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15 women reveal the ‘underrated’ reasons why they left their significant others

Modern society has created new reasons for people to break up.

By

Tod Perry

woman, break ups, significant others
Why are women breaking up with men these days? – Photo credit: via Moose Photos/Pexels, Christina Morillo/Pexels, Teona Swift/Pexels

When people are ready to leave a relationship, many feel pressure to have a compelling reason. There are reasons that no one will disagree with, such as a partner’s abuse, infidelity, or trouble getting along with family.

But what if you just aren’t feeling the relationship anymore, or don’t think they appreciate all you have to offer? Those can be perfectly fine reasons, too. It’s totally fine to break up with someone over reasons that some may find trivial.

It’s your life; you can’t live it with your chosen people.

A Reddit user named Grand_Gate_8836 asked the AskWomen forum, “What is a very underrated reason for breaking up with your significant other?” and many women shared that they broke up with their partners because they just weren’t feeling the relationship. Others brought up reasons that people may not have had in the past, such as pornography addiction, immaturity and spending too much time playing video games.

On a deeper level, the discussion made many women who feel insecure about their reasons for leaving someone feel a lot better about following their hearts.

Here are 15 of the best “underrated” reasons for breaking up with one’s significant other.

1. Mental health

“I think bad mental health can be a big reason for splitting from someone. Nobody tells you how lonely it can get to be with someone who has mental health issues. It can take years for you to understand them and then eventually realize that you can’t help them until they choose to help themselves. This is due to severe unawareness around mental health issues I feel.” — Grand_Gate8836

2. They don’t find you attractive

“At the risk of sounding petty: they don’t 100% love the way you look, even if they try to spin it in a positive way. I mean statements like ‘she’s not beautiful but I love her personality and sense of humor”‘or ‘she’s a 5 on a good day but I guess so am I’ or ‘she’s not what I’d consider my type but there’s something about her.’ I appreciate honesty as much as one can, but in my opinion, this is just depressing. Beauty comes in so many different shapes and forms. How can someone not find it in a person they claim to love? To me it basically means your SO is settling for you and will be forever comparing you to some kind of ideal you don’t match.” — JankyRobot42069

3. Not the outdoorsy-type

“I broke up with someone who had very conflicting interests and hobbies to mine and assumed I would just be on board with taking them up with him. I like the outdoors. I do not like devoting every weekend to hiking.” — Justwannaread3

“Imo, this is so underrated. ‘I enjoy X, but I do not enjoy devoting all of my free time to X.’ is absolutely valid in and of itself. And leaving someone who doesn’t grasp that is so much better for mental health in the long run.” — DragonFlySunrise

4. Different goals

“You know, one thing that doesn’t get talked about enough is having different life goals and values as a reason to break up with someone. It’s not just about whether you both like the same movies or enjoy the same hobbies. It’s about where you see yourself going in life and what you believe in. Imagine you’re super into traveling the world and experiencing new cultures, but your partner is more about settling down in one place and building a stable career. It might not seem like a big deal at first, but over time, those differences can really start to wear on the relationship. You might find yourself feeling like you’re not on the same page about the important stuff, like where you want to live or what you want to prioritize in life. So yeah, having different life goals and values might not be the most obvious reason to break up, but it can definitely be a deal-breaker if you’re not aligned in those areas.” — Good1Mufferaw

“It never ceases to amaze me that people ignore compatibility issues. It’s the most important feature in a relationship. And marriages that continue regardless of how whack the lack of compatibility is.” — Savagefluerelis23

5. You’re not happy

“They’re just not making you happy. You’re just not happy with them, and you deep down feel you could be happier elsewhere either alone or with someone else. They’re a good, kind person, a responsible adult, etc, but they’re not “it” for you. This is often considered a trivial reason to end a relationship or marriage but it’s such a BIG DEAL. You should want to be happy and should want them to be happy too! You know when you’re not happy. This idea that you should only leave a partnership or friendship because of something deemed “more serious” doesn’t feel right to me. One of the hardest things is walking away from someone who is not abusing you, is really good on paper but it just NOT doing it for you because society will always shame people and especially women for leaving because of unhappiness. That inkling feeling underneath of ‘they might not be it for me,’ we are taught to just not listen to ourselves.” — The_Philosophied

