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BF’s Mother Couldn’t “Remember” Girlfriend’s Name, So She Got Revenge During Thanksgiving
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BF’s Mother Couldn’t “Remember” Girlfriend’s Name, So She Got Revenge During Thanksgiving

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We usually cover AITA, malicious compliance, and petty revenge stories separately, but this one is an all-inclusive bundle package.

Reddit user Throwawaygivings got sweet revenge on her boyfriend’s family by sabotaging their Thanksgiving dinner after his mother repeatedly called her by any name but her own. Even his ex-girlfriend’s!

I don’t want to get into the particulars because Throwawaygivings did an excellent job of describing the situation herself, but let’s just say that there wasn’t a turkey. Just a lot of yelling and crying.

Continue scrolling to learn how the ordeal unfolded. I know I’m not saying a lot, but trust me on this one. It’s worth it.

This woman got so sick and tired of her boyfriend’s mom “forgetting” her name, she made a point the lady will remember

Image credits: Drazen Zigic (not the actual photo)

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People justified the woman’s actions

Throwawaygivings told Bored Panda that her boyfriend’s whole family were very indifferent towards her. “I know they were close to his ex but it was just understandable,” she explained. “She grew up with them.”

“[My boyfriend’s mom] wasn’t a big problem at first. But the more serious it got between my BF and me, the more I worried she would be a problem. I kept that to myself, though, and that may have been my mistake. I could have shown him more than her disrespect actually bothering me a lot and that I was worried about the future.”

But Throwawaygivings still hoped the lady would change towards her. “We didn’t see much of each other [before the conflict], so it wasn’t affecting me. But when [me and my BF] started to see more of her, I realized her dislike got stronger the more serious my BF and I got.”

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study from the University of Cambridge Center for Family Research and an organization called the Stand Alone Institute discovered that rifts between parents and their son’s wife are among the most common reasons for family estrangement.

The study was based on the responses of more than 800 men and women in England who had little or no contact with their families. It found that divisions between parents and sons lasted a third longer than those between parents and daughters. The issues most commonly listed as “very relevant” in the breakdown of relationships with daughters included mental health problems and emotional abuse. But the issues most closely associated with sons included divorce, in-laws, and marriage.

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According to Dr. Terri Apter, who is a psychologist, former Senior Tutor at Newnham College, Cambridge, and author of What Do You Want From Me?: Learning to Get Along with In-Laws, the most common in-law tensions actually arise between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. “Closeness, respect, and influence in the family are particularly important to women,” Dr. Apter told Bored Panda. “For all the change that’s been, women still feel that part of their personal worth is linked to their roles in the family, whether that’s day-to-day care, or long-term nurturing. Since in-law visits often take place in the home, where kinship, status, and respect are expressed – and tested! – there can be competition.”

Sometimes this competition might start because the mother-in-law feels threatened. “This new woman, now closest kin to her son, may displace her. We get into the mindset: ‘I have to prove to her that I have more status/respect/love because I need to reassure myself that I’m still an important part of this changing family.’ The wife, on the other hand, wants reassurance that she has a proper say in the family she and her husband form. She does not want to be undermined, so her mother-in-law’s effort to protect her status may threaten her. That’s why when each assures the other that she is valued and included, the tension is likely to ease,” Dr. Apter explained.

Of course, there might be other reasons why in-law relationships get tense. But sounds like Throwawaygivings dodged a bullet.

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After her story went viral, she released an update on the situation

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Here’s how it was received

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carolyngerbrands avatar
Caro Caro
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If MIL kept doing this on purpose then I would have done the same but I would have warned my bf about my plan. His ghosting is childish and I'm pretty sure his immaturity would have broken them up in the long run. A grown ass man doesn't "pout" .

donotreplytokjk avatar
Otter
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well, telling the boyfriend would have ruined the plan. He'd have warned his mother, guaranteed.

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luiza_np avatar
Luiza NP
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm not saying you are the asshole, but honestly you should have talked more, talked about it with your boyfriend, he should have talked with his mother about the way she treated you... it just seems like it all lacked a lot of communication

troux avatar
Troux
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm on the fence. It looks cold for him to come back to a dumping, but 2+ weeks is a LONG TIME to go radio silent in a 3-year relationship. Keep in mind the big question in her mind is "Now that he has to pick a side, which side will it be?" Well I can be pretty sure he wasn't ghosting his family during that time, so I think he made his choice. His first chance was acting in the moment, and he didn't stand up for her enough when it went down and he totally dismissed her right after. His second chance was hours (or even days) later once he had a chance to let his head cool. After that, the time for talking was over. I really understand why she felt deserted, when all she wanted to do was stand up for herself. Hard lesson for him to learn, but I think she made the right choice.

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lynmoffett avatar
Lyn Moffett
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You are well out of it. He needs to grow a pair and the mother needs to get her head out of her ass. Bullied by her for 3 years. Just right for not pandering to her.

dpopknight avatar
Diane Knight
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Consequences have to have enough sting to be effective. This one had a logical one, call her the wrong name, 'Janet' was to blame, as it was 'she' that was named to bring Turkey. Jenny should have received an apology when the 'game' burned the MIL. Stupid games have stupid prizes.

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carolyngerbrands avatar
Caro Caro
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If MIL kept doing this on purpose then I would have done the same but I would have warned my bf about my plan. His ghosting is childish and I'm pretty sure his immaturity would have broken them up in the long run. A grown ass man doesn't "pout" .

donotreplytokjk avatar
Otter
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well, telling the boyfriend would have ruined the plan. He'd have warned his mother, guaranteed.

Load More Replies...
luiza_np avatar
Luiza NP
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm not saying you are the asshole, but honestly you should have talked more, talked about it with your boyfriend, he should have talked with his mother about the way she treated you... it just seems like it all lacked a lot of communication

troux avatar
Troux
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm on the fence. It looks cold for him to come back to a dumping, but 2+ weeks is a LONG TIME to go radio silent in a 3-year relationship. Keep in mind the big question in her mind is "Now that he has to pick a side, which side will it be?" Well I can be pretty sure he wasn't ghosting his family during that time, so I think he made his choice. His first chance was acting in the moment, and he didn't stand up for her enough when it went down and he totally dismissed her right after. His second chance was hours (or even days) later once he had a chance to let his head cool. After that, the time for talking was over. I really understand why she felt deserted, when all she wanted to do was stand up for herself. Hard lesson for him to learn, but I think she made the right choice.

Load More Replies...
lynmoffett avatar
Lyn Moffett
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You are well out of it. He needs to grow a pair and the mother needs to get her head out of her ass. Bullied by her for 3 years. Just right for not pandering to her.

dpopknight avatar
Diane Knight
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Consequences have to have enough sting to be effective. This one had a logical one, call her the wrong name, 'Janet' was to blame, as it was 'she' that was named to bring Turkey. Jenny should have received an apology when the 'game' burned the MIL. Stupid games have stupid prizes.

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