In an age dominated by dating apps and filtered photos, the ancient art of speed dating has made a surprising comeback, promising genuine, face-to-face connections in a matter of minutes. But as a new viral video from a unique speed dating event shows, the experiment doesn’t always lead to love. Instead, it offers a raw, unfiltered, and often hilarious look at the pitfalls of modern romance, where brutal honesty clashes with awkward social encounters and the search for a soulmate devolves into a series of bizarre and unforgettable rejections. The footage is a powerful reminder that while technology might have changed how we meet, the human desire for connection—and the hilariously painful ways we mess it up—remains a constant.

The central premise of the event is brilliant in its simplicity: a red button that allows participants to instantly end a date if it’s not working. This simple mechanic unleashes a level of candor that would be unthinkable in a normal setting, and the results are both cringeworthy and fascinating. The video opens with a classic dating dilemma as a woman named Mar discusses her preference for taller men. She directly asks her date, Kai, if being a “short king” is a deal-breaker, and without hesitation, she admits that it is. The bluntness of her rejection, despite Kai’s charming revelation that he is a gamer who likes thrifting, is a microcosm of modern dating where deal-breakers are declared with a speed and finality that can feel almost ruthless. It shows that in a world of endless options, a person’s type can be defined by a single, unchangeable trait, and no amount of personality can overcome it.

The video continues to deliver a masterclass in awkward encounters. Another date features Callie, a woman whose “fun fact” is that she once kissed Justin Bieber in middle school, a story she considers her “biggest flex.” The response from her date, Isaac, is an instant, unceremonious rejection. The reason he gives to the host is just as stunning: he’s “just not into white chicks.” This moment of racial and personal preference being stated with such bluntness is a striking example of the no-holds-barred nature of the event. It’s a shocking exchange that makes you question what constitutes a valid reason for rejection, and whether some truths are better left unsaid. It also highlights the different ways people view themselves versus how others perceive them; what Callie saw as an impressive anecdote, Isaac saw as a turn-off.

But the rejections weren’t the only source of entertainment. The video is also filled with moments of pure, unadulterated cringe. Take Evan, a rapper who decides the best way to impress his date, Maisha, is to perform an impromptu rap about her. While a normal date might have found this gesture endearing, in the fast-paced, high-stakes environment of speed dating, it feels like an over-the-top gambit. The footage captures the moment perfectly—a man pouring his soul into a performance while his date smiles politely, perhaps already reaching for the red button in her mind. It’s a hilarious, yet relatable, scene that perfectly encapsulates the lengths people will go to in an attempt to stand out from the crowd.

Perhaps the most universally relatable, and stomach-churning, moment of the entire video comes from Brittany and Marcus. Her deal-breaker is simple: bad breath. When asked to check his breath, she leans in, sniffs, and a moment later, recoils in horror, declaring it “absolutely disgusting” before pressing the button to end the date. The visceral nature of her reaction is a powerful reminder that sometimes, the most basic human things—or lack thereof—can be the ultimate deal-breaker. It’s a moment of unfiltered honesty that most of us would never have the courage to express, a testament to the liberating power of that little red button.

While some moments were brutally honest, others were simply bizarre. Jenny, a participant who seems to be a recurring character in the video, features in several unforgettable clips. In one, she and her date role-play their wedding day, exchanging impromptu vows. In another, she is asked to demonstrate what she is like as a kisser, a request that would send most people running. But the most disturbing scene involving Jenny is when she casually describes how she would hypothetically murder someone, complete with details about kidnapping, torture, and throwing the body in the ocean. This unexpected confession is a jaw-dropping reminder that you truly never know who you’re talking to, and that the line between a quirky personality and a major red flag can be perilously thin.

The video also delves into the kind of explicit conversations that are common in the age of casual dating. A date between Mikey and Sean devolves into a candid discussion about “body counts,” which is followed by Sean’s confession about accidentally sending a “spicy” text to his mom. It’s a perfect storm of TMI (too much information), a hilarious and uncomfortable peek into the kind of boundaries—or lack thereof—that exist in the modern dating landscape. It’s a scene that is both relatable in its awkwardness and a stark reminder that some things are probably best kept to yourself.

In a world where romance is often presented as a perfect, idealized journey, this speed dating video is a chaotic and beautiful mess. It’s a raw, unfiltered look at the messy reality of human connection, where people can be instantly rejected for their height, their race, or even their breath. But it’s also a testament to the endless surprises that await in the search for love, from spontaneous rap performances to bizarre, dark confessions. The video proves that while the search for a soulmate can be a brutal journey, it’s also one that’s full of unexpected moments of honesty and a healthy dose of cringe that remind us all why sometimes, it’s just better to be single.