Ask Charles Barkley

Freelance
Posted: August 13, 2012

Q: My girlfriend was somehow surprised that a lot of guys (meaning: all guys) have at some point gone on the Internet to look at porn. Ever since she found this out, she's seems to look at me different. Maybe I'm just imagining thing, but I don't think so. Any suggestions on how to tell her this is not a big deal?

— Looker in Fishtown

A: Maybe she looks at you different because she saw your picture on some porn site. Just kidding, dude. Seriously, the only guy she has to concern herself with is you, not other guys. Your relationship with her is all that matters, not how other guys conduct themselves. You are not responsible for what the rest of the world does online. Put the ball back in her court and tell her that what women do on porn sites is not a reflection of her either. Hopefully she'll buy that logic, 'bro!

Q: I've really enjoyed the Olympics, especially some of the more unusual events: badminton, table tennis, fencing. That said, I don't actually consider these things "sports." Skills, maybe—but not sports. Does that make me a jerk?

—Jerk in NoLibs

A: You can be a jerk for many reasons, not just because you don't like pingpong. A lot of people are haters when it comes to the so-called fringe events of the Olympics, but the participants are amazing athletes in their respective sports and should be shown respect. It takes a tremendous amount of training to perfect the conditioning, hand-eye coordination, stamina and skill sets to compete at a high level in these events. If you ever played high-stakes pingpong or had a sword being waved in your face on a world stage with thousands of people cheering or jeering, you'd see that these are not neighborhood-pub pastimes. Not everybody is a swimmer or gymnast or pro basketball player. That's what makes the Olympics fun to watch. If you're not into beach volleyball, just change the channel, 'bro.

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