6. Bros came first

“He prioritized his friends over me. I think prioritizing friends and family are important, but it got to a point where I was miserable. We were both mid-thirties, and he wanted to go to parties and bars all the time to see his friends. We never had quality time together. It reached its breaking point when my aunt suffered cardiac arrest and was airlifted from 700km away to the hospital in my city. Instead of coming to the hospital with me, or even emotionally supporting me when I went to be with her, he went to the bar and got drunk. I didn’t even get a text or call for 24 hrs he just disappeared. When I got upset, he said, ‘Seeing Dave is more important, he’s my friend’ I broke up with him the next day. My aunt died a few hours later.” — MeatCat88

7. Pornography

“Porn addiction. Society has brainwashed people into thinking this is normal behavior.” — 1989sBiggestFan13

“This is what killed my relationship with my ex-fiance after 7 years. I genuinely thought I was asexual — nope. He just watched so much, such intense porn (even when I was putting out) that I stopped having any sexual interest at all.” — Arwynn

8. Conspiracy theories

“There wasn’t an insane conspiracy theory this dude didn’t believe. …The first one he told me: on our second date was around the time of the Miami Mall incident. He truly believed 8ft tall shadow aliens invaded the Miami Mall and the government was keeping hush about it. His further conspiracy was that the government was overrun by ‘replaced people’ basically aliens pretending to be people.” — SinfullySInless

9. Video games

“Video games are far more important than spending time with their partner. I‘m a very simple person. I don’t care about gifts or having money spent on me. Let’s go for a walk in the park, just spend some time with me. My ex-husband would find any excuse to not spend time with me. The most common was ‘gas costs money, I’d rather hang out at home.’ His idea of ‘hanging out’ was him playing video games with his online friends while I sat quietly watching TV, but with the volume super low so his friends wouldn’t be ‘distracted.’ God forbid I laughed at all, he’d get so mad at me for it.” — NatAttack89

10. Peter Pan syndrome

“Peter Pan syndrome. When my 60-year-old boyfriend told me (53F) the reason he had not 1 dollar saved for his retirement is because he is a ‘risk taker’ and I’m not, I realized I’d have to support him for the rest of his life while he looked down on me for it and walked away.” — Slosee

11. Domestic burden imbalance

“Incompatible cleaning habits. Seems like an easy thing to remedy but in reality different standards of cleanliness will create an uneven burden of domestic labor for the partner with higher standards, or create a living environment in which that partner is uncomfortable, or create a situation where the partner with lower standards feels constantly berated/nagged to do something they don’t see as benefitting them in any way. I know multiple couples who broke up at or just before the ‘moving in’ stage for this reason, and I think it’s a super valid way to decide you’re not compatible in a long-term domestic relationship.” — Angstyaspen

12. Stuck in a rut

“Disinterest in trying or experiencing new things and only sticking with what they know. If you’re someone who enjoys trying new restaurants, going to events, exploring new cultural experiences, etc and your partner is content to sit at home in their comfort zone, it eventually gets frustrating. I refused to date someone because of this mentality. If it wasn’t happening within a few miles of his house, he wasn’t terribly excited about doing it. Also, men who think basketball or gym shorts are acceptable casual attire.” — Edjennersmilkmaid

13. Fell out of love

“Because you don’t love them anymore. I say this is an underrated reason because so many people think they need a catalyst event in order to justify breaking up. But if you’re not happy and the relationship isn’t fulfilling, that’s a solid enough reason.” — Lydviciousss

14. Immaturity

“It felt like parenting. Like I was hanging out with a kid all the time. I was doing all the work, all the driving, all the planning. Like I was managing a child. ‘This ain’t my job.’” — K19081985

15. Geographically undesirable

“Not agreeing on where you want to live. I’ve seen people start a relationship while one or both was living abroad, thinking ‘We’ll figure it out.’ But actually building a life and having kids somewhere far from your own roots, or just in a place you don’t really like, is a lot.” — Princess Sophia Black

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    A family enjoys dinner during the 1970s. – Photo credit: Image via Reddit
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    Gen Xers share 17 nostalgic dishes they ate growing up—and still make for dinner

    From sloppy joes to pizza bread, these dishes still slap.

    Emily Shiffer

    Generation X (those born between 1965-1980) grew up eating classic Americana meals. During the 1970s, comfort meals like tuna casserole and salmon roquettes were popular meals.

    Gen X also grew up eating some pretty unhinged (but all the more yummy) sandwiches. These meals are steeped in childhood nostalgia.

    And to this day, Gen Xers are still fond of their favorite dishes they grew up eating. Together, they discussed on Reddit their most-loved home-cooked dishes that they still whip up, starting with sloppy joes.

