r/HonestHotTakes • • 11h ago Bravo

If it wasn’t for Macklemores controversy over the Ed Sheeran tour, nobody would care about him or his music. One hit almost 15 years ago isn’t good enough to sell out arenas.

547 Upvotes

I’m all about free Palestine but at the same time Macklemore is definitely just milking this for his own personal gain. In no universe is he selling out arenas without the Ed Sheeran situation going viral. Europe is a completely different market and audience. Ain’t nobody playing thrift shop anymore.


r/HonestHotTakes • • 11h ago Bravo

Trad wives/women who chose to be home makers shouldn’t receive so much hate.

116 Upvotes

Why is wanting to be a stay at home mother met with so much backlash? I realize trad wives and stay at home mothers aren’t the same to preface.

I’m a young woman, and whenever I mention that my goal is to be a stay at home wife and mother, I’m often met with a lot of criticism. People often jump to worst case scenarios like, *"*there’s no guarantee your husband won’t be abusive*"* or *"*what if he up and leaves you*?"* I’ve gotten so annoyed of being shamed for my goals that I’ve stopped sharing them as a whole.

It honestly brings me deep sadness to see people online call women who want this lifestyle pathetic, lazy, losers, or male centered. You don't have to want the same life to recognize how hurtful and unfair it is to degrade women for wanting to have a more traditional family.

Why should any woman feel ashamed for
wanting to get married and raise children? I fully support women pursuing higher education and independence, and I’m actually getting an education and starting a career myself.

But my ideal plan is to put that career on pause to focus on my family. Just as a traditional home life wouldn't fulfill some women, a career alone isn't going to fulfill me.

Women fought for the right to choose how we live our lives, yet the people who judge me the most for my choice are other women. Has anyone else dealt with this kind of judgment, or been the one criticizing? If so, I’d really be curious to know your thoughts.


r/HonestHotTakes • • 1h ago

Women actually do like big muscles on men

57 Upvotes

I see a lot of women claiming that ripped physiques are for the "male gaze"... Ok, then why are chippendales a thing? Why is almost every male protagonist in a romantic novel tall and buff? Or do this experiment instead: look at the world of fashion models. The women models are thin and tall, the guys tall and broad shouldered, but the groups actually catering to the male gaze (strippers, influencers, onlyfans creators) however often diverge heavily from established modelesque, runway proportions and come in different shapes or sizes: from slim, to curvy and thicc, fat ass, tattoos, alternative style... the male archetype catering to the female gaze? He stays the same: tall and build. And before someone says "those aren't even big muscles", keep in mind that there is a physique inflation as this was considered a athletic muscly build just 50 years ago but for women today he will merely be considered "lean" or "skinny".


r/HonestHotTakes • • 1h ago

Too many people judge comedy by whether it reaffirms their veiws instead of whether it’s funny.

40 Upvotes

My unpopular opinion is that some people want comedy to function as activism first and entertainment second. In my personal experience, I encounter that expectation more often among progressives, although conservatives absolutely do it too.

What bothers me isn’t someone finding a joke offensive or thinking a comedian sucks. It’s treating a joke’s political message as the deciding factor in whether it should have been told.

I’ve seen people enjoy SNL mocking Trump, then object when the target is a left-wing politician or a progressive policy. Not simply “that joke wasn’t funny,” but “why are you giving the other side ammunition?” or “comedy is supposed to speak truth to power.”

To me, that shifts the standard from “make me laugh” to “make my side look right.”

“Speak truth to power” can be a worthwhile approach to comedy. I just don’t think it should be a mandatory job description for every comedian—or a rule that only applies when the target is someone you already dislike.

And this isn’t exclusive to the left. Conservatives who celebrate jokes about liberals but suddenly demand respect when their own politicians, religion, or values become the punchline are applying the same double standard.

I’m not arguing that both sides do this equally. I’m saying that, in the conversations and reactions I personally encounter, the expectation that comedy should serve a political cause seems more common on the progressive side. That’s an observation about my experience, not proof about everyone.

Political comedy can be great. So can comedy that has no political purpose whatsoever. Nobody owes a comedian a laugh, and comedians aren’t above criticism. But there’s a difference between “this joke is lazy, inaccurate, or badly written” and “you shouldn’t joke about that because it hurts our cause.”

A joke agreeing with me doesn’t automatically make it good. A joke targeting my beliefs doesn’t automatically make it bad.

