It's all a lie, it's all so fake

[totallyclueless]

It's all a lie, it's all so fake...

I was just thinking...there are things about the kids around me that I really despise.
We all know about all the kids out there who cut themselves, who listen to hard metal, who call themselves "punk, emo, outcasts, goths" etc.
Well the truth is...it's all a lie!
These people dress strange and act strange (wearing all black, chains, "punk" bands, Hot Topic, etc) because they say they are "being themselves" Well look around you. You're not! They try so hard to be themselves, but half the world is doing the same thing. They try to run away from the trends, but it's turned into exactly what they were running from in the first place.
Why should you have to TRY to be yourself? I mean it should come naturally without having to buy a certain kind of clothes. and newsflash people: being yourself doesn't been you have to be totally different then everyone else! why is it so bad that anyone is like you? why? I am not saying "go with the trend" or "everyone who shops at Hot Topic and stuff is stupid" I am not saying that. it's just that you SAY u r different, but ure just stuck in another trend.

ya know?

Oh. and all those people who go around moaning and groaning and complaing about how their lives are falling down around them, how life betrayed them, how life sucks, this and that...it's not true! life is being served to you on a silver platter. why is it "cool" to act like you hate life? gosh.
and people who say, "no one likes me, I am an outcast, a loser, blah blah" its so untrue! you AREN'T losers, unless you're TRYING to be one!

this is true for everyone except for people where it's actually true. who are clinicaly depressed. but sometimes, it escalates so far that you just say you hate life so much it starts to become true. you know?

and people who are like "i was uncool before being uncool was cool" they are such liars. ugh i can't even explain this one.

and don't get me wrong...i like Hot Topic...i love some of their stuff. Does that make me a poser? no!
Stop putting down Avril! I mean, peeps say she is a poser cos of her clothes. What snobs! She was one of the first to start wearing ties over her clothes and stuff, and let's face it, you followed. who are you to call her a poser? who is she posing as? everyone else? so are you. why can't u just sit back and enjoy her music? (unless u don't enjoy it...)

but do you see what i mean?

sorry if I offend anyone, but this is how I've always felt.

 

[Moonbear]

LOL! I always found it amusing that the kids try to be "different" in exactly the same way as all the other kids.

Oh, but teenagers have always been mopey, it just comes with the age. It's a phase and it will pass.

 

[zoobyshoe]

I think you're 100% right on all counts, Totallyclueless. I noticed the very same thing in the 60s. The alleged rebellion against the "establishment" where everyone was supposed to be exploring their individuality was just a new faction of lemmings that had broken off from the main herd all following each other to their doom.

People are more susceptible to peer group pressure than they ever realize. I've met all today's punks, emos, goths, as well as lamers and crustys and they're all the same old thing: people desparate to fit in with some peer group, not people persuing their individuality.

 

[Moonbear]

Are today's punks like yesterday's punks, or a different breed of punk? I know what goths are, but what the heck are emos, lamers and crustys? I didn't realize there was that much variety out there. Other than the kids wearing all black and heavy make-up, the rest pretty much all just look like slobs to me. The ones who stand out anymore are the few who keep their pants belted at the waist and their shirt tails tucked in.

 

[saltydog]

"It's all a lie, it's all so fake..."

Isn't that from one of her songs? Who me? Not me, I'm too old to like her music. Peeps and Posers. Hot Topic. Can I just guess? Really, I don't want to bug anyone. I'm saying . . . . . . . .16.

 

[Pengwuino]

Are today's punks like yesterday's punks, or a different breed of punk?

Oh, the days where the punks burnt flags and aided the Vietcong and bombed government buildings... the days when kids actually knew what their cause was and why it was...

Now people don't even seem to know what they hate or why... *tear*... i wish i lived in the age of reason...

But no... i live now... and i think I am going to join the "i just want to be different crowd" by dressing up like ALLLLLLLLLLL my friends!

 

[totallyclueless]

emos are "emotionals"
yea...right...

 

[totallyclueless]

oh and i didn't know that was from one of her songs! lol what a coincidence!

 

[Moonbear]

emos are "emotionals"
yea...right...

I thought it just referred to a type of music. What "attire" goes with it?

 

[totallyclueless]

basically the same as punks and goths...maybe a bit more reserved. at least in my school it is. but they have a diff. attitude...depressed...hate life...etc. but they TRY to be like that. Ugh. I can't stand it!

 

[JamesU]

you don't get it. the "non conformists" conform with other "non conformists"

 

[Evo]

emos are "emotionals"
yea...right...

I've listened to lots of emo. I always asked my daughter why they ruin a perfectly good song with the screaming. She justs looks at me.

She's into indie though.

You forgot ska.

Avril...ties over her clothes..you mean like what was popular in the 80's?

