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By Maria Morava
Relationships Reporter
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Some household chores are so simple they seem impossible to ignore—but a man online has one he just can't seem to do.
A video on TikTok showed a woman who was left stunned after discovering that, instead of using the trash can, her boyfriend had been secretly stuffing his used toilet rolls behind their bathroom mirror. Since the video was posted, it has gone viral with over 400,000 views.
"Just found out that my boyfriend throws the toilet rolls behind the mirror rather than putting them...in the bin," content creator Ciara wrote in the caption. "People are really leaving the weirdest sexist comments over some...toilet roll. Promise it's not as deep as you think it is."
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The video sparked outrage and confusion amongst viewers. While many were horrified by the effort it must have taken to hide the rolls rather than dispose of them properly, others admitted to engaging in similar behavior—with varying degrees of justification.
Ciara told Newsweek that despite the comments and assumptions people made in the comments, her boyfriend is the "tidiest one" living at her house.
"I posted it because I thought it was funny," she said. "Obviously, it's a 10-second video and not a representation of the rest of the house or our lives...to see the response of some people blowing it up into something it's just not is crazy!"
A common problem or weaponized incompetence?
The viral discussion surrounding the video quickly evolved into a larger conversation about weaponized incompetence, a term used to describe when someone feigns incompetence or makes tasks seem harder than they are to avoid doing them altogether.
The phenomenon is often discussed in the context of household labor, where one partner—usually a woman—ends up taking on the majority of chores because their partner—usually a man—repeatedly "fails" at basic tasks.
This concept resonated with many viewers who were all too familiar with the struggle of getting housemates or partners to do their fair share. One commenter wrote, "I have a trash can right next to the toilet and none of the four adults other than me who use that bathroom can throw away a toilet roll. They would rather throw them behind the toilet."
Another commented with a similar story said: "Two of my roommates who are siblings literally just stuff them behind and around the toilet. There's a garbage can IN the bathroom."
Even those guilty of hoarding toilet rolls weighed in.
"I'm a woman and I do this too," a commenter wrote. "I have a specific spot but it's overflowing. I started because they're great for crafts but now they make my bathroom a mess cause they're everywhere. This is tidy."
One user said: "I'd send to his parents and ask if that's how they raised him in their house, if he did the same at theirs," they wrote.
Whether a case of weaponized incompetence, an odd habit, or just a reluctance to complete household tasks, the video has ignited a debate over why some people seem to go to greater lengths to avoid cleaning than it would take to just do it in the first place.
Newsweek reached out to @cxara.oop for comment via TikTok.
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