Coworker lashes out at office Karens after they insult his food at the quarterly potluck: 'You and Tina went halfsies on a single bag of Doritos last quarter'

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Mar 8, 2024 8:00 AM EST

There are numerous ways to make enemies with your coworkers, but insulting the food they bring to the quarterly office potluck is a new low. This group of Karens was not just picking on their coworker because the food was mediocre; in fact, the food was great and that's partly why they were jealous. Based on the Redditor's account of the story, it seems that they were so jealous of this dude's bean salad that they decided to spread a rumor that only his wife could be the real chef behind the recipe. 

Now, the original poster expressed that he is one of the only men at the company and believes this is another reason behind the teasing. One would think that such a female-centric work environment would be forward-thinking enough not to assume that this man can't possibly be making his own food. Furthermore, the Redditor has admitted that it's not even a complicated recipe. You're just tossing beans together with a nice dressing. It's clear that these ladies have some inward thinking to do. Why is it worth their time and energy to stir up drama about the much-beloved bean salad at the quarterly potluck? Get a life!

Keep scrolling below for the full story. For more tales of workplace drama, check out this post about a Karen who keeps threatening to quit and how it all finally caught up with her.

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  • 01
    x x மருநாகர்
    via Redd F
  • 02
    Coworkers accuse me of passing wife's food off as my own Fairly minor thing in the big scheme of things, but it's still ongoing. I (36M) work in medical billing, an industry that tends to be dominated by women. The office I work in is something like 97% women.
    via u/Working-Ferret-8476
  • 03
    Prepandemic we had potlucks in the office almost monthly. We're now fully remote except for quarterly in-office meetings, with an attached potluck.
    via u/Working-Ferret-8476
  • 04
    I enjoy cooking and preparing food, and my potluck go-to is a quick and easy bean salad. No cooking involved, it's rinsing beans and chopping peppers and onions and mixing up a dressing to toss them all in. Pair with some chips for scooping. Easy as heck and it tends to be a big hit, and people have even reached out asking me if I'm making it when there's a potluck upcoming.
    via u/Working-Ferret-8476
  • 05
    Except for one clique of sour old biddies. They've made up their minds that a man would never prepare food like this, and the only logical conclusion is that my wife made it for me to bring, and I'm lying to everyone by saying I made it myself. They've even gone around to other people saying "You know, Working_Ferret didn't actually make that, his wife did and he's just taking the credit."
    via u/Working-Ferret-8476
  • 06
    I don't interact with these women at all outside the quarterly potluck and they can believe what they want. But one of them had the audacity to email me this morning asking if I was going to finally "come clean" at the meeting/potluck later this month.
    via u/Working-Ferret-8476
  • 07
    you Sharon. You and Tina "went halvsies" on a single bag of Doritos last quarter.
    via u/Working-Ferret-8476
  • 08
    recruitzpeeps 2 hr. ago I'd ask them if they would like to ask HR if claiming men can't cook and are liars is in line with the company's anti-harassment and anti-discrimination policies. What a bunch of
    via u/Working-Ferret-8476
  • 09
    LouieAvalon Mac. 2 hr. ago Are you and Tina gonna come clean that you didn't cook and bag the Doritos, Sharon ? Just say - I'll send you some recipes. Ones that even women can manage to cook
    via u/Working-Ferret-8476
  • 10
    CakeZealousideal1820 2 hr. ago Next time just say I'm sorry that your husband doesn't love you enough to cook for you and that his inadequacies were brought to light with my simple bean dip recipe let this be the last time this topic is discussed have good day Karen
    via u/Working-Ferret-8476
  • 11
    661Johnald 2 hr. ago Most of the top chefs in the world are men. The old biddies need someone to about to feel better about themselves. Pathetic probably talk describes their life. After a divorce I learned to cook and learned to excel at it.
    via u/Working-Ferret-8476
  • 12
    Working-Ferret-8476 OP 2 hr. ago My wife is disabled, so I handle about 90% of the domestic stuff around the house - cooking, cleaning etc. Cooking has become something I take pride in now (I grew up in the sort of household where flour was a spice) which is probably a big part of why Sharon's comments rankle me.
    via u/Working-Ferret-8476
  • 13
    winsockie 48 min. ago That's actually perfect. "My wife is disabled and can't cook, so now who feels bad, Sharon?" Watch her trying to mentally squirm out of looking like an ableist
    via u/Working-Ferret-8476
  • 14
    Diela1968 2 hr. ago . Even if she did, who cares? It's not a contest where there's some kind of prize for having the most popular dish. They're probably a) practicing some kind of weird sexism because they don't believe a man belongs in the industry and/or cooking or b) they have no life outside of work so they have to manufacture drama or c) both Edited to ask: Is this more like a bean dip, or a three bean salad because either way it sounds good :D
    via u/Working-Ferret-8476
  • 15
    Working-Ferret-8476 OP 2 hr. ago I've seen it called Cowboy Caviar - the recipe I use is a can of black beans, a can of black eyed peas, and a can of corn mixed, with a third cup of diced red onions, a diced jalapeño, and a diced bell pepper, tossed in a dressing of olive oil, lime juice and cayenne. I think I spend about 15 minutes making it the night before a potluck so everything has a chance to marinate together.
    via u/Working-Ferret-8476
  • 16
    Unique-Ad-9316 - 2 hr. ago Next time, make a video of you making the salad. Show it to them, and then let them know that if they continue to slander you, it will become an office harassment issue that you will be pursuing.
    via u/Working-Ferret-8476
  • 17
    snortybeagle. 2 hr. ago That's excessive and unnecessary. It's a bean salad and a potluck, not career- ending black mail. The best course of action here is to say to them, "I made the salad. I don't understand why you can't accept that, but I'm done discussing it. This is getting ridiculous." Then move on and never speak to them again outside of work necessity.
    via u/Working-Ferret-8476
  • 18
    Working-Ferret-8476 OP. 2 hr. ago That's been where I'm at - I don't seem these women out or go out of my way to interact with them. This has been an ongoing thing for years now; I keep bringing the salad because enough people respond positively to it that it's worth it. Sharon going out of her way to email me about it ahead of a potluck is a new escalation. She needs a hobby for sure.
    via u/Working-Ferret-8476

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