Even in this progressive, modern age, far too many men continue to have antiquated views regarding women.
Some men still expect their wives and girlfriends, even wives to be dainty, beautiful creatures they can show off to their male friends and colleagues.
As a result, these men make no secrets of their expectations of how women should appear while in public.
Redditor storiesfrommypast found herself constantly frustrated by her ex-boyfriend, when he constantly berated her to add a specific color to her clothes and makeup, which she absolutely detested.
Looking back on how she handled his behavior, the original poster (OP) took to the subReddit "Am I the A**hole" (AITA), where she asked fellow Redditors:
"AITA for refusing to incorporate a color I dislike into my life?"
The OP first disclosed that all her life, she has carried a notable aversion to a certain color.
"Ever since I (F[emale], 29) was a child, I've always had a negative feeling towards pink."
"I grew up associating pink to being girly and I am not a girly girl."
"As a result, I refused to buy or wear anything pink in it to this day."
"This is something that's made known to all my close family and friends."
Her hatred of pink would later prove to be a problem when she entered. a new relationship.
"A few years ago, I met and started dating my (now ex) bf, Luke (M[ale] 28)."
"I need to mention that Luke once said that he likes to see his girlfriend (GF) in pink."
"Naturally, he got upset over the fact that I don't (and probably won't) own anything pink."
But Luke wouldn't take no for an answer, and never stopped expressing his desire for the OP to add pink to her clothes or makeup in some capacity, leading to an inevitable confrontation.
"Over the next few months, Luke kept trying to persuade me to buying more pink items like clothes, makeup, accessories and electronic gadgets."
"He even tried to convince me to spray my car pink!"
"I brushed him aside and told him over and over that I do not like the color, and that it does not suit my personality."
"One day we were in Sephora and he saw this bright fuchsia lipstick and insisted that I buy it."
"Yes, you read that correctly, he was asking me to buy something in a color I don't like for myself, and asked that I do it for him to make him happy."
"I told him off and asked him to stop pushing me to wasting money on things I won't use."
"And then he snapped at me, saying it was just a small thing he's asking for and that I'm selfish for not wanting to give in to him."
"Note: At this point, I've purchased a couple of pink clothings to wear on my dates with him for the sake of 'making him happy'."
"I got fed up with his behavior and walked out of the store, and he ended up not talking to me for the rest of the night."
"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
- NAH – No A**holes Here
- ESH – Everyone Sucks Here
The Reddit community agreed that the OP was not at all the a**hole by refusing to wear pink.
Just about everyone agreed that the OP's ex-boyfriend had terribly antiquated views of women and his behavior was unsettling and controlling, feeling it was a good thing that she was no longer in this relationship.
"NTA."
"I hate when guys say stuff like 'I prefer my gfs to do/wear this' and then get pushy when their current GF won't."
"Firstly, women aren't possessions, that means they have a choice to ignore what he wants."
"Secondly, pushing that on someone who doesn't want it is controlling and gross."-UnluckyDreamer1.
"Nope, this is not natural."
"This is weird and controlling."
"Having such strong preferences over what color your partner likes is weird."
"Getting upset that they don't own anything in that color is not normal."
"Actually pushing them to buy things in that color is outright controlling."
"It's not even that he thinks that color suits you or something, it's that he even wants you to own various items in that color??"
"It's not a small thing."
"He's trying to turn you into some fetishized image in his head of what a woman should be, instead of valuing you for who you are."
"NTA, obviously."-KellyfromtheFuture.
"NTA."
"I don't like yellow so I don't wear yellow."
"My bf doesn't request me to wear yellow."
"Luke is weird for pushing you to war Pink often."- bdiddyjones.
"NTA."
"Common abuser tactic is to pester over an insignificant thing their partner resists."
"Once they win that battle, they move on to the next, and eventually get bigger with demands."-Maine04330.
"That's a super weird obsession and you should be suspicious."
"NTA."-Minoxidil.
"NTA."
"Buy him a doll he can dress that in pink."- hideme21.
"NTA."
"Also, his obsession with his girlfriend wearing/owning pink actually comes across as controlling rather than just liking a color."
"Also, calling you selfish wasn't cool of him since you'd already purchased some pink items."
"I don't think he would've been happy until you fully gave in and just bought everything he wanted."-Heresmyusername27.
"NTA: If you don't like a color your don't like a color, don't wear it if you don't like it."
"Carful OP, this can be a slippery slope."-GlassturtleOG.
"Definitely NTA."
"My reply would've been 'if you want to buy me something that's pink by all means go ahead, but I'm not buying it for myself'."
"The fact that he wanted you to fund something that was for him (and the fact that you actually even did with the pink outfits...girl...) is just another layer of awful."
"But really, don't do something that doesn't bring you joy for someone that is selfish."-erraticjudgment.
"NTA I doubt he has an obsession with the color; it probably wasn't about the color at all."
"He just found a thing you hated and was getting off on trying to break you down."
"It could have been anything."
"It almost feels like it was a game to him to see if he could get you to buckle to his will."-BreakfastF00ds.
"NTA: this guy seems way to demanding if you are just dating."
"You wont have your own life with this one."- Acoz_.
