this 99% of the time we’re pretending that the sign is 10 feet high and that we have the ability to dunk a basketball. There are two types of men, those that can dunk and mere mortals.)
Memorizing favorite lines from their favorite movies, then reciting them with their friends (or even strangers) who’ve also memorized them, doing entire scenes. Extra points for using accents. A true source of unparalleled amusement & male bonding.
This one is near and dear to my heart. I can’t tell you the number of hours I have spent with my friends just throwing lines from “The Big Lebowski” back and forth.
“Nice marmot.”
“The Dude abides.”
“Say what you want about the tenets of national socialism, Dude. At least it’s an ethos.”
What makes an airline the “best in the world”? Stellar service, on-time departures, plentiful routes, comfortable seating, reasonable ticket prices, solid safety ratings, good loyalty benefits, etc., right? Those are all things customers look for in an airline, and many of them have given Singapore Airlines the title of “most awarded airline.” In 2023, it was named the World’s Best Airline by Skytrax World Airline Awards for the fifth time, more than any other airline in the 24-year history of the awards.
Now, there’s another reason Singapore Airlines is being praised by both flyers and non-flyers alike. After the company announced a record net profit for 2023/2024, a source told CNN in May of 2024 that the airline was giving all of its employees a bonus equivalent to almost eight months of salary. Though details of the bonus were not shared by the company, a similar bonus was awarded to Singapore Airlines employees in 2022/2023, which was also a record-breaking year for the airline. According to an airline spokesperson who spoke to Business Insider, the bonus is due to “a long-standing annual profit-sharing bonus formula that has been agreed with our staff unions.”
Singapore Airlines workers are getting a bonus worth 8 months' salary.
Emirates staff are getting a bonus worth 4 months' salary.
Why is Singapore Airlines giving employees an eight-month bonus?
Profit-sharing plans provide an added incentive for employees to boost performance, which benefits both employees and employers as long as those at the top are not determined to hoard all of a company’s profits. Singapore Airlines’ profit-sharing bonus may be part of its overall compensation package as opposed to a discretionary bonus, but even so, it’s a largely unprecedented amount for any company to pay as a bonus, and people have weighed in with their thoughts.
“Smart, this is what keeps employees happy and willing to continue going the extra mile. They are about to have even better coming year now.”
“It’s not just that it’s a bonus….it’s the percentage. 8 months of salary is amazing leadership. Wish corporate America would not be so greedy with their record profits.”
“Paying the staff a bonus, not just the executives, that’s good leadership.”
“Congrats to Singapore Airlines! Setting a great example of rewarding employees for their dedication and hard work.”
As part of the explanation for its profit of 2.68 billion Singapore dollars ($1.99 billion USD), the airline shared, “The demand for air travel remained buoyant throughout FY2023/24” with a boost by several major Asian countries fully reopening their borders after the COVID-19 pandemic. The airline shared that it carried 36.4 million passengers, a whopping 37.6% increase over the prior year.
Clearly, a lot of people choose Singapore Airlines, but why? What actually makes it the best (currently second best after Qatar Airways in the most recent Skytrax rankings) in the world?
World's best cabin crew, 2024.
1. 🇸🇬 Singapore Airlines 2. 🇯🇵 ANA All Nippon 3. 🇮🇩 Garuda Indonesia 4. 🇹🇼 EVA Air 5. 🇭🇰 Cathay Pacific 6. 🇨🇳 Hainan Airlines 7. 🇯🇵 Japan Airlines 8. 🇹🇭 Thai Airways 9. 🇶🇦 Qatar Airways 10. 🇲🇾 Malaysia Airlines
For one, they dominate the awards for First Class travel, which is nice but doesn’t really affect the average traveler who flies economy. However, even Singapore’s economy experience is also miles above most other airlines. Singapore Airlines cabins are known for being well designed, impeccably clean and comparatively comfortable, and the crew has a reputation for being friendly, attentive, and helpful. (In fact, Singapore Airlines was honored with the World’s Best Cabin Crew award by Skytrax in 2024.) People who fly Singapore Airlines frequently tout the experience as feeling like it’s in an entirely different class than domestic airlines in the U.S., even when flying economy. The seats, the food, the service both on the ground and in the air—all of it adds up to excellence.
When you provide customers the things they value, keep your employees satisfied and happy with fair profit-sharing incentives, and also operate in a cost-efficient way, it’s not surprising when you rank highly for awards across the board. That recognition then leads to more customers seeking you out, further increasing your revenue, and ultimately leading you to record profits, which then get shared with employees who work that much harder to ensure that this positive cycle continues.
