# Hot Takes: 30 Examples of Hot Takes That Split the Room (With Real Votes)

> What are hot takes? The meaning, hot takes vs. unpopular opinions, how to play the hot takes game, and 30 funny and controversial hot takes with real votes.

- Source : https://unpopular-opinions.app/en/blog/hot-takes-examples/
- Author : the team at Unpopular Opinions (https://unpopular-opinions.app/mentions-legales/)
- Published : 2026-09-24
- Keywords : hot takes, unpopular opinions, debate game, hot takes, what are hot takes, hot takes examples, funny hot takes, controversial hot takes, hot takes game, hot takes list, hot take meaning
- App : https://apps.apple.com/us/app/unpopular-opinions/id6739219396 · https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.app.unpopularOpinions

## In short

- A hot take is a blunt, contrarian opinion thrown out on the spot to get a reaction: "Marvel is overrated." No nuance, no "it depends".
- Hot take vs. unpopular opinion: a hot take is built to provoke, an unpopular opinion is genuinely held by a minority. A great hot take splits the room in half; an unpopular opinion puts the room against you.
- Here are 30 hot takes in five themes, each with the real share of players who agree in the Unpopular Opinions app and the number of votes behind it (pulled September 17, 2026).


## What are hot takes?

A hot take is a blunt opinion, thrown out on the spot, that goes against what most people think. "Marvel is overrated." No nuance, no "it depends". The goal is simple: get a reaction.

The term comes from American sports media, where a hot take was the column written in a minute to stir things up. It then took over X, TikTok and podcasts. Today, "hot take:" is how people announce an opinion they know will be argued with.

A good hot take follows three rules:

1. **It fits in one sentence.** If you have to explain it before saying it, it's a miss.
2. **It's a statement.** No question mark, no "maybe I kind of think".
3. **It targets a topic, not a person.** Go after the carbonara, not the person cooking it.

## Hot takes vs. unpopular opinions

They look alike, but they aim at different things. An [unpopular opinion](/en/blog/unpopular-opinions-examples/) is genuinely held by a minority: "Amusement parks are for kids" convinces only 6% of players. You defend it alone against everyone.

A hot take is built for the reaction. It can easily be shared by half the room. "Cutting your pasta is heresy": 51% agree. That's why hot takes are the best debate starters: nobody wins in advance.

The only way to know which box an opinion falls into is to count. That's what the [Unpopular Opinions](/en/) app does: every opinion is voted on by thousands of players, and the verdict comes with a percentage. Under 20%, it's an unpopular opinion. Around 50%, it's a perfect hot take.

## How to play the hot takes game

No equipment. One person reads a hot take out loud. On "go", everyone votes at the same time: thumbs up for "agree", thumbs down for "disagree". Voting together matters: otherwise the last voters just follow the majority.

The minority gets thirty seconds to defend itself. Then read the real percentage from the app's players. If your table votes the opposite way, it has to explain itself as a group. Variant: everyone writes their own hot take on a piece of paper, you draw them at random, and the author has to defend it even if they voted against it.

Each hot take below shows its share of "agree" votes and the number of votes behind it, pulled from the app on September 17, 2026.

## 7 hot takes about food

The safest ground: everyone eats, everyone has an opinion, nobody gets truly offended.

1. **Carbonara is made with fresh cream.** 47% agree · 1,949 votes.
2. **Pineapple on pizza is a crime.** 73% agree · 1,915 votes.
3. **Cutting your pasta is heresy.** 51% agree · 1,918 votes.
4. **Peanut butter is just gross, it is so dry.** 43% agree · 5,056 votes.
5. **There is no difference between cheap vodka and Grey Goose.** 46% agree · 4,825 votes.
6. **Smoothies are just sugar disguised as healthy.** 50% agree · 1,870 votes.
7. **Industrial sliced bread is better than bakery bread.** 12% agree · 1,889 votes.

Carbonara with cream, at 47%, is the most reliable food hot take: Italian purists and college students will never make peace. Pineapple, on the other hand, lost: 73% of players call it a crime.

## 6 hot takes about shows, movies and screens

The generational battleground: everyone has a cult show, and someone at the table thinks it's bad.

8. **Marvel is overrated.** 49% agree · 1,890 votes.
9. **Friends is bad.** 48% agree · 1,838 votes.
10. **Iron Man is a much better written character than Batman.** 48% agree · 4,797 votes.
11. **Instagram was better with the number of likes.** 51% agree · 1,771 votes.
12. **Karaoke is an underrated form of artistic expression.** 51% agree · 1,868 votes.
13. **Reading is for geeks.** 8% agree · 1,211 votes.