"NTA."
"That's just an absurd demand."
"It's one thing to compliment you and encourage you to wear things they like to see you in, but once you say no, I don't like that…that should be the end of it."- KaliTheBlaze.
"NTA."
"It sound like you two were on the polar opposite sides of the pink stick, one loves it, one hates it."
"The clothes and lipstick were one thing (also not cool) ... but YOUR CAR??"
"That's a whole lotta pink to be stuck with!"- Rohini_rambles.
"NTA."
"It's not a small thing to ask someone to own and wear things that are a color you know they hate."
"It's a small thing to ask that your partner accepts you won't buy pink things."
"It's also not selfish to refuse to own things that are a color you hate."
"It IS selfish to keep demanding that someone owns and wears pink things when you know they hate it."- fading__blue.
"NTA - I don't see any problem with not wanting to wear pink, own pink items etc."
"You should do what makes you happy at the end of the day."
"His happiness should not depend on you satisfying what's appealing to his eye - you should always put yourself and your feelings first."
"I don't think he's respecting your boundaries, which can be an issue further down the line."-frehlani.
"Of course you're NTA."
"Is it common for someone to insist on a specific color for someone to wear/be associated with?"
"I mean, I get being partial to a certain color, but insisting that your partner does the same seems weird AF to me."-Nashgrl67.
Many Redditors felt that the OP should have given Luke a taste of his own medicine, and see how he liked being commanded to wear a certain color.
"NTA, as a woman who also hates the color pink."
"This is so weird to me."
"Does he like the color pink?"
"If so, he can wear it himself."
"If he just likes to see his GF in pink, why?"
"Because he associates pink with feminine?"
"Going as far as trying to get you buy all pink gadgets and paint your car this color seems controlling and a little obsessive."- stubborn_panda26.
"NTA."
"He should wear pink if he likes it so much!"
"Ask him to wear pink for you and see him backpedal hard."-otterly_overwhelmed.
"NTA! "
"Any partner who gets upset about what you wear on your own body is expecting way too much control over you."
"If he loves pink so much he can wear it himself."-rei_toei_.
"NTA he can wear the pink f*cking lipstick if he likes it so much."- Flat_Lengthiness_319.
It does indeed seem like Luke viewed the OP as a possession more than a partner.
Here's hoping the OP finds a new boyfriend who shows her more respect, and ideally shares her hatred of the color pink.















Woman Breaks Up With 'Clingy' Boyfriend For Making Joke About 'Getting With' Her Sister
As much as we might want to date someone, there's no point in trying to gain the attention and affection of someone who does not want to reciprocate.
Dating someone "similar" to fill that void isn't a good look, either, cringed the members of the "Am I Overreacting?" (AIO) subReddit.
Redditor Flashy-External1666 had been long-distance dating a guy from her friend group for about a month, even though he'd expressed his attraction to her older sister repeatedly before they started dating.
When her sister entered a new relationship, the Original Poster (OP) was hurt and disgusted that her boyfriend insinuated that he could have been trying to "get with" her sister while he was instead busy dating her.
She asked the sub:
The OP was aware that her boyfriend had his eye on someone close to her before dating her.
"I (19 Female) am with M (21 Male), and we've been together for a month. We were friends before this, for a while."
"For some background, when we were in a friend group, he'd always talk about how my sister (23 Female) was super hot and how he wanted her, but she was in a relationship at the time."
When he found out that her sister had been in-between relationships, he had an unsavory reaction.
"Earlier today, I mentioned to him how my sister started seeing this new guy, and I was super proud of her, because she went through a lot with her last relationship."
"His immediate reply was, 'Dang,' one month too late' with a sad emoji, insinuating that he was one month too late to get with her, because we've been together for a month."
You can see the text message exchange here:
The OP was immediately turned off by the idea of dating him.
"After I got upset and he apologized, he immediately sent me a reel that said, 'When she's already upset about me, but I have a second joke in mind.'"
"I feel like he genuinely doesn't care about me."
"He has also gotten weirdly clingy within the month, like red-flag clingy."
"He keeps trying to say how he loves me, wants to marry me, and wants me to go live with him. But he also always brings up my exes and gets super jealous when HE mentions them."
"I don't know what to do. Should I block him??"
"He's mentioned before that I would need to block him on everything if we ever broke up because he'd never leave me alone (we are currently long-distance)."
Fellow Redditors weighed in:
Some were grossed out by the boyfriend's text message and understood why the OP was upset.
"The fact that he wrote all that out and even added a little emoji at the end and still decided to send it, knowing it would be hurtful for you."
"Seems like he’s texted that to see if he could get away with it. Either way, you don’t say something like that to someone you care about…" - Oven_Traditional
"NOR. Ew! That’s so disrespectful coming from someone who should be thrilled to have you."
"I’m team 'dump him.' If he has a brother, maybe ask for his brother’s number as you end it just to see how he likes it." - Entire-Tonight-1463
"NOR. He's not joking about your sister. Based on what he's said about her in the past, it would have been a wise move to NOT date him at all. PERIOD."
