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Humor

His face is all of us after that first summer job paycheck.

Call it a rite of passage, a baptism by fire, or simply a necessary evil, but a terrible summer job is pretty much a staple of young adulthood. Those concert tickets aren’t gonna pay for themselves, after all. Some summer jobs are heinous by the sheer amount of manual labor involved. Others are just plain weird. I remember one year working as a “live strolling table.” Yep, just walking around attached to an elaborately dressed table offering hors d'oeuvres and champagne. A human-furniture hybrid. How do you put that on a resume?

No matter the role, there is one thing all summer jobs have in common: they teach us humility in one way or another … especially once we see that first paycheck. There’s simply no way to prepare for seeing two weeks worth of hard work equate to a (usually) paltry sum. Hopefully that experience alone makes generous tippers of us all.

Back in 2022, during one of his once popular "hashtag" bits, Jimmy Fallon asked people to share their own “funny, weird, or embarrassing story about a bad summer job” as part of his iconic #hashtags challenge.

Here are 15 that might make your own summer job memory feel a little less dreadful:

“I planted trees for the US Forest Service one summer in HS. Our foreman would go through our lunches, eat our cookies and chips, and take bites out of our sandwiches. We were all about 15 so too afraid to tell.” – @dumpster_diva

summer jobs, jimmy fallon, summer jobs near me, job, late night, funny, bad jobs, work humormedia0.giphy.com

“One summer I worked at Taco Bell during lunch and Furr’s cafeteria during dinner. People would see me at both and ask if I was twins.”– @kerrikgray

“As a young comedian I was hired to MC an event for a furniture store. The owner paid me 5 bucks for every time I would fake trip and fall on my way to the mic. He said he was a 3 stooges fan.” – @Brentfo4242

“I applied for a job while in high school at a toy store. I called back days after the interview asking if they had any news for me. They told me I got the job, and they forgot to tell me. They had me scheduled for that day and was told ‘you’re late.’” – @RockerSam91

summer jobs, jimmy fallon, summer jobs near me, job, late night, funny, bad jobs, work humormedia2.giphy.com

“In high school, I worked at an insurance agency...let’s just say the bus ride to and from work was the best part of the job.” – @SharonZurcher

“In high school I worked at a bounce house company. My first day working was an elementary school field day and the huge inflatable slide starting deflating and collapsing with kids at the top…angry parents staring at me like I had an answer for this at 16 years old.” – @calamari_carly

“In middle school my friend and I got paid to fill, lick and seal about 500 envelopes with documents for a lawyer - a penny per envelope. 3 hours later, we asked for 2 cans of soda from his cooler. He said sure, and took $2 each from our pay. We made a dollar.” – @CameronFontana

summer jobs, jimmy fallon, summer jobs near me, job, late night, funny, bad jobs, work humormedia4.giphy.com

“I worked at a dog kennel. A guy brought in 2 dogs to stay a month. He told me to give a pill every morning to dog #1. So, I did for the month. When he returned, I brought out dog #1 and he said, ‘Hi, dog #2!’ My face turned so red. Oh, well. The dog survived.” – @TheTomeWebster

“I babysat identical twin boys where one constantly screamed and got into mischief but potty trained early while the other was quiet, well behaved but always blowing out diapers. They never did anything ‘identical’. I'm shocked that I still wanted kids after that!” @overbaughs

“Worked at Crumbl in high school. One coworker had the exact same shifts as me, and she was a theater kid. Like MAJOR theater kid, was cracked out 24/7, randomly performing theater at work. I am not proud to say I memorized 10 Shakespeare monologues because of her.” – @itstherealmeboo

summer jobs, jimmy fallon, summer jobs near me, job, late night, funny, bad jobs, work humormedia2.giphy.com

“I held human hearts with a white cotton glove during open heart surgeries, so they didn’t ‘slip’.…No pressure! That’s why l am now a planetary medium and asteroid deflector. Much less stress.” – @rosamalvaceae

“I worked for a local sweet corn farm. I had to sort the corn into boxes for their stands around the state or local grocery stores. It came off the truck onto a conveyor belt by the 1000s. I literally saw thousands of corn cobs in my dreams at night.” – @jdianemiller

