Dressing Up for Petty Revenge: How a Three-Piece Suit Defeated Corporate Nitpicking at a Video Store
There’s a special kind of satisfaction in delivering a petty, yet perfectly tailored, act of revenge—especially when it involves a dress code, a three-piece suit, and a dying video rental empire. Reddit user u/Rocketparty12 recently shared a story on r/PettyRevenge that has all the ingredients of a cult classic: a power-tripping boss, a ridiculous policy, and a comeback so dapper it could have made James Bond blush.
Let’s set the scene: It’s 2011. The video rental industry is on life support. Regulars shuffle in and out, DVDs in hand, nostalgia thick in the air—a simpler time, right? Our protagonist, an assistant manager juggling college classes and long shifts, is about to find out just how far a little pettiness and a lot of sartorial flair can go.
The Dress Code Debacle
At this unnamed video rental chain (let’s call it Family Video for the full blockbuster effect), the “no jeans” policy was about as loosely enforced as the plot in a straight-to-DVD action flick. Collared shirts? Sure. Jeans? Everyone wore them. The world kept spinning.
Enter: The District Manager. The kind of corporate overseer who, in an industry gasping its last breaths, decides the true threat isn’t Netflix or Redbox—it’s denim. Catching Rocketparty12 in jeans after a long day of lectures, he pounces. No jeans, or no shift. The logic? Impeccable, if you’re auditioning for a role as “Unnecessary Authority Figure #2” in an office comedy.
The Petty Revenge Playbook
Most of us, after being sent home for a dress code technicality, would change into the appropriate khakis, grumble all the way back, and maybe plot revenge in the form of passive-aggressive shelf organization. Not Rocketparty12.
No, this hero goes full Gatsby. Out comes the three-piece navy suit, starched shirt, striped tie, French cuffs, grandfather’s cufflinks, statement watch, and shoes that click with every step—each detail a sartorial mic drop. If he’d had a top hat and monocle, they’d have been in play.
He didn’t just comply; he over-complied. He took the rule and dialed it up to eleven, turning the “no jeans” order into a spectacle so grand even the regulars noticed. “Why so dressed up?” they asked. His reply? “Well, I take this job very seriously, and if you want to rent movies in a respectful way, you’ve got to look the part.”
The District Manager, caught in his own web of petty bureaucracy, was rendered speechless. For the next two hours, he said nothing more than “thank you.” The silent acknowledgment of defeat.
Why This Story Resonates
What makes this tale so delicious isn’t just the tailored comeback—it’s the universal experience of dealing with arbitrary rules and the people who wield them like rubber stamps of power. We’ve all met that manager, teacher, or admin who misses the forest for the trees, enforcing policies with zero context and even less empathy.
Rocketparty12’s revenge isn’t cruel or disruptive. It’s clever, non-confrontational, and memorable. It exposes the absurdity of the situation without breaking any actual rules. It’s the office equivalent of bringing a bazooka to a knife fight—but only firing glitter.
A Lesson in (Petty) Power
There’s a deeper lesson here, too: Sometimes, the best way to challenge authority isn’t to break the rules, but to follow them so extravagantly that the rules themselves look foolish. By weaponizing over-compliance, Rocketparty12 made a statement far louder than any argument or complaint could have.
Plus, let’s be honest—every workplace could use a little more style.
Cue the Credits
As the District Manager faded into corporate obscurity (transferred to another district, never to speak to Rocketparty12 again), our hero remained—dapper, unbothered, and probably the best-dressed video store clerk the Northeast ever saw.
So next time you’re faced with a pointless rule or a petty superior, remember: Revenge is a dish best served in a three-piece suit.
Have you ever delivered some stylish or satisfying petty revenge? Share your stories in the comments—bonus points for photos of your own over-the-top comeback attire!
Sources: - Original Reddit Post by u/Rocketparty12
Tags: petty revenge, dress code, workplace stories, video rental, office humor
Original Reddit Post: I came back in a 3-piece suit