Oh, the holidays. Like birthdays and anniversaries, any day so culturally devoted to gift-giving is going to be a huge minefield.
Everyone’s opinion on what counts as a good gift is different. Some families do wish lists, others set price limits, and some are just a free for all.
For my family, it was all about the Sears catalog. My sister and I would choose a crayon color and circle everything we wanted.
However, we knew that we weren’t going to get everything we circled.
It gave our parents a gauge on what we were currently obsessed with and they could budget and plan accordingly. We also knew that money was tight and a bigger gift would likely have to be the only gift.
Obviously, this kid who posted on the r/AmItheAsshole subreddit isn’t so understanding.
He posted the question using an anonymous account, and that’s probably for the best.
Like many teens — and really, just people in general — he had a new game console in his sights for under the tree.
In particular, he wanted a Playstation 5.
If you have any awareness of the gaming world, then you’ll know that the release of a new console generation is a big deal.
The Playstation 4 came out in 2013, so it’s been a bit of a wait.
Between pent up demand and the fact that console gaming has had a pandemic-infused boost in popularity, they are also pretty much impossible to buy right now. So much so that Amazon currently just lists them as “unavailable” with no estimated restocking date.
Not to mention that it costs $400-$500 depending on the model.
So yeah, it’s an expensive gift to ask for and pretty much impossible to purchase, let alone in time for Christmas.
When the teen repeatedly asked his parents for one, his mom told him that they were hard to come by and what he might want if it couldn’t happen.
“I said nothing, if I couldn’t get a PS5, then don’t bother with anything else,” he said.
Low and behold, on Christmas morning, there was no $500 console under the tree.
Instead, there was a new winter coat and some of his favorite candy.
He was not impressed.
“I got upset and asked why they wouldn’t have at least tried to get me something I might want.”
His parents noted that he literally said he wanted a PS5 or “nothing,” and his dad told him he was acting like a spoiled brat.
*Many* people who wanted one this year didn’t get one.
“He said he could understand being mildly disappointed in not getting what I wanted, but the bratty entitled attitude had to stop,” the teen describes, “I told my dad he was being an asshole to me, and I was just disappointed they didn’t get me anything good. He said he didn’t care if I was disappointed, he was disappointed in me for how materialistic I was being.”
When his older brother called to with Christmas greetings, the 17-year-old complained to him.
The brother laughed at him, said their dad was clearly teaching him a lesson, and “that [he] must have been acting like a real asshole for him to do that.”
“I don’t see how I’m he asshole for being disappointed I didn’t get anything for Christmas, but my dad and brother are in agreement that I am the asshole.”
It was the kid’s brother who recommended he share the story on the subreddit for an impartial verdict.
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I’m 99 percent sure his brother knew exactly how hat would go over with the community.
Which was probably the point, because it was pretty much unanimous: he’s the asshole.
With a capital A.
Most noted that he keeps saying he got nothing for Christmas, which isn’t even true.
“You literally TOLD them that if you couldn’t have a PS5, you didn’t want anything, and they still got you two presents. You really do sound like a brat. Grow up,” said Equivalent-Offer580.
It’s not like a good winter coat is cheap, either.
Many people noted that simply asking for a gift that costs hundreds of dollars was showing a sense of entitlement long before he freaked out over not getting it.
“I would never have asked my parents for a $500 gift in the first place. Does OP think money f—ing grows on trees? $500 is two months of car payments for me. It’s 30 hours of work for me. On top of all the other s— that needs to be paid during the month of December,” said Turbulent_Problem_25.
“I’m not saying OP should have a job,” they continued, “but he is MORE than old enough to understand the value of money, what bills are, and the difference between a want and a need.”
No one says that he can’t be disappointed that he couldn’t have the console he wanted. Everyone is allowed to feel a bit let down when a hope is dashed.
Wanting a PS5 and requesting one isn’t showing entitlement, but expecting anything that expensive and then vocally complaining about not getting it, is.
And that’s setting aside the fact that it’s literally impossible to buy one right now.
Juicemph noted , “I’ve never tried so hard to spend $500. Still don’t have one. OP is definitely TA.”
If they had managed to find one, it likely would have been from a scalper charging three times the price.
What’s really a shame here is that his parents probably would have gotten him the console eventually.
His mom’s main worry when she asked about alternative presents was that it was hard to buy.
But now, if I were them, I’d refuse to buy it for him on principle. If he wants it now, he’s got to earn it.
That’s the only real way to solve such entitlement issues.
And if those are nipped in the bud now, the family could be looking at even more drama later.
Like this post by a grieving father who really didn’t need the extra stress of dealing with entitled siblings.
In it, he explained that his 15-year-old son had recently lost a battle against a chronic heart condition.
Throughout the fight, they had tried to remain positive and the father had saved money for college in the future.
It didn’t take long after his son’s death for the college fund to come up with extended family. At a gathering, his sister just asked him outright what he planned to do with it.
So he replied honestly: he was going to give it to his son’s best friend, who had been by his side throughout the ordeal.
The family was shocked, saying that he should give the money to his nephew instead.
“My mom agreed that I wasn’t thinking straight and that I should help the people close to me-family and that my nephew has a right to go to college and I was wrong for giving this ‘opportunity’ away to someone else.”
However, the father makes clear in the post that he and his son had almost no support from his family.
While the best friend visited the hospital all the time and has even continued to visit the father, the family didn’t.
His sister even tried to argue that the nephew would resent him for not giving him the opportunity for college. She began texting him constantly about it.
Confused and still grieving his loss, the dad asked Reddit to weigh in.
They pretty much unanimously agreed that the sister is being the asshole.
“This boy is far more family to you than anyone of those people you share blood with,” said Dana07620.
Though he hadn’t told the friend his plans yet, commenters recommended that he do so, and then put the agreement in writing to close the door on any further arguments from his family.
Here’s another story where the actual Redditor got himself roasted for his entitled, prideful attitude.
In his post he explains that he lost his job as a web designer during the pandemic and has been job hunting for a month without success yet.
Luckily, his wife has a stable, well-paying job at a bank, so the household isn’t struggling financially. In fact, she just got promoted!
He should be proud of her and relieved that their bills will be paid while he searches for work, but…he isn’t.
“She started bragging about it,” he said, “At first when she was bragging, I didn’t really react. I didn’t act all excited and cheery. I just said: k good for you.”
“After that, she looked at me like I was crazy and said, aren’t you happy? I don’t get any congratulations or anything?”
Which is where his story starts to raise eyebrows.
If she had kept going on and on about it, I could see a person becoming annoyed with it, especially if they’re currently struggling in their own career.
But this sounds like she just came home and told him she got a promotion . That’s not “bragging.” That’s sharing information about a change in your financial situation with your spouse.
When she tried to explain that this was a win for both of them, he freaked out at her.
“I told her: it’s not my win! It’s yours. I get it! You had your f—ing promotion, good for you! What do you want me to say? You want me to act excited like this is something special?? Why don’t you f— off!”
When commenters asked what he expected from her when and if he announced he’d found a new job, he inexplicably said that he wouldn’t bother telling her.
Commenter RebelScientist noted that the guy clearly has some issues he needs to work out.
“Are you willing to sacrifice your marriage for the sake of your pride? Because that’s where you’re headed if you keep up this attitude and keep lashing out at your wife,” they asked .
It’s as though he is incapable of understanding that he isn’t entitled to a job and that marriage is a partnership.
