Mortifying Meet-the-Parents Moments.

And you thought Ben Stiller had it tough! Cosmo readers share face-to-face-with-the-folks fiascoes so bad, they almost wished they'd never even been born.

* No matter how tight you and your guy are, just the thought of meeting his folks for the first time is bound to leave your stomach in knots. Chances are, he feels the same when it comes to making contact with your mom and dad. That first powwow is a parent's opportunity to size up his kid's new love interest. And with so much at stake, it can be a recipe for disaster. Cosmo rounded up the most humiliating tales of meet-and-greets gone wrong. These stories will make you laugh out loud, drop your jaw in shock, and show you which sticky situations to avoid the next time either of you utters the scary words "I'd like you to meet my parents...."

"Paul and I went mountain biking one weekend at a park near my parents' house. We'd been dating for a couple months, and after our ride, I suggested that we stop by my folks' house so he could meet them. His jeans were crusted with mud, so he wasn't wild about the idea, but I finally broke him down. 'Mom and Dad are total nature freaks,' I said. 'They'll love you.' We cleaned up the best we could, and he got ready to pour on the charm. But the first thing we saw when we walked in the door was my dad lounging on the couch in his tightiewhities! After running upstairs to change, he finally wandered back down-about an hour later--and properly introduced himself. At least Paul wasn't the one who ended up feeling underdressed!"

--Judith, 27

"My boyfriend had been dying to introduce me to his parents, but something about them freaked me out. I guess it was the way John used to talk about how strict they were when he was growing up--he had a 10 P.M. curfew until he left for college. I finally caved, and we went over there for dinner. As soon as I entered the living room, their giant German shepherd made a beeline for my butt! John's parents--who were totally oblivious--started shooting questions at me about my job. I tried to answer them as gracefully as possible but ended up tripping over the dog and dumping my purse out on the floor. A pack of cigarettes--I was this close to quitting--fell out, and John's mom spotted them before I could stuff them back inside. She didn't say anything, but I could tell by the look on her face that she was not thrilled about her son's latest 'flame."'

--Jocelyn, 28

"I could tell Ryan had fallen hard for me, so it was no surprise when he asked to meet my family. The problem was that I wasn't exactly exclusive with Ryan, and I was always mentioning my various dates to my parents, who could never keep all my guys straight. I was sure they were going to spill something incriminating in front of Ryan, but after a lot of pleading from him, I finally agreed to bring him over. It was a total disaster. It was bad enough that my parents kept mixing Ryan up with my old beaus, but just before we left, my father pulled him aside and said, 'You're so much nicer than that guy she brought over here last week.' I guess I asked for it!