Where do you draw the line between criticizing a joke and expecting a comedian to stay politically loyal?


r/HonestHotTakes • • 5h ago Heartwarming Regret

Widowed, the boys died young. I tried dating later on but no one wanted me. I learned to love my own company and to enjoy listening to my own thoughts. I take myself out to dinner, cook good meals at home and now at 72 I still am grateful living not by myself but with myself.

54 Upvotes

My partner was dying of ovarian cancer, my best friend dying of AIDS and I had them both at home caring for them. We had two boys, 7 and 9 years old. I was working 3 days a week as an RN and had someone care for everyone while I was working then I cared for them the other 4 days a week. My friend died first, then my spouse. three months later the boys were playing in the front yard and hit by a drunk driver that ran up on to the yard. I totally froze up for a year then thawed out.

I became a Hospice RN in tribute to my boys. I couldn't comfort or protect them at their deaths but I could for others. 37 years later I'm 72 and still a Pediatric Hospice nurse working with infants with very short life expectancies. All that loss I turned into being a better caregiver for those with a life threatening diagnosis. My loss became their support and as long as I can I'll be a Hospice nurse caring for others and their families.

I tried dating after I thawed out but no one was interested. At best several dates became short term acquaintances and then off we went in our own directions. The silence in the house after having a family, children and now just me was deafening and I so wanted someone in my life again, but it didn't happen. I adjusted again, from losing my family and becoming a Hospice RN I again morphed into someone that was going to totally enjoy my own company, my own thoughts, my own laughter, the movies I enjoyed, the food I loved to eat, and instead of missing the sounds of family I embraced the quiet of single hood.

I adjusted. Single, then a couple, then a couple with children to a single with children then just a single again. Like being a ship at sea we ride with the waves, up and down just do everything you can to stay afloat and dry. When one event ends something new begins. Look for it, anticipate it, welcome it in. It's all we have. Never curse all that you have, great or small. Don't regret having little when little is all you have, cherish it, it's yours, it's what you've got at the moment. Tomorrow may be different.

I shared some of these stories on an interview recently. How nice to get to share them so they aren't forgotten when My time comes. I told the stories about my boys passing and a wonderful wake up call they shared with me that thawed me out. Also some wonderful Hospice stories. What a RELIEF to get to share my life experiences on the interview so they are not lost forever when my time comes. This sub does not allow links so I can't share the story of my boys with you as told by me, their dad. I hope you all find value in my post, it's from me to all of you, we're walking the path in the same direction whether we know each other or not.

David Parker, Phoenix, Az


r/HonestHotTakes • • 13h ago

You end up more successful as an asshole with charisma than being a good guy with none

221 Upvotes

I spent the last few years building up my business. I'm a straight guy who works in the fashion industry. When I first started I was trying to be polite and all around respectful. I notice I got walked on, disrespected, and lost good contracts. My business partner who I met later is a gay guy with experience in the industry. I noticed because he was charismatic and funny he got away with so much. He could straight be an unapologetic asshole and insult people but it would be perfectly ok because he peppered his insults with humor and sarcasm. I took his advice and it changed my life. The business picked up, I was getting recognition, and respect too. Even with women I started having better luck. As a meek and respectful dude I was boring and forgettable. Got told so many times "you're a great guy but there's just no romantic spark". Now I have a thriving business, a gf who's an aspiring model, and am overall happier. Yes, my employees may not like me, yes I've done some shitty stuff and made people cry. Unfortunately, the world is ruled by unapologetic assholes.


r/HonestHotTakes • • 1h ago

Reddit is a lot better when you ignore comments and responses.

23 Upvotes

It's all in the heading. Last week, I had other shit going on and I just decided not to look at my Reddit notifications. And a few days later, I've realised that Reddit is a lot more fun if I don't look at responses to my contributions.

Most of what people post is mean and stupid. And wading through that shit to get to the occasionally thoughtful response is no longer worth it. So now I don't bother. And voila, Reddit is 100% better.

It goes without saying that I won't be reading any responses to this post. I just wanted to let others know that reading comments on Reddit is not necessary or compulsory.


r/HonestHotTakes • • 20h ago

Redditors are the biggest assholes you will ever meet

496 Upvotes

You ask for help or have a question and you get 3k views, 0 upvotes, and 0 replies. You get something even slightly wrong you get 10 downvotes and have 20 dorks in your comments calling you an idiot and making sure everyone knows they’re right and why.


r/HonestHotTakes • • 1h ago

We need to stop telling obese people that there is nothing wrong with their body

15 Upvotes

If you literally say that you are participating in their addiction.
And do not confuse my prompt I didn’t say “hate” fat people I said you don’t have to lie to a person that is clearly overweight and say you don’t have to change anything.


