TikTok user @deeply.lami, who goes by Lami on the platform, has a few thoughts about how her mom handles her being 30 and single. One of those efforts involves playing matchmaker and setting her up on dates that, so far, have not exactly gone according to plan.
Lami says her mom’s choices do not always align with what she would pick for herself.
“Her typical choices for me, they're suspect,” she says in a TikTok.
At the time of publication, the video had 83,600 views and 576 comments.
Lami says being 30 and single has been a source of concern for her mom, who is a first-generation Nigerian and has certain expectations for her daughter. As a result, Lami says, her mom has taken on the role of full-time matchmaker.
Still, Lami admits her own recent dating choices have not exactly been a winning streak either.
While talking with her sister and friends about her mom’s setups, they pointed out that the last few men Lami had chosen herself had not worked out particularly well. So when her mom suggested another date, she decided it was worth giving the man a chance.
The plan was simple: dinner.
Lami says the man was a “FOB,” a slang term for a recent immigrant, and that he had a thick accent. But she says she started having second thoughts almost immediately when he arrived to pick her up. For starters, he was dressed in red, white and blue from head to toe. That alone was not necessarily a dealbreaker. The bigger surprise came during the drive to dinner.
The two started talking, and eventually, he asked Lami if she wanted to listen to music. She agreed, assuming he might put on some R&B or Afrobeats.
Instead, he played a patriotic song.
“Y'all, he starts playing the most patriotic song,” Lami says. “When I tell you, he was singing, like, with full conviction.” At that point, Lami says, a few things started making sense. “The math was mathing, and I was like, does this man need a visa?” she says.
The TikTok then cuts to footage apparently recorded inside his car, where “God Bless the USA” by Lee Greenwood can be heard playing.
TikTok users react to the mom-arranged date and his patriotic outfit
The video evidence appeared to make the story even funnier for commenters, who focused on the combination of the man’s outfit, his song choice and Lami’s realization that he may have been especially enthusiastic about his new home.
“My mans happy to be in America,” one commenter wrote.
Other first-generation Nigerians joined the conversation, with one commenter saying, “I'm first generation... let me tell you I don't entertain FOB at all. Marriage ain't worth it if that's the option.”
Lami’s story also sparked a broader conversation about being single in your 30s, particularly when family members have different expectations around marriage and relationships.
One commenter summed up the sentiment: “I love being single in my 30s it's fun and low pressure if you ignore everyone.”
For Lami, however, the date appears to have been another reminder that her mom’s matchmaking instincts may not always line up with her own.
The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify the claims made by TikTok creator @deeply.lami, which are based on her opinions shared in the video.
