Hard Style Staff, Author at HARDTIMES

Conservative Man Secretly Hoping Lilith Fair Festival Is Revived So He Can Complain About It

Posted on May 15, 2025 by Steve Packosky

HOUSTON — Local conservative Kyle Edwards found himself hoping female-centric music festival Lilith Fair is revived so he can complain about it, sources report.

“I haven’t really told anyone about this, but yeah, I hope it comes back,” Edwards admitted. “I’m totally prepared to point out that a men’s music festival would be seen as sexist, so it’s totally hypocritical for Lilith Fair to exist. I also have a take that such a thing even existing just points to the feminization of our culture, which completely weakens this country in the eyes of our adversaries. I’ve actually drafted an entire script I can use in a Facebook post or when I’m with my extended family on Thanksgiving, so fingers crossed that it comes to fruition. In the meantime, I’m just going to have to keep complaining about prayer being taken out of public schools.”

Concert founder and singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan reacted to Edwards’ revelation.

“This definitely isn’t surprising,” McLachlan sighed. “Have you been on the internet in the last decade? Pathetic chuds like this are everywhere, and they’re more emboldened now thanks to last year’s election results. I actually had no plans to start up Lilith Fair again, but I think I’ll do it just to spite these mouth-breathers and watch them whine incessantly. I’ll maybe even book Chappel Roan just to piss them off even more. The world is a dark place right now, so we might as well find these small pleasures wherever we can.”

Psychologist Amber Marques shed some light on Edwards’ mindset.

“Conservatives these days constantly need to feel like they’re being persecuted,” Marques offered. “That’s why Fox News is constantly making them feel enraged about things that don’t affect them in the slightest, like Critical Race Theory or some trans kid in Iowa who wants to join their high school’s swim team. They’re only happy when they’re convinced someone or something is threatening their way of life, and they will eagerly dream up fantasies when nothing comes to mind at the moment, which is what we’re seeing here. This concert doesn’t exist right now, but even if it did this man could simply choose to not attend. Try telling that to him, though.”

At press time, Edwards’ attention had been redirected to secretly hoping the upcoming G.I. Joe reboot would have a black person playing Gung-Ho so he can complain about it.

Busted! Mounting Evidence Suggests Tom Morello Has Been Making the Guitar Sounds With His Mouth This Whole Time

Posted on May 15, 2025 by Kyle Donley

Throughout the ‘90s and early 2000s, audiences simply could not believe their ears when ax-man Tom Morello plugged in his six-string. The sounds, otherworldly. Alien howls, jizzing robots, and that “wicca wicca” turntable sounding thing thrilled audiences across the globe. But how does he do it? Apparently by being a big fat fucking liar!

Back in the late ‘90s, The Hard Times Investigative Unit received an anonymous tip regarding suspicious guitar activities from the Rage Against The Machine maestro. Regrettably, our priorities at the time were primarily focused on the bombshell that Marilyn Manson was that one kid from The Wonder Years. Decades passed, and the lead went cold, but still the thought gnawed at me. I can play guitar too, but it doesn’t sound like R2D2 getting his ass eaten out. What gives?

Over the ensuing months, our team scoured over 150 hours of footage of Morello shredding and began to notice inconsistencies. His hands would sometimes remain stationary on the neck of the guitar during solos or they would be violently tugging at the whammy bar during whammyless parts of the song. Sometimes it appeared that his guitar was not plugged in or even had strings at all. And during one particular Audioslave show in Boulder, CO he appeared to be playing a six-foot Italian sub sandwich that was poorly disguised to look like a guitar. It was during this performance that we noticed all of his guitar parts sounded like they were chewing on prosciutto and the case was blown wide open.

It was the perfect crime. Many lead guitarists play while standing in front of a microphone in case they need to sing “whoa oh oh” or yell at the sound guy. However, upon closer inspection, you will notice Morello is not merely making the standard orgasmic expression expected of rock guitarists; it’s full-on ventriloquism. A quick background check of his transcript confirmed it. In 1990, he dropped out of guitar college after only one semester to pursue voice acting. This guy is the freaking Michael Winslow of alterna-protest rock and we had no idea!

