Smosh Reads Reddit Stories
Smosh Reads Reddit Stories
February 7, 2026

Did They Really Post That? w/ Mari Takahashi | Reading Reddit Stories

Quick Read

Hosts Shane, Spencer, and Mari Takahashi dissect Reddit's wildest 'Am I the A**hole' dilemmas, from dog-swapped phone cases to D&D betrayals and exploitative houseguests.
Family group chats are notorious for being ignored, leading to unexpected consequences like dog photos replacing cousins on a gift.
True friends do not exploit hospitality by consuming all your groceries and destroying property, especially when you're helping them.
D&D groups can hide malicious intent, with DMs and players colluding to make one person a 'punching bag' for their own narrative convenience.

Summary

Shane, Spencer, and special guest Mari Takahashi dive into a series of 'Am I the A**hole' Reddit stories, offering their humorous and often pointed opinions on various social dilemmas. Topics range from a person replacing cousins' photos with dog pictures on a grandpa's phone case, to a houseguest who consumed all the hosts' groceries and supplements, and a D&D group that intentionally targeted a new player. The episode also covers roommate drama, accusations of being a 'passport bro,' and the ethics of winning an eating competition with a genetic advantage, providing a lively discussion on communication, boundaries, and unexpected social conflicts.
This episode highlights common yet often unspoken social challenges and communication breakdowns, offering relatable scenarios and a framework for understanding different perspectives in conflict. It underscores the importance of clear boundaries in friendships, family, and group activities like D&D, showing how miscommunication or malicious intent can lead to significant emotional distress and fractured relationships.

Takeaways

  • Ignoring repeated requests in family group chats can lead to humorous, yet frustrating, outcomes like dog photos on a phone case.
  • Hospitality can be severely tested by guests who exploit generosity, consuming all resources and showing no respect for property.
  • Dungeons & Dragons groups can harbor toxic dynamics, where one player is intentionally targeted and sacrificed for the 'storytelling' convenience of others.
  • Genetic advantages in competitions, like a high spice tolerance, are not cheating; they are natural abilities, similar to height in basketball.

Insights

1Dog Photos Replace Cousins on Grandpa's Phone Case

OP replaced cousins' photos with dog pictures on a phone case for their grandpa after multiple ignored requests for their actual photos. Grandpa found it hilarious, but the cousins' parents were upset. The hosts deemed OP 'Not the A**hole,' highlighting the common issue of ignored group chat requests and the humor in the outcome.

OP sent three reminders with clear warnings. Grandpa found it hilarious, and the cousins' parents were upset. Hosts agreed OP was NTA.

2Friend Exploits Hospitality, Consumes All Groceries

A friend, 'Kay,' stayed at the hosts' house twice, first for 20 days, then for 17 days to dog-sit. He consumed all their groceries, including a giant Costco olive oil and supplements, and destroyed a ceramic pan. He mocked requests for replacement. The hosts deemed OP 'NTA,' suspecting theft and emphasizing the friend's profound disrespect.

The friend ate two jars of jam, a jar of peanut butter, a Costco bottle of olive oil, and husband's supplements. He destroyed a ceramic pan and mocked the request to replace it. Hosts agreed OP was NTA.

3Roommate Drama: 'Ew' to Boyfriend Photo Escalates Conflict

A 19-year-old OP responded 'Ew' to her roommate's boyfriend photo, leading to a heated argument where the roommate said, 'Don't wake up.' The OP detailed a history of the roommate's controlling and selfish behavior. The hosts leaned towards 'Everyone Sucks Here,' acknowledging OP's meanness but also the roommate's problematic actions and the immaturity of both.

OP responded 'Ew' to a boyfriend photo. Roommate said 'Don't wake up.' OP described roommate as temperamental, controlling, and selfish. Hosts agreed both were problematic.

4Accusation of Being a 'Passport Bro' by Jealous Friend

OP, a 26-year-old male in a 5-year relationship with an Italian man, was called a 'passport bro' by a friend, Emma, who was flirting with his boyfriend. Emma accused OP of being creepy and having a 'white savior complex.' The hosts ruled OP 'NTA,' concluding Emma was jealous and projecting her own issues.

Friend Emma flirted with OP's boyfriend, then called OP a 'passport bro' and accused him of being attracted to 'younger Italian men' and having a 'white savior complex.' OP and boyfriend are the same age. Hosts agreed OP was NTA.

5D&D Group Intentionally Targets Player as 'Punching Bag'

A D&D player consistently had characters die (6-7 in 2 years) and was accused by friends of 'wasting their time.' An update revealed the group and DM were intentionally targeting him as a 'punching bag' to make encounters easier for the 'real players.' The hosts deemed OP 'NTA,' condemning the group's manipulative and poor communication tactics.

OP's characters died 6-7 times in 2 years. Friends became angry. DM confessed the group was intentionally targeting OP to allow other players to 'explore their stories.' Hosts agreed OP was NTA.

6Controversy Over 'Ugly' Portrait at High School Memorial

A high school student drew a portrait for a deceased classmate's memorial. Despite being known as the 'class artist,' the portrait was called 'ugly' by the deceased's close friends, who told OP it wasn't welcome. OP refused to remove it. The hosts leaned towards 'Everyone Sucks Here,' acknowledging OP's teenage grief but also their self-centered framing and the friends' grief-fueled lashing out.

OP drew a portrait for a memorial, was told it was 'ugly' and 'not welcome' by friends of the deceased. OP refused to take it down. Hosts discussed the complexities of teenage grief and self-centeredness.

7Winning Eating Competition with Genetic Advantage is Not Cheating

An individual with a genetic quirk that makes them immune to capsaicin (spice) won a hot pepper eating competition, securing free wings. Friends accused them of cheating. The hosts ruled OP 'NTA,' comparing the genetic advantage to a tall person playing basketball, stating it's a natural ability, not cheating.

OP has a genetic quirk for high spice tolerance and won a hot pepper eating competition. Friends called it cheating. Hosts compared it to Michael Phelps's genetic advantage or a tall basketball player.

Lessons

  • Communicate clearly and set firm boundaries in all relationships, especially when hospitality or group dynamics are involved, to avoid exploitation or resentment.
  • Recognize that not all 'friends' have your best interests at heart; be prepared to disengage from toxic group dynamics, whether in social circles or gaming communities.
  • Understand that grief manifests differently for everyone, but avoid making a memorial or tragic event about your own feelings or artistic expression, especially if you're not a close relation.
  • Embrace natural advantages in competitions; they are not cheating, but rather unique abilities that can lead to legitimate wins.

Quotes

"

"Anytime anytime you're in anything, they're like Asian lunch. It's just like it's just Mari does anything. They're like Asian blank."

Shane
"

"If OP was really thinking about grandpa though, probably would have made the move to screenshot the Instagram."

Mari
"

"He's absolutely the when they brought up the pan. He's like, 'It's just a pan.' It's like, 'Yeah, you ruined it.'"

Spencer
"

"You're telling a story together and the DM has does have some control on what's going on. The fact that you were silenced, immobilized, and then a group of characters beat you up, I'm like I'm questioning like I think the DM's killing you a little bit."

Shane
"

"How bad at storytelling do you have to be that it's like, okay, we got to have someone so uh they can handle the bad stuff."

Shane
"

"Judging how somebody grieves is such an interesting thing because it's probably a projection of how we're we're judging ourselves of how we're grieving."

Mari
"

"It's like telling a guy who's 7 feet tall not to enter basketball dunking competition so guys under six feet can have a fair chance."

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