Today, away at college, I called my grandmother to hear how she was doing after her knee surgery. She ended up talking about Hooters and how I should work there because of my "rare body". When I mentioned I've been studying computer science, earning a 3.8 GPA, she replied, "But you're a girl." FML
Collection
Halloween
A failed costume, stolen candy and a very real scare: Halloween, the one night when fear is allowed.
Same thing different taste
Today, I was eating lunch when my grandmother came over and started watching me. Suddenly she said, "I see you're getting breasts". I'm a guy. FML
Desperate nan
Today, I graduated from college with two undergrad degrees in biochem and wildlife biology, with high distinction. My mom told me she had found me a job at a petting zoo. I thought she was joking. She then said sternly, "I want grandkids. At least you will meet girls there." FML
Annie's Song
Today, I was finally having a conversation with my granny, who I don't get to see often. First thing she tells me was that she was going to have surgery soon, because her "women's insides" were "dangling out." FML
Boobaloo
Today, I was feeling really down and insecure after a friend joked about how small my boobs are. When my grandma got me to tell her what happened, she reassured me that all the girls in our family were late bloomers. I said "Really?" and she replied, "Oh no dear. Quite the opposite." FML
Today, a girl came up to me on the street and said, "You have like no swag, bro." Feeling clever, I said, "At least I have a high school education." She then took out her work ID, showing me that she was a surgeon, flipped me off, then walked away saying, "This is totally going on Facebook." FML
Today, my grandma picked up the phone. It was a man asking to speak to me. Instead of giving me the phone she decides to hang up on him, thinking it was some guy trying to "get with me." It turned out to be the call I've been waiting all week for... a call from a huge company about a job offer. FML
Today, I was working at my job as a cashier, checking out an elderly woman's groceries. She was very nice, and we chatted for a couple minutes. Once she had paid, she leaned close to me and said, very politely, "I'm so so sorry that I mistook you for a girl at first, young man." I AM a girl. FML
Today, my perfectly sane and healthy 90 year old grandmother had a heart to heart with me. She told me she'd pay for a boob job. When I asked why, she said, "Sweetie, you'll never attract someone with those tiny suckers." FML
Today, after months of cooking breakfast, lunch, and dinner for my husband's grandmother due to her getting a hip replacement, I overheard her calling me a whore over the phone from the next room. FML
Today, I asked my grandmother what she looked like when she was young. She casually replied, "I was ugly, sweetie. Just like you." FML
Top comments
iAmPaul 49
Well, she certainly has an archaic way of thinking.
iAmPaul 49
It pisses me off when people say that. Being old does NOT make it ok to say those reprehensible things with her outdated values and mindset.
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Comments (157)
iAmPaul 49
Well, she certainly has an archaic way of thinking.
natyemi15 15
It's the painkillers talking...
Arot6 17
Comment moderated for rule-breaking.
It's ok. She can say that because she's old.
iAmPaul 49
It pisses me off when people say that. Being old does NOT make it ok to say those reprehensible things with her outdated values and mindset.
gracehi 33
I disagree, #9. Sometimes you just have to excuse people for what they say because of their upbringing. Otherwise, you're just going to be pissed off at people all the time when they really don't know any better. You're only hurting yourself by getting angry at people for the way they've been raised. I mean, why should you care what some old person with outdated ideals thinks? It's not like they determine your destiny. You do.
angeluv_2014 22
It's odd though because usually an old grandma wouldn't want her granddaughter working at Hooters, even if she didn't understand the concept of a successful career woman... she really just sounds like a crazy old bat
angeluv_2014 22
@28 Even going by how an old woman might have been raised, it was not common for women to dress and exploit themselves the way women do at Hooters. It was more common for them to just get married, or at the very least hold temp jobs or be teachers or nurses and such... nothing like Hooters was a popular choice back when
gracehi 33
I'm pretty sure there have always been jobs for women willing to flaunt their bodies for cash. The grandmother may have been okay with that when she was young, but the idea of a woman with a career, in technology no less, was likely still unheard of. Either that, or she's just crazy, like you said. Either way, can't get too mad at her for her archaic ideals.
classicsparkles 17
#32, there isn't anything wrong with a nursing or teaching job, both of those require extensive schooling and resumes. As for values of the elderly, that depends on where they were raised as much as the time period, not everyone has or had completely conservative values, so their grandchild wearing shorts and a tank top while waiting tables wouldn't be all that shocking.