There was only one thing left to do. We ambushed Morello in the waiting room of his urologist’s office. In a full-on end of Tootsie-style rant, he confessed everything — Zack De La Rocha is a hologram, all of their albums were recorded by session musicians, they’re not renegades of funk. He even admitted that Tim Commerford wasn’t protesting anything when he climbed the scaffolding at the MTV Video Awards; he just likes to climb scaffolding.

Rare Koala Absolute Fuck Machine

Posted on May 15, 2025 by Doug Kolic

SAN DIEGO — A rare koala discovered at the San Diego Zoo defied its species’ reputation for being sedentary and lethargic and became an uncontrollable fuck machine, according to dozens of disgusted and concerningly a few aroused witnesses.

“It’s a tough job, but someone’s gotta do it,” grunted Stanley the five-year-old Queensland koala as he mounted a nearby doe. “Most of my competition spends all day sleeping or just messing around with a bunch of eucalyptus, which gives me the perfect opportunity to go absolutely hog wild up in this place. One of the most ironic things about us is that we’re not known for mating often, yet we’re infamous for having chlamydia. Now you know why—this guy right here. I’m basically ground zero for the clap.”

Carol Trainer, who was visiting the zoo with her young children, is still traumatized after what she witnessed.

“I only took my family to see the koalas because we had to flee the horse exhibit after a few of the stallions started hanging dong,” stated the still visibly shaken Trainer. “As soon as they unsheathed those beasts we hightailed it over to what we thought would be a more wholesome environment with some cute teddy bears lounging around. But when we got here, shit popped off immediately as that one koala was spreading his seed with reckless abandon. What made it even more unnerving was I could swear he was staring at me the entire time.”

Local zoologist Dr. Kervin Myers described the lengths to which vulnerable species will go to ensure survival.

“Nature won’t die without a fight,” stated Dr. Myers as he intently watched Stanley go to work.
“Some big cats like jaguars and tigers, for instance, have adapted to nocturnal hunting to avoid the threat from poachers, while elephants have learned to migrate over longer distances to find drinking water. Then you have the koala, which it appears can thank its survival to Stanley, who’s taken it upon himself to single-handedly attempt to replenish his species by plowing through every marsupial in sight.”

At press time, Stanley was seen going down on another doe while doing hand stuff to two lucky bucks.

Wikipedia Once Again Asking for $1 in Exchange For Teaching You Everything You’ve Ever Learned

Posted on May 14, 2025 by Rachel Hein

SAN FRANCISCO — Free online encyclopedia Wikipedia known for its convenience, comprehensiveness, depth, and reliability on every subject known to man has mustered the nerve to ask for one whole dollar from its users as a donation, confirmed sources.

“It’s true, I had to close a little box where they were begging for my pocket change before I could read an article on inventors who were killed by their own inventions.” remarked Alice Walsh, an avid Wikipedia user. “Wikipedia has written every one of my school papers since 2005, and I have my masters. I don’t know how anyone knew anything before it existed. Were they all just dumb? It has been nothing but factually correct, helpful, and free for me. But I just can’t seem to bring myself around to donate 100 pennies to it.”

Monica Bart, who serves as a top “Wikipedian” volunteer editor, believes in information access as a free public resource, yet also fears “Wiki crime” is on the rise.

“Do you understand the work it has taken to clean up the slums of Wiki?” Bart exclaimed. “The pages I monitor are constantly being vandalized by strangers with disruptive—often vulgar—edits. Day and night I fight to protect them from becoming a wasteland by these internet scamps, and I don’t see a dime. It is my responsibility to protect and to serve. The least you can do is donate a buck for learning about the origins of high-fiving and a cat mayor in Alaska.”

Brent Wiseman, CEO of the Wiki Foundation, speaks to the difficulty of managing a self-governing online ecosystem used by everyone and paid for by no one.

“I have no idea how we got this far, in this way. However, we would like to have some money now,” Wiseman reported. “Our business is run completely on the goodwill and hyperfixation disorders of complete randos out there. I really have no idea how this place runs, but it’s been too long for me to ask. People have always trusted me because of how I look and I can’t ruin that by asking questions. Regardless, we have other stuff we need money for that you don’t know about. Just trust me, okay?”

At press time, Wikipedia had no choice but to start a GoFundMe page and set the goal to $15.

