Being made fun of is never a particularly good feeling.
It can be downright painful when people make fun of you with the deliberate intention of hurting your feelings and making you feel bad about yourself.
And even when you’re teased by friends and family, with the intentions being more affectionate than anything else, it still can be difficult to join in the laughter.
Knowing that people are laughing at you, and not with you.
Redditor yankdeokd1 was growing increasingly tired of his brothers-in-law making personal jabs at his expense.
Having finally had enough, the original poster (OP) finally decided to give them a taste of their own medicine and make fun of them as well, going right for the jugular.
However, when the OP made his joke, the group consensus was that he went way too far.
Reflecting on his decision, the OP took to the subReddit “Am I The A**hole” (AITA), where he asked fellow Redditors:
“AITA for making fun of my brothers job/salary?”
The OP explained why they had finally endured enough of his brothers-in-law’s ridicule and decided to clap back.
“My brother-in-laws make fun of me for being short, stocky, and for looking older than my age/balding.”
‘I’m 30.”
“Whether it’s sports related, the size of my legs, my vehicle, my stomach, etc.”
“I don’t normally make fun of others and try to be aware of others feelings.”
“I heard them talking in a small group from a distance about how terrible I look for my age.”
“I agree with them for the most part, but figured if we’re speaking facts, then it would be okay for me to walk over and say ‘For as old and terrible as I look, at age 30 my salary is triple yours at age 45’ and I smiled.”
“Awkwardness ensued and I was approached by others saying that I took it too far to mention money and a man’s job.”
“I convince myself to be ok with this but I naturally feel bad for having said this, but I figured I could not make fun of them for being short or fat because they aren’t, so basically, I had to work with the ammo that I had.”
“I usually let them making fun of me slide without saying a word and go home feeling kinda bad about myself, but I’ve been getting tired of it lately.”
“AITA?”
Fellow Redditors weighed in on where they believed the OP fell in this particular situation, by declaring:
- NTA: Not the A**hole
- YTA: You’re the A**hole
- ESH: Everybody Sucks Here
- NAH: No A**holes Here
The Reddit community unanimously agreed that the OP was not the a**hole for making fun of his brothers-in-law’s salaries.
Everyone agreed that the OP was justified in his behavior, feeling that if his brothers-in-law didn’t enjoy jokes being made at their expense, then they shouldn’t do so to others.
“NTA.”
“So they can rip you to shreds however they choose, but you took it too far by bringing money into it?”
“Bull.”
“Don’t dish it if you can’t take it.”- green_eyes_32
“NTA.”
“Classic case of being able to dish it out but not take it.”- Psychological_Tap187
“Good for you!”
“That’s an awesome response to a group of bullies who are putting you down to make themselves feel better.”
“F*ck them.”
“NTA in my books.”- canadianmom83
“NTA.”
“I’d normally say ESH for stooping to their level, but it sounds like this ‘teasing’ (OP, this is not teasing, it is bullying) is very one-sided, and all against you.”
“These are toxic sad little men that are obsessed with traditional masculinity but cannot do the most traditionally masculine thing of all: provide a good income for their family.”
“Yeah, they deserved that dig.”
“Probably more than that.”- beanfiddler
“NTA.”
“They were bullying you for so long and you just returned the favor.”- throwra283747373892
“NTA.”
“This is the type of rudeness that needs to be dealt with in a bare knuckle, nuclear type of way.”
“You did good. I bet you they will never remark on your looks again.”- Turbulent_Message637
“NTA.”
“Bullies can never handle being bullied.”- robinsparkles73
“NTA.”
“In fact, high five, OP.”- tootallblonde
“What a bunch of hypocrites.”
“Why is it for them to bully you about things you can’t change (physical appearance) but it’s not ok for you to fire back about something that can be changed (his salary)?”
“Absolutely NTA.”
“Good job standing up for yourself.”- Mikey4You
“NTA.”
“F*ck em.”
“If you’re gonna get into the mud pit, expect to get dirty.”
‘If they’ve been ragging on you for as long as is implied, then I don’t think it’s a problem.”-RogansThirdEye
“NTA.”
