The internet used to be a very different place.
Back in the old days, people would just log onto forums and confidently post the most unhinged opinions imaginable with absolutely no fear of losing their job, getting doxxed, or being publicly executed by Twitter activists.
As you probably already know, AJnet Magazine has its roots in controversial opinions. I said some crazy shit back in the early days. If I repeated some of that stuff now, I’d probably be arrested. Which, as I explain in our publication’s history, was part of the plan.
Hey, I never said the plan was a sensible one.
Anyway, this brings us to Reddit’s r/unpopularopinion, a subreddit dedicated entirely to people sharing opinions they believe go against the mainstream.
In theory, this should be one of the most entertaining places on the internet. A digital warzone full of controversial takes, social taboos, and arguments that make people foam at the mouth. The subreddit became so popular that it even spawned a sister community called r/TrueUnpopularOpinion, which seems to just be r/unpopularopinion but conservative. Honestly, I’m surprised Reddit still allows that place to exist considering anything right of left is treated like a biological hazard on there.
Going into r/unpopularopinion, you’d expect to find genuinely dangerous hot takes. I’m talking real controversy and risk-taking. Stuff like “Trump isn’t actually that bad” or “Hitler did nothing wrong”.
Let’s see what these fearless revolutionaries came up with.
When was IKEA ever not overpriced low-quality crap? I’m saying this as the owner of several IKEA Linmon/Lagkapten desks.
Your explanation made even less sense than the title.
This isn’t an unpopular opinion as much as it is an opinion influenced by drugs.
Yes, you’re right. I was always meant to be this guy right here:
Unfortunately, society punished me until I became this guy instead:
But considering most of Reddit is on board with letting minors get sex changes, I’d say this opinion probably isn’t as unpopular as the poster thinks.
Expensive weddings are a waste of money. What a real hot take.
Your husband is going to sex parties.
Without you.
Because you’re fugly.
If my former employer is anything to go by, this is a genuinely unpopular opinion.
Good job.
You say that, until it’s 30 years later and she’s nagging you about boring financial stuff, making obscene gestures at you all day, and calling you names.
It’s like being married. Except there’s no sex.
Actually, never mind, it’s exactly like being married.
This unpopular opinion essentially translates to: getting stabbed is better than getting diarrhea.
Which most people would probably disagree with, so I guess this is an unpopular opinion.
But only on a technicality.
Ask me how I know this guy is British.
In fact, let’s take a peek at his profile:
Oi m8 u got a loicense for that lobstuh?
My favorite part of this one isn’t so much the opinion itself as it is the comments, which basically amount to “woah woah woah, that’s not what we meant when we said women should be treated as equals to men!”
This isn’t an unpopular opinion. Thilo from NinjaPirate already wrote about this in 2005.
One got his start in battle rap and is known for his diss tracks. The other is known for trying to build his career by dissing people more successful than him.
One has a net worth of $250 million. The other has a net worth of $25 million.
One still makes rap albums. The other left rap and transitioned to pop-punk.
This isn’t an unpopular opinion. It’s just completely fucking wrong.
Why does your post
have so many line breaks?
You sound like you’re
winded, and I’m reading
your post in Stevie’s voice
from Malcolm in the Middle.
This is a very elaborate way of saying “shut up and get in the damn van, you little shit.”
This is it.
The most controversial and unpopular opinion that will ever be posted on this subreddit.
We’re at the peak, it’s all downhill from here. Time to pack it up and go home.
r/unpopularopinion ended up being exactly what I probably should’ve expected: a mix of painfully boring takes and people living in completely different realities. “Waffle House is better than IHOP.” Riveting stuff. Then every once in a while somebody completely out of touch with reality shows up and starts arguing that MGK somehow beat Eminem, which is the kind of opinion that makes you wonder if posting while under the influence should be added to the subreddit rules.
In fairness, I probably should’ve read those rules before going in. Specifically, rule 5:
Political posts aren’t allowed, which explains why so many of these “unpopular opinions” feel sanitized and safe. The truly unpopular stuff either gets removed or buried, leaving behind a lot of lukewarm nonsense disguised as controversial thought.
People on Reddit love pretending they represent the average person, but it’s important to remember that they really don’t. Reddit represents a very specific type of person: terminally online weirdos with too much free time, very little real-world experience, and an unhealthy obsession with turning every discussion into a morality contest. The site isn’t reality. It’s an echo chamber for a small but very vocal segment of the population.
Still, I’ll give r/unpopularopinion this much: even when it’s boring, it’s never not fascinating. Even when the takes are painfully boring, it’s always fascinating to watch thousands of strangers passionately debate whether teenage rebellion is actually “discovering your authentic self” or whether women are both completely equal to men and should still get priority treatment the second danger shows up.
The internet may have been a mistake, but at least it’s a funny one.
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