Man Breaks Up with 'Quirky' Girlfriend Who Always Orders the Most Unique Items on the Menu, Only to Beg to Switch with Him After the Food Arrives

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Ely Bulnes • Writer and Editor
Sep 12, 2024 6:00 PM EDT

Welcome, web surfing women. Have you heard of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl? It is a film trope that refers to a quirky, adult woman who enters the life of a dull male protagonist to show him how life is truly worth living. This character typically does not have any sort of character development throughout the movie, nor does she have any substantial personality or character traits besides being unique, eccentric, and full of life. She is a plot device used to open the mind of the male protagonist. Examples include Summer from 500 Days of Summer, Penny Lane from Almost Famous, and Ramona Flowers from Scott Pilgrim Versus the World. 

While these Manic Pixie Dream Women only exist in film, it is not unusual for real women to fall in love with their charm and consequently attempt to mimic them in real life. It never works, though, because real life women do have flaws, histories, and real personalities, and the people they date can only tolerate so much quirkiness before it gets annoying. In our story today, a man is fed up with his girlfriend's irrational antics concerning food. Read the full story below. 

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  • 01
    r/ r/Bestof Redditor Updates u/Direct-Cat... 1d Satan is not a Every time we (25m,26f) go out to eat she orders something "exotic" and hates it then expects to switch meals with me. She sees this as "quirky," I'm about to leave her it's so frustrating. What are some solutions?
    via u/Direct-Caterpillar77, u/Throwraredtherup
  • 02
    Original Post-rareddit Nov 20, 2021 Maybe I'm making too a big out of this, maybe it is a big problem and why I'm posting here. This has been going on since we've dated In college. I'll use last night as an example. I'm always "safe order guy" meaning I get chicken tenders, steak, a burger, orange chicken etc... it's not that I dislike other food, it's that if I'm doing something crazy I want to buy It, prepare it, coke and serve it... be in control of the whole process.
    via u/Direct-Caterpillar77, u/Throwraredtherup
  • 03
    She always orders the special, the catch of the day, the tasters menu, etc... and she invariably says “I don't really like this, I should have just ordered what you got... let's switch." And she grabs my plate, sometimes I'm able to eat her food, sometimes it really is bad and then I go hungry. I've brought this up with her and she has up front told me she thinks it makes her "quirky and fun" and I've known this since dating her.
    via u/Direct-Caterpillar77, u/Throwraredtherup
  • 04
    Last night we went to a sports bar after our league beach volley ball game and we're starving. I just wanted food so I ordered chicken tenders and fries. This dingey SPORTS BAR was having a "snow crab special" which of course she wanted. I begged her to please just order something they couldn't mess up and she accused me of being so "boring." Food came, she crab legs looked, smelled and tasted like they were rotting wax and of course she didn't want it and wanted my tenders. I finally stood up f
    via u/Direct-Caterpillar77, u/Throwraredtherup
  • 05
    Cue massive fight. She accused me of wasting food, of not cooperating with her and not "reading the room" whatever the meant. I told her that no I was not doing it this time. She started crying And demanded to go home. I said no I was so hungry I was eating my food. I think she got an Uber to friends house and i have not seen her since. I'm fed up. Is this breakup worthy and what should I do about this? Edit: we are engaged and live together, we also share credit cards and bank accounts
    via u/Direct-Caterpillar77, u/Throwraredtherup
  • 06
    TOP COMMENTS RaymondBeaumont She sounds insanely entitled and the mentality and temper of a 4-year-old. Why would anyone want to date someone like that?
    via u/Direct-Caterpillar77, u/Throwraredtherup, u/RaymondBeaumont
  • 07
    Hey You ShouldSmile | because she's "quirky and fun" /s Seriously though, she needs to act like an adult
    via u/Direct-Caterpillar77, u/Throwraredtherup, u/HeyYouShouldSmile
  • 08