We Taste-Tested These Gruels Because We’ll All Be Feudal Serfs Soon

Posted on May 14, 2025 by Nathan Kamal

America is in the middle of some pretty big changes right now, which you might have missed if you don’t follow the news or didn’t see the ICE agent kicking in your door right now. Trump’s tariffs are raising prices on virtually all products, according to everyone who doesn’t work for him and/or is attempting to bring about the end times, and that includes your favorite groceries like fine sardines and Choco Tacos.

We’re all going to have to tighten the belt and adjust to the future, by which we mean our inevitable feudal serfdom under the brutal heel of Google, Alibaba, and whichever DOGE teenager seizes power over the eastern seaboard in the next couple of months. And just like serfs of medieval times, we’re all going to be choking down various gruels for the rest of our lives, so we figured we’d get ahead of the curve and taste-test them for you and your various descendents in squalor!

Mush: We decided to start things out easy, because we still have lingering memories of Tostitos and name-brand cheese products being affordable. A nice lukewarm mush made of millet, cracked wheat, dust bunnies, whatever the fuck a groat is, and purina, boiled to hell and slopped into a bowl to give us enough caloric energy to make it through yet another day servicing the murderbots of Archduke Tim Cook really isn’t that bad. Could use less weevils in it, though.

Oliver Twist-Brand Grey Slurry: Next up, we tried the Oliver Twist-brand grey slurry, the most popular foodstuff to ever come out of the United Kingdom. While we exactly say we wanted “more,” we could see how this is the kind of bubbling muck that will put you right for another day in a Dickensian workhouse or maybe just to pick a pocket or two. When in doubt, choose the gruel with the famished, sad-eyed orphan on the box!

Whatever’s Steaming in This Pot: When the last bulwarks of modern society collapse in a couple of months and forgetting your Real ID at home means maximum security torture prison, even store-bought gruel will be a luxury. That’s why we tested whatever opaque, semi-fluid substance is steaming in this pot right now and being stirred by what we can only describe as a “cyber-crone.” Remember, if we had just paid attention to the lessons of the Magna Carta, we wouldn’t be choking down something that we’re pretty sure had rocks in it.

Commandant Burgleboil’s Supper Leavings: While most of us will end up penal serfs laboring in the great iPhone fields of New Arkansas, there will be a few lucky ones who manage to end up in charge of the other Indentured Citizens©. Thanks to the good ol’ trickle-down theory, that means that we’ll be able to take cover near Commandant Burgeboil’s headquarters and lick the remains of his protein-infused gruel off his garbage. 3 out of 5 stars.

Cream of Wheat: No, that’s just too fucking disgusting.

Sonic Youth Announce Reunion to Bully Nardwuar Again

Posted on May 14, 2025 by Mimi Kenny

NEW YORK — Legendary noise rock band Sonic Youth announced they were reforming 13 years after their dissolution, specifically to taunt and harass beloved Canadian interviewer Nardwuar the Human Serviette as severely as they had in 1991, confirmed uneasy sources.

“Though the end of my and Kim’s [Gordon] marriage resulted in the end of our band, after more than a decade apart, our connection as artists has been reignited,” frontman and lead guitarist Thurston Moore said. “And no album of ours, not even ‘Daydream Nation,’ has demonstrated our collective creative power as us acting as conceited as possible towards an eccentric Vancouverite with a camcorder and a shitty mic before veering into physical harassment. We were just 30-something kids back then. But now, even with middle-age well behind us, we have not lost touch with the self-conscious aloofness and discourteousness thinly disguised as being ‘counter-cultural’ that made us Gen X icons.”

While a Sonic Youth reunion has long been anticipated, the specific nature of this reformation has yielded mixed reactions among fans.

“I have the ‘Goo’ artwork on three different shirts. Hell, I even own two of Lee Ranaldo’s albums on vinyl. So, yeah, I was pretty stoked to hear about this at first, and I can’t wait to see the reunion interview,” long-time fan Brent O’Reilly said. “And while I can understand the motivation to look upon one’s past work for inspiration, I’m not sure why this is the chapter they’re choosing to revisit, and not say, ‘Dirty’ or even just the ‘Bull in the Heather’ video. Oh well, at least it’ll be better than ‘NYC Ghosts & Flowers.’ I mean, probably.”

After news broke, Nardwuar admitted to feelings of “confusion and exhaustion.”

