696 Comments
User's avatar
haycorn's avatar

Earlier this year, as I returned to work from maternity leave, I thought about putting a shirt under my shirt and said "no, I'm done." I don't work with teenagers anymore. I'm a grown woman and I'm tired of having to dress like my breasts don't exist and I must cover any potential exposure to any indication I have them.

I tell that story to say I wasn't sure about the whole demure and mindful bit when I first heard about it. Then I saw the video linked and got to "only a little chichi out" and felt SEEN.

Expand full comment
thephantomcheese's avatar

"THE GATES OF HELL ARE OPENING!!!"

Why do y'all need them to stay shut?

I just *love* Christians who can never be happy in Heaven unless all the rest of us are in Hell...

Expand full comment
skinnercitycyclist's avatar

Very interesting cultural phenomenon (not sure if we can us "meme" for that in the general sense anymore), several points:

a) companies used to seek out "cool makers" by sending youthful contact people out into the field to physically find the trends kids were into. Now they can just wait for it to happen, and the trend spreads first (viral tiktok), then comes the marketing to exploit it, whereas it used to be the trend had to be created from the life-ways of individuals, painstakingly uncovered in field work, then marketed, then the style would trend, if indeed it did.

b) "Demure" is clearly the opposite of Trump's glitzy, trashy, vulgar representations. From his comfortless gold penthouse to his feeble attempt at a low-rent Citizen Kane Xanadu, to his gallingly repetitive use of MY language, he defines "GARISH." And in response, the culture chooses "demure."

Expand full comment
Emil Muz's avatar

"Well, what do you mean by diversity?” Everybody knows what that means, right?"

To him diversity means "we play both types--Country and Western". Or "we have a diverse membership here at Stinky Hollow Country Club--we allow both Protestants & Catholics to join."

Expand full comment
tehbaddr's avatar

Imagine going through life being so victimized like that all the time.

Expand full comment
UVB-76's avatar

There oughtta be a law

Expand full comment
Richard S's avatar

Brat (n.): Short for "bratwurst", a delicious sausage best served either grilled or boiled in beer, and then with mustard and sauerkraut.

Expand full comment
Pexas Teat's avatar

It's Russian for brother, fittingly.

Expand full comment
skinnercitycyclist's avatar

To me it first meant a punk kid, but I am from the part of the Upper Midwest that goes for "city chicken" rather than "bratwurst."

Expand full comment
Craig Nixon's avatar

Ha. Having just realized that I have left the aforementioned Campbell's chili in the car (again)...I was just thinking of some brats.

Expand full comment
UVB-76's avatar

You know quite well what you have to do.

Expand full comment
Craig Nixon's avatar

Yes, make some ramen. Shin Red, with additions.

Expand full comment
Cliff Hendroval's avatar

Do any of these weirdos ever define "communist"?

Expand full comment
skinnercitycyclist's avatar

I keep asking them to!

Expand full comment
Mike_Cramer's avatar

Ex-right-winger here: It essentially means any idea or action that challenges the existing political, economic, or cultural status quo or impedes the pursuit of their selfish desires.

That’s how everything from higher taxes, to civil rights, to seat belt laws are all dubbed “communist.”

Expand full comment
skinnercitycyclist's avatar

"Selfish desires" notwithstanding, I think the word they really want is "authoritarian," but they want to reserve the positive connotations of that term for themselves.

Either that or they can only learn one word for any general concept. Occam's razor dictates it's that.

Expand full comment
Craig Nixon's avatar

THIS, exactly. Winner winner chicken dinner.

Expand full comment
Nae Kings!'s avatar

I watched the last two nights of the convention and don’t recall being told to be demure until the election. In fact, John Legend, Sheila E and Ari O’Neal told me quite emphatically that it was time to go crazy.

Expand full comment
UVB-76's avatar

I watched all four nights and by Thursday I thought I was on meth.

Expand full comment
Greg's avatar

I'm a proud communist - I've been to countries with functioning communist parties, they do well in protecting worker rights. (see inter alia Portugal)

I've been waiting for a long time for folks to figure out that "communist" is OK.

Believing that we're all in this together is actually the most humanist thing to do. Accept the possibility that you may be communist too. But don't tell anyone. ;)

Expand full comment
skinnercitycyclist's avatar

I suggest "functioning communist party" is very different from the "ruling communist parties" we have seen. Also, "protecting workers' rights" and you are right here: "Believing that we're all in this together is actually the most humanist thing to do." But no further "communism" need be added to that, nor is either of those things an exclusively "communist virtue." We can get there without the gulags.

Expand full comment
tehbaddr's avatar

"She's so brat. Isn't that fun? She’s so brat! What does that mean?"

It means she's WOKE! I know what that means! And I don't have to tell you what it means! I don't like it! So there!

Expand full comment
Notorious J.I.M.'s avatar

The dog in the photo is figuring out how to herd the robot vac.

Expand full comment
Snowolf100's avatar

Ah the new 50 terms your teen uses for sexting BS. Cool.

Expand full comment
Villago Delenda Est 🇺🇦's avatar

Well, "brat" makes sense, because the socialist institution the US military has LOTS of brats.

Expand full comment
Dorothea is a Democrat's avatar

So, since there is nothing outwardly outrageous about the things we liberals say, like free lunch for kids and healthcare for all, they pretend that we're speaking a code language and what we're really saying is send all the MAGAts to space.

Expand full comment
Alternative Dog's avatar

Wait until you find out what they think it means when we discuss pizza!

Expand full comment
User's avatar
Comment deleted
Aug 31
Comment deleted
Expand full comment
Emil Muz's avatar

🫸🏻 🫷🏻

Expand full comment
Daniel O'Riordan's avatar

If the right actually found out the real definition of communism, it would cut their vocabularies in half.

Expand full comment
Alternative Dog's avatar

𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘯’𝘵 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘶𝘯 𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘺, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘦𝘪𝘳𝘥, 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮.

Robyn summarizes the modern Republican ethos in one sentence.

Expand full comment
Daniel O'Riordan's avatar

It's that Puritan strain that runs through everything American. Anything that's fun has to be sinful.

Expand full comment