yeah that's about as far as the average American thinks. "Will this make me seem gay?" Is the general motivating factor. Sunscreen? Gay. Eating a salad? Gay. Exercise is gay unless it's deadlifting in dangerous ways. Cardio is mega gay.

It can also be framed as "I'm not a pussy." Americans won't admit fault or be considerate because that's pussy behavior.

also I've been meaning to come up with what ideological libs believe but I simply don't believe what we call "libs" exist in massive quantities or have much influence on mass apolitical culture. I've always felt like what we call libs are a constructed identity built by propaganda news outlets and Malcolm Gladwell books and not fully represented by day to day Americans

The ambient amorphous American culture is incoherent but it circles around the core of not wanting to be perceived as a gay pussy, before other considerations are made. And then beyond that the American psyche demands immediate convenience, servile retail workers, and huge parking lots with stupid stores selling treats. And if this balance is upset it causes neurological degredation in the American brainpan