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    @genx_shawn

    🤤😂 Top 10 Things ONLY GenX Knows the Taste Of… #genx #over50club #genxtiktok #over40 #genxcrew #generationx #genxers #genxtok #over40club #over50

    ♬ original sound – Shawn | GenX

    “Breakfast. We will have a ‘breakfast for dinner’ at least a couple times a month. Yum!” – fadeanddecayed, KddKc

    “Pizza bread! My mom would cut Italian bread into pieces, put butter and garlic salt on them, then pour some spaghetti sauce on them, cover with mozzarella cheese, and broil for like ten or fifteen minutes. Super easy and quick to make and so tasty. I’m sure my mom loved that I was so into something that took roughly zero effort for her to make.” – hornybutired

    “Grilled cheese and soup.” – reincarnateme

    “Meat loaf. I use 2 pounds ground beef, replace bread crumbs with minute rice, add 1 pkg beef soup flavoring, chop an entire onion for it, and mix BBQ sauce into mixture. Oh, important: do not overmix! Place all ingredients into bowl, then mix quickly 10 or 12 swirls of a large spoon. Grease loaf pan, carefully place mixture in, pat down & bake about an hour. (Extra info: for even better flavor, mix the night before, pat into loaf pan, cover with plastic, put into fridge overnight. Remove from fridge about an hour before baking. BE SURE TO REMOVE PLASTIC WRAP! [Esp. If in Pyrex glass loaf pan])” – jehardt, AbbyM1968

    “White guy tacos.” – najing_ftw

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    “Fried catfish, greens, and red beans and rice.” – User Unknown

    “Shepherds pie, technically cottage pie if it’s ground beef. Homemade enchiladas, usually made as a layered casserole instead because I don’t have time to roll them. Pork chops with mashed potatoes and veggies.” – XerTrekker

    “Fried rice with chicken or pork leftovers.” – AlternativeResort181

    “Hot hamburgers: hamburger patty open face on Texas toast thickness bread, cover with fries then cover that with brown gravy. Wife’s variation is hamburger patty over rice with brown gravy.” – EnricoMatassaEsq

    @past_archives

    American Gen X Foods That Kids Today Can’t Understand#nostalgia #childhoodmemories #backtochildhood #90s #2000s #usa #80s #90skids #80schildhood #capcutforus #capcut #capcutpioneer #America

    ♬ original sound – Past Archives

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    “Homemade Stroganoff casserole. Ridiculously easy to make. Ingredients:

    1.25-1.5 lbs. Ground Beef
    1 each of large white onion, green pepper, and red pepper
    1 can mushroom pieces, drained and rinsed
    12 oz. Bag of wide egg noodles
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    Worcestershire Sauce
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    White or Black Pepper
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    Canadians are feeling their broader connection to the Americas. – Photo credit: Canva
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    Canadians tickled at Bad Bunny’s halftime show inclusion revel in their ‘snow Latinos’ identity

    “It’s Canadá until further notice!”

    Annie Reneau

    The Super Bowl LX halftime show was one for the ages, both for its record-breaking four billion social media views after the first 24 hours and for the chatter and debate it sparked. Puerto Rican music star Bad Bunny performing the official halftime show entirely in Spanish highlighted the complexities of defining “American identity,” a reality the artist addressed directly as he paraded flags from countries across North, Central, and South America and shouted out their names in a call for unity.

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    https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZThuKMuKK/

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    ♬ Bilbao – Studio Pro Sound

    Canadians are sharing that they’re from British Colommmbiaaaaa, Juancouver (or Van-Cuba), Saskatchejuan, Montreyál, Alberto, and other Latinized versions of their homeland. Some have dubbed themselves “Sorta Ricans,” while Peruvians are calling Canadians their cousins because the two countries’ flags are so similar. In the comments, Canada is being embraced by the broader Americas with open arms, with messages like “Welcome winter latinas,” “Canadá is invited to the Quinceañera,” and “Welcome to La Familia.”

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  • Gen Zer tries to dub Gen X ‘the worst generation.’ A Millennial hilariously shut them down.
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    Gen Zer tries to dub Gen X ‘the worst generation.’ A Millennial hilariously shut them down.

    “Gen X is Boomers if they knew how to turn a document into a PDF.”

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    ♬ Wes Anderson-esque Cute Acoustic – Kenji Ueda

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    Gen Z and Millennials respond

    Commenters agreed with her sentiment.

