Reading about a Minnesota man getting sentenced to nearly 28 years for shooting three people when they didn’t sing the Birthday song for his girlfriend has made me rethink my view on birthday catastrophes.

I used to think a birthday disaster was about who came or didn’t come to your party. Like in middle school the worst thing that might happen is the cute boy you had a crush on not coming to the party…Or the cute boy attending your party and then there being spin the bottle and you getting picked to kiss him but having the most gross breath ever. TRAGEDY.

But then I read about this shooting. The guy brought his girlfriend to a birthday party for someone else and was incensed that they didn’t sing for his girl, who happened to share the same birthday.

In trying to find this Birthday Song story again, I also came across other articles about shootings at birthday parties. Before this I might have thought the girl who’s 16th birthday invite went viral and ended up with rioting in the streets was the worst I’d heard.

There are also many social media videos posted of people’s hair catching fire while blowing out the cake candles Or of the candles causing other decorations and the entire room to catch on fire. Another top ten list will leave you grimacing.

This is just depressing to see all this bad associated with birthdays. So, to turn it around, here’s a fun birthday video from Mr. Bean who celebrates solo but in style.

Photo credit: fmgbain / Foter / CC BY-NC-ND