Understanding Youth

It wasn't that long ago since I was a teen.. 15 years ago I was 15. How things have changed. One thing that hasn't changed is clicks and groups or what they now call posse or entourage. When I was a teen there were preps, jocks, hippies, Seattle boys, snobs, nerds, skaters, or just plain weirdos. Nowadays there is a whole new world of clicks or genre's of teens. When I was in high school ( well at least at my catholic school) the Preps ruled the roost. The freaks were the musicians and skaters. The boys in my school shopped at girls clothing stores for their pleated jeans and wore silky dress shirts with paisleys and to top off this fab attire, deck shoes. ewe..

When I was about 25 or so and My brother in law was graduating high school. It was totally different then. The jocks were now playing guitar and trading in their mushroom cuts for longer shaggy looks. At this time the skeet's were taking on a more preppy look, being the only groups that still were big on name brands and logo's. Now in 2007 there is a new craze sweeping the halls of the schools. The EMO.. this is very close to the once Goth Craze.. but mixed with a little skater and sprinkled with a little Curiosity, meaning.. homosexual curiosity. My daughter is 12 and she loves emo boys.. a perfect example of an emo boy would be: dark hair combed over to one side, Eyeliner perhaps, Tight jeans ( ones like.. that say Kirk Hammett Might have worn) Some sort of strips, weather it be a shirt, scarf or hat... and also maybe something red mixed in there. Some Bands that might be considered emo would be Panic! at the Disco, or Maybe Fall Out Boy. A while ago I was speaking to my friend Melanie who I hadn't talked to in a few months. We were gabbing about the kids and what not when I told her Ashley now likes "emo boys". She laughed and said that she heard this term used just a few days before for the first time. Her Husband records young bands out of his basement studio and she said she went down there while he had this certain band over. She said that she was giving Dave a look because one of the guys was laying his head on the lap of another guy who was stroking his hair, In another chair was another weird character who was all in black, curled up hugging his legs in a pretzel like shape rocking slowly back and forth. She thought they were all pretty peculiar. When they all left she was like " Dave, good lord.. whats up with those boys.. are they gay?" He said to her.." ah.. nah man.. they're just emo.. she still wasn't that clear on the whole meaning until I cleared it up for her.. Which I myself wasn't that sure about. I actually googled the term and got several meanings.. from Emotional rock to a subculture of soft core punk. Then I looked up the meaning on urban dictionary.com and this is what I got:

"Genre of soft core punk music that integrates unenthusiastic melodramatic 17 year olds who don't smile, high pitched overwrought lyrics and inaudible guitar rifts with tight wool sweaters, tighter jeans, itchy scarfs (even in the summer), ripped chucks with favorite bands signature, black square rimmed glasses, and ebony greasy unwashed hair that is required to cover at least 3/5 ths of the face at an angle."

I totally think that is hilarious!!!! So true.. you walk in the Avalon mall and you will see about 100 of these types walking around. That brings me to my Next group of teens to grace us nowadays.. The " gangsta's". Like seriously? Gangsta? In Newfoundland? What are these kids thinking?.. I mean.. I know there are some rough areas in the city but get real. They ain't living no hard knock life really. It's all about music culture. These kids are fucking hilarious as well.. I mean.. as in comical to me. I saw a kid the other day wearing a coat 9 sizes to big for him, jeans the same, hat on sideways, Big ass bling around his neck( sterling silver though, ha ha It might have been a money sign or a weed plant?). OK.. you think that is enough. The kid was walking like he had just taken a bullet to the knee cap. They are listening to G-Unit and all these other groups with Crime bases lyrics and think that they want that life. I would love to see some of these kids thrown in a real hood for a night and see what they would do. Run crying like babies to their mommy's probably. My Daughter has this one kid in her class who is a real pain in the ass, always getting in trouble with the teachers, principals, cops, whoever.. I said to her " Whats up with this kid?? Is he popular or a nerd or a bad ass??" She answered with " no mom, He's gangsta!" My husband and I almost lost our supper laughing.. Gangsta!!??

OK.. so if going to Sport check and buying a Phat Farm T shirt and a Pair of Big ass G-Unit sneakers, then stopping at the Jewelry Kiosk and nabbing $10 "bling" makes them Gangsta, then I guess I can get a fake Louis Vuitton, Blond extensions and a Miracle Bra and Call my self Jessica Simpson!!!!!