Glamorous Katy Perry was recently photographed walking the Red Carpet at the “I Heart” Radio Awards. Unfortunately no one bothered to tell her that she had something stuck in her teeth. 
After Perry saw photos of herself, she wrote this on Instagram: “Currently taking applications for real friends who aren’t afraid to tell me there’s quinoa in my teeth.”
Have you ever had toilet paper trailing out of your spanx? Or strawberry seeds lodged in your gums?
How about a price tag from that new sweater dangling from your underarm?
When you see unfortunate incidents like this, what do you do? Do you tell the person, or simply remain silent?
Wouldn’t you want to know? Or would you rather go through the day with your underwear showing or your shirt inside out?
Recently I bought some rather cheap toilet paper and happened to blow my nose with it. It was so thin, a sliver stayed stuck in my nostril. Of course I had no idea. I took a trip to the grocery, visited the bank, and got my nails done all without ever realizing it.
Why the heck didn’t someone tell me I had paper floating from my nose?
Would you have told me?
It might depend on how well you know the person…but should that be a factor? I think most people would like to know–even strangers.
Why is it so uncomfortable for us to speak up? Are we embarrassed? Just think of the girl who has her skirt caught up in her underwear. Mindlessly walking through the parking lot, with half her behind showing.**
I say, “Tell her!”
Why? Because, awkward as it is to have someone tell you, it’s more awkward to go through the day not knowing and get home to find yourself utterly humiliated.
Look at poor Emily Watson. Blithely unaware that she looks as if she’s just eaten a bowl of beets! Why didn’t someone report this lipstick debacle to the Beauty and the Beast star?
I would really like to know my readers’ opinions on this? Would you want to be told?
Would you tell? Or would you be silent? (Comment below)
Also, please do share your embarrassing moment. It will make us all feel so much better.
**And to the young girl who actually ran up and stopped me in the parking lot to tell me my skirt was hiked up in the back, I say, “Bless you, my child!” (True story.)
20 Comments
I bill myself as the friend who will tell you there is broccoli stuck in your teeth! Lately, I told a woman that her tag was hanging out of her shirt. A couple years ago, my sister and I were shopping and a woman had the adhesive strip down the front of her t-shirt that has sizing info – still attached. Yes, we told her, and, of course she was mortified! Do unto others……..
Terry,
Mortified… but only for a moment, and only in front of you. Just think if she’d been out all day and no one had told her.
Bless you and your sister!
(My skirt really was caught up in my Spanx, and this sweet young girl came running to tell me–of course, not until one of the Valet drivers had seen everything! I call her a ‘saint.’)
O.K. Since it is Mother’s Day, I will have to tell about an incident which involved my dear, sweet Mom who was the choir director at our church for many years. Every summer, she attended a music conference and took my brother and me with her. At the end of one of these conferences, she went around telling all her many friends good-bye. When we got in the car to leave, she looked in the mirror and noticed that she had left two little hair curlers in her hair that morning. “Why didn’t you kids tell me this?!?”, she screamed at us. Well, because we loved her anyway. It didn’t matter to us that she had two little hair curlers left there.
Thanks for sharing this heartwarming story, Betty. Sometimes the only person it matters to is the one wearing the curlers!
I will always tell a woman if something is “out of place”. I have a problem deciding whether to tell a man that “the barn door is open”. I usually tell my husband to inform him.
Janet,
Ask your husband if he would want to know. If so, then any man probably would. Ha ha…barn door!
I say tell! I would want to know!!!
Me too, Sherry.
Let’s all remember this ladies…we want to know!
One day I was out weeding in the yard, and since I was not expecting visitors, I was wearing a tube top. A couple decided to surprise us and drove up the driveway. I rose up to greet them and stood talking and my husband came up and joined us. After several minutes, he remarked : “You’re looking pretty sporty there, Penni.” I looked down and saw that my tube top had worked itself down and exposed a breast! Needless to say, I was horribly embarrassed and wondered why my friends had not said anything!
Penni,
Our first response is embarrassment. But your friends were probably just at embarrassed…think about it. The best thing to do is laugh about it…after you stop shuddering at the memory, of course.
You are such a dear for sharing your personal story. We can all relate.
Yes, I do let others know if something is amiss. As a high school teacher, I often had to tell students, especially the young ladies, when something was showing that shouldn’t be. This was especially true in dealing with the very well endowed. I did it with humor, in order not to embarrass them too much, although, truthfully, I wasn’t sure it would embarrass them. I remember two freshmen who always wore jackets which they zipped or unzipped according to the room temperature; underneath they wore low cut tank tops. I called them into the hallway the first time I noticed this and talked with them privately about how their zipping choices affected the hormonal “temperature” in the classroom.. I told them it was difficult enough to hold the attention of my students, but how in the world could my German lessons…although very entertaining I thought… compete with their “talents” . They found this amusing and obeyed without a fuss; we then devised a physical signal that I could use during class to let them know when it was time to “zip the girls up”. Humor allows us to deal with almost anything and everything in a non-threatening, more compassionate way.
You are so right, Sharon Bell!
Not only can we use humor to laugh at ourselves in an embarrassing situation, but humor can also lighten an awkward moment when it’s our turn to let others know something is ‘amiss.’
Thanks for writing.
I have a friend who was having a party and furiously straightening her house. She remembered something she needed from the grocery and even though she was dressed in very sloppy clothes decided to run at the last minute. When she got back in the car she happened to look in the rear view mirror and there on the top of her head was a toy Princess Crown she had picked up and plopped on her head during her trip through the house. (She figured that all who had seen her, thought “Oh the poor dear, she must have just come from the institution”).
Susan,
Ha, ha, ha…On the contrary–I’m sure every woman who saw her at the grocery thought, “Oh, she’s probably just rushed out to get something she forgot for her ‘princess party.’ Darn, wish I’d been invited!
I always tell. I try to quietly tap them on the shoulder and tell them or signal them with gestures. I hope the others will do the same for me.
Kathy,
I say, “Bless you!”
If it’s something that can easily or immediately be fixed, I tell them. I’ve also been known to ask women if I can put the tag at the neck of their clothing inside. No one has ever told me not to fix it!
That’s right, Linda.
I bet no one has ever told you NOT to tuck in their tag! Further proof that we all want to know.
Thanks for writing.
Another angel!
I always tell a friend and hope they would do the same! Can’t imagine not!