The cycle continues
And it certainly has endured. According to Channel News Asia, on May 15, 2025, Singapore Airlines posted a headline profit of $2.8 billion for the current financial year (boosted by a one-off accounting gain from the merger of its Vistara subsidiary with Air India), which means their dedicated staff will be getting a nearly eight month bonus for the third year in a row.
Amazing how when you put customers and employees first, everyone wins.
This article originally appeared two years ago. It has been updated.
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani shared a heartfelt moment with a very special baseball fan before the game against the Colorado Rockies on Saturday, April 18, at Coors Field. Ohtani met Momoyo Nakamoto Kelley, a 100-year-old survivor of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, on August 9, 1945.
Through the help of her grandson Patrick Faust, Kelley had the chance to meet the Japanese baseball superstar down on the field. After finishing his warmups, Ohtani knelt before her, and the two shook hands. Ohtani also signed a baseball for her.
“I’m so lucky,” she told MLB.com. “I [went] home and called my brother in Japan…it’s a dream come true. I watch every game they play.”
Shohei Ohtani meets with a 100-year-old Japanese woman who survived the atomic bomb in Nagasaki. Amazing moment at Coors Field. pic.twitter.com/IACJ6XGDoy
She was 19 when the bombing occurred, according to Yahoo Sports. Kelley told MLB.com about the day the bomb hit, describing it as “like the sky was on fire.”
Kelley’s son-in-law added that she survived the bombing because she had been “upwind” from the explosion. After surviving, Kelley and her husband, whom she met on an Air Force base in Japan, emigrated to the United States in the early 1950s.
Ever since she moved to the U.S., she’s been a baseball fan, explaining that her earliest baseball memories are from the ’50s watching Joe DiMaggio. She currently lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, and was visiting family in Denver, Colorado, when the meeting came together.
“Just the idea that 100 is such a big number,” Faust told MLB.com. “I don’t think there are many people [still alive from] when the atom bomb was dropped. She’s had a terrible experience, a big one. So we wanted to [do something] special. She watches all the Dodgers games and all the Rockies games.”
And she has a soft spot for her fellow Japanese players.
“Within the past few years, especially, with all the Japanese players in the game, she’s been really into it,” Faust added.
Kelley also got to meet Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who was born in Okinawa, Japan. She also met Tomoyuki Sugano, a Japanese player for the Rockies.
Kelley garners emotional responses
The meetings garnered emotional responses from those who met Kelley.
Sugano told MLB.com through his interpreter Yuto Sakurai, “Honestly, you don’t get these kinds of opportunities often. So I’m really happy I got to meet her and was given this type of opportunity. She said she’s really passionate and really likes watching baseball and is a fan of my former team [the Yomiuri Giants].”
Broadcaster Stephen Nelson also met Kelley and was moved to tears.
“I think…” Nelson started telling MLB.com before he became overwhelmed with emotion, a tear falling from his eye. “Forgive me. It’s humbling.”
“Just being ‘Yonsei’ [a great-grandchild of a Japanese immigrant], you’re standing on a lot of shoulders,” Nelson added. “For her to experience what she went through and endure that, and come here to make a better life for herself and future generations … we can’t even fathom that, right?”
He finished by adding, “And that’s why I think it’s important to hear their stories and to pass their stories along to future generations, so people don’t forget. It’s important for us to document them and honor them. I wish I had better words [to convey it].”
It’s not surprising that the whimsy of a young girl seeing a rainbow for the first time garnered a lot of likes on social media. And, of course, the dad who showed her the rainbow was overjoyed by her sweet reaction. But it was also the beautiful outpouring of love from people he had never met that shocked and moved him.
In an Instagram Reel, Daniel Hong, a professional fitness instructor, can barely contain his own excitement as he realizes that the sun has peeked through a gorgeous cloudy sky in the Pacific Northwest. With the chyron reading, “I caught my daughter’s favorite thing in the whole world,” we zoom in on Daniel. He exclaims, “There’s a rainbow outside! I’m picking up my daughter Olivia from daycare. I’ve gotta show her!”
We see four-year-old Olivia (dressed in a T-shirt with a pastel-colored version of a rainbow) begin to run toward the front door. Daniel instructs her, delight dripping from his voice. “Go out the door and to the right. Right! Right! Which way is right? There you go!” We then jump cut to Daniel carrying Olivia, who is all smiles. “There it is, there it is!” he tells her. “Do you see it? It’s over there in the clouds!” Olivia gasps. “I do! Take a picture!”
