Dating is bad right now, but what’s happening to one Dallas radio host is truly a nightmare.
According to her initial TikTok, which now has more than 5 million views, Mason (she prefers just a first name) explains she had a first date planned for last Friday night. But after waiting for her date for 30 minutes at a restaurant, she realized she’d been stood up.
The man later called to say his father was in the hospital, then called again to say that was a lie, then left her an increasingly concerning series of voicemails.
In subsequent voicemails, the man gets angrier. Perhaps sensing what’s coming, he demands that she not put the voicemails on TikTok, and even threatens legal action.
Then the man’s mother apparently got involved in leaving voicemails, which Mason played on-air Tuesday morning. According to those who listened live, the mother apparently invited her over to dinner. On TikTok, she weighed whether she needed a restraining order, and said she bought pepper spray.
It certainly makes for engaging content; she solicited similar bad-date stories from listeners, and often posts dating anecdotes on her social media. Her TikTok followers are very invested. “This is my new favorite show,” said one.
But this escalation prompted others to warn her to keep her guard up. “I don’t think you could put more red flags in one voicemail if you tried,” said another commenter. After the TikToks were posted to Twitter on Monday, people commiserated over how bad dating has gotten, but also pointed out this red-flag behavior.
Via Instagram, Mason told the Daily Dot she will be posting more voicemails tomorrow. In a comment on her Instagram Tuesday afternoon, she says she’s “in TikTok jail at the moment.”
*First Published: Sep 14, 2021, 3:30 pm CDT
Audra Schroeder
Audra Schroeder is the Daily Dot’s senior entertainment writer, and she focuses on streaming, comedy, and music. Her work has previously appeared in the Austin Chronicle, the Dallas Observer, NPR, ESPN, Bitch, and the Village Voice. She is based in Austin, Texas.