“In high school my mom got me a job working with the city to clean an island in the local lake that ducks lived on. Everyday I had to fight a duck, and everyday I needed a bandaid after getting bit by a duck. It was a nightmare and I still hate ducks 30 years later.” – @KingSergioS

summer jobs, jimmy fallon, summer jobs near me, job, late night, funny, bad jobs, work humormedia0.giphy.com

“Hired at an amusement park for the summer, taking summer college classes at the same time…Show up for my 1st day to a supervisor who says ‘Oh, the girl who didn’t show up!’ Proceeds to show me the previous week’s schedule where I had 40 hours during my class time. He rolls his eyes when I explain and gives me every crappy task he can find.......I left after the 2nd day, never picked up my check, but kept my employee ID & got in for free all summer!” – @trixiebelle47

While certain summer jobs, like the ones above, sound like a total nightmare, there have been studies that indicate they may lead to better school outcomes, similar to other out-of-school activities such as sports and clubs. That said, Business Insider also reported that low-wage, entry-level positions are the first to be compromised by the rise of artificial intelligence. So unfortunately, not as heart holding gigs will be available.

This article originally appeared three years ago.

Joy

Inconsiderate coworker unknowingly eats THC-infused pie from the office fridge

An unforgettable lesson in why you shouldn't take someone's food without permission.

A coworker ate someone else's pie and quickly learned a lesson.

There's nothing more annoying in an office setting than a coworker constantly eating food out of the break room fridge that isn't theirs. They know it's not theirs so they wait until no one is around to swipe whatever looks most appetizing. Sometimes it's even a case of secretly bullying someone else by specifically eating one person's food or snacks left in the community space.

This sort of behavior can make anyone frustrated, especially if the victim of the food snatcher was looking forward to their packed lunch. Anyone who has experienced having their food taken has likely thought about how satisfactory it would feel to somehow get revenge on the culprit. One person didn't have to plot retaliatory strike, seems karma entered the room on this worker's day off.

Fola, who owns Sades Dulces where she sells baked goods, uploaded a video detailing a phone call she received from a local business about a pie consumed by their employees.

Fola revealed that outside of her Sades Dulces, she sells THC infused pies, which is the same type of pie she recently delivered to a customer's employer. The state in which this occurred has legalized the selling and consumption of marijuana, including any products derived by the THC oils so someone ordering an infused pie wasn't out of the norm for this small business.

TikTok · Folawww.tiktok.com

In this case, she was directed to drop the pie off so the customer could take the pie home for the weekend. Unfortunately for everyone involved, the customer forgot the pie in the employee refrigerator.

That's when a sneaky office snacker, who works weekends, took it upon themselves to break open the brand new uneaten pie. They not only began to eat the pie, they shared the pie with eight other people, none of which knew the pie was infused with THC including the original pie thief.

"My customer doesn't work on the weekend so what ended up happening is that my customer put their pie into the 'frigerator at the job. We already know where I'm going with this, right," Fola said before continuing with the story.

She explained that the business called her asking a lot of questions about the pie because the people that ate it started to get sick causing the employer to need to call an ambulance. Fola told the employer that the pie is infused with THC and everyone should be fine once it wears off but the woman refused to give her customer's name fearing that they may get into trouble for the mishap.

Eventually Fola called the customer to inform her about her nine coworkers eating her infused pie, which caused them to be sent home from work. According to Fola, the customer did not feel badly for her fellow coworkers, saying, "So, she's like 'oh my God.' And then she was like 'you know what, that's what they get because they keep eating people's food.'"

That's one way to learn a lesson about eating other people's food without permission. Of course if you're knowingly ingesting an edible containing THC, you expect to feel a little weird. These coworkers thought they were getting a regular piece of sweet potato pie and there was nothing to tip them off before consuming the product so they were likely caught off guard by their body's reaction. There's also the likelihood that the people who at the infused pie had never eaten infused foods previously, making the reaction even more concerning.

"If you've never had an edible before you are going to freak out because you don't know what's going on with your body," she quipped. "Half of them probably thought they were going to meet their maker so I can understand everybody freaking out."