The camera does just that, capturing the beautiful wavelengths of light as they stretch over white school buses.
Daniel and his wife Aly, with whom he also shares a one-year-old baby named Camryn, have always known Olivia loved rainbows. He told Upworthy just why this moment was extra special:
“This was her first (conscious) experience of a rainbow! She’d been drawing rainbows on her own since she was two, and this was such a great moment to see a huge one IRL. She loves art, singing, and dancing.”
How rainbows work
As far as whether or not she understood why rainbows form, Daniel said she’s more interested in the wonder of it than the “why” just yet.
“We’ve tried to explain to her how rainbows form in simple terms haha: ‘When it rains and the sun shines, the sky paints a rainbow?’ But she’s more like, ‘Yeah, it’s just magic,’ lol.”
He was equally impressed by the community of rainbow-lovers who took the time to share their stories.
“I was overwhelmed by the tens of thousands of comments and hundreds of DMs from those who’ve sent us their personal pictures and shared memories of rainbows and their significance to them. A magical moment with their own parents, kids, and even remembering loved ones who’ve passed.”
One comment in particular struck him.
“My favorite comment is from a mother who shared how she and her son would chase rainbows together too. He has since passed away, but she mentioned in her comment how my video was yet another reminder that the memories of our loved ones live on forever through the joy we can never forget being shared together.”
So much love
Under the original Reel, which has well over half a million likes and over 5,000 comments, Daniel publicly shared his appreciation for so many people reaching out:
“I’m so shocked by the number of you guys who’ve seen this video of me and my daughter and have sent us pictures of rainbows you’ve captured, telling us how much joy this 30-second video has brought you, but more importantly, the feeling of whimsy and hope this gave you.
When we all fully participate in life passionately, and be present…we just never know the powerful impact of a seemingly simple moment. Please keep the positivity, joy, and magic strong and alive in your own lives. And please share it with others. Our world needs your joy. – In love always, The Hongs”
Olivia is delighted by a rainbow. Photo credit: Instagram
One Instagrammer believed that this act of joy will be paid forward, writing, “She’s always gonna remember how her daddy used to run to rainbows with her. Then she’ll do the same with her kids, and on that way you’ll live on forever through the rainbows of your children’s children’s children.”
As Danielle and her son were sitting near the field at a San Francisco Giants night game, the ultimate fantasy happened: A player actually made eye contact.
As most any parent would, Danielle wanted to capture the moment, so she rushed to grab her phone. Unfortunately, Danielle told People, “That’s when it hit the rail and fell over onto the field.”
In her video posted to TikTok, we see Danielle smiling with a baseball in her hand as the camera pans down to the accidentally discarded device lying on the ground.
A moment of relief and laughs
Danielle told People that she did have to notify security, then had to anxiously wait in uncertainty for about 45 minutes, but thankfully did get her phone back…only with one additional surprise, one she wouldn’t realize until she began scrolling through her phone later that night.
There, in her camera roll, were selfies taken by the four field crew members who had found the phone. A fun surprise from total strangers who decided to have a little fun while helping out.
Hoping to thank the crew, Danielle shared her video, writing, “POV: You drop your phone at the Giants game and get it back with selfies. Find them for me TikTok hahha made my night,” in the caption.
Going viral
Though it seems the crew has yet to be identified, the video has gone viral, with 1.2 million views.
It even caught the attention of the official Giants account, which commented, “We like to have fun around here.”
That last part was particularly “exciting” to Danielle’s son, she told Upworthy. All in all, she commended the Giants’ staff for turning a stressful moment into a lighthearted one—one that Danielle noted “definitely made me wanna go back to another game.”
Anyone who has ever dropped their phone in a crowded place knows the immediate wave of panic that follows, especially when there’s no easy way to retrieve it. Thankfully for Danielle (and, in turn, all of us), the story didn’t end there and provided a few laughs along the way. Plus, she and her son now share a fun memory they can return to time and time again, so long as she doesn’t lose her phone a second time.
Stories like this are popping up more often online
From wedding photographers discovering surprise shots left by guests to travelers finding bonus photos after handing their phones to someone for a quick picture, strangers slipping in a selfie has quietly become a bit of a social media phenomenon. It’s a small, low-stakes way for people to leave their mark, turning a mundane moment into something unexpectedly personal.