“We had our second interview in 2002, where I got to confront Thurston and Lee while they pretended they didn’t remember what happened,” Nardwuar said. “It’s been 23 years since that interview and I’ve mostly put the whole thing behind me. I’m still gonna do it, mainly because I have something that’s gonna blow Steve Shelley’s mind when he sees it, assuming Lee doesn’t destroy it first. I just hope they don’t resort to wedgies this time.”

At press time, Sonic Youth also announced that, to appease fans, the bullying would be accompanied by a continuous loop of guitar feedback.

Festival Promoters Promise Perfect Mix of Incredible Lineup and Being Too Expensive for Anyone Who Actually Likes Music

Posted on May 13, 2025 by Reuben Blanchard

LAS VEGAS — The promoters for the buzzworthy music festival The Good Old Days are extremely excited for the amazing lineup to blow the minds of the few people who can afford tickets, confirmed sources.

“We really wanted to make sure that every artist on the bill was a once-in-a-lifetime must-see while also keeping our firm commitment to the idea that only influencers and the super wealthy will be able to attend,” said festival organizer Duff Blakeson. “This is one of the most insane lineups you’ll ever see, with a reunited Minor Threat sharing the stage with Taylor Swift, not to mention a reunited White Stripes, REM, and the Smiths. And the best part is that there won’t be any poors there to ruin your experience.”

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is one of the few people wealthy enough to afford a ticket and has expressed his excitement for the three-day event.

“I look forward to seeing the music program. I like the music. I like all music. And because America is back, music is back,” said Zuckerberg. “So I’ll watch the music be performed, which is something I love and have always loved. As a cool guy, which I have always been, I listen to the rock, but also the rap and the pop. So pretty much all the music. This is a thing people have always said about me, that I listen to the music that is good and know which music cool and should be listened to.”

Veteran music journalist Jen Walker thinks the festival’s lineup is great but feels there’s a real issue with accessibility.

“I’m flabbergasted. Two-hour sets from Wu-Tang, Joni Mitchell, and the Original Destiny’s Child lineup. I mean, somehow they got Blur and Oasis to agree to do a set together where they cover each other’s songs. It’s incredible,” said Walker. “But as far as I can tell, no actual music fans can afford to be there. I mean, Mr. Beast just tweeted, ‘Can’t wait to see Rage Machine at The Good Old Days!’ Does he mean Rage Against the Machine? Because they aren’t playing, right? Are they? At this point, there’s 475 artists playing so I’ve kinda lost track.”

At press time, The Good Old Days sold a total of 23 tickets to who organizers referred to as, “the right kind of people.”

Poser? All This Guy’s Friends Are Alive

Posted on May 13, 2025 by Dom Turek

Being part of a subculture isn’t just about having the right look, going to the right events, or rubbing elbows with the right people. It’s also about having amassed a respectable number of dead friends before turning 35. All the rare first press records and Sonic Youth tote bags in the world won’t help you establish scene cred if someone finds out most of your friends are alive and well, which is exactly what happened to local Trader Joe’s employee, Donovan Headrick.

When a coworker shows up late for their shift hungover, smelling like cigarettes, and wearing the same threadbare Hüsker Dü t-shirt day after ever living day for three months, you just assume this person is an ally who has also lost at least eight close friends due to unnatural causes. Who could have known the same guy sporting a raccoon tail keychain on his pants would be revealed as a complete poser with not a single dead friend to his name?

Finding out the closest thing Headrick had to a dead friend was an uncle who died from a peanut allergy 15 years ago was a slap in the face to anyone who considered him a legitimate scenester. How are his peers supposed to commiserate over their friend who died from autoerotic asphyxiation while he’s sitting next to them at the bar pouring one out for his grandpa who died of old age surrounded by friends and family? That’s just twisted.

He has a pet rat named Ellios after Ellio’s pizza, for Christ’s sake. I didn’t even think pet stores allowed people to purchase rats unless they could prove at least two of their friends had died from early-onset cirrhosis or gout. No one blames him for his friends not being dead, but everyone is certainly feeling misled. It’s like finding out the sweet old lady who lives next door to you spends her weekends picketing planned parenthood.

It’s tragic to think a 33-year-old with ties to the arts and music scene never had the chance to boost his social capital and cash in on pity points by having a close friend die from drugs, suicide, or violence. Some people just can’t catch a break.

