Today, my boss at my new job asked whether I was fitting in OK. The company is Swedish, so as a joke, I said that at home I now serve all my food as a smorgasbord, chew on fermented herring and Daim chocolate bars, and buy all my furniture at Ikea. She didn't see the funny side. FML
Collection
Fall
Dead leaves, the first cold of the season and an umbrella flipped inside out: fall, the season of grace.
Today, I went to a business meeting over lunch. My new employer seemed normal enough while we were eating, but now I have received messages about how he will buy me new clothes, and we can rent a camping car and go to festivals next year. All I wanted was a job. FML
Today, I had the questionable honor of explaining the difference between "your" and "you're" to my boss, and very diplomatically make her see why her poor grasp of language could affect our credibility as a communication agency. I'm Swedish, and English is my third language. She's American. FML
Today, my boss introduced a new hire and said, “You two will get along great.” I tried to make small talk, tripped over the recycling bin, and spilled paper everywhere. The new hire said, “So… is this, like, normal around here?” Unfortunately, yes. FML
Today, during lunch, my coworker offered me her food, claiming she was full. I was still quite hungry, so I accepted it. Halfway through eating the sandwiches, my boss walked in and started interrogating people over who took his lunch. I quickly realized I was the one eating it. FML
Today, on my first day of a new factory job, I discovered that my new boss had lied to me about my hours. I found this out when my coworkers burst out laughing when I mentioned having the weekends off, and talking about my recreational plans. FML
Today, my boss was hosting some client representatives for a meeting and had offered to buy everyone lunch. The "healthy" place he's ordering from made me sick last time, so I'd politely opted out. At lunch, the reps glared at me in the meeting room as I ate my homemade chili con carne. Turns out they're all vegans. FML
Today, making small talk with my coworkers, I said a restaurant I'd tried recently was "superb". They all gave me weird looks, and one said, "Someone's trying too hard to sound smart." Now I've got a rep as a pseudo-intellectual douchebag. FML
Today, a customer asked me if we serve spaghetti. She then asked for a manager because I was giving her a weird look, laughing softly when telling her yes, and apparently making her feel stupid. My manager wrote me up. I work at the Old Spaghetti Factory. FML
Today, at my new job at a funeral home, my boss threatened to fire me if I didn't "lighten the hell up" while dealing with our grieving clients. FML
Today, I was getting lunch at a fast food restaurant. My boss was in front of me, and in order to get on his good side I offered to pay. Instead, I got fired because I guess my boss assumed I was making fun of his salary, which I knew nothing about. FML
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Top comments
HULK_SMASH_ 7
Neither do I.
ThatsHowItsDoneS 2
I think your boss was looking for just a yes or no answer
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Comments (176)
neonraver 1
Idiot
iNewKid 20
You NEVER make fun of another person's home country.
VasilisaUzhasnaj 29
Especially if it's your boss.
hayyyyleyyyybaby_fml 14
It's ok OP, some people just have absolutely no filter for what they say, causing them to make fools of themselves.
Ugi 27
It's not so much making fun of the country but doing it without knowing the person well enough to know that they would take it. I have some Swedish clients who would be OK with this but I've known them for 10 years. Edit - that was @ 4
cjack188 13
Stupid OP, I know that if I had an employee telling me that his pet koala was going well, he now consisted of a diet of lamingtons and had no trouble riding the kangaroo to work, i'd get pretty annoyed (btw I'm Australian).
downtime 13
86, That would make you a douche. I am Australian too, but I have the ability to understand that it was meant in jest and not as an attack on me or my country of origin. Perhaps if you lack such observational, analytical and critical thinking skills you shouldn't be in management. Those are all fairly standard requirements for any managerial role. It is also worth noting that it says the company is Swedish, not their boss.
Skittlepickle 13
Don't be surprised when Rey start making jokes about Americans.
wyssis 1
Im swedish and i just lold on the subway. Ppl need to stop taking themselves too seriously.
ewiekiwi 8
I live in Sweden too! Found it kinda funny haha!
HULK_SMASH_ 7
Neither do I.
ComTlancy 12
Obviously you nor OP's new boss have a sense of humour. OP's boss should get over herself and laugh a stereotypes. For example, I will admit that I'm a shit driver with a below average sized dick because I'm half-Asian. Do I care? No. Do I laugh? Yes. Look at the Irish and their Irish jokes if you want further proof.
zxPenguin 0
Thank you!
Fasterkill 6
Just because you're okay with the stereotyping of a country, doesn't mean everyone else is. You don't represent an entire group of people. Also, everyone has a different sense of humour, so what may be funny to you is not so entertaining for someone else.
janelly16 7
Yeah that, or maybe shes just bad at joking around.
Fasterkill 6
Or maybe she didn't find the stereotyping of her people funny.
