Why Ronald Gladden is a National Treasure and Why I Could Never Be

+ an iconic gray hoodie

If I had a dime for the amount of people who slid into my DMs over the past few weeks, insisting/suggesting/recommending/demanding/pleading with me to watch Jury Duty, I’d probably have about one dollar. Which, in terms of dimes, is not shabby.

“I know, I knowwwwwww,” I’d reply. “It’s on our short list. I KNOW I’ll love it.” And all this was true.

So this week, on Tuesday night I believe, we sat down to veg out. Zac asked what I wanted to watch, and I suggested the Oscar-nominated “Living” starring Bill Nighy. I have no idea why this particular film has been stuck in my craw lately, but it has so Zac obliged and we put it on.

About 30-35 minutes in (and after some very light “IDK what do you think?” and “I mean I’d keep watching but I can’t tell what you wanna do” bickering), we decided that had we been in an actual theatre watching this movie, we might flirt with getting up and walking out. So we changed it.

And what we changed it to was Jury Duty.

About 30-35 minutes, we were already onto the second episode and eating it up.

In case anyone reading this isn’t familiar with the show, it’s a new reality sitcom available on Amazon Prime. The premise is that the entire show is scripted and everyone is an actor except for one, unknowing person who applied to be a part of a docuseries about the jury duty process itself.

That person is Ronald Gladden.

And this is him and his Corgi named Meatball.

This guy saw a listing on Craigslist of all places to be a part of this jury duty study, applied, got accepted, and then went on to be the test subject in one of the most incredible TV show pranks of all time.

But let’s back up for a quick second because it’s imperative to me that you know who created this show and its concept, and that would be the writing team Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg.

This writing duo has been a pair for years upon years and are responsible for some of the most hilarious, outlandish, deliciously offensive episodes of my favorite show ever made, The Office. But the most important one they’re known for is my favorite episode of all time—Dinner Party.

Even without being privy to the full list of episodes they wrote and co-wrote together, their humor is unmistakable and, if you’re a seasoned* (*obsessed) fan like me, you know within minutes it’s a Lee and Gene script. Thusly why, although I went into Jury Duty blind, the vibe of the entire show felt oddly familiar and I nearly exploded with joy upon realizing that it was created by these two comedic geniuses.

Now, let’s talk about Ronald.

This guy was thrown into one of the weirdest, quirkiest, most absurd situations surrounded by characters from all walks of life imaginable and handled it all with such humility, grace, and kindness, that I was (and still am) floored. Ronald’s genuinely accepting and patient nature is something to be revered. As I watched this guy fully embrace every single quirky character around him and step up to the proverbial plate in terms of friendship, I kept thinking to myself

I could never.

Not only because I have next to no control over my facial expressions, which have gotten me in trouble throughout my life (no, really. When I was a hostess at a restaurant in college, a patron (who didn’t have a reservation and was acting like a privileged asshole, mind you) once said to me: “By the way, the faces you’ve made during this entire conversation have been incredibly offensive.” I had no idea my face was making faces), but because I just don’t think I’m that nice. We’ve been over this—the whole nice vs. kind thing. I am a kind person; I will give myself that. But I’m not exactly nice, and Ronald is as nice as they come.

Surprisingly, though, it’s not boring, people pleasing nice. It’s just genuinely nice.

To watch this dude who has no idea what this scripted TV show is trying to pull off roll with every punch, befriend every character, and fully lean into his unwanted position as foreman of the jury is so incredibly touching. Multiples times every episode, I would look at Zac with this exact face: 🥹

And I get that there were cameras rolling and Ronald probably wanted to be on his best behavior, but even still, he didn’t know the weight of the cameras rolling. For all he knew, this could be lost tape that would never air or a project that went nowhere. I know atmospheres shift and change when someone pulls a camera out, but something about the entire situation with Ronald felt so incredibly pure and honest to me. It truly felt like this very tall (like, SO TALL) man is/was genuinely that nice, that trusting, and that accepting.

This is why Ronald Gladden is a national treasure.

Now, to be fair, we haven’t finished the show yet. We’re on episode 6, so we only have a few more to go. And to be even fairer, I haven’t done a deep dive into who Ronald really is. But something tells me I’d find next to nothing damning. I’m sure he’s broken a few girls’ hearts or said a quietly offensive thing or two to close friends, but I think, somehow, Gene and Lee managed to find the absolute perfect person for this concept, and I’m not sure it can ever be done again.