Undoubtedly, part of the appeal is how harmless and fleeting it feels. There’s no grand gesture…just a quick snap, and bam, you’re done. And yet, that’s the magic of humor, isn’t it? It doesn’t need much to connect us. In cases like these, pictures really are worth a thousand words.
At Little Joy Coffee, you’ll find lattes that are more like works of art than caffeinated beverages. You’ll see a wide array of exotic flavor pairings like “ginger beer and lemon cream,” as well as dreamy drinks that are more like desserts, à la “sticky toffee pudding.”
However, what you won’t find there is any gatekeeping.
As Cody Larson, owner of Little Joy, explained to Upworthy, transparency and generosity have always been a part of the company’s DNA.
At first, that looked like their “Latte DIY or Buy” social media series, where Little Joy Coffee barista Serena Walker would break down the labor and ingredient costs to make one of their signature drinks so that customers could decide whether or not it was worth spending upwards of $8.
What was meant to drive online engagement actually paid off in real life, too. The cafe got much busier after it started giving recipes away.
Then came the raspberry danish latte
…which is a delectable caffeinated concoction featuring homemade raspberry syrup and cream cheese cold foam (That’s a thing? Will wonders never cease!).
Copyright Ryan Hutchinson, 2016.
That quickly became the shop’s bestselling latte. But as Larson shared, it didn’t feel like enough to share the at-home recipe for this drink. Nor did they want their growing fanbase online to miss out if they lived far away from Northfield, Minnesota, and didn’t have the time and energy to DIY.
That’s when they decided to share it with other independent coffee shops.
“We’re inviting any coffee shop to steal this drink and put it on their own menu. Not you, Starbucks,” Walker said in the now-viral video, revealing that Little Joy Coffee would offer an at-scale recipe to any small-business competitor.
“I was a little worried that no one would put it on their menu and we’d look like losers,” confessed Larson.
But the next morning, the recipe had already been downloaded 9,000 times.
So far, about 450 shops across the globe have taken the offer, including shops in Canada, the U.K., South Korea, Malaysia, and New Zealand. And the raspberry danish latte seems just as popular, no matter where it’s sold.
“We don’t even have it on the regular menu because the raspberry syrup we’re making is going so fast,” Ripesh Neupane, owner of 33 Peaks Café in Southlake, Texas, told Today. “If we keep it on the menu, we wouldn’t be able to keep up with demand.”
“Exclusivity as a selling point might be dead”
For Larson, the biggest takeaway from this experiment is that “exclusivity as a selling point might be dead.”
She argued that, more than the recipe itself, what made the raspberry danish latte really take off was the sense of camaraderie it built in the real world.
“People appreciated that a bunch of independent coffee shops got together to take something off the screen and bring it out into the real world, where almost everyone can try it,” she said.
If you’re curious about where the nearest opportunity to get your hands on one of these decadent raspberry danish lattes is, you can check out this map.
Here’s to one small step for small businesses, and one giant leap for the return of community.
There’s no doubt that there are contrasts between the generations, as baby boomers, Gen X, millennials and Gen Z see and experience the world quite differently. While generation gaps have always existed, the tech age has widened those gaps in big ways, which sometimes creates challenges but often results in hilarity.
For instance, watching a Gen Zer try to figure out how to use a rotary phone is pure entertainment. The way emojis are used and interpreted varies vastly by age, making for some chuckle-worthy communication mishaps. Slang terms can be hard to keep up with the older you get, but they can also be manipulated by savvy elders to great comedic effect.
“You’ve basically got boomers who will turn up completely unannounced any time from about 7:00 in the morning and they will knock on your door just slightly louder than the police using a battering ram carrying out a house raid,” Lambert begins.
“And then you’ve got Gen X. They would have made the plans well in advance, and they would’ve also checked in a couple of days before just to make sure the plans are definitely still happening,” he coninues. “You see, Gen X is the forgotten generation and they’re so scarred by this title they would’ve assumed that you’d forgotten not only about the plans but about their very existence.”
“Millennials will have hoped that the plans would’ve been canceled. There’s no reason that a millennial will ever actually want to come to your house,” he continues. “They will arrive late, but they will text you to let you know they’re on their way, just as they’re about to get into the shower. And a millennial will never knock on your door. You’ll just get a text either saying ‘here’ or ‘outside,’ and that’s your cue to go and let them in.”
