Leadership

This op-ed was written by Josh Slocum for WokeSpy. Click here to read in full. The “anything goes” and “you do you” attitude that’s prevailed for the last 15 or so years has brought us all sorts of public behavior that no one wanted. The Human Resources dictum to “bring your whole self to work” has given permission for staff to bring their marital and emotional problems to the office so what used to be private business is now everyone’s concern. Have you noticed how there are also no grooming standards anywhere anymore? If you’re in your late 40s or 50s, you remember a time not long ago when you were expected to comb your hair, tuck in your shirt, and-gasp!-even wear a clean uniform. That’s been replaced by hairy guts hanging out below food-stained T-shirts (men) and literal prostitute-wear (women). People’s faces are full of metal like nose rings and painful lip piercings, and even middle class women are covered with the kinds of tattoos formerly seen only on bikers, prisoners, and psychopaths. This strange behavior goes on in the elite classes, too. Consider ShriThanedar, an immigrant from India who represents Michigan’s 13th district in the House of Representatives. There’s no “nice” way around this: the man looks like a creation from Jim Henson’s Muppet Studios. It’s obvious from his photographs over the years that he’s been heavily reliant on makeup and hairpieces.  When you look at his Congressional portrait, you imagine that Thanedar walked into a Baltimore wig emporium and said, “I’ll take the Carol Brady in brunette.” (MORE NEWS: Kay Hill On America’s Spiritual Revival & The Battle With Secular Power) Then there’s the obviously drawn-on (tattooed?) eyebrows. Recently, they’ve taken on the in-vogue square shape, the kind that looks like they were drawn on with a Sharpie. Of course, we’re not supposed to comment on how people look, even when they choose their look specifically to get attention, as Thanedar appears to have done. So let’s examine his political actions. Thanedar has a severe case of Trump Derangement Syndrome, and recently put up a video announcing his articles of impeachment against President Trump. Take a look and a listen to this weird dude.  His odd priorities are not a one-off. Recently a citizen reporter interviewed Thanedar and asked him to specifically name prominent cities in the Congressional district he represents. Thanedar couldn’t do it, begging off by saying “I’m not here to answer a quiz.” Take a look. Shri’s Impeachment Vaudeville Has Been a Big Flop The congressman’s “Impeachment Town Hall” last weekend had only 27 attendees and less excitement than an AA meeting By Charlie LeDuff (@Charlieleduff) Lincoln Park — Congressman Shri Thanedar doesn’t like DOGE. He doesn’t like… pic.twitter.com/G3CeP7wCmK — Michigan Enjoyer (@mich_enjoyer) May 14, 2025 TMM Analysis: Don’t Pick Political Celebrities Surely, we can all agree that Slocum’s writing style is arguably one of the funniest around right now, even if some of us vehemently disagree with his stance on tattoos and piercings? Beneath Slocum’s wit is a very real issue: for too long we’ve normalized making celebrities out of our politicians, to the point that our politicians now look and act more likely stupid celebrities than actual leaders. Every elected official is paid for by you. Every elected official is chosen for their job by you. At no time should a politician refuse to answer a question that relates to their position. It’s just that simple. You need to stop choosing political celebrities over the folks who just want to make America a better place for all of us. Usually, the underdog — the quietest, most under-funded name in the race — is the one who deserves the chance to lead us. As we grow, The Modern Memo will be elevating the most important voices for the social sustainable future of American society. We will elevate good people, great ideas, and stuff our editorial team finds interesting, funny, or valuable to you, dear readers. At the same time, we will never be above calling out wrongdoers, stupid ideas and the things that endanger our survival as a society and species. If you’d like to be more involved, contact us today to learn more.