You may think of us as a punk website, but it’s long been our goal to evolve into a source of objective news for all Americans. As such, we have begun interviewing everyday members of the working class to hear their takes on the state of our country, regardless of whether they happen to align with ours. That’s why we recently sat down with 67-year-old Carl Tresser of Stillwater, NY to learn what fuels his grievances after we noticed a “We the People Are Pissed Off!” flag outside his house. We hoped to find common ground with this individual by learning the true nature of his discontent, and in doing so bridging the gap between us and maybe even working together to heal the hostile divide that’s been so detrimental to our nation.
The Hard Times: Hi Carl, how are you?
Carl Tresser: Well, The Hard Times, like every decent American, I’m furious!
HT: Well, let’s get to the bottom of this, Carl. Why are you so angry?
CT: The citizens of this once-great nation are wise to the bullshit that’s been sold to us. If those woke groomers over at NBC think they can just leave the American people hanging after Lindsay Weir skipped out on her academic summit to follow the Grateful Dead on tour, they‘ve got a world of hurt coming their way!
HT: Wait, what?
CT: Did I stutter? That program was a goddamn masterpiece, and we only got one season of it. For what? “Scrubs?” That one was alright, but it was nowhere near as good. “Crossing Jordan?” Can you even tell me what that fucking show was about?
HT: Hold on, are you talking about “Freaks and Geeks?”
CT: What else would I be talking about? I’m a goddamn patriot! I love my family, I love my God, and I just want to know if Daniel Desario continued hanging out with the Geeks after he played Dungeons and Dragons with them that one time. Well I’ll tell you one thing: the American people aren’t going to stand for this much longer. It’s only a matter of time until we rise up, so don’t say I didn’t warn you.
HT: We certainly weren’t expecting that to be the reason for your outspoken ire.
CT: Well, I have no idea what you thought it might’ve been. And I haven’t even mentioned that we never got closure between Sam and Cindy. I mean, they broke up, but did they ever get back together? I guess we’ll never know, and it’s because of this that I proudly fly that flag on my front porch.
HT: OK, yeah, I mean, we were pretty disappointed when that show got canceled, too. It was really good and stopping it so suddenly definitely didn’t seem justified.
CT: Fucking right. It’s like I’m always saying, cancel culture has gone too far!
HT: Just out of curiosity, do you have any particular feelings on our current political climate?
CT: Oh, that? Well, I voted for Kamala just because I can’t stand Trump, but I’m pretty apolitical for the most part.
HT: Oh, cool! Well, it was nice to meet you, Carl! Thanks so much for taking the time to speak with us.
CT: Of course! Always good to chat with fellow fans of my favorite show.
There you have it! We had a lot more in common with Carl than we had anticipated, so much so that we actually went out and bought one of those flags to hang outside of our office. As for “Freaks and Geeks,” we may never get the justice we deserve for having such a brilliant show taken from us so soon, but at least we can find solace in our fellow countrymen and women who feel equally aggrieved in its cancellation.