    Blade_982 I'm very 'Joey doesn't share food' and if someone pulled this with me and expected me to let it slide because they thought it made them quirky and fun, I'd be gone. She sounds annoying af, extremely entitled and also very slightly psychotic for expecting OP to go hungry. All because she's playing the part of a 'quirky, fun and adventurous foodie'.
    via u/Direct-Caterpillar77, u/Throwraredtherup, u/Blade_982
  • 09
    I expect this has more to do with her testing his limits than just food as evidenced by her blowing up when he suggested, quite logically, she order something else. It's like she wants him to suffer to prove how endearing he finds her.
    via u/Direct-Caterpillar77, u/Throwraredtherup, u/Blade_982
  • 10
    OOP To be fair to her I don't think she expects me to go hungry, in fact I'll bet she's never noticed if I finish her meal or not
    via u/Direct-Caterpillar77, u/Throwraredtherup
  • 11
    MamaLovesYouMore That's telling if she doesn't even notice. Makes you wonder what else she isn't noticing about you in the relationship. OOP I don't want to sound like a cry baby because | have made a choice with her but yes I do more of the labor in the relationship.
    via u/Direct-Caterpillar77, u/Throwraredtherup, u/MamaLovesYouMore
  • 12
    Sheila Monarch It's only "quirky and fun" if she eats what she orders. I realize you already know this, but why in the should you have to give up your food because of her bad gamble?? At the core of it, it sure seems like a "let's see he will indulge" test. I how much of my would say "no more" would be the correct is answer. You haven't seen her since? I suspect she'll be back in touch, and you can give her an opportunity to apologize, but that unacceptable. She owes you an apology, and I sort o
    via u/Direct-Caterpillar77, u/Throwraredtherup, u/Sheila_Monarch
  • 13
    OOP Your second paragraph was what I've felt for a long time put into words. Thank you
    via u/Direct-Caterpillar77, u/Throwraredtherup
  • 14
    lady-tippington If she's the one labeling it 'quirky and fun', it isn't. I get wanting to try something, but she needs to order her own food. Who pays the tab? OOP I mean technically we both do since we have shared credit cards and bank accounts
    via u/Direct-Caterpillar77, u/Throwraredtherup, u/lady-tippington
  • 15
    Update -rareddit Nov 23, 2021 (3 days later) I'm on mobile so I'll load link to original in an edit in a minute. https://old.reddit.com/r/relationship_advice/ comments/qyd5hv/ every_time_we_25m26f_go_out_to_eat_she_orders
    via u/Direct-Caterpillar77, u/Throwraredtherup
  • 16
    I don't remember the exact timeline of how things went down on Sunday as far me posting but original was locked when she texted me at 6pm telling me that I owed her a huge apology for the way I behaved at the sports bar and the volley hall game (I still don't know what that is about). I asked her where she was. She said she would tell me when I apologized. I said I was not going to apologize. She said she needed some time to thing whether this relationship was right for her. I told her that I ju
    via u/Direct-Caterpillar77, u/Throwraredtherup
  • 17
    She hung up and I haven't heard from her since. She hasn't even been by to pick up a change of clothes so I don't know where she is. I cancelled all my credit cards we shared and opened a new back account and took half out of our shared but she hasn't taken any money out or used her debit card so I guess I'm a little concerned since for all effect purposes she's disappeared. I'm not too worried now but If I haven't heard anything by Friday I'll call her parents. I kind of think she's doing this
    via u/Direct-Caterpillar77, u/Throwraredtherup
  • 18
    RELEVANT COMMENTS Katie-MacDonut Wait, so to sum this up, she ignored your reasonable requests to order food she knows she'll like, publicly threw a fit when you wouldn't give up your own meal despite being warned that's what would happen, yelled, stormed out, and has been MIA for days? Over a meal? That she could've easily sent back herself? Holy drama bruh. Like, wow. Bullet dodged, huh? Can you imagine a whole lifetime of ridiculous public tantrums over easily resolvable stuff? Yikes.
    via u/Direct-Caterpillar77, u/Throwraredtherup, u/Katie-MacDonut
  • 19
    OOP Well the meal and whatever it is I did to make her mad at the volley hall game
    via u/Direct-Caterpillar77, u/Throwraredtherup
  • 20