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    “Elder Gen Z raised by two Gen X parents. I do NOT back the younger half of Gen Z on this. I’m running into the woods on their behalf and leaving Ferris Bueller for my dad and a DQ blizzard for my mom,” another echoed.

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    A happyu00a0Gen X couple have patience for younger generations, like Gen Z. Photo credit: Canva

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    “We will also allow The Neverending Story .”

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

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  • Mom films teen son’s joyful reaction to opening his first ever paycheck from McDonald’s
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    Mom films teen son’s joyful reaction to opening his first ever paycheck from McDonald’s

    It’s the most money he’s ever had to his name, and he earned every penny.

    Annie Reneau

    Upworthy Staff

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    His mom said it should be “200-and something” dollars, and after a hilariously long struggle to open the envelope (Gen Z have rarely, if ever, snail mailed, so no judgment), he looks over the check stub to get the full picture.

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    “Let’s take it to the bank, then!” Heck yeah, kid.

    People in the comments are fondly remembering their own first paychecks

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    @fuck3n_andre

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    ♬ original sound – Andrea

    When you’re a kid, money is kind of an abstract concept. Maybe you get a small allowance or get paid a few bucks for odd jobs, and opening a birthday card with some cash in it is exciting. It’s not until you’re fully into the working world for a while that the regular flow of money and what it means for your life really sinks in.

    It’s not until you’re a fully independent adult that you really grasp how relative your feelings about your paycheck can be. There’s a big difference between being a 16-year-old getting your first paycheck and being a 30-year-old trying to raise a family on wages that don’t cover all your needs. Things like cost-of-living and inflation start to actually mean something as you get older and experience their impact. You might find that you can make a lot more money and yet feel poorer than ever as expenses pile up into adulthood.

    Don’t we all wish we could go back to the hopeful, happy days of making our first real chunk of money before all of those grown-up concerns arose? That simple sense of pride in having worked hard and earned something. The excitement of being able to pay for something you want yourself. The sense of freedom that comes with those early earnings. We see and feel all of that in this teen’s bright smile, and it’s glorious.

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

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  • Olympic curling gets humor treatment as people recreate the bizarrely riveting sport at home
    Curling has become a surprisingly popular Olympic sport. – Photo credit: Canva
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    Olympic curling gets humor treatment as people recreate the bizarrely riveting sport at home

    Using everything from Roombas to babies, people are embracing the joy of curling.

    Annie Reneau

    When curling became an official Olympic sport in 1998, it was met with a fair amount of curiosity and confusion, at least among people outside Canada, Scotland, and the Scandinavian countries where it has long been a winter sport tradition. Without an explanation of what’s happening, curling can look downright bizarre: large stones sliding across the ice toward a target, while people vigorously sweep the ice in front of them as the person who threw the stone yells unintelligibly.

    It’s not obvious what skills are required for curling just by watching, which initially led people to poke fun at the event. More recent Olympic Games, however, have seen interest in curling grow as people find the sport strangely riveting. Now, curling has reached even greater heights of popularity, as evidenced by satirical curling-at-home videos popping up on social media.

    Many of them use a combo of a Roomba and a Swiffer, which works perfectly:

    Why Swiffer is not the official sponsor of all Olympic curling events is a mystery.

    Some creators take it a little further, adding in the yelling component:


    @amanda_carluccio

    We’re now professional athletes. ??? #curling #usa #winterolympics #olympics #thecarluccios

    ♬ The Olympic Theme – Paul Brooks

    Others use different household items, like a teapot, for a curling stone and add commentary:

    @breanneallarie

    Kitchen curling ? I’m ready @Olympics #milanocortina2026 #roadtotheolympics #teamcanada #olympiccurling

    ♬ original sound – Breanne Allarie ??

    And believe it or not, someone even used a baby as a curling stone, with the caption, “When new dads in Canada are left unsupervised.”

    So how exactly did we get here?

    The history of curling

    No one knows the exact origins of curling, but there is evidence of the sport (or something like it) being played by monks on frozen lakes and ponds in Scotland in the 16th century. Farmers would join in curling games during the winter months, and as the sport evolved through the 1800s, it became more organized. Rules were formalized, and people began traveling to watch and participate in competitions held outdoors in large Scottish cities. The Scots eventually took the sport with them to other countries, and by the 1900s, curling had transformed from a Scottish outdoor pastime into an international, mostly indoor sport.

    How does curling work as a sport?