'There's a possibility that he's clingy/close to you for the purpose of indirectly keeping an eye on your sister. Release him and let him go, thereby setting yourself free from foolishness." - AtlJazzy2024
"He’s not for you… Break up with him and block him. You deserve a guy who treasures YOU!" - Muted-Lynx-8745
"He might be your boyfriend, but you're not his girlfriend. In his mind, your sister is." - Save-your-spoons
Others urged the OP to block her boyfriend and move on.
"Girl, it's been a month. Let that loser go." - sleepymelfho
"He kept OP as a backup, while circling her sister's orbit. What has happened to transparency and honesty in relationships? All I read now is obnoxious men doing obnoxious things to their partners."
"OP, he's keeping you around to stay close to your sister. You deserve better... NOR." - ColdHandGee
"NOR. You know that he's not joking about wanting your sister. He told on himself before you even got together, talking about how hot she was. Believe him."
"Break up with him and cut him off immediately. I can't believe you ever agreed to date him in the first place. I'd never want to date someone who had the hots for someone else in my immediate circle, whether that was a sibling or a friend." - Lanky_Mud_8148
"You’ve been dating one month, and that’s one month too long."
"He’s not joking about your sister. He fancies her more than you, and you’re the consolation prize. He will pursue her given the chance."
"Time to dump him." - Special_Wind_6708
"NOR. He can't have your sister, so you're just the next best thing. Him being a clingy weirdo that 'will never leave you alone' is the cherry on top."
"You know what to do. Dump him and block him on everything. If anyone from the friend group asks, just tell them what you told us. And you REALLY should warn your sister; you have receipts." - sdoM-bmuD
"Ditch him. Honestly. What are you waiting for?" - forget_me_not_uwu
"NOR at all. Cut this loser out of all channels of your life."
"I wouldn’t block, though. Just ghost so that he can watch you become happier without him as the ultimate revenge because I’m petty like that, and he clearly deserves it."
"ALSO, if he's as creepy and clingy as he sounds, you can have him muted, so he can see your activity, but you won't have to see his... But you'd have all of his messages as receipts if he ever became threatening or stalkerish for police purposes."
"For more context: My mum started dating my dad (when she was 19, too), who initially tried to go for her older sister (two years older) and got rejected."
"After three years of dating, seven years of engagement, and 20 years of marriage where she put up with an incompetent man-child that wouldn’t do anything for himself and expected her to completely cater to him while he berated her and treated her like s**t..."
"...it ended in him cheating on her with a waitress for over a year and denying it until my mum had literal photographic evidence, to which he had the audacity to respond with the reasoning that she was the reason he was 'driven to cheat' (as if that was even remotely close to the truth and the only option to solve his ‘problems’)."
"Save yourself, girl. This man-child can learn to pine over you and your sister from afar as you both skip into the sunset together, moving on with your lives and into better relationships that fulfill you the way you deserve!" - peachycritter
Some cautioned the OP to also cover her tracks after the breakup, as he sounded worse than "clingy" to them.
"The actual scary part isn't even the sister joke; it's, 'he said he'd never leave me alone if we broke up,' only one month in."
"That line gave me chills, and that alone would have me Googling how to block someone on every platform that exists." - babydoodle91
"Ew. These super clingy guys right out the gate are scary. Please watch your step, and erase your tracks." - Immabirb
"He sounds like a stalker... Drop him now, fast. And block him everywhere." - Admirable_Program720
"NOR, yes, you block him, and you keep him out of your life, and you tell mutual friends that if they try to facilitate contact between you two, you will block them as well. He isn't joking." - JustAsICanBeSoCruel
"I watch way too much crime for this!"
"Girl, block him. Also tell your sister to block him, too; he’s obsessed with her." - MrsRoronoaZoro
"NOR. You're underreacting, honestly."
"He wants your sister, but you're close enough. He's obsessed with her and won't give it up even though he has someone he 'wants to marry.'"
"Also, he's not lying. He probably will stalk you online afterwards; please be careful." - Phoenix-Phire-38
"NOR at all. Your post kept adding on more red flags with each additional sentence. I know you’re young, but he’s toxic, and yes, you will need to block him."
"Breaking up with someone you have strong feelings for is really difficult, so when you leave, you should make sure to lean on friends and family and keep yourself distracted with things you like and find engaging." - query_tech_sec
"The s**t with your sister is nothing compared to the love-bombing and jealousy. This guy is trouble, and scary, and you will have done the right thing when you leave him and maintain the distance between the two of you. NOR." - potatomeeple
After receiving feedback, the OP posted an update, but it seemed to be only the beginning.
"Thank you for making me feel less crazy."
"I blocked him on everything and deactivated my Instagram."
"He DM'ed a girl that I had posted ONCE on my Instagram Stories, asking about me."
"I'm not sure if he's going to keep trying to talk to me, but I hope not."
The subReddit's internal alarm bells were ringing while reading the OP's post, and they hoped that she'd leave her boyfriend in every sense of the word. They already lived long-distance, but she needed to cut him off in every other sense.
Not only was it obvious that he wanted someone else and was with the OP to "make up for it," but his "promises" of not leaving her alone if she ever broke up with him were love-bombing and stalker-like, at best.