    neutralgood079 Text her to pick up her things by X date or you will have it sent to her parents. I think she is doing this for attention and all the more reason you were right to dump her. Tell her parents you broke up and she has not been in contact. Tell them that she did not tell you where she was but could they check on her. Dont wait on that, the sooner you do this the sooner you can get her out of your life OOP Ok I can do this, probably a good idea.
    via u/Direct-Caterpillar77, u/Throwraredtherup, u/neutralgood079
  • 21
    OOP made a final edit Edit: I called her parents, they haven't heard from her either and me calling them now has them worried because they thought she was with me. I'm going to drive her important things over to their house and wash my hands of her. Whatever happens to her is of her own making at this point.
    via u/Direct-Caterpillar77, u/Throwraredtherup
  • 22
    HelloAll-Goodbye All ⚫ 1d It's good he dumped her but I wonder what she would have done of he started ordering the exact same food as her to see how she would react to not being able to switch. Reply 2.9k
    via u/HelloAll-GoodbyeAll
  • 23
    calling_water • 18h Editor's note- it is not the final update She'd switch too. "Oh if you're having it then I'll just try some of yours, I'll order a burger instead." Then they both flip back and forth until their server gives up on them. 1.1k
    via u/calling_water
  • 24
    Gwynasyn • 1d There are many stories I read on Reddit where I wonder how in the world the OOP out up with the craziest This isn't the craziest , but it is crazy how long he seemed to let it go on before putting his foot down. ← Reply 9.1k
    via u/Gwynasyn
  • 25
    BagelwithQueefcheese. 1d Peobably like the frog in boiling water. He just lived with each little thing building up until one day he snapped, with absolute reason. 3.5k
    via u/BagelwithQueefcheese
  • 26
    kalventure ⚫1d the garlic tasted of illicit love affairs What an infuriating person, but also kinda wish the OOP gave a final update because edit is a little concerning I that final Reply 4.2k
    via u/kalventure
  • 27
    tatasz 22h • I know a few people like that, and my bet is that she is hiding on purpose so OP regrets it. 1.1k
    via u/tatasz
  • 28
    SmartQuokka • 1d We have generational trauma for breakfast I wish the OOP had nipped this in the bud much, much earlier. Putting up with it for so long led them to move in together and combine accounts before everything exploded. Since the last update was 2021 i assume this is long resolved one way or the other by now. ← Reply 1.3k
    via u/SmartQuokka
  • 29
    Comfortable-One8520 1d I'd lay dollars to doughnuts she's a) very pretty and b) does that "manic pixie dream girl" thing that some blokes find appealing, gawd knows why, but here we are. ... 898
    via u/Comfortable-One8520
  • 30
    Weaselpanties • 1d He invented a predatory elder lesbian to cope She's 100% doing the "I'll run away and THEN they'll be sorry!" thing. I can't believe OOP went this long without just flat- out telling her that it's not fun and quirky, it's entitled and obnoxious. People who do things to be "fun and quirky" are rarely fun and never genuinely quirky. Or genuinely anything, for that matter. I'm sure this isn't the only thing she does that's entitled and obnoxious. Reply 458
    via u/Weaselpanties
  • 31
    SugarSweetSonny ⚫ 23h I will not be taking the high road I'm laughing. I knew someone who used to do this.... She thought it was her thing to try out new foods, and be open minded and everything (so, good in theory but wound up terrible in practice). She found a guy who actually loved this aspect of her....and would order the same exact thing she did wherever they went. That relationship turned into an epic dumpster fire (also she started getting enraged when he did it...lol)... ← Reply 160
    via u/SugarSweetSonny
  • 32
    vegetablemeow. 1d Even though I know this is the best outcome for OOP, where in he leaves the relationship and washes his hands of her and her antics, I still crave some drama. Reply 205
    via u/vegetablemeow
  • 33
    Watson424242 • 1d I know, this is Reddit!!! She's supposed to turn up pregnant with the neighbor's baby and try to set their home on fire. ← 102
    via u/Watson424242

Tags

boyfriend toxic reddit story Manic Pixie Dream Girl relationships restaurant girlfriend couples love entitled breakup quirky reddit thread red flag Reddit weird dating
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