Punk-Designed Chrome Extension Stops Google From Asking You If You Want to Kill Yourself Every Time You Look Up “Suicidal Tendencies”

Posted on May 13, 2025 by Noah Dominguez

SEATTLE — Punk web designer Priscilla Prange published a new Chrome extension that stops Google from asking if you want to kill yourself every time you look up the band Suicidal Tendencies, sources wondering if this is super necessary confirmed.

“Obviously, it’s important for people struggling with their mental health to have access to helpful resources. But I think I speak for all punks and metalheads when I say I don’t need to see a popup for the crisis line every time I Google one of my favorite bands to find tour dates or new album updates or whatever. So, I decided to use my tech smarts to tackle this pressing issue,” Prange said. “It always just bummed me out, you know? I don’t want to be reminded of the harsh realities of the world when I’m just trying to relax and listen to songs about being violently depressed, nuclear fallout, getting stuck in a dead-end job, or being deprived of my favorite soft drink.”

Tommy Chacon, Prange’s roommate who tested her Chrome extension, isn’t certain making it was the best use of her time or talents.

“Yeah, getting that popup all the time can be kind of annoying for ST fans like us. But is having to scroll for an extra half-second to get to the results you actually want really the worst thing in the world?” Chacon pondered. “I think if Priscilla really wanted to make an impact, she’d come up with something to bypass the crisis filter on Facebook. That site won’t even show you any results if you type the band’s name into the search bar! So, if you want to get to their page, you have to open a new tab and Google ‘Suicidal Tendencies Facebook’ like some kind of animal.”

Suicidal Tendencies drummer Jay Weinberg found the extension quite useful in his day-to-day life.

“It’s really revolutionized my online experience,” Weinberg said. “I Google ‘Suicidal Tendencies’ once or twice a week just to make sure the guys didn’t fire me without saying anything. I’ve had to scroll past the crisis line popup plenty of times. Enough was enough. By the way, do you want some Slipknot enamel pins? I really need to get rid of these and Goodwill stopped taking them.”

At press time, Prange was reportedly having less luck coming up with ways to stop people from asking why her Suicidal Tendencies t-shirt has a picture of Charles Manson on it.

Forward-Thinking Motorcycle Dealership Offering Discount Caskets with Each Purchase

Posted on May 12, 2025 by The Hard Times Staff

CHATSWORTH, Calif. — Lucky Luke’s Powersports, Southern California’s number one motorcycle dealership, announced a new package that includes huge savings on a casket with each new bike purchase, sources confirmed.

“We don’t have a lot of repeat customers here. Our demographic is mainly young men who buy a brand new Kawasaki Ninja 650 on a Friday, and die in a horrific accident by Sunday. We can’t buy the bikes back because they are always smashed to shit, so we brainstormed and came up with the idea of offering premium caskets with each purchase,” said lead salesman Tony Cortez. “The promotion didn’t get a lot of traction at first, but then we started selling these things like hot cakes. We started showing everyone who walked in the door the statistics of how likely they are to die in a motorcycle accident, and now almost every bike we sell has a casket add-on. These consumers may be reckless drivers who fly down the highway at 150 miles per hour, but they aren’t stupid.”

New motorcycle owner Andy Babayan admits he was hesitant about the casket deal at first.

“I crunched the numbers, and I’m not going to find a casket this cheap anywhere else. My plan is to die of old age in 50 years, and this casket will be waiting. When I told that to my salesman he spit out his coffee laughing, and said something about how I’ll be lucky if I live the next 50 days if I ride this bike more than once a week,” said Babayan. “When I told my mom I got a motorcycle she started crying and immediately got on the phone to start making funeral arrangements. But you know what? Dying young is worth it if I die in a cool way, like flying 75 feet through the air and smashing into the back of a dump truck.”

Local craftsmen are overloaded with work to fulfill casket orders.

“Luke’s takes pride in the caskets they sell. You aren’t going to be buying some pine box that will be lousy with worms eating your corpse in less than two days. No, you are getting a mahogany masterpiece that is hand-crafted by some of the best casket artisans in California,” said carpenter Jake Lobel. “And the upholstery on these things is magnificent. I hope everyone gets to see inside these things before their loved one dies, because you won’t be able to see the ornate craftsmanship of the inside because every motorcycle accident funeral is closed casket.”

Thanks to the popularity of the casket discounts, Lucky Luke’s Motorsports decided to offer a paid mourners package to make customers seem more popular at their funerals.

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