Internet commenters sparked a sea of speculation after one soon-to-be father recounted the supermarket spat that ended with his pregnant girlfriend furious and fleeing to her mother's house.
In a viral Reddit post published on r/TrueOffMyChest, an anonymous Redditor (otherwise referred to as the original poster, or OP) detailed his attempt at grocery store chivalry but revealed how his politeness was immediately twisted into something far more sinister.
Titled, "My pregnant GF called me a wuss and is now refusing to come home," the post has received nearly 10,000 upvotes since September 30.
"Yesterday, we went grocery shopping," OP began. "A young mother with two children...asked us with the little language that she could if she could go ahead of us in line."
Continuing to explain that one of the mother's children was mid-temper tantrum, the original poster said he happily obliged and let her take the couple's place in line, noting that he could only see that she was carrying a case of toilet paper.
After stepping to the side, however, the original poster discovered that the young mother was actually toting a shopping cart full of groceries and that he had been conned—much to his girlfriend's dismay.
"When I saw the cart I burst out laughing...I just said you tricked me and continued laughing," OP wrote. "[My girlfriend] was very angry...she started yelling and shouting at her and told her that she was rude and impolite.
"When we got home she asked me for the car keys," OP continued. "She said that she was tired of being together with a pushover and a wuss. That she's been tired for a long time now and that she wanted a real man.
"She just said she's staying with her mom and that she needs to reevaluate her life and relationship," OP added. "She doesn't want a wuss to be the father of her child."
The idea of what it means to be a "real man" has evolved over time and for some, the concept of what "real" means pertaining to masculinity is entirely nonexistent.
Although conversations surrounding the harmful impacts of toxic masculinity have shifted certain expectations, there remains a faction of people who believe in traditional gender roles, placing men at the head of the household as both provider and protector.
In 2017, data published by Pew Research Center indicated that more than three quarters of Americans say men are under more pressure to financially support their families.
The same data also revealed that while a majority of Americans place highest value on a man's ability to be moral and honest, 23 percent value a man's professional success the most. And another 19 percent said that strength and toughness were a man's most important qualities.
These traditional expectations can be harmful to households, and according to therapist Stephen Rodgers, can carry even more weight when children are involved.
"If we choose not to change our traditional ways, we run the risk of passing down these learned behaviors to our children, continually perpetuating these gender stereotypes to the next generation," Rodgers' website reads.
Throughout the comment section, many Redditors echoed this sentiment and speculated that while the original poster's grocery store snafu served as the catalyst for her departure, it was likely a window into his pregnant girlfriend's true feelings towards him.
"Sounds like this incident in her mind was the last straw of a slew of other things she deems wuss-like-behavior from you," Redditor u/tyyyy110 wrote in the post's top comment, which has received more than 11,000 upvotes.
"Not sure if it's the pregnancy hormones talking...but I do think a civil, honest discussion should be had between you two, to sort out all the issues," they added.
Redditor u/BoAtsNpRos, whose comment has received more than 1,000 upvotes, offered a similar response.
"This incident sounds like the [last] straw," they wrote. "And you shouldn't be focusing on it individually."
"Not sure about anyone else, but I have immediately terminated relationships over a woman demanding I be more of a man," Redditor u/Madhatter25224 interjected. "You can take that toxic masculinity bulls**t and shove it."
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Taylor McCloud is a Newsweek staff writer based in California. His focus is reporting on trending and viral topics. Taylor ... Read more
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