Don’t Tread on Gabe

Gabriel Hale is a burly man’s man, who hawks emergency survival products in his Don’t Tread on Me superstore. In his daily videos he appears in the woods (in front of a green screen), sipping bourbon and smoking a cigar, discussing the end of the world, and how to get ready for it (buy things from his store).  He travels the region on weekends, speaking publicly about the types of skills (and products) every man should accumulate. 

His wife feels stuck in the women’s section of their store, Michaela’s Corner.  She shows all the features of the concealed carry purses to the ladies, demonstrates how to cook over a campfire using a Dutch oven, and teaches the ins and outs of freeze drying food. But what she really wants to do is teach the hunting and shooting classes.  She’s a better shot than Gabe with any gun or bow, but Gabe thinks his mostly male customers would rather learn from another man than a woman.

Michaela is tempted to out Gabe as less than he presents himself to be in his videos to get him to reconsider the part she plays in their business.  Gabe isn’t even a prepper himself.  He’s only interested in selling prepping as a lifestyle to customers who are happy to hand over their cash for whichever products he endorses.  He enjoys his fawning fans’ adoration, both in real life and in his videos’ comment section, as they consider him the ultimate expert.  But Michaela isn’t so sure how much more of his act she can take.