We’ve all done it: seen pictures of smiling couples and wondered, “How happy are they, really?” Well, wonder no more!
The Honest Couple Instagram account puts hilariously dark captions onto pictures of happy couples to highlight the uncomfortable truths that real-life couples rarely ever admit.
Here’s a quick taste:
The account offers a brutally cynical view of relationships, continuing the age-old internet tradition of squashing people’s happiness with withering comments.
How about we take this to the next level?
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But what’s great about the pictures is that their captions leave it up to the viewer to decide whether they reflect the thoughts of one partner or both of them. The horrifyingly honest captions make subtle facial expressions, like smiles or raised eyebrows, take on altogether more ominous meanings. (What secrets have you been hiding, my dear?)
The author of the account has said that the goal of the project is to honestly confront the real struggles couples go through rather than fake happiness all the time.
“Honesty is helpful for everyone because it makes everyone else feel less f*cked up that they are going through the same sh*t,” they said.
Related: Study: Gay couples are vastly happier than heterosexual couples. So there.
But let us be clear: The captions aren’t written by the couples themselves, and the images are sometimes of actual real-life couples that have been posted without their knowledge.
So if you see any of these couples out in public, please don’t approach them and say how you read about their sexless, emotionally dead relationship on Queerty.
But if you’re looking for a laugh (and a tiny bit of discomfort), enjoy these images same-sex couples we found amongst the account’s many different-sex ones.
And then there’s this one of two of the most nationally homophobic political couple of all time. (Well, apart from Michelle and Marcus Bachmann.)
Godabed
this is dumb, who actually follows this?
Juanjo
People who have more intelligence and a better-developed sense of humor than you obviously possess.
Aaron
People follow this. Do you really need to know who they all are?
GregR
This is gross. Yes, it is all meant in good fun but the whole thing comes off as so pissy and negative. Yes, there are relationships like that but there are also good ones. And you could do the same memes for many straight couples. Just seems like a lot of negativity to me.
Juanjo
I see someone needs some hugs to get over his issues.
startenout
The great thing is that if you ACTUALLY bothered to look at the Instagram account BEFORE you posted, you would see that it’s all couples…straight, gay, etc. But why bother looking at something before you criticize it? Am I right? LOL XOXO
Aaron
Learning about other people’s dark secrets can be cathartic. Sometimes it’s good to know that you are not the only one who is suffering.
geb1966
Then start your own Instagram about happy couples and maybe Queerty will write about you. As you point out, this is all in fun. Obviously there are plenty of people who DO enjoy it.
miserylovedme24
This is so stupid. So they’re taking pictures of actual couples and just making up random crap to caption them with? What is the point?! A concept where the couples actually reveal issues they deal with would make a whole lot more sense.
Aaron
Why would that matter? A lot of these anecdotes are not hard to imagine.
Brian
This would be a fine enough statement as a single album. Dedicating an account to it makes it stupid. It’s the same joke made hundreds of times.
AlexEf
That’s clever 🙂
Robothedestroyer
Heh, these are pretty good. I was not expecting the claws to come out over this article in the comments though. Oh well… I guess I like this because I do the same thing especially to “happy” advertisements hnging in restaurants. I have a dry, and kinda dark sense of humor though… So maybe I’m just an asshole lololol.
rfmcdonald
This does not strike me as particularly funny, especially the use of images of couples which exist in the real world.
KevInSD
Hopefully, this will result in a lawsuit for copyright infringement and/or libel.
Of course,if there is something on the internet which attacks gay couples and stable relationships, Queerty will celebrate it.
Raphael
Agreed! If they only used pics submitted from willing people, I wouldn’t care, but to steal pics from random couples on the internet without their knowledge, publicly mocking them and captioning phrases as if it’s theirs… I’m pretty sure it’s base for a lawsuit! With that said, willing or not, I can’t see what it’s funny about this, especially being fake.
M0mMouse
I absolutely agree with you. I understand that it can be hard if you are single or in a bad relationship or even just going through a rough patch. Actually I have a beautiful friend with a woman who is like a sister to me and about 10 years ago on Valentines Day she posted a note on her Facebook account and I immediately realized that she was in a deep depression and even feeling suicidal. The post was talking about how she wished she could have a love like all of the happy couples who post on Facebook. I wrote to her about this very topic. My second husband and I were struggling to even stay together but we chose to keep that private at the time so on Facebook we posted the beautiful pictures of a happy relationship. She talked to me for hours that day and finally admitted that she had been planning to kill herself. I am so glad that I recognized her pain and was able to help her see that a lot of the time it is just that couple’s post what we want people to THINK is a happy relationship. That said, I think that it is reprehensible to use anyone’s pictures without permission. I guess I am weird because I don’t post any of my pictures “public” but they are for me and my family and friends. Public posts are political, progressive ideals, and occasionally a progressive religious post.
I honestly think that it is important for people to see that they aren’t alone but if “Honest Couple” wants to help with that they should ask for permission.