@folathemasterpiece Infused pie gets people fired
♬ original sound - Fola

People in the comments found humor in the unauthorized pie eaters' misfortune while other's pointed out that the story makes a great marketing opportunity for the small business.

"Having a potluck on a pie you didn't purchase is WILDDDD," one person wrote.

"I'm crackin upppp. Chile this is why you cannot eat everybody food. Cause why the people at the office eating a pie that wasn't offered to them anyway lmao" another person asked.

"Why do people think it's ok to help themselves to other people's food or eat their lunch when not offered to them. It could have been something that they are allergic to. I'm sharing this video," someone else said.

One person recalled a similar situation that happened when they took too much of an edible by mistake, "My friend gave me a 50g edible, and mind you I like both flowers and edibles...I'm use to about 20-50g. I look at the package after I consumed and it was 500g. Thought was going to legit be the first one in history to die from canna...Almost drove to the hospital and snitched on myself."

Thankfully everyone who ate the pie is just fine, though they continued to be a little buzzed the day after the incident according to Fola's follow up video. But it's surely an unforgettable lesson on why you don't eat food out of a community refrigerator that doesn't belong to you.

This article originally appeared last year.

@7thgradechronicles/TikTok
According to 7th graders, 30-year-olds want soup for Christmas.

As a kid it's impossible to imagine a day when you don't want toys for Christmas. But the day inevitably comes that your wish list changes. It might be video games, make up or skincare, clothes, or whatever water bottle all the kids are using (anything to fit in, right?) But even still it's almost impossible to wrap your head around the mindset of a true grown up. Sweaters? Gift cards to Home Goods? Candles? Boooooooring!

Seventh grade teacher Mr. Frakes routinely asks his students to give their observations on various aspects of adulthood to post on his TikTok —everything from “things parents love to say” to reactions to old school songs to guessing the “worst parts about adulting." The answers are always hilarious…if not a little brutal to us olds. His Christmas edition is no different.

Mr. Frakes asked his students “what do you buy someone in their 30s for the holidays?” And the adults who saw the video can’t help but commend the accuracy.


the office, creed, 30, turning 30, millennials, gen zHow can we be so young, yet feel so old? Or maybe we've got it backwards.Giphy

Frakes had the kids write their ideas on green sticky notes and edited together a TikTok video showing them all in succession. The list is as follows, verbatim.

“Measuring cups…bwahaha.”

"Signs that say ‘Bless The Home.’”

“A Dyson vacuum.”

“A bottle of wine and hip implants.”

“Panera bread gift card. People in their 30s love soup!”

“Bingo cards.”

“You give them Bath & Body Works stuff. That’s what my mom wants!”

“Expensive meats.”

“Hard Candies.”

“Candy Crush Premium.”

“You get them old people candles that smell like ‘home’ or ‘back then.’”

“T.J. Maxx gift card.”

“The wrinkle creams.”

“Heated blanket cause their muscles be hurtin.”

“A coffee mug that says ‘don’t talk to me til I’ve had my coffee’ because they’re all coffee obsessed millennials.”

“A lawyer for the divorce attorney. (fight for the kids).”

The entire video is a worth a watch:

@7thgradechronicles

Its me. I’m 30s. 😂🫣😬#teachersoftiktok #teacher #teacherlife #teachertok #middleschool #middleschoolteacher #middleschoolteacher #middleschoollife #dyson #panerabread #tjmaxx

Obviously, adults who saw this joked about feeling personally attacked. But also seen.

Case in point: one person wrote, “Okay the ‘they’re all coffee obsessed millennials’ was personal” as another admitted, “I watched this while drinking coffee out of my ‘don't talk to me til I’ve had my coffee’ mug.”

Hip implants? Hard candies? How old do these kids think 30 is?! Probably the most upsetting thing about the list, however, is how accurate most of it is.

Another user added, “But are they wrong? Because I honestly love soup and candles. I’m 36.”

Echoing that sentiment, someone commented, “not me thinking all those gifts sound amazing.”

Even Mr. Frakes himself responded saying, "I would be happy with most of these."