184886837272837 32
as Abraham Lincoln once said when referring to the southerners "Try not to judge them too harshly, they are exactly as we would be under the same circumstances." Doesn't excuse saying that kind of thing but it's important to try to empathize with people even if you disagree with them.
iAmPaul 49
@gracehi Completely wrong. I CAN be pissed off at people who say it's ok for the elderly to say ignorant things, writing it off as "their upbringing". So ******* what if they were brought up to be ignorant? There's no room for that kind of idiocy in today's society, and there's no excuse to be harbouring/defending ignorance on the basis of the logical fallacy of appealing to tradition.
JustinJK 21
She can died because she's old too. Ignorant old hag.
GhostDuck 30
Age doesn't matter, it's still an offensive comment.
gracehi 33
Well, then, suit yourself, Paul. Continue raging about the thoughts of a dying generation if you choose. I prefer to disregard them and carry on merrily, knowing that I will be successful with our without their approval, but that's just me.
mfmylifesrsly 30
@42 Why would you want to be pissed though? Why waste that energy on some old dingbat who doesn't define who you are?
fortune789 17
What they were trying to say is why waste your time? If she's a 70 year old lady do you really think you bitching at her for 10 minutes will change 70 years of thinking? It's not worth the energy.
iAmPaul 49
61, 64, 84: You're all idiotically acting as though my being angry about something is the worst thing that could possibly happen. I don't lose any sleep over it, or anything that makes me angry/annoyed for that matter. Being annoyed with something doesn't mean I spend all day obsessing over it. Stop acting all high-and-mighty.
siggy_mcsigx 22
Grace Hopper. Look her up. Age ain't an excuse.
siggy_mcsigx 22
Grace Hopper. Look her up. So should OP's grandmother. Age doesn't count here, really. *Edit Sorry for the doublepost, didn't see it come up the first time!
chococat251 9
I don't think you should completely excuse what she says. I mean obviously older people are more likely to have a more "traditional" way of thinking, but that doesn't completely excuse her comments.
gracehi 33
Oh really, Paul? I guess that's why you've continued to comment on this thread throughout the day. But then again, so have I. Hmmmm...
Flyndaran 10
My great grandfather made sure all his daughters went to college. My grandmother was a lab technician when my mother was born in 1953. Age is no excuse for idiocy or sexism.
iAmPaul 49
100 - You've not made a single legitimate point thus far.
militarybrat 21
So if she used then word? "Its ok because shes old"? Um no
NoMapToBuy 14
I think most of us will be like this. What we think now won't be what they think in 40/60 years, there is no right or wrong opinion on others. The only thing that is right is to not push your own opinion upon someone else. People here calling her ignorant and stupid should grow up, she is in the wrong for giving her opinion, just like you are all in the wrong for being rude as she doesn't have the same opinion. Keep it private, just tolerate each other (if you disagree with them)
iAmPaul 49
127 - No, she's being ignorant. Her opinion is ignorant and bigoted, and there's no reason to tolerate it. Your tangent is fallacious.
IWishIWasObama 12
Wow! Paul the racoon is very thin-skinned!
ana_lee_bonde 17
#134 Anger to oppose biggotry? Hold on I'll give you some gasoline to put out that fire while you're at it.
angeluv_2014 22
@36 But wouldn't the oppression of women (aka not accepting the idea of women with gender stereotyped careers) be along the lines of old-fashioned conservative values? This is why the "she was raised in a different time period" explanation doesn't sit right with me.
iAmPaul 49
Your sarcasm is unproductive and doesn't detract anything from my point.
liquidhydrogen 6
No harm in earning a little extra money on the side while you study what you love.
potato63 10
Ha! She still lives in the past
llamarrama01 21
Maybe work there to pay for your college?
photographer49 22
#5 yea cuz hooters seems like the type of place that can afford paying for a workers college.
