I wonder if there will ever be a point where being ironically anti-social, sarcastic and retro will become out of fashion and being well-groomed, well-dressed, nice to people and mentally healthy will be cool.
See, I think when Hot Topic started, all of that actually became uncool. If you can buy it in a mall, mass-produced, it's not subversive anymore.
Which is not to say that the fuzzy bunnies are the way to go, either, just that when a suburban mallrat dyes her hair blue, gets a nose piercing and wears a t-shirt with a Dukes of Hazzard iron-on on it, it's no longer counter-culture, but pop culture.
I blame Buffy.
It's annoying that, at nearly 33, all of the stuff that I've always authentically been, since I was a teen myself, has now been co-opted by a bunch of sniveling brats who see it only as fashion. Those of us who were authentically disenfranchised and disaffected and expressed that in the music we listened to and the way we dressed are now seeing that culture being bought and sold by spoiled kids who have no freaking idea why we were doing what we were doing. Sarcasm, depression, anti-social attitudes are cultivated as a means to be "cool" and not because they're really things that were really happening to us.
And yes, we had to walk uphill both ways to school in our Docs and we liked it, dammit. ;)
I guess mostly, I'm just annoyed that I've had to cut back my own "counter culture" expression because I don't want people getting the idea that I'm trying to be like the cool kids when I'm obviously too old for that anymore, not realizing that I was doing the same damned thing, and doing it as more than fashion, before these kids were even out of diapers.
ETA: Unlocked this since a few folks wanted to see it.
See, I think when Hot Topic started, all of that actually became uncool. If you can buy it in a mall, mass-produced, it's not subversive anymore.
Which is not to say that the fuzzy bunnies are the way to go, either, just that when a suburban mallrat dyes her hair blue, gets a nose piercing and wears a t-shirt with a Dukes of Hazzard iron-on on it, it's no longer counter-culture, but pop culture.
I blame Buffy.
It's annoying that, at nearly 33, all of the stuff that I've always authentically been, since I was a teen myself, has now been co-opted by a bunch of sniveling brats who see it only as fashion. Those of us who were authentically disenfranchised and disaffected and expressed that in the music we listened to and the way we dressed are now seeing that culture being bought and sold by spoiled kids who have no freaking idea why we were doing what we were doing. Sarcasm, depression, anti-social attitudes are cultivated as a means to be "cool" and not because they're really things that were really happening to us.
And yes, we had to walk uphill both ways to school in our Docs and we liked it, dammit. ;)
I guess mostly, I'm just annoyed that I've had to cut back my own "counter culture" expression because I don't want people getting the idea that I'm trying to be like the cool kids when I'm obviously too old for that anymore, not realizing that I was doing the same damned thing, and doing it as more than fashion, before these kids were even out of diapers.
ETA: Unlocked this since a few folks wanted to see it.
no subject
I can't stand being within five feet of the CHILDREN at my school anymore, since they're constantly either trying to act "punk" or "gangsta" (which makes me almost just as sick) so all I hear is usually-
"Yeaaah, las' night ah wen' to tha club an' me an' this beeyatch..." which doesnt bother me coming from an african-american kid, but if its that little white bastard who's always making fun of me for liking LOTR and anime, then I have a strong urge to stab him with my scissors and remind him of his race.
And back to the whole age thing, I hear you. I'm into Super Dollfie (http://aimeemajor.com/dolls/) and if that's immature, then who the hell cares? I think its more immature of people to constantly worry about what everyone else is doing and not mind their own damn business.