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Culture War Roundup for the week of May 18, 2026

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I mean, it's silly but hard to get worked up over. Women are always trying to bully men into emasculating themselves, if you've reached adulthood without the ability to resist that.......I got nothin for you. This is kindergarten stuff.

If anyone is confused or autistic, try a warm smile and the word "no". It's the most beautiful word in the language. Let it roll off your tongue. Let it flow through you. "No". Do not explain. Do not apologize. Do not elaborate. Never adorn your "no" with anything further. Say it cheerfully, as if someone offered you a drink you don't like. "No". You aren't in school anymore. You are an adult, a free person. Tell them no. Choose, and communicate.

Don't whine that you didn't have the intestinal fortitude to resist the social pressure of a middle-aged woman. And certainly don't whine that culture and the government didn't tell you it was ok to resist the social pressure of a middle-aged woman. You don't need them, you've got me. Tell them no. It really is just that easy!

edit: By hilarious happenstance, I'm on jury duty this week, haven't been picked yet. We'll see how it goes, but I guaranfuckentee I won't be in a costume by the end.

Or, you know, have some fun.

I’ve worked in retail my entire career, sometimes it’s fun to have a swim weekend and wear a bathing suit.

Sometimes it’s fun to wear a pink lay (pink is my favorite color).

It’s not about what you’re doing, it’s about how you carry yourself doing it.

If you don’t want to do it, don’t.

But if you don’t know if you want to do it, try it. Don’t be so negative (not you of course, the random make belief person we’re talking to here) - everyone knows retail is purgatory, it’s just ok to be goofy.

I’ve noticed men are literally afraid to do these things rather than not wanting to do them.

Tho I agree with what you’re saying, there’s just something off and jarring about it as well.

I do hate the whiny ‘ they made me do it ‘ - it is the worst possible make trait.

1: We're talking about juries here, not retail

2: No, your outfit isn't "fun".

3: Men are afraid to do what? Wear pink? My knee supports for BJJ are pink, cancer thing for one of our people. Choking a sweaty dude in spandex, now that's fun.

"'No.' is a complete sentence."

Consider for a moment that Jury's aren't random samplings. And these juries were probably specifically selected for being push overs and afraid to be "mean". Best way to get an acquittal is to put people on the jury utterly incapable of dealing out even just punishment if it hurts a feeling.

Consider for a moment that Jury's aren't random samplings.

They aren't completely random but they are essentially random off voter lists/licensed drivers/etc. Like yes there's some homeless guy without a car or other form of state ID that will never get called, but they're few and far between.

Both sides have a limited number of peremptory challenges to remove jurors they see as more subtly problematic. If they're too biased (in a way not reflective of the general population) then it's either just because of pure chance or because one side fucked up.

After two weeks of getting passed over, you may be right. Can you believe these scrubs don't want the venerable JTarrou to judge their cases? I bet they're intimidated by my intellect!

If anyone is confused or autistic, try a warm smile and the word "no".

Nancy had it right: just say no. I hate MANDATORY FUN ("MANDATORY FUN could be here," he thought) and I simply say no to it. Once there is a sufficient number of women in an office, they will start coming up with mandatory fun, but their social pressure is helpless against a solid "no." They'll pout and stamp their little feet and then they'll get over it (or they won't; I don't care).

The jury story is especially amusing. A total stranger trying to apply that kind of social pressure? It would start with a polite no but rapidly escalate to a firm "go fuck yourself." I deal with far worse people than her on a daily basis trying to bully me--she doesn't stand a chance.