    Curling is played by two teams of four, with each team aiming to get its eight stones closest to the center of a target called a “house.” Teams alternate “throwing” their stones, which really means gliding them along the ice. Sweepers brush the ice to help guide the stones, while the team captain, or “skip,” gives directions, often by yelling, to place the stones where they want them to go.

    After all 16 stones are thrown, the team with a stone closest to the center of the house scores one point for each of its stones that landed inside the house. The other team does not score at all in that round, called an “end.” There are eight or 10 ends per game, depending on the event, and the team with the most points after all the ends have been played is the winner.

    Here’s a visual explainer that goes through the basics:

    Fun facts about curling

    Tara Peterson of the USA Curling National Team shared some interesting facts about curling with Columbia Sportswear:

    • Modern curling stones are made of granite that comes from only two places: a quarry in Wales and an uninhabited island off the coast of Scotland called Ailsa Craig.
    • Curling is called curling because of the way the stone curves depending on how it’s spun, but exactly how that happens is still a bit of a scientific mystery. Curling stones actually move in the opposite direction of what the turn would normally dictate according to physics.
    • Despite the yelling, curling is considered a polite “gentleman’s” sport, with traditional etiquette rules observed before and after the game.
    • Though it may not be immediately obvious, you have to be in pretty good shape to curl. Throwing a 42-pound stone, even on ice, isn’t as easy as it looks, and the person throwing it must remain crouched close to the ground for long periods. Sweeping also requires arm strength and cardiovascular endurance.

    olympic sports, winter olympics, curling, curling stone, winter sports
    Curling requiresu00a0more athleticism than it first appears. Photo credit: Canva

    • Curlers wear two different shoes, one designed for gripping the ice and the other for sliding. The slider sole is made of Teflon or stainless steel, while the grippy sole is made of rubber.
    • Curling is called the “roaring game,” which might sound odd, but the sound of the stones gliding over the ice is apparently much louder in person than it sounds on TV.

    Every sport is more fun to watch when you actually know what you’re seeing, and curling is no exception. If you’re wondering who to watch, Canada has traditionally dominated the sport, though Sweden trails by only two medals in total Olympic curling medals. And if you’re curious how Scotland fares as the original home of the sport, its curlers compete under Great Britain’s flag.

    Keep Reading →
  • 27 words that have gone nearly “extinct” in the English language
    These old fashioned words have fallen out of fashion. – Photo credit: Canva
    ,

    27 words that have gone nearly “extinct” in the English language

    “Comely (meaning beautiful) and homely (meaning ugly).”

    Emily Shiffer

    Vernacular is always changing. Every generation has its own slang words, from Xennials to Millennials and Gen Z.

    In 2025, Dictionary.com deemed ’67’ as the word of the year. The Oxford University Press claimed the word of the year was ‘rage bait’. And Merriam-Webster claimed it was ‘slop’.

    These trendy words are here today, and will likely be gone tomorrow. And language lovers on Reddit shared their favorite old-fashioned words that have gone nearly extinct in English today (and many they wish would make a comeback).

    “Overmorrow. It means ‘the day after tomorrow’.” – TheGloveMan

    “I remember the word ‘grody’ from the 90s. It meant gross or yucky.” – Glittering_Age_5591

    “Comely (meaning beautiful) and homely (meaning ugly).” oddwithoutend, Suspicious_Art9118

    “Rolodex. There was something great about those. My own was a desk model with a lockable closing cover. Something about the tangibleness, the physicality and the control. Having the different kinds of cards and card covers, hearing them click when you spun it. I was sad to let it go.” Matsunosuperfan, BASerx8

    “Bitchin’ (meaning excellent).” – fox3actual

    “Yellow pages.” – Matsunosuperfan

    “Copacetic.” – Matsunosuperfan

    “Lunting: walking while smoking a pipe.” – RainbowWarrior73

    @pbsdigitalstudios

    Wouldn’t it be a dilly idea to bring back these 1900s slang words!? Which one fractured you the most ? Let us know in the comments and catch up on episodes of Otherwords with @Dr. Erica Brozovsky on the Stoired YouTube channel! #slang #english #language #linguistics #history #vintage @PBS

    ♬ original sound – PBS Digital Studios

    “Only a ‘square’ would remember things like that.” – EighthGreen

    “‘Cattywampus’ also sometimes known as ‘catawampus’. A cool word that you don’t hear much anymore.” – Dead_Is_Better

    “I use finagle and my high school students think I’m so weird. I’m 47. This word is normal.” – MLAheading