And of course, everyone was eyeing that Dyson vacuum. That is a legitimately good gift and the kids need to step off. They also have a lot of nerve teasing us for "the wrinkle creams" when every 10-year-old girl is obsessed with skincare and Ultra. But, hey, we're millennials — we can take a little good-natured ribbing.

30s, 30 year old, millennials, gen z, teacher, kids, funny, humorWe 30-somethings are still in our prime, even if we need a heated blanket for our aching muscles!Giphy

Growing older might mean muscles that “be hurtin’” and some judgement from the younger generation, but it clearly also comes with a deep felt appreciation for the simple, practical things in life, as indicated by this list. Nothing wrong with that.

(After all, the young ones might balk now, but it won’t be long til they become coffee obsessed as well.)

But maybe this can be a wake-up call, or just some gentle inspiration, for all us to find a little more fun in the holidays and in our wish lists. We might really want that heated blanket, but maybe we can also ask for our family or spouse to surprise us with a fun adventure, a new board or card game, or just something that'll make us laugh.

May we all get a bit of holiday joy this year, in whatever form we can.

This article originally appeared two years ago. It had been updated.

Joy

Rob Lowe's attempt to delight kids by dressing as the Easter Bunny goes hilariously wrong

Not even his celebrity status could spare him form this all-too-relatable parenting moment.

David Shankbone/Wikipedia, Oriental Trading

Rob Lowe (left) East Bunny costume (right)

When you’re a parent, sometimes those well-intentioned plans to add a little magic to your kid’s lives go off without a hitch, and other times…not so much. This goes especially for anything involving costumed characters. Santa, clowns, Disney mascots, you name it—they can either be a dream come true, or a living, screaming nightmare.

And that’s why a video showing actor Rob Lowe accidentally striking utter terror into the hearts of a few kids this past Easter Sunday feels like such a “stars, they're just like us” moment.

Lowe, who had apparently been celebrating the holiday with his Parks and Recreation co-star Chris Pratt, attempted to infuse some Easter joy by dressing up in an Easter Bunny costume. It even had a sky blue jacket and matching bowtie.

In an Instagram reel shared on April 21 by Pratt’s wife, Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt, we first see Lowe getting into his ensemble.

“Rob, this looks incredible,” Schwarzenegger says.

Cut to a fully dressed Lowe Bunny making his grand entrance…to the sound of children screaming in horror. No amount of eggs scattered on the ground could quell their fears and pretty soon Lowe Bunny hops away in retreat.

Lowe later shows up, very sweaty and out of breath, to Easter lunch (sans Bunny costume) pretending like he has no idea what just happened.

"I just hopped on over when I heard he was here,” he quips, to which Pratt says "Oh, you missed him!"

Honestly the whole thing very much plays out like a classic Parks and Rec scene. Watch:

Down in the comments, people got a good chuckle at the relatable fiasco.

“The fact that this is real life and not a show is absolutely incredible.”

“The screaming children make it worth it 😂”

“Literally…the greatest Easter moment😂”

“Lmao he tried so hard 😂 poor bunny was falling apart 😂”

“It’s the cottontail and kid hysterics for me 😂”

One person even joked, “OMG John Stamos dressed as the Easter bunny at your brunch? 😋😂” referencing a funny moment that happened not three days prior, where a Hollywood tour guide accidentally mistook the West Wing actor for Stamos. Poor Lowe is having a week.

All jokes aside, it can be easy for adults to forget that young children's fear of costumes, also known as masklophobia, can stem from a few key factors. For one thing, they haven't yet developed the ability to differentiate between fantasy and reality, making it deeply unsettling for a character—whose life-sized version feels ginormous—to suddenly appear in real life.

Plus, masks present a slew of scaries. Kid's facial recognition skills are still developing, and they may find it unsettling to see a face hidden behind a mask or costume, especially if they're not used to it. Even for those youngsters who are adept at facial recognition, the static expression of a masked character can also seem intimidating because they are difficult to read and therefore hard to know what their intentions are.

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

Lastly, the whole thing might just be a little too much for kids who are sensitive to a lot of stimuli. That’s why it’s helpful for parents to be mindful of where a child’s limits are, and work around them. But hey, parenting mistakes happen. And once the screams are over, we can all have a good laugh about them.