Social etiquette can often be considered a matter of opinion, as different folks follow different social cues and mores in different situations.
Often, people who complain about a particular behavior online find that many folks agree with their point of view. Or, they face an overwhelming barrage of comments from individuals who say their point of view is not in line with “normal” expectations.
The latter is what happened to TikTok user Katie (@katiecomedy), who blasted a guest for showing up to a 30-person potluck dinner with only one box of pizza. Many viewers responded, saying the entire point of potlucks is that everyone brings a little bit of food, culminating in full meals for everyone in attendance. While they might not get a full portion of everything brought to the potluck, they can pick and choose whatever is available.
The person who was maligned in Katie’s original video has posted a TikTok detailing his side of the story.
In his now-viral video, TikToker Xander Herman (@xanderherm) stitched the original clip and said he brought cookies and garlic knots in addition to the pizza.
@xanderherm #stitch with @katiekcomedy #pizzaguy ♬ original sound – Xander Herman
“Hey, pizza guy here,” he says to start the video. “Just for context, I was at this potluck and brought cookies first. And then, like she said, there were only desserts, so then I went ahead and got a large pizza and some garlic knots. You know, really turn it up. But, I don’t know, maybe that wasn’t enough.”
In the comments section, viewers sided with Herman on the issue.
One commenter criticized Katie for not understanding the definition of a potluck: “She literally explained how potlucks are supposed to work in the beginning of her vid and was still somehow confused on how it works.”
A second highlighted how unfair it was of Katie to expect Herman to provide enough pizza for every single guest at the gathering: “Soo you had to cater 30 people at a party that wasn’t yours???”
Another added, “She makes no sense bc if everyone brought food for 30 people, everyone would have to eat 30 servings of food.”
Several viewers also said that the event seemed to lack proper coordination. “So it’s not that no one (including her) brought anything, just no one coordinated to bring something other than desert?” one commenter asked.
Another user pledged their allegiance to Herman and said they thought Katie was wrong: “Team Pizza guy! In her other videos she keeps digging a bigger and bigger hole for herself!”
The Daily Dot contacted Herman and Katie via TikTok comment for further information.
