American Millennial Films Herself Eating Pasta in Italy—Then Comes Outrage

Newsweek

3 days ago

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A video capturing how an American tourist did while having pasta at a restaurant in Italy has gone viral on TikTok.
The clip was shared by 37-year-old solo traveler Charisse Bruin (@charissesstyles), who lives in Savannah, Georgia, but has been visiting a few countries in June.
The viral video, which amassed more than 3.2 million views since it was shared on June 11, was captured in Venice, Italy. "It was my first time, hopefully not the last," Bruin told Newsweek.
Text overlaid on the clip simply reads: "Eating pasta in Italy." The video shows Bruin sitting at a table at a restaurant in Murano, a small island of the Venetian Lagoon, tucking into a dish of spaghetti pasta.
Bruin later stares down at her dish before nervously grabbing a knife and cutting into the pasta, flashing a slight grin as she puts the knife back down.
A caption shared with the post notes: "the noodles are so loooooooooooong."
A screenshot from a viral TikTok video in which Charisse Bruin cuts her pasta with a knife at a restaurant in Italy.
A screenshot from a viral TikTok video in which Charisse Bruin cuts her pasta with a knife at a restaurant in Italy.
@charissesstyles on TikTok
Bruin told Newsweek: "No one at the restaurant corrected me nor offered me a spoon—just more wine."
Around 300 million tourists were reported to have traveled internationally in the first quarter of 2025, around 14 million more than in the same period last year, notes the U.N. World Tourism Organization.
Contrary to what some might believe, most Americans have been out of the country at least once, according to a June 2021 Pew Research Center survey.
It found that 71 percent of U.S. adults traveled internationally at some point in their lives, while 27 percent have not.
The survey found that the degree to which Americans have traveled varies widely. Nineteen percent have been to only one foreign country, while 12 percent have been to two countries.
Meanwhile, 15 percent have visited three or four countries and 14 percent have traveled to five to nine. Only 11 percent of Americans were reported have been to 10 or more countries.
'I Wasn't Expecting That'
Bruin has been traveling to find a new home in Europe or Central America. She told Newsweek: "I'm a creative entrepreneur and content creator so I have flexibility to move around the world."
The content creator said she typically does not use a knife to cut pasta, "but now I definitely know better and realize how serious the pasta cutting is and that it is pasta and not noodles."
Viewers on TikTok were amused and shocked by Bruin's pasta-eating technique in the viral clip.
Véro said, "Oh. I wasn't expecting that," and Laura wrote: "I am Italian. Don't do it again!!!"
Emhyr Van Emreis noted, "i'm offended and i'm not even from Italy," and Chantel posted: "I'm American and don't cut my pasta."
User @ur_favofficegirlie wrote, "Girl why you make me scream like that," and @user356746843237 said: "I ain't never seen nobody do that ever Italy or America."
Others were less bothered by Bruin's use of the knife, such as Attolini Claudia who wrote: "As Italian, I think people should be free to their spaghetti as they feel most comfortable."
AliceB noted: "I'm Italian and I tell you: just eat like you want, you're on vacay so you should relax."
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