ComTlancy 12
Bloody hell. It's a joke, not a dick, so don't take it so hard. If something as minor as this offends someone then they need to eat a bag of cement and harden up.
TovaglioloViso 5
How long have you been waiting to use that one 87? It's not about how you meant the joke to come out, but how the other person takes it. Lots of people will take that stuff way too seriously and you just have to be careful.
downtime 13
51, Yes that is very true, she doesn't have to find it entertaining, but she could feign amusement because she knows the intent behind it was not negative. Roll your eyes internally sure, its no different to any other situation where someone makes a lame joke at work. I realise it was a stupid idea to make the joke in the first place without knowing how it would be received, this doesn't really change the fact that the woman has to lighten the **** up.
GigaPudding_fml 24
I'm Swedish and I wouldn't get offended or anything but I'm not sure I'd laugh since the joke is pretty bad in my opinion.
janelly16 7
I'm not disagreeing with that? I'm just saying some people are bad at making things sound humorous.
ImaginaryFoe 1
I don't think it's funny either. Not because I'm offended on behalf of Swedish people but just because it's not funny. Don't assume just because someone's sense of humour doesn't jibe with yours that they don't have one.
PinkElephants713 6
I still don't get it :p and with all the comments already posted, I was sure there would be an answer.. I guess I just haven't heard many Swedish stereotypes haha
mowmowlife 21
Why not? It's a genuine question, it seemed to me that OP was just trying to be friendly
Joey_Bellows 1
So you made a racist joke in a new job... smooth.
ThatsHowItsDoneS 2
I think your boss was looking for just a yes or no answer
reddudeover 2
I think it was a pretty clear (albeit awkward and insulting) no.
honeybuncher 3
Neither do I.
HULK_SMASH_ 7
You copy Hulk? Now Hulk will smash everything!!!
honeybuncher 3
Ugh! Just realized someone already posted this. And damn you, anti-flood protection!
nofearjenshere 12
10- I read that in the hulk voice and it fit perfectly. Haha.
KiddNYC1O 22
Lou Ferigno or David Bana?
ImaginaryFoe 1
*Eric* Bana or Edward Norton or Mark Ruffalo. Damn there are almost as many Hulks as there are Bonds. And, yes, I'm slightly embarrassed that I know all of them, too.
KiddNYC1O 22
Thanks, Foe.
illoveyouu435 0
I would start looking for a new job. At the rate you're going you won't have this one for long.
nephilim241 19
Scandinavians don't do humor like western Europe/US people.. Especially when you're taking the piss out of them!
chatoyant_fml 12
Most swedes would laugh at this, but bosses in general aren't really famous for their sense of humor, might be the problem. And humor is pretty individual, not sure if you could label It by country, but hey that's just me, and btw swedes joke about ourselves all the time,
vcapelo 19
No you are right scandinavian humor is better!
VivaLaColdplay 27
We don't? Thanks for telling me, the Scandinavian girl.
danishbagel 3
I'm Scandinavian and I thought it was funny :/
eliiin 0
Not true...? I'm swedish and i'm pretty sure that my humor is better than yours...
nephilim241 19
Just to make clear I wouldn't say either culture's humour is better/worse, more plentiful/lesser.. I've known a few scandinavians, mainly Norge, and yeh we could have a laugh but it seemed like they found some types of things less amusing/some more so.. Not to say all Scandinavians have identical senses of humour either!
Devin91 20
That's their culture of course she isn't going to find it funny.
hayyyyleyyyybaby_fml 14
Seriously, imagine if you asked your boss a question about American living, and she said, "Well now I eat eighteen cheeseburgers a day, I sue everything that I possibly can, and I find all airbrushed models to be true reality of what I should look like. And I sleep with my cousin on occasion."
Exodus9 10
Im american and I found that very funny
hayyyyleyyyybaby_fml 14
Americans have awesome senses of humor :) haha
mattykent3 4
Granted they might insult you back, but they wont mean it
skoob1 12
Or like an American in a European situation might say "yeah, now I talk like I have something stuck in the roof of my mouth and don't wear a bra.
Devin91 20
46:Thats not like that at all.. Go to Europe before you say stuff like that.
TheDrudgeChild 4
24 - I'm American and I know enough people who seem to validate that stereotype.
kkillaj 5
24- that was the funniest thing I read all day lol
puppyshoes 4
Well i'm swedish too, I got the joke though it wasn't really that funny... Though your boss might be a bit stuck up or just had a bad day an wanted a yes/no answer
vippipippi 16
Our culture? Really? Ikea is not the only furniture shop we have.
VasilisaUzhasnaj 29
At what point did you think listing off every ignorant Swedish stereotype to your new boss would be a cute idea? YDI, dumbass.
your_ma 27
Wow you're a tool. Just saying...
RomanBeauty 0
That's not the definition of being a tool...
Mister_Triangle 21
Right back at ya, good buddy