    “Handsome (when describing a woman). One day when we were talking, my mother (born 1930s) referred to the late Queen Mary (as in the wife of King George V) as a ‘handsome woman.’ We tend to see photos of Queen Mary in her later years, but earlier photos show that she was quite beautiful. However, I believe my mother’s comment was about more than just her beauty, and included her overall effect. Queen Mary always seemed to be tall, composed and imposing.” Odd-Scheme6535, Popular-Solution7697

    “Maybe not extinct but it’s meaning completely obliterated: nonplussed.” – LeFreeke

    “Oblige. Rarely hear it except in old westerns.” – ReadySetGO0

    “Druthers.” – Embarrassed_Wrap8421

    “Bogart. Monopolizing something that’s meant to be shared.” – CoderJoe1

    “Bumbershoot.” – kelariy

    “Ne’er-do-well. From the early 20th century, basically some who never-does -well, implying a slacker or underachiever. Although people never said it even when I was growing up, I still think it’s a cool word.” – fabgwenn

    “Niggardly. Meaning cheap or skimpy when it comes to giving. Someone said it during a press event once and some people thought it meant something racist. No one has ever used that word since.” – wawa2022

    “Whippersnapper – a young and inexperienced person considered to be presumptuous or overconfident. I’ve heard people on TV say it, (maybe Dennis the Menace, or some other 50s show). I heard a 90 yo woman say it IRL and I laughed so hard.” – JazzFan1998

    “Forsooth.” – fingermagnets459

    “Xeroxing a document.” – C-ute-Thulu

    “Blatherskite.” – Biff_Bufflington

    “I don’t seem to hear penultimate much anymore.” – TakeMetoLallybroch

    “I’m quite fond of the word slubberdegullion, meaning ‘dirty scoundrel’. I use it frequently when I talk to my senior, who is a rather clean upstanding citizen. We laugh and then he tells me to get back to work.” – r-pics-sux

    “Frippery, at least in American English (think it’s used in France for thrift shops?)” – KobayashiWaifu

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  • Man hires Austin Powers impersonator ‘just for himself’ and it’s delightfully awkward
    An Austin Powers impersonator shows up in Chase Hofer's apartment. – Photo credit: Photo Credit: Chase Hofer, Instagram
    , ,

    Man hires Austin Powers impersonator ‘just for himself’ and it’s delightfully awkward

    “You must live alone!”

    Cecily Knobler

    It was groovy, baby. Chase Hofer woke up one day and decided to hire an Austin Powers impersonator to just, well, come over. And that he did, creating a brilliantly funny and equally awkward exchange between two guys just hanging in an apartment. (Albeit one of them was dressed head to toe as the infamous English ladies’ man.)

    For those unfamiliar with the Austin Powers franchise, comedian Mike Myers created and played the character in a series of three films directed by Jay Roach. The gist was that Powers is a British international spy who loved crushed velvet suits and “shagging” and wasn’t ashamed of either. The purposely cringe-heavy dialogue created hours of fun, and the ’60s spy satire was blatant.

    In the clip, Hofer opens the door to find “Austin Powers” (as played by actual impersonator Richard Halpern) dressed in his trademark blue velour suit, frilly white shirt, and thick black glasses. They shake hands, and Halpern immediately says, “You must be Chase, baby! What a grip you have. You must live alone!” They laugh uproariously.

    Halpern asks, “So what do you want me to do? Like what I would do at a party?” He then begins laughing maniacally, pacing and yelling out some of his catchphrases—most notably, “Oh, BEHAVE.” After turning to his smartphone, he remembers a line that would only work if looking at a woman’s chest area: “Oh, you make a lovely couple.” This lands awkwardly, as he tries to explain that it’s a “boobie” reference. Hofer assures him he got it, though it’s a “different time.”

    @chase_hofer

    Yeah baby yeah

    ♬ original sound – Chase Hofer

    From there, the awkwardness just gets better. Halpern is now lounging on the couch. Hofer asks, “Did you watch the Super Bowl?” He answers, “Oh yeah, yeah sure I did.” Hofer follows this up with, “Are you more of a soccer guy since… U.K.?” He yells, “Soccer, I don’t even know her!” Hofer attempts to feign a laugh, but it putters out pretty quickly.

    The room is incredibly quiet for a bit, followed by a little more forced banter. The clip ends with the two of them watching a rap performance on TV in complete silence.

    The comments on both Hofer’s TikTok and Instagram page are also truly observant and funny. One points out the commitment to the bit: “Dude has the car and everything.”

