'Thanks for having a baby and not getting fat': Creepy boomer "compliments" 38-year-old mom for losing her baby weight, mom rips him a new one in front of the whole grocery store

Author image for Emmy Pratt
Emmy Pratt • Writer and Editor
Aug 24, 2025 8:00 AM EDT

It's baffling how many people think that other people's appearances are any of their business. If you've ever hung out with a baby boomer for more than five minutes, you know exactly what I'm talking about. They can't help but mention when someone looks unusual, and they will say it loudly for all to hear. I'm sure the woman with purple hair and the guy who weighs 400 pounds know that they stand out in a crowd without needing Susan to point it out for them. And yet, she persists in pointing it out every single time without fail.

It's common for people of all ages, especially men, to tell a stranger they think they're good-looking in public. There's a right and a wrong way to do this. In fact, there are about four right ways to do it, and a million wrong ways, so it might be best to play it safe if at all possible. One of the worst ways to compliment someone is to put someone else down in the process. Telling a woman that she's "clearly the hotter sister" will make her feel guilty and weird. There might be a couple of sick, sad individuals who take pleasure in being told they're hot and their friend is ugly, but they are the exception to the rule.

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  • Young mother with her little baby boy at the supermarket shopping
    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • The mom in this story is not one of those people. When an old guy gave her a strange compliment at the expense of thousands of other mothers, she couldn't hold her tongue. 

  • I'm just repeating YOUR WORDS, you sexist old dingbat

    So a couple years ago, I (f38) was grocery shopping with my 1-year- old son when I walked past a couple in their late 60s. They were looking at my little boy, and I assumed they were thinking the usual "Oh, what a cute little baby!" kind of thing.
    via u/Any-Picture-3743
  • Then the man grinned at me and said, "Hey, thanks for having a baby and not getting fat." Ummm. What?
    via u/Any-Picture-3743
  • Modern mature couple in casualwear moving along display with frozen food products
    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • The guy kept walking, but for a second, I just froze in my tracks. Then I turned to say, "Hey, that was ride!" And he called over his shoulder, "No, it wasn't!"
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  • Grossed out, I grabbed a few more items then went to self- check. A minute later, they walked into the self-check area too. The woman looked like she wanted to disappear, but the man walked right up behind me and loudly announced, "It was a compliment!"
    via u/Any-Picture-3743
  • A woman holding the hand of a little boy
    via Sandra Seitamaa (Unsplash+)

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • So I swiveled around and announced right back, "No, it was sexist and weird!" (Because SERIOUSLY. I lucked out, losing the baby weight quickly. Lucked. Out. Shaming the millions of woman who don't luck out isn't the same as complimenting me, you weird, gross, objectifying lunatic.)
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  • At this point, all our announcing had garnered some attention. Several women around me started asking what he'd said, so once the guy's poor wife was safely out of earshot (she'd ditched him at self-check and run
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  • for the door), I repeated the whole exchange. Right in front of him. They were like, "Ummm, ew, that's gross," and the man ditched his cart of bran muffins or whatever and speed-walked to the exit.
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  • My only regret? This guy's poor wife didn't deserve ANY of this. I hope she tore him a new one in the car.
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  • Lulu_42 The "thanks" also implies you are doing him a favor by not being fat like you are doing your job as merely a thing to look pretty to random males you encounter. If this is his version of a compliment to a stranger, can you imagine the cesspool that is his head? Truly vile. Good job publicly calling him out
    via u/Lulu_42
  • acegirl1985 With any luck the wife already took the car and ditched creepo in the parking lot.
    via u/acegirl1985
  • ceciliabee The silence, shame, and hasty retreat are marks of a woman who hates how he behaves and is probably treated the same or worse, but can't or won't leave for whatever reason. He absolutely behaves like this every time he goes out. Poor op, yes, but i also have empathy for that woman. How trapped she must feel.
    via u/ceciliabee
  • Any-Picture-3743 OP This is a seriously sad thought.
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  • sohereiamacrazyalien I mean what's the purpose of women otherwise, if it's not to be random people's eye candy?./s
    via u/sohereiamacrazyalien
  • Any-Picture-3743 OP Yeah, that was my first thought as well. Like, "Uh, you're welcome? Because this benefits you somehow?" After the fact, I kept thinking, "I'm sorry, sir, but did your wife have children? Did she lose the baby weight quickly, and if not, did you shame her the way you're shaming others by implication?" Just icked me out so hard.
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  • Lulu_42 I bet not. That was my first thought - that he was using you to shame his poor wife.
    via u/Lulu_42
  • Live-Tomorrow-4865 This guy probably goes around telling women to "Smile!" Ugh. I love that you called him out on this. The "thanks for - -" part was exceedingly gross.
    via u/Live-Tomorrow-4865
  • Local_Wolverine2913 Oh my gosh. I had long forgotten about older men (mostly strangers) saying that to me when I was a younger woman. And I didn't like it.
    via u/Local_Wolverine2913
  • NiobeTonks Well done. Sexist git; women's post-natal bodies don't exist to please him.
    via u/NiobeTonks
  • sueelleker Women's post-natal bodies don't exist to please him.
    via u/sueelleker
  • graphictruth "I don't know what's playing in the theater of your mind, but I bet the floor is sticky!" - me
    via u/graphictruth
  • Any-Picture-3743 OP Okay, first of all, that line was vivid and hilarious and appropriately gross. :) Second of all... RIGHT?? What a seriously bizarre way to just say, "Hey, new mom, just so you know, I'm totally objectifying you right now." Telling on yourself much, man?
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  • Punk-moth Honestly, if they're in their sixties, she's had plenty of time to observe this behavior. If she didn't correct it long ago, and acts embarrassed about it now, she deserves every bit of shame for staying with him for so long. No way 60 year old me is going to put up with that type of behavior from anyone, let alone my spouse.
    via u/Punk-moth
  • Any-Picture-3743 OP Thanks for your comment. I feel like I get where you're coming from here (I wouldn't accept this behavior either), but I've seen enough women in my time who felt UNABLE to leave their husbands to feel hesitant to judge her. And beyond that, I'm not sure I'd make correcting his behavior her job. Like, would it have been better if she'd called him out? Sure. Did she feel able to do that? Who knows? At least she was clearly not supporting his viewpoint here.
    via u/Any-Picture-3743

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weight loss baby boomer fat weight mother reddit story baby boomers boomers entitled reddit thread Reddit mom entitled people grocery store
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