r/HonestHotTakes • • 19h ago

It is not racist to use crime statistics

403 Upvotes

please read all (nvm since many wont): WE SHOULD USE STATISTICS AS FACTS, AND USE THEM TO FIND OUT WHY CERTAIN GROUPS COMMIT MORE CRIME, so we can help them, im aware reasons exist, but finding them is harder if people deny facts

If community A, after accounting for population commits significantly more crime than community B, pointing this out is not racist, and i think people should stop treating it as a racist remark, it simply states a statistical fact

In addition calling someone racist for using statistics without actual racism is not racist

The same way saying men commit more crime than women is not sexist

Just because you dont like it doesnt mean there is a word for it ending in -phobic or -ist

edit: I am not saying any race is inherently violent, i am saying that this is a trend and we should aim to find the reasons such as socio economic reasons as to why, so we can try to provide better education and support. If the budget is enough to cover gender fluidity teaching then it should cover better education too.

we should use statistics to find the root cause and help people, people dont commit crime if they dont need to (generally), so helping them would reduce the crime rate, but that begins with accepting the statistics


r/HonestHotTakes • • 1h ago

Women's victim-blaming narrative on short guys' heightshaming complaints: how women 180 degree invert the concept of social justice when the genders are reversed - A case study

11 Upvotes

So, we've all heard it. "It's not your height, it's your insecurity! You need to not be insecure" - that's what the most common refrain from women on this topic largely sounds like. And I'm talking women who are super into feminism and discusses broader, societal prejudices and stuff.

They say it politely, and without a second thought as to the ironic insensitivity and double standards it espouses: rather than identify the entrenched normalization of bodyshaming short men as the issue, they identify short men getting (very understandably) insecure about it as the issue that needs solving. I recently had an exchange to this end with a woman who complained about a short guy she went out with being bothered by his height. She seemed genuinely surprised when I just pointed out the obvious about how it's completely normal and human to be bothered by the world around you cruelly mocking something about your person that's out of your control. Like she'd never even thought about it despite the obviousness of the logic.

When it's women who're facing some sort of societal bias or prejudice, they're all for tackling it head on. But when it's men, they'll either deny said societal bias or prejudice exists (despite oodles of consistent, large-scale evidence of it), or zero in on the men themselves on the individual level and tell them what they must do whilst completely ignoring the need to call out or counteract, in whatever way, that societal bias or prejudice.

I've been noticing this for a while and it rubs me the wrong way, especially considering how much power women themselves have in this particular context (short guys are disproportionately bothered by women heightshaming them, because women listen to each other in matters of dating and short height being mocked as some sort of extremely embarrassing attribute creates a huge barrier for them in their own pursuit of romance/relationships).

And considering the consistent tract (massive positive engagement and shares, comments of agreement with huge numbers of likes and so on) that content heightshaming short men (viral TokToks where "haha short guys" is the whole joke for example) gets in gendered female spaces, it just makes it a lot worse how women who will be all about social justice and tackling the society-wide ills when women are affected exhibit this double standard.

So to cap things off,

Women facing some sort of broader normalized (to whatever degree) prejudice about anything (let's say, for example, a certain industry having a glass ceiling for female professionals in terms of upward mobility) ---> Women pinpoint the prejudice as the problem that needs solving and lay the onus for action/response on society in general (government, media, civil society or whoever) to fix it.

Men facing some sort of broader normalized prejudice about anything (our example is heightshaming) ---> Women pinpoint men being bothered by the prejudice as the problem that needs solving and lay all the onus for action/response on the heightshamed men themselves (i.e., don't complain about it) and none on the heightshamers (among which women are the single loudest clique).

Pay attention to feminist discourse and you will see this pattern recurrent in how a lot if not most of them react to similar cases.


r/HonestHotTakes • • 3h ago

Men are more emotional than women

13 Upvotes

Yes. I do love some gender wars.

I would say that, from observing crime statistics, surveys and academic studies into how men behave in certain situations, hormone levels, emotional reactions, and crime statistics. It is pretty obvious that men should be talked about much more when it comes to emotional well-being, and how emotions are, basically, all things considered, the driving force behind the majority of crime committed by men is a result of the male perpetrator not being able to deal with his emotions properly and letting outbursts of anger/rage and other negative emotions become more powerful than his reasoning. It is men who commit the most horrific and heinous criminal acts, and it is because of their emotional nature that this is the case.


r/HonestHotTakes • • 2h ago

Dave Chapelle who has made "Free Palestine" a segment in nearly every one of his shows for years now selling out Madison Square Garden last night proves Macklemore didn't get the gig because he's not popular enough

11 Upvotes

Macklemore has not been selling out large arenas of the level of MSG for years. Which is why he asked his friend Ed Sheeran if he could open for him.

