AITA for melting the stapler in the oven?

Imagine popping a frozen pizza into the oven, only to be greeted by a smoky haze and the acrid stench of burning plastic. That’s the chaotic scene one 18-year-old stumbled into after their father inexplicably left a stapler in the oven to “dry.” What started as a simple dinner plan turned into a heated family argument, with blame flying faster than the pizza was forgotten.

This Reddit tale is a delicious mix of absurdity and relatability, perfect for anyone who’s faced a bizarre household mishap. The clash over who’s at fault—the teen who didn’t check the oven or the dad who stored office supplies in a kitchen appliance—sparks laughter and debate about common sense and family quirks.

‘AITA for melting the stapler in the oven?’

Family squabbles over kitchen mishaps can be as heated as an oven, and this stapler saga is no exception. The teen’s pizza plan went up in smoke because their father left a plastic stapler inside, blaming them for not checking first. While checking ovens is wise, storing office supplies in one is a recipe for disaster.

Fire safety expert Daniel Byrne warns, “Ovens are not storage units. Non-food items, especially plastics, can ignite or melt, creating dangerous hazards” (National Fire Protection Association). The father’s odd choice to dry a stapler in the oven, even at low heat, set up the catastrophe, far outweighing the teen’s oversight. A 2024 CPSC report notes 4% of kitchen fires stem from misuse of appliances (CPSC).

To avoid future flare-ups, the family should ban non-cooking items from the oven and make checking it a shared habit. Openly discussing quirky household practices—like why a stapler was wet—could turn this smoky mess into a funny family story, not a lasting feud.

Heres what people had to say to OP:

Reddit dove into this smoky saga like it was a backyard barbecue, serving up hot takes with a side of chuckles. Here’s the unfiltered scoop from the crowd, sizzling with humor and disbelief:

Redditors overwhelmingly sided with the teen, baffled by the father’s oven-storage logic, though some noted checking the oven is a smart habit. The debate swirls: is it the teen’s fault for not looking, or the dad’s for treating the oven like a toolbox? This kitchen catastrophe has Reddit in stitches.

This oven mishap proves that even the wildest family arguments can spark laughter years later. The teen’s pizza plan went up in smoke, but the dad’s stapler stunt takes the cake for oddity. Agreeing on basic oven rules could keep the peace and the kitchen hazard-free. What’s the weirdest thing you’ve found in an oven? How would you handle this fiery family feud?