OH MY GOD I HATE YOUTH CULTURE!!
I took my 14 year old half brother to HFStival this weekend. It is a multi band arena festival concert put on by WHFS in DC. Now, I have been to probably 50 shows just in the last four months, but this was only my second arena concert in my life. I didn't really want to go, but he and his friends needed a chaperone and my dad and step mother were glad that I agreed to take him. I pretty much don't pay attention to trends and shop at thrift stores, but yesterday was just high school fest and I was surrounded by 60,000 kids showing off their latest and greatest fashions.

First the good news: Phantom Planet was really awesome. The Vines were very good and B.R.M.C. was also good. Dashboard Confessional was cool, the last song they did was really energetic.

Every other band there was aweful! Papa Roach, P.O.D., Good Charlotte, modern radio crap like that. Oh I hated it.
My generation, the very last of the generation X-ers, we glorified slacking off. I know that's not necissarily anything to be proud of, but we were rebeling against the greedy 80's. These generation Y kids now are glorifying trashiness and materialism. When did it become cool to wear wifebeater shirts and gold chains and look like you live in a trailer park? It's trendy to wear t-shirts that look like they come from some place like Spencer gifts-- t-shirts that have 'how to' instructions for how to get a boyfriend (put out on the first date is step 3). Goddam it, if I see one more shirt that has a corporate logo but some silly phrase instead of the product name, I am gonna punch someone in the face. Also these big huge baggy pants are retarded. As far as I know, this sort of fashion came from people on the street who couldn't really afford pants that fit. Now it is corporatized and the pants are purposly made to not fit. Just like everything else in these kids' lives. They are brought up by the media as perfect corporate consumers. Corporately provided rebellion in the form of big pants and shirts that say 'fuck you you fucking fuck.' Hey, the next coolest thing will be on MTV, better watch it or you'll be left behind and end up in the trailer park.. oh wait, that's the fashion now. ARGGHH! Trashiness is not cool! Dammit! Why is this popular now?

Wow. Good post. Well, a lot of children feel this need to fit in. And, if fitting in means wearing shitty clothes to be accepted, they do it. Baggy pants-dont get me started. Maybe when the people who wear them look back and see that their ass was hanging out of their pants, they will feel a little differently about their 'great' fashion choices. Then there are the young girls running around in damn halter tops attempting to show off something that they dont have! Did you see lots of those? Because I know that at any festival I have gone to, I see a ton of them. It actually scares me.
All I can do is hope that whenever I have a child, I can emphasize how important it is to be who you want to be, not who others want you to be. You know? I sound like some motivational speaker.
Anyway, yes, the majority of the youth is going follow trends. And, since it is inevitable that they follow the media, why can't the media make a damn decent trend? I suppose it is just one of those impossiblities.

You should probably re-think your decision to attend the Dancing in the District show.

But, I will have you all. Right?

That's exactly what I was thinking.

I can't help but laugh at all the little thug wannabes I see all the time. I'll see 4 of them in a pack together all wearing different color FUBU 'jerseys'. That's when I ask them what time their game is, and they think I'm asking them to fight.

i've been wondering when the baggy britches crew will leave since high school. i'm 22 and my group of friends wore things like that(minus the gold chains)from the 10th grade up(some of them still do). this was my 'i am a mod' phase so i wore dark blue levi's most of the time. most of them asked me why i didn't wear jncos, sutters, and whatever else crap they wore. my point is, i don't think this is a new thing plaguing youth. it's been around for a looong time now. while i'm on the topic of blue jeans, anyone who wears diesel jeans is absolute scum and i'll automatically hate them. anyone who's stupid and shallow enough to pay $100+ for a pair of blue jeans deserves to be quartered. what i'm worried about are baggy britches becoming retro one day. it's bound to happen. at least i'll be in my late 30s. maybe i won't notice. uh oh uh oh uh oh uh oh uh oh uh oh here come the hammer.

Noooooooo!


a lot of modern rock radio music has become less tolerable throughout the years. at least in 1995, bands like tool, soundgarden and pearl jam ruled the 'rock' airwaves.  now all this new crap is so watered down and undynamic; it all sounds the same. i can't tell the difference between disturbed, godsmack, papa roach, linkin park, etc.  ask exliontamer & he'll put up a defense for system of the down though.  

i come into contact with the kids you described on a daily basis. working at a cd store, a majority of the stuff we sell is top 40 & rap.  it's frustrating, because i feel like i'm somehow (albiet in a very very miniscule way) contributing to the degradation of youth.  most of these kids are rude and have no respect for anything.  also, I'm glad that this whole 'middle-class white kids who listen to rap' phenomenon didn't hit big until after i was out of high school.  

i've given a lot thought to this topic over the past few years. i used to hold the silly idea that i needed to help bring these gen y-ers up to a place that is noble and good. to a place where people only wear jerseys to sporting events. to a place with nornal fitting pants for boys and knee length shorts for girls are common. where kids respond with a smile and nod and not a 'huh?' when i speak of the pixies box set. then i realized that this is just part of getting old. so sad. so sad.

True, lawnwrangler.  Very true.  Like Bob said, 'He not busy being born is busy dying.'

(Edited by jamiecarroll at 11:46 pm on May 28, 2002)

Thank god. I find girls wearing knee length shorts incredibly sexy (granted this may have to do with the fact a girl I've had a crush on for well over a year was known to where them). If we can just kill capri pants, and overall shorts on females the world will be right.

the problem with music today is that bands don't pride in originality...its true...i wish we could go back 5-6 years ago when rock was diverse and people gave a shit about the music...now all everyone does is the same fucking thing. i hate all new music...alll the bands mention fucking suck ass....creed, adema, puddle of mudd, stained, hooostank, all suck.and every other band like them. kids these days just don't understand.

What about overall shorts on guys?  I love mine; they're comfy in this hot weather.

(Edited by jamiecarroll at 4:17 am on May 29, 2002)

personally, i don't think popular rock has ever been that good. much less 5-6 years ago. the late 60s and early 80s had some of the more interesting popular music. british pop scenes tend to be a little more interesting, but their tastes change pretty quick. there's always good music out though.

Only if you're R&B artist, Tyrese. Noone else can pull them off.