    Austin Powers, Mike Myers, impersonator, viral video, Union Jack flag
    Austin Powers impersonator arrives at Chase Hofer's apartment. Photo Credit: Kenneth Webb, TikTok

    Another jokes, “When the Austin Powers impersonator thinks YOU’RE the weirdo.”

    On Instagram, a person references the rap performance they’re watching, noting, “The 2016 XXL freshman cypher at the end is pure gold. PURE GOLD.”

    Upworthy had a chance to chat with Hofer, who shares how the idea sparked. “I came up with the idea after doing it with a magician! The magician was a friend of mine. So I thought it would be great to do it with this Austin Powers impersonator that my friends have worked with.”

    Said aforementioned impersonator has been playing Austin Powers for ages. “Austin was played by this man on Instagram known as ‘Austin Powers Impersonator.’ He’s been doing this professionally for more than 25 years.”

    (Note: On Richard Halpern’s Instagram page, he lets it be known that he’s L.A.-based and “ready for YOUR event.”)

    We asked if Halpern had been given a heads up. “Basically, I gave him the rundown that it’d just be us two, and then I rolled non-stop for 30 minutes. So it was basically all improv.”

    As for Myers himself, Hofer is a fan. “I have not met Mike Myers! Big fan though. I felt like I was watching him a couple of days ago!”

    As popular as this clip has become, some wonder if this cringe humor would be too much for younger generations. On the Reddit thread, “Does Generation Z enjoy the Austin Powers movies or find them offensive and outdated?” the OP writes, “I recently watched Austin Powers with my nephew. He found half of it funny, but the other half he didn’t really get. Some jokes he thought were racist and not funny. This made me wonder, Gen Z, do you like these movies, or do you find them offensive and outdated?”

    The OP adds, “Personally, I found these movies really funny. I love that Mike Myers has the laugh-per-minute dialed up in these movies. There’s constant jokes… nonstop jokes. Definitely some of the jokes lost their luster from when I was 19 years old. But the jokes are still there.”

    This thread received nearly 3,000 comments. One Redditor wasn’t bothered at all, noting that being offensive is the POINT. “That seems funny to me because Austin Powers is a direct parody of the old Bond movies, so the overt sexual and offensive jokes are part of the satire.”

    Another points out that it’s all relative, writing, “The weird thing is that despite Austin being a complete and total horndog, he’s also weirdly more respectful than a lot of characters at the time or since. There’s a scene in one of the movies (I can’t remember which one) where the female co-lead is finally willing to sleep with him after he’s been unsuccessfully hitting on her most of the movie, and he respectfully turns her down because she’s drunk as a skunk and he has the decency to not take advantage of someone who’s inebriated and thus can’t consent.”

    Perhaps Dr. Evil (also played by Myers in the Austin Powers films) said it best when he pointed out in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery: “I’ve been frozen for thirty years, okay?”

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  • 28 things people around the world thought movies made up about America but are totally real
    Older couple sit in their home dressed in denim, holding red SOLO cups, surrounded by mini American flags. – Photo credit: Canva
    ,

    28 things people around the world thought movies made up about America but are totally real

    “Red Solo Cups.”

    Emily Shiffer

    Movies are all about magic. They tell stories that amplify and elaborate on the mundane bits of everyday life—leaving viewers questioning if things they see on the big screen are really real, or just portrayed that way.

    For non-Americans enjoying American films, the movies can give them some pretty whacky ideas about what American culture is really like. But sometimes, how America is portrayed in the movies is actually spot-on.

    People on Reddit discussed the things they’ve seen in American movies that actually are legitimate. From diners to the ‘burbs to Greek life and more, these are 28 things that really exist in America—and not just the movies.

    People

    “Cowboys. I mean I knew they were real and that some people dressed like the Hollywood version of cowboys but I did not realize it was still a present day job and that people still dress that way to do it.” – Cougarette99

    “Firefighters coming to help bring down a cat from a tree. I was visiting relatives one summer and one of the house cats climbed a tree and wouldn’t come down. I came up with the idea of calling the fire department, thinking they’d laugh me off and hang up, but sure enough, they came with a truck, ladders, gear, everything, and helped bring the cat down successfully.” – mrcmnt

    “Baggers in the grocery store. And door greeters in completely normal supermarkets.” – interesseret

    “‘More coffee, hon?’ On a visit to the US, driving through Nevada or Utah we stopped at a diner and as we were entering I joked around saying something like ‘if the waitress is wearing an apron and calls me honey I’ll lose my sh*t’. Was. Not. Disappointed.” – Jaimebgdb, Urik88

