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Ah, Washington DC, the seat of American power. However, if you think it’s all about seriousness, clandestine meetings, and Machiavellian plots all the time, sadly, you’re mistaken. Of course, there’s a lot of that going on in the background, but one thing that we tend to forget is that the people living and working (and, yes, even plotting) in Washington are just that—people. With very human dreams, ambitions, weaknesses, and silly conversations.

These conversations are out of this world and the massively popular ‘Overheard Washington DC’ Instagram page has the proof. It features bizarre and interesting snippets of gossip and conversations overheard by those living in DC. And you’d better grab some popcorn because they’re entertaining as heck! 

As you’re scrolling down, upvote your favorite tidbits from ‘Overheard Washington DC.’ And if you happen to live and work there, we’d absolutely love to hear more about the hustle and bustle in the political heart of the United States.

Bored Panda reached out to the team behind 'Overheard Washington DC' and they were kind enough to go in-depth about their project. We started the account at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020 and have been the fastest-growing page in the DC area in just a short period of time with one of the highest engagements," a representative of the Instagram page told me. "Our goal has also been to tell the world the story of DC and provide insight into our city through comedy. There is more to our beautiful city than just politics and politicians."

More info: Instagram | TikTok

'Overheard Washington DC' has seen some amazing growth since the start of 2020. And it doesn't look like it will be stopping any time soon.

"We have grown by 110% in the past year alone and to answer your second question, we receive between 70-100 submissions a day and mostly select overheards that we think are relatable to our community. We do occasionally select outlandish overheards that may not be. We think people relate to the content because we highlight issues such as dating, rising prices, an unaffordable housing market and everyday struggles that we all share," the representative explained to Bored Panda that their content is very relatable to the average Instagram user who happens to live in DC or knows about the culture.

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Andy Acceber
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm not sure how nuclear codes work, but I have to assume that it's highly fictionalized in movies. I can't imagine it's the same as your email password or that it's 100% in one person's discretion whether to use them or not. (At least, I really, really, really hope in this day and age that no president can just unilaterally launch nuclear weapons without consulting congress, his/her/their generals, his/her/their cabinet, etc.)

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‘Overheard Washington DC’ currently has just over 100k followers on Instagram, as well as a further 12.5k fans on TikTok. The conversations they feature are raw, powerful, and funny because they’re honest and presented without much context. We’re sure that many of you Pandas wouldn’t expect to hear most of these things on the streets in DC.

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"In such a vibrant and fast-paced city like DC, connections can be hard to find. We created Overheard DC to bring people together through shared experiences, satire and humor," the rep told Bored Panda. "We hope to continue to use comedy and shared interests to make as many connections as possible."

Odds are that you've heard at least about one 'Overheard' account on Instagram in the past. However, keep in mind that 'Overheard Washington DC' isn't affiliated with the 'Overheard LA' project umbrella that encompasses 'Overheard New York' and other accounts. They're an offshoot.

The similarly titled ‘Overheard’ project is very vast by now. Odds are that you’ve heard about at least one of their Instagram accounts, whether it’s ‘Overheard LA’, ‘Overheard New York,’ ‘Overheard Bumble,’ or many of the others. They have a strong online presence and their posts are bound to cross your social media feed sooner or later.

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The person to thank for the entire ‘Overheard’ empire is Jesse Margolis. He founded ‘Overheard LA’ in 2015 and has secured its legacy in the years that followed. They work with some major companies (like Netflix, Bumble, and others) and even publish a print-only witty newsletter, ‘The Overheard Post,’ that Jesse himself helps deliver in person.

With such a well-received approach on social media, it's no wonder that they've inspired others to follow in their footsteps.

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Andy Acceber
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Accurate. I understand they allow you to cancel your service in exchange for your first-born child.

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“While our home will always be Instagram, we have begun to expand to other verticals such as text via the community app Clubhouse, where we host a biweekly comedy show and are exploring some really exciting product ventures,” a member of the ‘Overheard’ team revealed to Bored Panda some time ago.

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Andy Acceber
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

D.C. has a larger population than Wyoming or Vermont. This isn't what the founders envisioned when they proposed a federal district. Waaay more than just politicians live in D.C., and the roughly 700,000 people deserve representation. It's past time for statehood.

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The representative of the ‘Overheard’ project explained that the success of the idea is directly related to connecting people, showing them what they have in common. Whether we’re talking about a shared location or a shared experience. “Whether that is living in NYC (@overheardnewyork), dating on Bumble (@overheardbumble), or talking about celebrities (@overheardcelebs). It’s our goal to make people laugh and provide moments of joy and self-reflection,” they said.

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Kesam
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Just make uni free. If we can do it, you can too. And it's, you know, legal. 😉

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With how important Washington DC is in American life, it’s no surprise that ‘Overheard Washington DC’ isn’t the only Instagram account to showcase peculiar conversations in the capital.

For instance, the account shouldn’t be mixed up with the very similar ‘Overheard District’ (aka ‘District Connected’) page that was started in 2019. The latter is almost identical in terms of content and its logo, however, they’re two very separate projects.

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Kesam
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I get interrupted very often and I instinctively let them get away with it. But lately, it's gotten so bad, even after I asked them not to interrupt me so often, that I just keep talking when someone starts talking over me. Just pretend they didn't interrupt me, and keep eye contact with the people I was talking to. It works.

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While ‘Overheard Washington DC’ is an offshoot of the ‘Overheard LA’ project that started it all, ‘Overheard District’ is an entirely separate project. The followers of the latter tried to catfish January 6 rioters on dating apps, meanwhile, the owner of this particular page remains mysteriously anonymous. Whatever the case might be, we're glad for one thing: that there are internet projects out there that reveal a bit more about the day-to-day lives and silliness of such important places as DC.

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In the mood for some more intriguing private conversations? We’ve got you covered! We here at Bored Panda are huge fans of the ‘Overheard’ project and all of its offshoots. You can find our most recent articles about them here: Wall Street, San Francisco, Bumble.

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SykesDaMan
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Android is the stick shift/manual transmission of telephones: Most people in the world use it, but if you're not used to it, it seems the most difficult thing in the world.

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Kelly Hartle
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

How does Rafael Edward Cruz, born in Canada and son of a Cuban immigrant, get away with being so anti-immigrant?

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Andy Acceber
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I mean, that may be true. Her wifi at home may be spotty today. She never said she was home, so she isn't technically lying. *evil grin*

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