So cheers to Ronald Gladden—may we all try to be as patient and accepting of the chaos around us as he was.

Also, if you haven’t watched Jury Duty, YOU MUST.

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WATCHING 📺

Well, Jury Duty but weknowdis. We’re also still high as hell on Silo, and I implore everyone reading this to give it a shot. If you’re not hooked after episode 1, you can move on, but chances are you will be.

We finished Jewish Matchmaking last week and these are my final thoughts:

I’m now following Cindy on Instagram because I see myself in her and I genuinely want to know how things end up for her

Stuart’s second date with the standup comedian was so adorable and perfect, and even if nothing came of it, it just goes to show there is a lid for every pot

Faye’s situation with Shaya devastated me. I know that’s so silly to say because I don’t know these people at all, but Shaya seemed like such a match for her and their chemistry was palpable through the TV screen. The inability to see it through due to religious differences (within the same religion) is why I generally dislike and stay away from extremely religious things in general*

Noah seems adorable and genuine, and like he knows exactly what he wants so I hope he finds it

Harmonie (which I read as Hermione) is now doing motivational speaking, and I’m not sure I’d take advice from a 40-something with a unicorn-themed bedroom but hey—that’s me

Oreo is the devil

*THIS JUST IN: Shaya got engaged! Awwww. Okay, I feel better now because he seemed like such a catch, and I’m glad he found the right person for him.

READING 📖

I am almost done with Meghan Daum’s book of essays, The Unspeakable, and I think I will write a paid letter about my thoughts on it when I’m finished. She has one chapter that rubbed a lot of people the wrong way, and I think it’d be interesting to break it down. In general, though, her writing is beyond and both inspires and intimidates me all at once.

LISTENING 🎧

I can barely handle how perfect the Ride podcast is with Benito Skinner and Mary Beth Barone. I know I’ve mentioned it before and, if you’ve been tuned into me, you know I’ve been a fan of theirs since their “Obsessed” podcast that was exclusive to Spotify. But, man—every episode puts me in the best mood, and I feel like I’m in on one insanely hilarious, massive inside joke. They are touring but don’t have Dallas or Austin on the roster yet. They’re adding more tour dates, so I’m keeping my eyes peeled 👀

MAKING 🔪

This week, I made both this Unstuffed Cabbage Soup and the Roasted Veggies with Farro and Shrimp recipe I shared a few letters ago.

But I also put together this incredibly simple meal using Right Rice in the cilantro lime flavor, Kevin’s Chicken Chile Rojo, and this incredibly simple but super delicious black bean recipe!

SHOPPING 🛍️

• This Free People set is not only insanely cute and stylish, but wildly comfortable. I wore it last weekend to night two of seeing Dead and Co in Chicago and felt like a bohemian hippie goddess. It definitely runs a little big (the pants are super roomy), so if you have a smaller chest, I’d recommend sizing down one!

• Speaking of Free People, I also picked up this pair of shorts the same day I got that set. I’m wearing them in this reel I posted yesterday on IG. They’re a “chino” short and are available in a bunch of colors. I got the brown (Cigar), but I’m eyeing the Almond Milk and Black. I love them as a departure from jean shorts during the summer, and they run big so you can vanity size your ass down one (which we love). 10/10 recommend!

• I ordered this PJ/lounge set from Knickey during their Memorial Day weekend sale, and it’s the best set I’ve ever owned. Like, I can actually sleep in it comfortably which is unheard of for me. I got a medium in the shorts and a large in the tank, and I want it in every color. It’s the perfect summertime sleep set.

• Last but certainly not least is this iconic gray hoodie. Y’all, I’ve been on the hunt for a perfect gray hoodie for a while now. GAP used to be my go-to for exactly that, but they’ve changed and so have I. I somehow stumbled across Threads 4 Thoughts (a sustainable clothing company) and this hoodie that turned out to be LITERALLY the most comfortable, high-quality hoodie I’ve ever owned. At $68, it’s not cheap but when I tell you it’s worth it… believe me. I’m finding every excuse to wear it around the house right now (even though it’s 200º outside) and just know it’s going to stay with me a long time and end up being an iconic Miller family piece of clothing down the road.

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Thank you for being here and have a great weekend!

—EGM