“Similarly, Gen Z will never actually knock,” he concludes. “But the chances are they won’t have to, as they would have been documenting the entire journey from their house to yours, maybe even on FaceTime using this angle [camera facing directly up at the chin] as they go along for some reason. Either that or they’ll just send a picture of your front door or a selfie of them outside it. And again, just like the millennial, that’s your cue to go and rescue them from the outside world.”
The comments were laughing at themselves
People feel alternately seen, attacked and validated by Lambert’s assessments, with the most common response being “accurate.”
“I‘m a millennial, my husband GenX. Scarily accurate! 😂“
“Described this millennial to a T.”
“This is surprisingly accurate 😂 I laughed slightly louder than the police using a battering ram…”
“Sooo accurate…guilty of the lateness and ‘here’ text 🙃”
“I must admit I’m a millennial. But knocking on the door feels so aggressive, uknow? 😅😇”
“Millennial texting to say almost there but just started getting dressed to go out. Why do we do this? It’s not intentional, at least not for me.”
“Honestly your observations are just brilliant! GenX-er here!”
“The Gen Z angle omg. 😂😂”
Naturally there are some people who don’t resonate with their generation’s description, but there are exceptions to every rule and some people will never fit a stereotype. However, judging by the wave of affirmative responses, Lambert has nailed the generational generalities across the board—and done so in a way that allows us all to laugh at ourselves.
Photo credit: via The White House/Wikimedia Commons and The Earthy Jay / Pexels – Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and a woman with a nose ring.
Online culture has had an incredible effect on fashion trends. It used to take a trend about 20 years to complete a cycle: introduction, rise, peak, decline, and obsolescence. However, in recent years, this cycle has been sped up incredibly due to several factors. Trends can be quickly introduced and adopted due to social media, online shopping and quick turnaround through fast-fashion distribution. The speed of adaptation also means they can fizzle out just as fast.
This means a fashion trends we’d usually see stick around for years can come and go in months. It’s an expensive pill to swallow for anyone trying to keep up with the latest (Gen Z, we’re looking at you), but it’s a blessing for those of us who have a problem with some of today’s polarizing looks.
The bad news is you may not like broccoli cuts. The good news is that they will be gone and forgotten before you know it.
A great conversation recently broke out on Reddit, where commenters weighed in on all the fashion trends they couldn’t wait to go away.
It seems that some of the most controversial styles are the work of Gen Z. Whether it’s the nose ring that looks like it belongs on a bell cow or big pillowy eyelashes, Gen Z has championed some looks that will probably look a little silly in a few years.
Here are 15 fashion trends currently “in” that people are already over.
The trends people are already over
1. Suits with shorts
“Took my cousin to prom and saw at least 30 dudes wearing a suit with shorts.”
This one is extremely hard for millennials and Gen Xers to wrap their heads around, but it is oh-too-real. It seems to be a natural evolution of the “suit with sneakers” look.
2. Anti-aging tweens
“Children (I’ve mostly seen around ages 9-13) going to Sephora for anti-aging serums and makeup. You all can hardly go to the park by yourselves, yet you’re plastered in expensive creams and makeup like you’re 20+.”
“This one really bothers me. It’s pretty dark, honestly, and the parents who allow this are weird as hell.”
The New Yorker says tweens are imitating influencers and popular “get ready with me” videos on social media.
3. Limp Biz-kids
“I’m a high school teacher and a surprising number of the boys dress like it’s 2000 and they’ve got Limp Bizkit’s ‘Nookie’ on repeat. There’s one kid that looks like he’s from 1977. Puka shells, feathered hair, big, open collars. I like that kid.”
4. Botox
“Excessive Botox in young people. I’m so tired of everyone having a frozen face. It’s not pretty. It’s just weird.”
“I swear there was a coordinated effort by some industry to convince girls in their 20s that they need to start Botox now because it’s preventative. That’s the reason given when I ask these early 20s girls why they use it. “It prevents future wrinkles” like there was a peer-reviewed study showing it does or something.”
Patricia Wexler, MD, of Wexler Dermatology in Manhattan, told Vogue that getting preventative Botox injections at a young age can lead to more wrinkles. “If you do too much Botox on your forehead for many, many years, the muscles will get weaker and flatter,” Wexler says. This means that surrounding muscles do more work when you make facial expressions. “If one stops using their forehead muscles, they may start squinting using their nose and have wrinkles along the side of their nose,” she continued.