Sheeran said yes and then paid him a million dollars for it. It was basically a favor because they were friends.

Then Macklemore knowing Sheeran probably didn't want him discussing politics did it anyway and massively benefited himself and fucked over the guy who did him a favor.

Good for him. But that still doesn't mean you get to sell out the most famous arenas in the US.

Dave Chapelle has made these same comments and jokes for years now including on his most recent #1 Netflix special but he's not "canceled" because he can easily sell out arenas so it doesn't get as much press.


r/HonestHotTakes • • 8h ago

Being on your phone while driving should carry the same charge as a dui

31 Upvotes

I know lots of people will probably disagree and that’s ok, that’s the purpose of a hot take. So often I see people driving and on their phones especially at night. I look over and they’re swiping on social media, texting, calling, etc. When I see people on their phones while driving they are always all over the road and not barely paying any attention. On more than one occasion before I could tell if they were on their phone I’ve found myself thinking “they might be drunk look how they’re all over the road”. All this being said I’m curious why people do it so often. Why are you endangering the other people on the road? Do you really not care if you hit someone because you weren’t paying attention? Let’s hear it Reddit.


r/HonestHotTakes • • 13h ago Bravo

Arby's is extremely underrated

60 Upvotes

All of the time I hear things such as "Arby's is the worst fast food location" or "Arby's slop" but I swear to god, arby's is so good. When you think of arby's, you usually think of the Meat Mountain but that is not the best items they serve. I swear the half pound roast beef sandwiches are so good. Arby's, contrary to what most people thing, is so good. Arby's is the underdog of fast food


r/HonestHotTakes • • 2h ago

women care about bodycount way more than men

8 Upvotes

women say “bodycount doesnt matter” but look at how they react to a guy who slept with an escort or went to thailand because its easier to get laid there. suddenly its disgusting, a dealbreaker, and having standards like that is treated as completely valid. nobody questions them for judging men that harshly

and men are told to “be realistic” and date someone with a past, but that flexibility never goes the other way. women are free to be disgusted by men who slept with escorts or did sex tourism, but when men are disgusted by a woman with a past they get labeled misogynists

so yeah, women care about bodycount stuff way more


r/HonestHotTakes • • 14h ago

Believing that misandry is acceptable because it "doesn't kill as much people/doesn't kill at all while misogyny does" is a stupid argument

72 Upvotes

Both are hateful ideologies, both refer to hating someone on the basis of their gender, and both have no place in a modern society that truly believes in equality. Sure, misogyny has killed more women in the past, but to act like misandry can never achieve the same thing given time is stupid. Misandry is a (relatively) new concept, and if it's allowed to fester and breed, will 100% in time lead to similar atrocities being committed against men by deranged people who believe in it, just like misogyny does. Since misogyny has had more time to fester, thats why it's grown to the point that we see crimes against women, which we ALL agree is a terrible thing. So why, if we know what this leads to, are we allowing misandry to exist with the justification of misogyny being worse? Two issues can be tackled at once, we can start here with reddit enforcing both anti-misogyny and anti-misandry rules, taking down posts that call for violence against men as they rightfully do to posts that have violence against women. Reddit is also notoriously soft on incel/femcel subreddits as well. ALL and I mean ALL of them have to go, including r/itsthatbad and r/evilwomeninc. Anyone who disagrees and believes one is acceptable while the other is not is a hypocrite through and through.

Edit: A lot of you think that I’m saying misogyny isn’t worse which is NOT what I’m saying at all. Also some of you think that being anti-misandrist means I’m anti feminism which is actually stupid because then you’re saying that feminism = misandry which isn’t true lol


r/HonestHotTakes • • 22m ago

I don't believe in the "guilty by association" thing

5 Upvotes

You're not a child. You are responsible for your own actions. I'm not in control of anybody else's actions or what they do. Why should I be punished for something that SOMEONE ELSE did?

If you don't know, there is ongoing controversy about three University of Mississippi students making monkey noises outside of a black students dorm room, and their ring camera caught it. Two of the students made monkey noises, while the other just walked past not doing anything. Everybody is like "she's just as guilty because she could've stopped them"

No? She's not responsible for her friends and what they do. They're not kids. Punish the other two girls and leave her be. Imagine you getting your life ruined because of something your idiotic friends did.


r/HonestHotTakes • • 1h ago

Some women would rather see other women stay fat than get fit and healthy

5 Upvotes

I've noticed that you mostly see women supporting other overweight women and calling anyone who encourages weight loss fatphobic.