The first five all sit around 50%: this is the section to throw out when the table is split between two generations. "Reading is for geeks", at 8%, isn't a hot take anymore: it's a pure unpopular opinion.

## 8 hot takes about everyday life, work and tech

14. **Being an influencer is not a real job.** 49% agree · 1,944 votes.
15. **Cryptocurrency is nothing more than a Ponzi scheme.** 50% agree · 1,643 votes.
16. **Smartwatches are gadgets and useless.** 50% agree · 1,803 votes.
17. **Voice messages are 40 seconds MAX.** 68% agree · 1,907 votes.
18. **Finding a job you love is the best way to end up not finding any work.** 55% agree · 5,379 votes.
19. **Amusement parks are for kids.** 6% agree · 1,867 votes.
20. **Giving gifts is emotional blackmail.** 13% agree · 1,956 votes.
21. **Family gatherings are toxic.** 46% agree · 1,902 votes.

Voice messages over 40 seconds have already lost the case: 68% of players want a limit. Amusement parks, at 6%, are the most unpopular hot take on this page.

## 5 hot takes about sports

22. **3x3 basketball is better than NBA basketball.** 26% agree · 4,676 votes.
23. **Strava has gotten toxic; people compare themselves too much instead of pushing themselves to improve.** 71% agree · 4,717 votes.
24. **Ultratrail harms nature more than it promotes it.** 50% agree · 4,645 votes.
25. **Watching sports is too expensive.** 66% agree · 4,974 votes.
26. **Sports records will soon be impossible to beat.** 46% agree · 4,996 votes.

Ultratrail, at exactly 50% on more than 4,600 votes, is the perfect sports hot take. For more in this theme, see [the sports opinions](/en/opinions/sports/).

## 4 controversial hot takes that split the table exactly in half

Save these for when the night goes quiet. They all sit between 49% and 53%.

27. **Dogs are superior to cats.** 53% agree · 1,882 votes.
28. **Energy drinks are better than coffee.** 50% agree · 1,901 votes.
29. **Fast fashion should not exist.** 53% agree · 1,846 votes.
30. **Everyone is wrong except you.** 49% agree · 4,982 votes.

"Everyone is wrong except you" is the ultimate hot take: 49% of players agree, which says everything about the mood of a debate night.

## How to write a good hot take

Three techniques that always work:

- **The word "overrated".** Take something everyone loves and knock it down: Marvel, Friends, brunch, beach vacations.
- **The absolute rule.** "It's made with cream." "40 seconds MAX." Absolutes force people to pick a side.
- **The comparison that stings.** Two things people always compare, and you pick the less obvious one: Iron Man over Batman, 3x3 over the NBA.

Test your hot take on three people. If all three agree, it's a boring opinion. If all three disagree, it's an unpopular opinion. If they start arguing with each other, you've got a real hot take.

These 30 hot takes are a sample: the [Unpopular Opinions](/en/) app holds more than 2,000 opinions, each with the verdict of the other players, and you can submit your own. To go further, [the 50 most divisive opinions](/en/blog/most-divisive-opinions/) are updated every month, and [the 50 unpopular opinions](/en/blog/unpopular-opinions-examples/) cover the minority side.

## Frequently asked questions

### What are hot takes?

A hot take is a strong, contrarian opinion delivered quickly to provoke a reaction. Example: "Marvel is overrated." 49% of the app's players agree (1,890 votes), so half the table will push back.

### What is the difference between a hot take and an unpopular opinion?

An unpopular opinion is held by a minority ("Amusement parks are for kids": 6% agree). A hot take is mostly provocative and can be shared by half the room ("Cutting your pasta is heresy": 51%), which makes it the better debate starter.

### How do you play the hot takes game?

One person reads a hot take out loud. Everyone votes at the same time, thumbs up or thumbs down. The minority gets 30 seconds to defend itself, then you compare with the real percentage from the app's players. In the Unpopular Opinions app, you swipe and the verdict appears on its own.

### What are some funny hot takes?

The ones nobody really gets hurt by: "Voice messages are 40 seconds MAX" (68% agree), "Karaoke is an underrated form of artistic expression" (51%), "Iron Man is a much better written character than Batman" (48%), "Everyone is wrong except you" (49%).


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