I know a lot of kids into punk and these kids are freeking brilliant and well adjusted. I just got off the phone with one that placed second in a national film competition, the next Stephen Spielberg. And he's adopting me as his mom.

 

[totallyclueless]

you don't get it. the "non conformists" conform with other "non conformists"

yea, so they aren't non comformists anymore. o_o

 

[JamesU]

that's if you think "non conformist" means what you think it means

 

[Evo]

yea, so they aren't non comformists anymore. o_o

I know what you are saying, probably 95% or more of the high school kids pretend to understand the music and the meaning, but they're fake. The less than 5% that really understand the music on an intellectual level and are really part of the movement aren't fake. These kids blow me away, their understanding of the music and the history is mind boggling.

 

[totallyclueless]

now I am so confused...thanks a lot...

 

[Evo]

now I am so confused...thanks a lot...

Read my last post, I completely agree with what you said. You sound like me at your age.

Kids for the most part are sheep needing to fit in with the flock. You are smart enough to recognize them for what they are and aren't dragged into their mindless nonsense.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

LOL! I always found it amusing that the kids try to be "different" in exactly the same way as all the other kids.

Oh, but teenagers have always been mopey, it just comes with the age. It's a phase and it will pass.

I pretty much agree. However, in the case of identity and self expression, many people seem to have a need to rebel against authority - to establish their own authority. I see it as a way for each generation to announce its arrival; sort of like shouting, "we're here and we won't be ignored!" So on one level, its not really a matter of personal identity as much as a group, or generational identity. But in addition to this, each person is also struggling to figure out where and how they fit into the group.

As for attitude, on one hand I can be real hard nose about this sort of thing. I can tell you from first hand experience that people who want to blame everyone else for their problems are, like Zooby said, going nowhere. This is by far the most outstanding trait that I've noticed among the biggest losers that I've known. And the poor me crap makes me want to scream!

But then I look at the suicide rate among teenagers. Biology can be cruel and life often is hard. And, to be blunt, there are a lot of struggling parents out there. Even those who are trying to be the greatest parents may not have the knowledge or skills needed to provide the sort of support, guidance, and discipline that their child needs. So, as has always been true, many kids are left twisting in the wind. When I see extreme dress and make up, or extreme behavior, the first thing that I think is, low self esteem. And, of course, a few people out there were just born scary: A bad seed, mental illness, chemical imbalance, call if what you like, but on the street it translates as bizarre and scary, and there's always a few of those around as well.

 

[totallyclueless]

yes, i guess you're right. the suicide rate could also be so high because of real clinical depression, though. and sometimes i think that the reason people get depressed is because its cool to be depressed...

 

[BicycleTree]

The thing is that most people never stop trying to belong to a group. The human tribal instinct is very influential.

 

[Moonbear]

But then I look at the suicide rate among teenagers. Biology can be cruel and life often is hard. And, to be blunt, there are a lot of struggling parents out there. Even those who are trying to be the greatest parents may not have the knowledge or skills needed to provide the sort of support, guidance, and discipline that their child needs. So, as has always been true, many kids are left twisting in the wind. When I see extreme dress and make up, or extreme behavior, the first thing that I think is, low self esteem. And, of course, a few people out there were just born scary: A bad seed, mental illness, chemical imbalance, call if what you like, but on the street it translates as bizarre and scary, and there's always a few of those around as well.

yes, i guess you're right. the suicide rate could also be so high because of real clinical depression, though. and sometimes i think that the reason people get depressed is because its cool to be depressed...

I think it's both...depends on the person. When it's not just rebellious dress, because every generation does that in some form or another, but heads into the self-mutilation realm (various forms of body art and piercing in addition to the more commonly recognized things like cutting), then I see a kid crying out for attention.

Of course, another part of the problem could be that those who are truly depressed become more prone to suicidal tendencies when they are surrounded by other negative people, even if those others are just acting. It sure does make it a lot harder to recognize which ones really need help and which just need to grow up.

 

[Pengwuino]

basically the same as punks and goths...maybe a bit more reserved. at least in my school it is. but they have a diff. attitude...depressed...hate life...etc. but they TRY to be like that. Ugh. I can't stand it!

Pff, i feel sorry for depressed people. All these fake depressed people are hurting real depressed people

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

Are today's punks like yesterday's punks, or a different breed of punk? I know what goths are, but what the heck are emos, lamers and crustys? I didn't realize there was that much variety out there.