“‘Woah, all they did was insult your genetics, your height, your appearance, your weight, your hairline, and how awful they think you look, but you really crossed a line when you mentioned money’.”
“F*ck those people…” PennyForYourThinks
“I’d push that back at them and say, ‘But it’s okay to criticize someone’s physical appearance?’ Make them think about how stupid they sound in that moment.”
“This is exactly why we have terms like ‘toxic masculinity’.”
“NTA.”- Atheist_Alex_C
“NTA.”
“If they were the kind of people who could be persuaded by reason, logic, and empathy that their behavior toward you was not okay, it would have happened by now.”
“What you did was simply give them a taste of their own medicine, which is the only language some people respect or respond to.”
“Also, it’s okay to shame someone for their appearance, but bringing up ‘money and a man’s job’ is taking it too far?”
“F*ck a bunch of that.”
“That sounds like the very definition of fragile masculinity on display.”
“At any rate, now you know their weakness.’
“Use it wisely.”- headdeskreact
“NTA.”
“Funny how some people can make fun of you for something you can’t change like your hair or whatever but when you make fun of someone’s life poor life choices it’s not ok?”
“F*ck them, if they insult you they should be able to get it back at them.”- TheKnee30
“NTA.”
“If they can dish it they can take it.”- an0nym0uswr1ter
“NTA.”
“And I think we know why he feels the need to belittle you.”
“He’s jealous of your economic status.”- lockituup
“NTA.”
“They’re making fun of you for something you can’t change. You’re making fun of them for things they can.”-Strict-Issue-2030
“NTA.”
“Something about glass houses.”- FARTSINAJAR69420
“NTA.”
“Sometimes to get it to stop, you need to dish it back.”
“I used to get fit-shamed by this guy at work, HR didn’t really care as it was ‘harmless,’ normally I just rolled my eyes.”
“Both of us are guys, same age. He had to typical beer belly dad bod, one day after he was making comments about me wasting time being fit (in front of HR, no less), I pointed to my belly, said ‘flat belly’ pointed at his ‘fat belly,’ he swore a bit, everyone laughed, and he never bothered me again.”-No-Chef-1002
“NTA.”
“He got what he deserved.”- Anxious_Article_2680
“NTA.”
“Is it considered rude to hold someone’s salary over their head?”
“Sure.”
“But so is constantly pointing out a person’s appearance.”
“Your comment was necessary because it ensures they stop messing with you in the moment as well as in the future.”- Good_Ad6336
“So that right there is the DEFINITION of FAFO.”
“They FA with you and found out. BRAVO for you.”
“And just so you know.”
“My older son is 30, gave up and started shaving his head at 27.”
“He’s not super tall and is a little heavy, but strong as an ox.”
“He’s also a lawyer, that might be his exact response too.”
“People think they have leeway to make fun of you but aren’t ready to take it back?”
“You are NTA in any way.”- Reynyan
“NTA don’t start none there won’t be none.”- stephenm1994
“Ohhhh it’s only ok when they’re making fun of you, and not the other way around.”
“Boo freaking hoo, they can get over it.”
“NTA, most definitely not.”
“I would be asking the others who approached you why it’s acceptable for them to make fun of your appearance, and you are not allowed to make fun of their job?”
“After all, you cannot control your genetics, but they are in control of their lives, their work-ethic, etc.”
“Really, they’re just mad that their favorite target had some bite. They’ve started to expect to be able to rip on you for fun with no consequences, so it’s time you disabused them of that notion.”- Rattimus
“NTA, bullies hate being shown up by their victims.”
“Good on you, next put some of that extra salary aside in a ‘show them up fund’ & use it to go to sporting events they want to but can’t afford to.”
“Better still, find one that they all want to go to & tell them you have a spare premium ticket.”
‘Watch them fawn all over you, then take your significant other.”- Local_Ad_530
Making fun of people, be it out of malice or affection, is a petty thing to do.
Particularly if you take things personally and don’t enjoy being made fun of yourself.
Something the OP’s brothers-in-law should have considered before making cheap, unnecessary jokes at the OP’s expense.