'The first gift just kinda blew my mind': Internet reacts to entitled girlfriend dismissing holiday gifts from boyfriend

Author image for Isabella Penn
Isabella Penn
Dec 28, 2023 2:00 PM EST

"The custom of exchanging gifts at Christmas provides for an occasion to practice hiding our disappointment." I think we all can relate to that. Let's face it, not everyone has the knack for giving great gifts. And that's totally fine; what truly counts is the thought behind the gift. It doesn't have to break the bank or even cost anything at all – it's all about the gesture.

But we've all been there, opening a gift in front of someone and putting on a show of excitement, even if it's not exactly what you had in mind. After all, the person tried, and you wouldn't want to hurt their feelings.

Unless you're this entitled girlfriend. While opinions on Reddit are divided on whether she was right to express her dislike for her boyfriend's gifts, most agree that there's a delicate balance. This story poses the question: do you fake enthusiasm to avoid potential repetition of bad gifts at every holiday, or do you spare feelings and keep up the charade of loving every gift? TBH, I think this GF should just be thankful she's not in this position: 'He had done this five other times to different girls': Boyfriend gifts new girlfriend things he stole from his ex, so she calls his work and gets him fired. 

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  • 01
    Posted by u/Adventurous-Jane Doe 23 hours ago AITA for not liking the gifts my bf got me?
    via u/Adventurous-JaneDoe
  • 02
    I (21f) received gifts from my boyfriend (24m) today as my christmas present. I kinda knew from the start before I even opened them, that I wouldn't like them. I just had that feeling. Turns out that feeling was right.
    via u/Adventurous-JaneDoe
  • 03
    He got me two gifts. One gift was a giant life size cutout of Hatsune Miku and the other was a makeup palette.
    via u/Adventurous-JaneDoe
  • 04
    The first gift just kinda blew my mind. I've never once hinted that this would be something i'm interested in, nor have I ever directly mentioned/said anything about liking the character. This
    via u/Adventurous-JaneDoe
  • 05
    gift was based off a poster I had in my old apartment that my ex left when he moved out. He was the fan of the character and I was just left with a poster I had bought for him. When we left my
    via u/Adventurous-JaneDoe
  • 06
    parents, I told him that I wasn't very fond of it because I think cutouts are creepy and I didn't want to set up and get scared by it randomly in the middle of the night. He kinda got upset by this even though i did thank him for it.
    via u/Adventurous-JaneDoe
  • 07
    The second gift was alright but when it comes to makeup, I'm very picky about the stuff I use. I'm into more pinks and bright colors then the more tone down colors that the palette had. This
    via u/Adventurous-JaneDoe
  • 08
    was also another thing I didn't specifically mentioned I wanted. I didn't say anything about not liking it and just thanked him. It feels like He assumed i would enjoy this stuff when I don't. I
    via u/Adventurous-JaneDoe
  • 09
    don't wear makeup often and I'm not fond or random things that could freak me out by just being in the corner all freaky like. I texted my friend to ask her opinion on this and he caught a glimpse of my telling her about
    via u/Adventurous-JaneDoe
  • 10
    the presents and how I didn't like them. He told me he's upset I went t to her instead of telling him but I already felt bad for telling him that I didn't really like the first thing, so saying I didn't
    via u/Adventurous-JaneDoe
  • 11
    the second one just seemed like a d k move and I was just gonna keep it to myself. Now he's just giving me the silent treatment even after I explained that I felt s y telling him I didn't
    via u/Adventurous-JaneDoe
  • 12
    like the things he bought me. I know i should be grateful but I went to lengths for his gift and it feels like he didn't listen to anything I've been saying I've wanted in the 3 months i've been talking about random stuff i would like.
    via u/Adventurous-JaneDoe
  • 13
    AITA? Edit: To answer some things:
    via u/Adventurous-JaneDoe
  • 14
    What did I get him? I got him a $100 gift certificate to his favorite tattoo artist because he has a tattoo he's been wanting to get finished. I would have put more on it if I had the money but I'm flat broke right now due to house bills.
    via u/Adventurous-JaneDoe
  • 15
    That stupid poster: That poster was something I had in my old apartment untilAugust of this year. It was hidden behind my door of the bedroom of the apartment. I no longer live in that
    via u/Adventurous-JaneDoe
  • 16
    apartment. He watched me tear the poster to shreds when I was moving things out because he was one of the people helping me move out of that apartment because that apartment was where my ex boyfriend (the owner of the poster) abused me.
    via u/Adventurous-JaneDoe
  • 17