Punks are definitely different now a days and there are several types of them, crusties being a derogatory term for a gutter punk. Emo is short for "emotional" and is more or less a variation on Indie and Punk. There are Hipsters which are mostly into the Indie music scene. Ska, sorry to say Evo, is pretty much dead. At least real Ska music is the 3rd/4th wave more or less melded together with punk. There are also Ravers and Gravers(goth ravers) also known as Cybergoths. There are RivetHeads, or just plain Rivets, who are into Industrial music which is more or less gritty aggressive sounding electronic music. Metalheads and Deathrockers. Greasers and Rockabillies. There are also subgenres there called Psychobilly and Gothabilly. Psychobilly is a more punk rock/metal version of rockabilly which apearantly incorperates zombies . Swing kids. Cyberpunks. Skinheads have become somewhat of a scene too. NeoNazi Skins are into Hardcore (really thrashy punk). Traditional Skins aren't racist just sort of "conservative youth" I guess you could say. Original Skins are anti-racists as well as SHARPs(skin heads against racial prejudice). OG Skins are supposedly originally from Jamaica so they are into Ska (real ska which came out of Jamaica, rock/raggea fusion) and hardcore aswell. "Conservative youth" type punks are sometimes referred to as Skunks, a cross of skin and punk.
There is probably a whole lot more out there too. You can read a bit about various subcultures at that forum I linked and erased not that long ago, the sykoforums. That's it's actual purpose really not just the random spouting of things that wouldn't be appropriate here.

 

[Evo]

ska is still going, it's not big though (Jamaican gangster music) Was it the rooties? (I need a refresher course) Do you know what I'm referring to?

edit: ooh, yes, you know the history, I just finished what you posted about the skins.

 

[whozum]

Nothing like older generations talking about their descendants.

 

[Evo]

Nothing like older generations talking about their descendants.

Hey, we started it, you are all just mutations.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

ska is still going, it's not big though (Jamaican gangster music) Was it the rooties? (I need a refresher course) Do you know what I'm referring to?

edit: ooh, yes, you know the history, I just finished what you posted about the skins.

Rudeboys. Rudies maybe? I'm not sure where that part came from, I've just heard a lot from other people.

 

[Evo]

Rudeboys. Rudies maybe? I'm not sure where that part came from, I've just heard a lot from other people.

That's it!

 

[Soilwork]

I don't mean to sound like a bad person or anything, but the emo/punk/goth kids really annoy me. I just don't see the point in trying to be this 'individual' when it comes at a cost. The cost is that you look like a complete moron with fishnet stockings on your arms and crap like that. The guys also wear that stuff.
But yeah I agree with everything in the first post.
If you want to be an individual by dressing like an ass and listening to music you don't even like then that's ok I guess, but I can't stand how they have so much damn attitude. Being an individual and listening to Heavy Metal is no excuse to generally have no manners or to treat other people like sh*t.
That's the main reason they piss me off, as well as the fact that most of them don't listen to metal because they like it.
I won't say anymore though :)

 

[Moonbear]

Punks are definitely different now a days and there are several types of them, crusties being a derogatory term for a gutter punk. Emo is short for "emotional" and is more or less a variation on Indie and Punk. There are Hipsters which are mostly into the Indie music scene. Ska, sorry to say Evo, is pretty much dead. At least real Ska music is the 3rd/4th wave more or less melded together with punk. There are also Ravers and Gravers(goth ravers) also known as Cybergoths. There are RivetHeads, or just plain Rivets, who are into Industrial music which is more or less gritty aggressive sounding electronic music. Metalheads and Deathrockers. Greasers and Rockabillies. There are also subgenres there called Psychobilly and Gothabilly. Psychobilly is a more punk rock/metal version of rockabilly which apearantly incorperates zombies . Swing kids. Cyberpunks. Skinheads have become somewhat of a scene too. NeoNazi Skins are into Hardcore (really thrashy punk). Traditional Skins aren't racist just sort of "conservative youth" I guess you could say. Original Skins are anti-racists as well as SHARPs(skin heads against racial prejudice). OG Skins are supposedly originally from Jamaica so they are into Ska (real ska which came out of Jamaica, rock/raggea fusion) and hardcore aswell. "Conservative youth" type punks are sometimes referred to as Skunks, a cross of skin and punk.
There is probably a whole lot more out there too. You can read a bit about various subcultures at that forum I linked and erased not that long ago, the sykoforums. That's it's actual purpose really not just the random spouting of things that wouldn't be appropriate here.

Oh good heavens, it's gotten a lot more complicated since I was a kid! We pretty much had the preppies (the kids who shopped at the GAP for all their clothes), the jocks, the nerds, and the "ginkers" (that was our own term for the kids who cut classes all the time), but it wasn't always that clear-cut; you could be a preppy nerd, or a preppy jock, or a nerdy jock, and there was even one nerdy "ginker"...somehow he could get A's even while cutting half his classes -- drove the teachers nuts . We just didn't have exclusive cliques where you really had to conform to belong to the extent you heard about it in some schools.