5. Teen boys with alpaca hair
“I used to work reception at a salon and it was always fricken hilarious when these kids would come in to get a perm. They’d come sulking in behind their mommies, sit for 2 hours with curlers and stinky perm solution in their hair looking like cats being forced to take a bath, then prance out thinking they were the shit with their new poodle cuts lol.”
“Some of them are definitely embracing their natural curls, which is awesome! But a good chunk of them, especially the preppy ones with rich parents, are getting straight up 80s style perms. It’s great.”
Patrick Mahomes helped popularize this one, though he cut his signature curls in early 2025 — which may say something about where the trend is headed. Jake Paul, unfortunately, is still on board.
6. Laminated brows
“Eyebrows that are brushed upwards. That’s the only way I can think to describe it. I can’t see anything else when looking at someone who has that style brows. I just don’t know why people like it.”
“Almost every eyebrow trend ends up looking kinda silly. Let’s just all work with the eyebrows we have. Sure, clean it up a lil bit if you feel like it.”
In the 2000s, we had spiky hair. Now, we have spiky eyebrows. But don’t worry, it won’t last.
Woman gets work done on her eyebrows. Photo credit Canva
7. Over-the-top fake eyelashes
“The ridiculous false eyelashes. I get it. I’ve got no problem with the ones that at least have a semblance of being natural. But the uber thick ones that look more like fur are just…pointless. Someone I deal with at work wears them. And it’s so weird, because most of the time she dresses down in sweatshirts, jeans, sneakers, etc. And doesn’t pay much attention to her hair. But she’s got those stupid wooly caterpillar eyelashes in. They just call attention to how un put together the rest of her is. I know that everyone should just dress for themselves, but it’s just weird.”
8. Barrel jeans
“The barrel jeans have got to go. They’re the ugliest effing things I’ve ever seen. And people keep lying to these women about how they’re flattering and I’m like no! You look bowlegged!”
For years jeans got tighter and lower until they reached an inevitable breaking point. High-waisted jeans were a sign of the pendulum swinging back in the other direction, and now young peoples’ jeans look like inflated balloons.
9. ’80s moustaches
“Weird ’80s moustaches, I’ve seen good looking guys made to look like Ned Flanders. Ages them instantly, which I guess is the plan, but ages them past 20s to married with kids approaching teenage years.”
The number of young men with mullets and moustaches is absolutely staggering these days.
The ones that have been around way too long
10. Crocs
“I thought they were hideous when they first came out almost twenty years ago, and they’ve never gone away.”
“We always made fun of them and then suddenly everyone was wearing them. I don’t get it!”
How did Crocs go from the bargain bins to becoming one of the top footwear brands in the U.S.? The big reason is that comfort became more important during the pandemic than aesthetics. They were also quite a statement for people who wanted to rebel against traditional beauty standards. Add celebrity endorsements from Justin Bieber and Post Malone and Crocs came back in a big way.
11. Long nails
“Super long acrylic nails, they seem really impractical.”
“Especially the pointed ones that all the Hollywood people wear like claws. You look trashy and high maintenance.”
“Patriot clothing and beards. Grunt style, nine line… all these fools dressing like they’re special forces, their entire identity tied to 1776. It’s embarrassing.”
If I never see a t-shirt of an American flag with an assault rifle superimposed on top, it will be too soon.
13. Hair parted in the middle
“Middle parts. You need an almost symmetrical face to be able to pull it off, which is pretty rare. Side parts all the way.”
“Middle parts look so harsh and unflattering on everyone. Side parts are a million times better.”
It was cool when Shawn Hunter and Jonathan Taylor Thomas did it. Let’s leave this one in the ’90s.
14. Nose rings
“That nose ring in the middle. Just doesn’t look good to me. You do you. But just think it doesn’t look good very often.”
“They always make me think of cattle.”
15. Political clothes
“Political attire as someone’s entire main wardrobe, no matter the side of the spectrum. You got more personality than that!”
“I have a bro-in-law who wears American flag t-shirts almost exclusively. He must have hundreds of them. And not the tasteful kind with like a little flag on the sleeve or chest. I’m talking about the most garish kind. The kind with a gigantic waving US flag along with a menacing bald eagle flying dramatically over snow-capped peaks. We like America too, Dan, but can you try to wear at least a polo to Grandma’s funeral?”
Fashion trends may come and go faster than ever, but some of these looks can’t go fast enough. And Reddit will always be sure to let everyone know it.
This article originally appeared two years ago. It has been updated.
