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The original was posted on /r/bestofredditorupdates by /u/secure-raspberry-763 on 2024-11-16 02:11:57+00:00.

I am not OP. That is u/eska089 who posted to r/AITAH

Original post Nov 3rd, 2024

So, this happened a few days ago, and I’m still trying to process it. For context, I (28F) have been with my BF (30M) for about 2 years. We live together, and I’ve always done most of the cooking because I genuinely enjoy it, and he claims he can’t “even boil water” without setting off the smoke alarm.

The other night, I made one of our favorite meals, and while we were eating, he got a weird smirk on his face. He then says, “You know, I’ve been taking notes.” I laughed, thinking he was joking, but then he said, “No, really. I made a presentation.”

I still thought it was a joke until he got up, connected his laptop to the TV, and opened a PowerPoint titled “Improving Our Home Dining Experience.” I was in disbelief as he went slide by slide critiquing my dishes: “Slide 1: Too Much Garlic,” “Slide 2: Pasta Consistency,” “Slide 3: More Salt, Less Sass.”

The kicker was Slide 8, which was just a photo of Gordon Ramsay facepalming with the caption, “What he’d think.”

I was stunned. I told him if he had such detailed opinions, he should cook himself. He tried to backtrack, saying it was “all in good fun” and that he was “just trying to help.” But I wasn’t laughing. I haven’t cooked since, and now he’s been living off cereal and takeout. He’s sulking, saying I’m overreacting and “ruining the joke.”

So, Reddit, AITA for refusing to cook after my BF presented me with a PowerPoint critique of my cooking?

Edit: Thanks for all of your comments and support, I just posted an update!!

Update Nov 3rd, 2024

Hey, Reddit! So, it’s been a wild ride since I posted my original story about my (now ex) boyfriend’s infamous PowerPoint presentation critiquing my cooking. I can’t thank you enough for all the support, laughs, and even the outrage on my behalf. Buckle up, because here’s the follow-up you didn’t know you needed.

After reading your comments and taking some time to process what happened, I decided that our relationship needed a serious talk. I sat him down to discuss how his presentation came across as not just unfunny, but pretty disrespectful. You know, typical mature relationship stuff.

Well, what does he do? He smirks and goes, “Oh, I was prepared for this!” He actually grabs his laptop, connects it to the TV again, and presents me with another PowerPoint titled “How to Take a Joke: A Comprehensive Guide.”

Yes, folks, he made a whole slideshow explaining why I needed to learn how to “chill out” and “appreciate humor.” Slide 1 featured a meme of a clown putting on makeup with my name plastered over it. Slide 2? A bullet point list titled, “Why Your Overreaction is Hilarious.” Slide 3 was titled, “How I’m Clearly the Comedian in this Relationship.”

At this point, I was too stunned to speak. But then he pulled out Slide 6: “Things You Can Do While Not Cooking (Because You’re Mad).” The audacity, right? It was as if he really thought he’d win me over with this next-level presentation. Spoiler alert: he did not.

So, I did what any rational, PowerPoint-loving person would do. I made my own. I stayed up all night crafting a presentation called “Why It’s Time to Move On: A Farewell Guide.” It had everything: flowcharts mapping his incompetence in the kitchen, pie charts illustrating my happiness before and after “The Great Presentation Debacle,” and my personal favorite—Slide 9, a GIF of Gordon Ramsay yelling: „GET OUT!”

This morning, I sat him down and went through my PowerPoint with the same energy he had given me. His reaction was priceless. He started with that same smirk but lost it somewhere around Slide 4: “Top Ten Reasons You’re Moving Out Today.” By the time I got to the “Resources for Finding Your Own Apartment” slide, he was packing a bag.

Now, before anyone worries, yes, he did actually leave. And no, I didn’t even have to threaten him with Slide 12, which was just a photo of me blocking the Wi-Fi router.

So, yeah, we broke up, and I’m single, happy, and cooking meals for myself without any critique except my cat’s judgmental stare. And to those who said I should make a “breakup PowerPoint,” just know your wish has been fulfilled…

I still can’t believe how all of this went down over the course of one single weekend. But I now feel pretty good about myself. Thanks for all of your comments and support!

PS: Oh, and fun fact, some of you were right: he actually is a business consultant, so making PowerPoint presentations is quite literally his day job. I guess he took “bringing work home” to a whole new, unwelcome level…

Update 2 Nov 6th, 2024

Workplace-Update: AITA for refusing to cook after my BF tried to “critique” my cooking with a literal PowerPoint presentation?

Hey everyone! Just when I thought this PowerPoint saga was done and dusted, it turns out the story took an unexpected dive into corporate drama. So, here’s the latest: my ex works at a big consulting firm, and they’ve found out about the PowerPoint breakup. Between all the shares and the news articles (thanks, New York Post and Bored Panda!), the story somehow made its way into his office… and let’s just say, it’s been causing some serious disruption over there.

The news came to me from a mutual friend who’s actually a colleague of his. This friend couldn’t resist sharing the story with a few other coworkers, and before long, the whole office knew that he was the boyfriend behind the Reddit-famous PowerPoint critiquing his girlfriend’s cooking. People pieced it together pretty quickly (honestly, how many PowerPoint-loving culinary critics can a single firm employ?), and now it’s become this unofficial inside joke that’s taken over his team.

Apparently, the real kicker happened yesterday. My ex had to present in a team meeting, and from what I’ve heard, it didn’t exactly go smoothly. As soon as he pulled up his first slide, someone in the back muttered, “Hope this presentation is tastier than the last one,” which set off a chain reaction of stifled laughs. A few people tried to keep it together, but by the time he was halfway through, someone else chimed in with, “Don’t forget the salt!” And at that point, half the room was doing their best to muffle laughter.

I’ve been told he somehow managed to finish the presentation, but I can’t imagine it was easy with his entire team dropping subtle (and not-so-subtle) hints every few minutes. And now, it’s apparently become a running joke in the office—any time someone has to give feedback or present, someone will throw in, “Add a little more garlic!” or “Is this feedback PowerPoint-approved?” He’s basically the office meme now, unofficially dubbed the “PowerPoint Gourmet.”

And, in what might be the best prank yet, someone went into the company’s internal wiki page—the one for onboarding new hires—and added a little “unofficial policy” at the bottom. It now reads: “Company Culture Tip: PowerPoints are a powerful tool for workplace communication, but please keep presentations about personal matters, like cooking critiques, out of the home environment.” I’m told that every new hire sees it, and it’s been getting some serious laughs from anyone who spots it. My ex was apparently mortified when he found out but couldn’t exactly complain, because hey—it’s just “helpful advice” for the team, right? Now it’s a full-on company legend, with people half-joking that they’ll add it to the official onboarding materials.

Meanwhile, my friends have been sending me updates nonstop, and I can’t help but laugh at the absurdity of it all. One friend texted, “You’ve created an office legend,” while another said, “Please tell me he’s not planning a rebuttal PowerPoint!” (Let’s hope for everyone’s sake that he isn’t.)

As for me, I’m just sitting back with some popcorn, absolutely living for these updates. Who knew that dumping a guy with a PowerPoint addiction would make him the unwitting star of office legend? I feel like I’m watching a sitcom unfold, and every new bit of gossip is just the next episode. Honestly, I never imagined my breakup would lead to him being known as “PowerPoint Gourmet” around the office, but here we are. Moral of the story? If you’re going to critique your partner’s cooking with a slide deck, be prepared for that feedback to follow you right into the break room.

I am not the original poster. Please don’t contact or comment on linked posts