Zebediabolical 45
Stripping pays way better. The 'G-String Scholarship' is a thing for a reason.
communisttaco 16
Sexism is wrong and being wrong is for women
photographer49 22
Stupidity is wrong and you are being stupid.
communisttaco 16
**** you maybe I am stupid.
communisttaco 16
And for the record, it's a joke. If you thought I was serious then you're as retarded as I am.
Dovahkiin_1997 22
Everyone knows it was a joke, it just wasn't funny
theoneandonlybro 18
I thought it was pretty funny
Kazze 31
The Dragonborn has spoken.
Flaming_Pandas 15
*Australian voice* And here we see the elusive FML troll in it's natural habitilat, making sexist jokes to induce a reaction from it's victims. But the troll must be watchful for the wild FML staff, as they have been known to hunt the troll's kind. Fascinating.
WitEluded 13
This is hardly an FML, you are smokin hot and will be earning six figures shortly after college...
theotherguyss 3
Comment moderated for rule-breaking.
That is rare though =. A hot girl IN Computer Science... I mean a girl in Computer Science is pretty rare as it is. *Talking as a Chemical Engineer here*
classicsparkles 17
Do you have a point or are you just rambling?
photographer49 22
I didn't realize physical appearances and gender determined your interests.
immaloser95 28
As a girl in the pursuing an automotive degree, it gets pretty ******* annoying when guys point out how rare it is to see a girl in the shop. Your chest and lack of dick shouldn't determine your interests.
Compgeek1996 5
Nothing about gender determines a person's interests, except that even today, parents are more likely to encourage tech fields for boys than girls. Although, there are several basic differences between men and women in terms of the way they think and interact which leads STEM fields to be more male dominated. You also won't find many highly-social people in STEM; it's somewhat dominated by introverts. But again, culture and upbringing; boys are taught to examine and tinker while girls are generally pushed towards social and interpersonal fields. It's all a matter of how we've decided people should think and act in society. Not to condone the grandmother's comment, though. You'd think she'd 've more open to that idea since the computer field was actually dominated by women running program cards when she would have been young. It wasn't for boys until they started making them into personal gadgets marketed to boys.
Kailayla 29
I'm a female studying computer science, and I have more "non-feminine" things I like. (I don't consider myself to be hot though) Problem?
SaturnV 25
Rare or not, guys in predominantly male fields who treat their female counterparts differently are doing disservice to the field and everyone who populates it. I understand that it can be difficult to overcome certain societally mediated gender dynamics, but despite this, it is necessary to make an effort to regard and treat everyone in these fields as professional, intellectual, and autonomous individuals (regardless of their gender). While studying for my CS degree, I had several classes where I was literally the only female student, so I speak from personal experience. Being forced to continually deflect focus away from myself and back onto my work (where it rightfully belonged) was uncomfortable and degrading. #10, I realize that you likely meant no offense, but I hope you'll consider how harmful it is to commodify female engineers instead of celebrating them for their professional achievements outside the scope of their gender.
lurker_no_more 13
Of course women shouldn't be treated differently when studying CS or other fields where males are commonly the majority. But stating that something is rare, when it is, does not equate to treating differently.
DarkRealmGolem 9
#129 I'm glad people like you exist
SaturnV 25
That's not entirely accurate, 129. It seems the main point I was making has been overlooked. When contributing to this discussion, the commenter in question chose to focus on the looks and gender of female computer scientists (which would almost certainly not be a discussion point if the FML was submitted by a male). This is a perfect (although admittedly minor) example of the disparate treatment women receive as a result of that mindset. And it does, in fact, constitute unequal treatment. Downplaying it as someone merely "stating a fact" selectively ignores the broader implications of such a statement.
Evil20071 20
Agreed. I'm a Computer Sciences major.
MrConcise 35
Computer science? Is that code for using your breasts to trick twelve-year-olds into getting you that YouTube money? Or is it the one where you go on Twitch and have the same twelve-year-olds donate excessive amounts of their parents' money to a webcam feed of your ill-fitting tanktop?
stuner56 22
She'll be writing code so we thumb down stupid comments on apps like this
MrConcise 35
I didn't know computer science was a legitimate profession! Thank you for enlightening me! Gosh, my whole world view is flipped.
conman531 23
Tell her a 3.8 GPA in computer science is worth more than a rare body for Hooters