    The gifts: I never once said I didn't thank him for them. I did, I told him thank you for the gifts when I opened them and told him privately after the first gift the story behind why i'm not a fan of Miku. He was upset by this but
    via u/Adventurous-JaneDoe
  • 18
    understood. I told him how I was a little scared to open the second one because I didn't want to not like it and make him feel bad if I didn't. He told me that he "bet his life" I would like it. When It turned
    via u/Adventurous-JaneDoe
  • 19
    out I didn't like it, I messaged my friend back because she was asking about the second gift because I sent her a photo of the first one. He just happened to look at my phone when I was distracted and saw the conversation and got mad.
    via u/Adventurous-JaneDoe
  • 20
    You live with your bf of 3 months??? I have a house which I bought in August and had ask my bf( who was my friend at the time) to be my roommate to make it easier to pay bills. He
    via u/Adventurous-JaneDoe
  • 21
    ended up asking me out in September. Yes we live together, but no it wasn't because we were dating. We were close friends (even if we had only met a couple months prior) and I need someone to help pay bills. I had
    via u/Adventurous-JaneDoe
  • 22
    another that was gonna move in but she backed out because she wanted her own space with her boyfriend. Edit 2:
    via u/Adventurous-JaneDoe
  • 23
    I can't get to everyone, though from what I've read (which is a lot, I didn't expect this to blow up) Majority is that I'm NTA. For those that think I am entitled and ungrateful, that's to each their own. I told him specifically
    via u/Adventurous-JaneDoe
  • 24
    not to get me anything at all because I wasn't able to afford much. I was only able to get his gift out of sheer luck! I didn't want anything but I knew he was going to get me something no matter what I said, so whenever I saw
    via u/Adventurous-JaneDoe
  • 25
    something I liked either while we were out or if I saw it online, I'd send it to him or point it it out saying this is something I think is cool. I never ever mentioned Miku in any conversation ever. I have
    via u/Adventurous-JaneDoe
  • 26
    however mentioned other anime characters that I enjoy! I've talked about countless things I enjoy with him. He knows how much of a fan of Hello Kitty I mean he bought me socks randomly because I was sad about something. That's something I
    via u/Adventurous-JaneDoe
  • 27
    would of appreciated as a cardboard cutout (even though they are still creepy) I've also mentioned that I need a makeup container so I could move my makeup off the floor of the bathroom. I never ask for makeup because i'm picky about my makeup because I have sensitive skin.
    via u/Adventurous-JaneDoe
  • 28
    I hope this edit helps people understand better! I did text him this morning after I had left for work that I was sorry for hurting him by and that it wasn't intentional. I also explained why I didn't like the gifts and told him I'd make him his favorite food to make up for upsetting him.
    via u/Adventurous-JaneDoe
  • 29
    Decent-Attempt-7837 · 19 hr. ago i feel like yall are missing the fact that it wasnt a miku plushie or poster or something, it was a LIFE SIZED CUTOUT. Even the most dedicated of fans might think thats a bit much to have as decor. Dont think the bfs necessarily an AH, but hes definitely oblivious, because who gets someone such an ultra niche gift without asking first? I like kpop, i dont want a cutout of my fav despite the fact that other fans would.
    via u/Decent-Attempt-7837
  • 30
    Dinomumma420101113 · 18 hr. ago It's tricky because you don't want to keep recording gifts you don't really have a use for. I'd say NtA. If you kept quiet then you would be receiving the same things year after year.
    via u/Dinomumma420101113
  • 31
    just_anotha_fam - 16 hr. ago My MIL--God rest her soul!--used to say that the custom of exchanging gifts at Christmas provides for an occasion to practice hiding our disappointment.
    via u/just_anotha_fam
  • 32
    morethanweird - 22 hr. ago Partassipant [1] NTA people are getting way to hung up on the fact you had a poster and ignore the fact that his gift was a life sized cutout. Even IF you had been a fan that is not the sort of thing you give someone unless you are 100% sure it's something they want. A normal gift would have been a mouse mat or another poster or a figurine or countless other options, not something that takes up a huge space in your home.
    via u/morethanweird
  • 33
    LunaticMS 10 hr. ago Partassipant [2] Ehhh I'ma say NAH. It sounds like your BF tried to give a thoughtful gift, but his gift giving and observational skills need work. If you had multiple Miku items around, or if he simply asked "oh, you pike Hatsune Miku?" for two seconds at some point, this could've been avoided, but perhaps he doesn't know how to do stuff like that.
    via u/LunaticMS
  • 34
    Cheezburger Image 9857752064
    via Antoni Shkraba

Tags

boyfriend aita gifts entitlement christmas presents girlfriend petty couples reddit thread Reddit entitled people
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