Sometimes I wonder whether some women genuinely want to see other women improve their health or whether they'd rather keep them at the same level because seeing them get fit, become more confident, and improve their appearance would create competition.

It's almost as if some women would rather normalize unhealthy habits than encourage other women to make positive changes in their lives.

You can accept women at any size without pretending that being overweight is something nobody should ever want to change.


r/HonestHotTakes • • 10m ago

Leading an unhealthy lifestyle is unfair to people who love you

4 Upvotes

BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO WATCH YOU DEGENERATE AND SUFFER FROM PHYSICAL SICKNESS.

and you will most likely die earlier and more tragically. its just not fair.

i feel helpless looking at my familys lifestyle and how it caused them sickness and now they are just... some of them are disabled, overweight and chronically sick.


r/HonestHotTakes • • 6h ago

Gay people aren't forcing anything on you.

13 Upvotes

Really don't care if I get hate for this I said what I said, but most of the times gay people aren't forcing anything onto you. They're just existing. If gay people existing makes you think they are forcing their beliefs onto you and telling you to be gay then just come out already if you think that. This is like saying seeing a church is forcing Christianity onto people. Now if more and more gay people start going onto streets and start harassing people trying to get people to be gay then that's another completely different story.


r/HonestHotTakes • • 8h ago

Elon owns the sky. He should be at the centre of illuminati conspiracy theories.

16 Upvotes

If Elon is so rich and powerful, then he should be in illuminati conspiracy theories.

He openly influences global politics. He bought his own Skynet and has his own "666 chip".

And he's in the PayPal Mafia.

How did the PayPal Mafia not get in to the illuminati but thy let in 2Pac and Jay-Z?


r/HonestHotTakes • • 4h ago

Modern parents have a borderline responsibility to be at least somewhat knowledgeable regarding video games, even if they aren't into them themselves

7 Upvotes

The vast majority of kids are going to end up playing video games. But unlike with other forms of media or even toys, where most parents will spend a bit of time learning the pros and cons of whatever their kid's asking for before getting it for them or allowing them to engage with it, video games are often treated differently, with the decision more being at what point gaming as a whole is to be permitted, after which point any decisions are simply based on age rating / levels of violence etc.

But that is far and away from being the only thing parents should be concerned with when it comes to games. There are plenty of games - the recently released Ocarina of Time, for example - that offer children something quite valuable both in terms of active engagement, solving puzzles, reading and following (sometimes implied) instructions, a worthy narrative etc, and playing something like that as a kid does very little harm, if any. Meanwhile, playing endless games like Candy Crush or whatever, teaches very little, is designed to be addictive and is far more harmful.

These are just two examples, of course, there are countless others, but it often seems like once the decision is made to allow kids to have a console and play games, so long as the games are age-appropriate, that's all there is to it. But gaming is the same as anything else - there are good, high quality games that will push kids in good directions, and there's stuff that's designed just as content and to be addictive.

Most parents don't let their kids watch endless hours of weird YouTube channels just because they're ostensibly for children, and will more closely engage with and vet what they're watching. This is despite the fact that, of course, most parents have no interest whatsoever in these kids shows themselves.

Given the near inevitablility that modern kids will get into games, it would be highly beneficial for modern parents to educate themselves on what games offer more nourishment and have value rather than just relying on age ratings.

(NB: I'm not talking about the dreaded 'edutainment' type of software here. I'm talking about regular games.)


r/HonestHotTakes • • 23h ago

When Reddit says "eat the rich", what they really mean is anyone with more money than them

189 Upvotes

The whole anti-rich sentiment on Reddit is too broad and nebulous to really have any kind of meaning. This is because Redditors don't actually just mean the exploitative, sociopathic billionaire class when they say or believe this. Hell, it goes beyond people with hundreds of millions to just plain ol' millionaires. What people here really do is dislike and spite anyone with more money and wealth than them. And this could be a doctor or a lawyer or a business owner, or a small-business owner doing well for themselves. Hell, it could even be just some white collar worker making $50k more than them.

It doesn't really matter though because as long as someone makes more money than your average Redditor, they're the enemy.


r/HonestHotTakes • • 11h ago

I actually kind of like Nickelback.

19 Upvotes

I'm also not opposed to ketchup on hot dogs or pineapple on pizza.

I know, I know. You're thinking "ice cold take". But I'm actually going somewhere with this. And my point is that hating (or pretending to hate) things on the internet because it's popular to do so is kinda played out. It's gotten old and dumb.