Selections from the Dumpster Breakup Database

The Dumpster applet allows its users to browse brief descriptions of 20,000 breakups which were posted to Internet blogs during 2005. This page presents a small selection of representative breakups, with the intent of illustrating the range of the collected information.

While romantic breakups are traditionally considered a negative event, the Dumpster shows that there is a much more nuanced and diverse range of emotional reactions. Unfortunately, as one might expect, some authors report feeling profound depression, and are moved to self-mutilation or other tragic responses. Others, however, react to their breakups with elation, relief, apathy, acceptance, sarcasm, and a wide variety of other expressions.

02335
today really sucked i wanna die my parents hate me omg waaa waaa waaaa i cut myself the prozac doesnt work my bf broke up with me and i got stuffed into a locker

02315

Ever since Thomas and I broke up... my whole face has completely cleared up.. Fortunately I didn't have a lot of zits before but now .... I have NONE! That's something to be happy about...

02036
i so culd not b happier rite now! which rite now most ppl wuld b sad and everything my bf just broke up with me! !!!!!! and im like really happy!!! he waz gay!!! i think! well g2g! ttyl! kiss kiss!

03796
WOW im talking to Marks girlfriend, and i really like her. I can now understand why he broke up with me for her. I would have done it too. haha

03402
Boo fucking hoo! My significant other broke up with me so now I'm going to overdose on Senekot and die shitting in my granny knickers. If I ever commited suicide, that's how I'd do it. And dressed like a clown. With ...

Sometimes the blog authors offer explanations or speculations about why their relationships ended. These justifications range from seemingly trivial to astonishingly cold-hearted.

01313
Larchie thinks Bad Religion is better than Fugazi, so I broke up with her. Then she played Sublime.

03602
When Maggie and I broke up I was 15 and she was 14. I think it was the age difference that really killed the relationship.

02382
omg my girlfriend broke up with me because i uploaded naked photos of her on to my photobucket, and she reported me to livejournal abuse. so much for that love fest.

03534
OK, Eric freakin broke up with me for the stupidest reason ever! He said he couldn't date anyone that doesn't like god! What the freak! I think he was just looking for an excuse to brake up with me. That really hurt ...

03254
Last night I was told by an ex that the reason they broke up with me is because I carry extraweight. "If you lost a few pounds, you could look like Lindsay Lohan."

01503
My former boyfriend broke-up with me because I told him I couldn't have children. I fantasize daily about tracking him down and somehow secretly poisoning him so that he will be rendered sterile.

The circumstances surrounding romantic relationships are enormously varied, as are their aftermaths. So is the language which people use to describe their feelings.

01260
broke up broke up broke valentine broke valentine car broke down car broke down girlfriend broke up with me girlfriend broke up with me he broke up with me he broke up with me

03315
ok me and my girfiend recenty broke up ya see i think it was cuz we have diferent signs see im a sagitarius and she was a whore tune in for next weeks;)

01290
... well then stormey broke up with me..??? i hate it! i love him soo much.. and now he's gone.. oh and he told my mom i was running away. and i was.. but still he didnt have to tell her ...

03697
well u see today i was reely happy but now i'm reely pissed b/c i went out w/brandon for 6 hrs nd then he broke up w/me. but he said that we can be friends w/advantages friends that kiss ...

02164
Click here to view my new Dance Dance Revolution video. This is what I do on Saturday nights since Niki and I broke up.

These relationships and nearly 20,000 others can be read and compared in the Dumpster breakup browser.