so I (17M), my brother (12M) and my dad (46M) were getting out of a Universal theme park in Orlando, going down through the parking lot we stumble across a family of five: a mom, a dad and three girls (idk what age but they looked 15/16 yrs old). their parents were saying “well girls say goodbye to Universal” in a really funny accent, so my dad looks at me and my brother and mocks the family’s accent, we weren’t making fun directly at the family, just a tiny little joke from my dad for only my brother and I to hear. However, one of the girls heard this joke and said “these three idiots are making fun of us”, another one of the girls said: “look at their stupid glasses, all three of them have them”, I heard this so I said back: “you people are just saying random shit”, I said this just by pure reaction, didn’t really thought it through. Then my dad said to the girls: “woah, stop it right there”, then we walked right past them.
Now that I think about this whole situation, the girls had every right to talk shit about us, that joke my dad said was really out of place, even if the family wasn’t intended to hear it. Play stupid games win stupid prizes I guess, plus the thing I said was unnecessary, I could’ve just ignore them and move on. but the things the girls said really touched a nerve in me, even if it was deserved, those girls could’ve filmed the whole situation and call in for misogynistic behavior on us (which I’m not) and they would be right. Really embarrassed from the whole thing, but maybe i’m just overthinking.
YTA. It doesn’t matter that the joke was only meant for you and your brother. I have ADHD and sometimes imitate sounds without thinking, and I always worry that I’ll be speaking in a funny accent, and offend someone so I’m usually very aware of myself when I’m in public. I don’t know if your dad has any quirks like that, but if he doesn’t he was probably just being an ass, and genuinely making fun of them. Learn from your mistakes, and move on. You’re young, and still have time to choose the right path in life.
YTA. Racism is not a joke, which mocking one’s accent undoubtedly is (which you did even in writing this: “in a really funny accent”). It’s good that you’ve already seen the light and evaluating it yourself, but in terms of the actual incident/your question, you were the AH but no doubt you’re on your way to not be one in the future.
YTA your family was totally in the wrong, but at least you’re self aware enough to be ashamed of your behaviour.
On the other hand it was not a tiny joke, it was directed at their accent, that is a racist joke, you seem like you’re trying to justify it, just because you didn’t mock someone to their face doesn’t make it any better.
light YTA, but good for you for thinking it over and feeling embarrassed.
You’re old enough to start to understand that your dad acts like a d\*ckhead in public, and other people who see him act like that think “wow, what a d\*ckhead”. You’re also old enough to decide how you want to act in public. Mocking people for the way they talk is an AH thing to do, and you dad did it first, those girls just returned the energy your dad put out into the world.
And if anyone was filming you it wouldn’t be to claim you were misogynistic, it would be to claim you were racist or ableist (some disabled people speak in a different way too). So that’s food for thought. Bigotry is bigotry, and your dad mocked them because of something he saw as being “different”. That’s what Xenophobes do. You get to chose to live a different life, you get to choose if you will respect others just existing in public or choose to behave like your uncouth father.
“Then my dad said to the girls: “woah, stop it right there”, then we walked right past them.”
Why was your dad addressing them at all? No reason for a grown man stranger to tell a group of 15/16 year old girls what to do with their parents right there. Gross
YTA, neither your dad or you are funny at all.
YTA. Your dad was making fun of them. Their reactions was a result of that. Don’t look to your dad on how to act in public or treat people unless you want to be an AH
Quick Google search of the definition of mocking:
Mocking is the act of ridiculing, laughing at, or treating someone/something with contempt, often by mimicking their actions, speech, or behaviors in a derisive manner. It implies that the target is inferior, foolish, or worthy of scorn.
“Really funny accent”? What the hell does that mean? Apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, I guess.
YTA (and clearly a racist one, at that)
YTA on multiple levels. Laughing at a racist joke and one mocking people nearby. Then escalating a conflict for no reason at a theme park. The first girl was right. Three idiots laughing
Y *completely*TA. You and your dad are racist assholes and bullies. You are literally the assholes lots of us non assholes don’t like. They reciprocated what you idiots threw out and it “hit a nerve”. Shut up snowflake.
Fuck out of here with your nonsense. You and your father need to grow up and leave people alone. Way to shit on someone’s good day.
Nasty racist jokes are perfectly acceptable and totes hilarious as long as the people you’re being nasty and racist about can’t hear you. /s
# YTA
YTA, but to be fair, you’re only 17 and you already seem to be learning to be more respectful than your dad. Don’t beat yourself up over it, just keep moving in that direction and you’ll be a well spoken adult very soon.
Here’s the thing, my guy. You can SAY you’re “not like that” until the day you die, but your words mean literally nothing. Your *actions* are what determine if you’re “like that” and so at the current moment you are 100%, undeniably, objectively, like that. So right now, YTA. But if you want to grow into *not* being an asshole, learn from this and think about what I said. If you want to not be like that, don’t be like that. Show it with what you *do* and not what you *say*, because that’s the only way to show it that matters on any level at all.
The cool thing is that you still have some insight as to your role in this and you have the ability to make an informed change in the way you think and react to people. Don’t waste this moment.