Internet Roasts Patron Over 'Proud' Male Shirt Turning Heads: 'Insecure'

The internet is completely roasting a man photographed in a restaurant wearing a shirt claiming he's a "proud f**king male," and people aren't impressed.

The viral Reddit post, shared to the subreddit "Cringe Pics," has garnered 8,100 upvotes and 700 comments since it was shared on May 10 by Redditor @PabloEscobutt69. The image is titled, "Umm...OK," and features a man checking out at the register at a Cracker Barrel.

The original poster (OP) took the photo a few feet behind the man in Prescott, Arizona. The man, who had long hair, was wearing a black sleeveless shirt with a message on the back in white lettering.

"Born male, raised male, proud f**kin' male, deal with it," his shirt read.

He wore a belt through the loops of his jeans, and on his hip sat a firearm in a holster, but that wasn't his only accessory. In his right jean pocket was a white washcloth hanging out, and in the other pocket was what could be a comb as pointed out by one Redditor.

According to World Population Review, 31 states allow for open carry of a handgun without a permit. However, they aren't allowed in certain places, including churches and schools.

In front of the man on the counter was some cash laid out, and on his feet were a pair of white and red sneakers.

Redditor @PabloEscobutt69 told Newsweek on Friday: "I took this picture in Prescott, AZ. I grew up there and left when I was 18. Coming back to visit every now and then, and the place almost seems unrecognizable as far as people go. The place really has jumped on the hate for anything different bandwagon. But anyways, I walked into Cracker Barrel to look for a gift. Saw that man open carrying and thought, 'Sir, this is a Cracker Barrel.' Then I saw the shirt. The rest is history as they say."

Redditors proceeded to completely roast the man in the photo down to every detail. "That comb in the back pocket says, 'I was so cool in the 70s,'" one viewer said.

Other people honed in on the man's white washcloth hanging from his back pocket, and thought it might have a hidden meaning. Some pointed out the handkerchief code, or hanky code, which is a way of communicating sexual or fetish interests with a handkerchief in the pocket. The colors of the handkerchief and which pocket it's in mean different things, according to Cosmopolitan. It was a popular practice in the 70s in the LGBTQ and BDSM communities.

"I am wondering if this handkerchief-wearing 'f**kin male' knew that he's signaling," a Redditor wondered.

Meanwhile, another viewer thought the man must have made the shirt himself. "Imagine being so threatened by someone else's gender preference that you need to buy this item," another viewer said.

One Redditor said they would change the shirt to some different wording entirely. "Born insecure, raised insecure, really f**king insecure, please help me," they wrote.

Some people were shocked at the situation, and one Reddit user pointed out the man was "trying to be tough in a f**king Cracker Barrel of all places. Gee whiz."

Others were perplexed over the man's garment, and one user, who said they were a "cisgender male," wondered how "utterly fragile" a person's "masculinity" has to be to "feel so threatened by the fact that some people born biologically male grow up to identify as and live as women. Why on earth would you ever feel like that has anything to do with you?"

Another Redditor called it a "response to trans people," adding, "This shirt sucks 'cause this guy has never had to fight for people to see him as what he really is. The statement itself isn't bad, It's the context."

This isn't the only viral image circulating on the internet. A puppy fell asleep earlier this month while getting out of bed. Meanwhile, a man found a beehive in his vacation home's window earlier this week. In addition, the internet was recently furious over a table a family left trashed at a food court.