    Places

    “The way suburbia looks. I’m American and sent a picture of the street my home is on to a German friend and he was like ‘it looks like a movie set’.” – NewAnything8221

    “Waiting all day in the DMV. Even when I had to do car stuff in the person, I was never anywhere for an entire day sorting it out.” – ocelotrevs

    “Going into a bar for a drink, and sitting at the bar, by yourself. Chatting to the bartender. Chatting to the random person next to you. I always thought that was something put in TV shows just so they could make up a reason for someone to chat to the bartender, or pour out their woes, or whatever. People don’t sit by themselves at the bar anywhere else. I tried it in Australia and got weird looks.” – the_rain_keeps_comin

    “Diners and breakfast tradition? Don’t know if I should call it like that but I would see in movies how diners would be a tradition to go at breakfast and it’s really like that, those diners are busy!!” – ainacct

    Things

    “The over-the-top Halloween parties where everyone took a large amount of effort to dress up. Yep that is accurate.” – dion_o

    “The length of a CVS receipt.” – OptimistPrime527

    “The insane medical advertisements with a million side effects said in rapid fire at the end. We visited my husband bestie in 2019, when we were watching something on tv while eating dinner we saw our first one. Genuinely turned to him like ‘that’s satire, right?’” – Myhandsarecold11

    “Red Solo Cups. I thought they were just a Hollywood prop used to hide alcohol brands or signify ‘party scene.’ I went to a college party in Ohio and they were literally everywhere. I was shook.” – Unlikely_Praline9442

    Schools

    “The fraternity/sorority scene in college. I was an international student at UT Austin and it was a crazy realization that the movie depictions of college life is actually underwhelming. I witnessed shit that could not be legally portrayed in movies. You people are crazy.” – lucas14qr

    “The yellow school buses that have a flip out stop sign.” – MudMonyet22

    “Prom culture. The king/queen stuff.” – kyubeyt

    “lol I’m American from the CA coast and while we had high school football, I thought that it being a huge deal was only in movies/tv. Then I moved to Georgia and later Texas. Hahaha omg. Wow. I was wrong lol.” – TakeMeBackToCA831

    @iamsoldana

    The school system in the USA really is like the movies?????? #usa #america #highschool #americaninparis #americanhighschool #americancollege #americanculture

    ♬ original sound – Soldana

    Food

    “I am an American who lived overseas for many years, and had many friends on social media when I returned home. I posted a photo of Chinese food takeout in those white square boxes and had dozens of my friends from overseas react in surprise- they thought it was only something they did in movies.” – Kateseesu

    “‘Have a nice day’ everywhere all the time and blueberry muffins.” – AlfredLuan

    “The free refill at restaurants.” – craftlover221b

    New York City

    “All the smoke/steam coming out the vents on the road in New York in the movies.” – curious__curiosity

    “I got off a bus in New York and a newspaper blew past me. I could imagine the camera panning up from my shoes…” – JunkoKumaki

    “I got off a bus in New York and a dude came up to me, opened his jacket, and tried to sell me one of many ‘Rolexes’ he had hanging inside his coat. I legit thought that was strictly a movie thing, and I’m American!” – Ataru13

    “And constant police/ambulance sounds. I thought it’s bullshit until I came to live here. Now my daughters say the street noise is calming :).” – romario77

    “Manhattan. I remember my first trip and was like ‘Oh my God this is all fucking real’.” – fenton7

    Nature

    “Fireflies are pretty wild, you sure do just have swarms of glowing bugs.” – WehingSounds

    “Tumbleweeds. I was actually flabbergasted when I went to visit the US and people were casually talking about tumbleweeds. I thought they were just a thing in cartoons.” – PlanetoidVesta

    “I’m an American, an Alabamian. I made friends with a guy at work who is Russian. He was new to the country, so we’d invite him to come over and eat with us all the time. One summer afternoon, we were sitting on our back deck drinking beer and a hummingbird whizzed past his ear. Alex totally freaked out. I had to point out our hummingbird feeder to him. He sat there the entire day just mesmerized by the things. They really are magical when you stop to think about them.” – AnybodySeeMyKeys

    “Skunks! I genuinely thought they were a mythical creature of cartoon origins. Why? I don’t know. I guess I thought they were implausible, like unicorns. They don’t exist in Europe, so I only knew of them from cartoons, and from sitcom jokes. I made assumptions about their existence that went unchallenged until I was 27.” – difractional

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