We’ve all had moments where we’ve tried a little too hard to impress someone, but most of us draw the line before it hits our bank account.
One man’s viral story about dinner at the Cheesecake Factory with his friends reveals the lengths some people will go to to make an impression on a person they’re attracted to, even if it involves deceit.
Man Tips 75% At Cheesecake Factory
In a viral video with more than 2.4 million views, content creator Gage (@gage.mp) recounts his attempt to impress a waitress during a group dinner at the Cheesecake Factory.
Gage says that when their server arrived at the table, he was immediately struck by her appearance.
“I didn’t realize Megan Fox worked at the Cheesecake Factory on the weekends,” he says in the video.
That’s when what he calls “big dog” mode kicked in, and he announced to his friends that he’d cover the entire bill.
When dinner concluded and the server brought his checkout, Gage says he put his plan into action. He says he deliberately dropped his American Express card on the ground in what he described as “tactical clumsiness.”
“She just heard her future,” he says, suggesting the prestigious credit card would signal his financial status.
But the real move came when he signed the receipt: a 75% tip, “I love you” written in all caps, plus his phone number and address “just in case.” He walked out of the restaurant “like it didn’t cost me a dime.”
The reality check came later. Once home, Gage says he sent a photo of the receipt to his group chat and began begging his friends to Venmo him their portions of the meal.
“Tactical frugalness,” he says. “I could not afford that.”
“Why you gotta fight w me at Cheesecake you know I love to go there,” he wrote in the caption, referencing a Drake lyric.
The Psychology Behind Performative Generosity
Gage’s story perfectly illustrates what writer Mona Lazzar calls “financial cosplay” in her Medium essay on pretending to have wealth.
She explains that people aren’t just fooling others when they overspend to appear affluent; they’re fooling themselves.
“Social media has turned financial insecurity into theater,” Lazzar writes, describing how people use credit cards, loans, and buy-now-pay-later schemes to maintain appearances they can’t actually afford.
The psychology behind this behavior is rooted in what Lazzar calls “the status trap”—the belief that money equals worth, and looking rich earns you respect, dates, and social validation.
The problem is that maintaining this illusion has real consequences. “Every fake flex is a bill with interest,” she notes. “Every image you project is a piece of your future sold off cheap.”
But does this strategy actually work in dating contexts?
According to EBONY, the answer is more nuanced than men might hope.
While some men assume women reject them purely based on financial status, the publication argues that “sometimes a woman has already struggled with a man” and knows from experience that she doesn’t want to take on someone else’s financial burdens. The issue often isn’t the paycheck itself but rather confidence and character.
The article points out that women who prefer financial stability aren’t automatically gold-diggers; they may simply want a partner who functions cohesively in the relationship rather than creating additional emotional and financial strain.
In Gage’s case, his performative generosity backfired not just financially but also potentially romantically. Overspending to impress someone, only to immediately ask friends to cover the cost, reveals exactly the kind of financial instability and poor judgment that many people actively avoid in partners. R
Real wealth, as Lazzar puts it, isn’t about “looking rich.” It’s about “not caring who thinks you are.”
Commenters React
“Call bank and dispute charge, tactical fraud,” a top comment read.
“Big fan of how you function,” a person said.
“75% Tip on a boys group dinner is insane,” another wrote.
“Absolute mastermind,” a commenter added.
@gage.mp Why you gotta fight w me at Cheesecake you know I love to go there
BroBible reached out to Gage for comment via Instagram and TikTok direct message.