Author Topic: What Happened???  (Read 48663 times)

Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: What Happened???
« Reply #10 on: February 08, 2012, 01:28:29 pm »

I'd say someone from your generation, or mine, or Milo's, Jeff's is supposed to be bothered by it. ;D :laugh:


I guess I'm not especially bothered by a little glimpse of boxer above the trouser waistband--though I think the fashion is silly.

When the trousers hang so low they look as if they're about to fall down--that's just stupid.

I suppose it's supposed to mean, "Kiss my *ss," or, perhaps, "F*ck my *ss," as in "F*ck my *ss if you can," but either way, it's all dumb.
"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.

Offline Monika

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Re: What Happened???
« Reply #11 on: February 08, 2012, 01:35:06 pm »
With all due respect, I have to tell those of you who are unfamiliar with ghetto culture that what we see in the "Today" picture is FAR more than just a fashion statement, or generational rebellion. The guys are consciously emulating criminals. They are embracing criminal behavior, and a criminal mind-set. They hold the values of criminals up as ideals. They have lost touch with legitimate masculine culture, and instead have connected with the worst masculinity has to offer.

This is not just kids being kids. It is contributing to the destruction of the black community, and it should not be take lightly.

The Dream has turned into a nightmare.


I have no idea if these guys belong to the ghetto culture (whatever that is) or not. I can tell you though that pants are hanging low on kids in Sweden too.

this reminds me of when people critizised Elvis for shaking his hips too much, or when people thought that The Beatle´s long hair meant that armageddon was near.

The dream is dead? I´m not sure when the first pic was taken, but it might have been at a point when blacks couldn´t even sit in the front of the buss. The kids in the latter on the other hand, have equal rights.

Offline ifyoucantfixit

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Re: What Happened???
« Reply #12 on: February 08, 2012, 01:55:28 pm »
  Well I don't know how much my own opinion would be accepted.  However I have lived longer than most of you.  I have seen all the phases of fashion, decorum, dance, and music.  Behavior, both sexual, and social, come and go.  All I can say is, they are always new to the generation at hand, and irritating to most of the generations that have gone before.
  I don't know how much you know about the fifties, when I was growing up.  However as has been mentioned here, Rock, "and Roll," was just emerging.  There were lots and lots of older people who thought it was going to be the downfall of the entire culture.  Specially when Elvis came along and gyrated his hips in such a suggestive fashion.  He was photographed from the waist up in most of his appearances, and given a very large birth by the established radio and music industry.  I look back on it now and want to cry foul to those people that now call him  "The King."  I wonder how many of those folks are some of the converts, that first deplored him.   Next big jump was the Beatles of the 60s, with their horrendous long hair.  lol.  People were outraged by that hairstyle, and the Stones, welll don't get me started.  People thought that they were devils.  May I regress a bit, the fifties were the place where low riding pants became fashion.  Not to the degree that they are nowdays, but no one back then were skate boarders, "boarders," either.  There was no such thing.  But I myself wore the Levis, which were the mainstay for jeans. " Lowered," to much the same level as low rise jeans now come.  Back then it was totally scandalous to most older folks too.  But then the level was not the reason that it became popular now.  It had nothing to do with sport, and by association juvenile gangs, etc.  it was just cool.   So to speak.   
   I have to say, having children who were the first group to wear long hair,,(which drove my husband up the tree.)  I didn't mind it myself.  Then the pants thing, because they too were the first to have skateboards as well.  It is just much easier to manuver on one of those things with baggy pants.  Then there was the striped, and patterned pants of that time, with the huge bell bottoms, as you can find on many of the singing groups back then.  That was very odd.  But hugely popular.  The bigger the bell the cooler the outfit.  Of course like all things, it was finally tempered to the now very acceptable "boot cut jeans." 
  I know that I am not covering all the ups and downs, and in and out of fashion, of accepted behavior, or music.  However I can say this much.  It has one thing in common.  Change!  It is keeping the generations separated, and unique for the time they are pre pubescent, and teenage.  Usually moderating in the twenties to thirties.  Of course as I mentioned there are certain aspects of each thing that is "changed to fit."  Then forever becoming a part of the general use and vernacular.
I personally think it is heathy.  It allows for each succeeding generation to establish its own identity.  While at the same time keeping them for the most part just a tad off of the center, allowing them to fall back in line with the general accepted behavior.  Not leaving too much of themselves out in the cold.  Sooner or later as I say, usually in the twenties at the latest, they realize it is not a thing that they have further need of.  They are independent, proud, and ready to make their generations next mark on the world.   In short its a harmless way for all concerned to come to terms with the way the different generations will fit into the whole.  A bit old, a bit new, a bit weird, but a cohesive thing.  It only makes a richer soup.  If you will.



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Offline Shakesthecoffecan

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Re: What Happened???
« Reply #13 on: February 08, 2012, 02:55:19 pm »
If the Dream is broken, can it be fixed? Or can it be stood?

If I were the king of the world I would decree that the world be fixed, but I am not the king.

I am willing to work to make the world a better place, but in most instances am at a total loss as to how to go about it. Say I addressed these two young men, I could tell them I understand this look comes from imprisoned men advertizing they are available for sex. I could ask them if that is the message they are sending. I would probably be in a lot of trouble if I did.

So I wish them a nice day and go on.

I think there is a lot of standing things in life.
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Offline David In Indy

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Re: What Happened???
« Reply #14 on: February 08, 2012, 05:23:56 pm »
As a child, I remember dressing up in a shirt, tie, dress pants and suit jacket when going out to eat, going to Sunday Mass, etc...

And I remember dressing up to board an airplane. Everyone dressed up back then. Mom would put on a nice dress when simply going to the grocery.

It's interesting how things change over time, and the evolving clothing styles from one generation to the next. Janice, I remember the bell bottom jeans and the silk screen shirts. And the denim vests. And even the scarves we wore around our necks with the little silver or wooden ring to hold it in place. Mom and Dad were shocked and disgusted with me.

I am not necessarily offended with the fashion styles of today's youth. I just don't understand it. I suppose that is the whole point of it though.  :)
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Offline RouxB

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Re: What Happened???
« Reply #15 on: February 08, 2012, 06:36:13 pm »
What happens in popular culture, and the meaning of it, for one community of people does not have the same meaning in another.
I know where Milo is coming from-my feelings are pretty similar. When you have the memory of struggle of the civil rights movement and you see kids today with no knowledge of or respect for that struggle it just maikes you want to stab yourself in the forehead. It demoralizes me when my people play into the stereotypes that keep us chained. And I know that much of that is my issue but it is how I feel.

Pants hanging low on kids in Sweden does not come near having the same meaning as pants hanging low on black kids in south central Los Angeles...

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Offline Sason

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Re: What Happened???
« Reply #16 on: February 08, 2012, 07:10:56 pm »
Excuse me for being ignorant, I'm afraid I don't know a whole lot about American black culture. Of course I know about the civil rights movement, but that's about it.

What I do understand though, is the despair in realizing that young people's memory is so short they don't know what happened only one or two generations back, and that they lose the connection with their own roots and history of their people.

Back to my ignorance: in what way do those outfits show lack of knowledge of black history? What do they symbolize?
It's a bit embarrassing, but I have to ask.

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Offline delalluvia

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Re: What Happened???
« Reply #17 on: February 08, 2012, 07:37:25 pm »
Eh, let them wear their pants low when they're doing their shopping or whatever in their private lives.  When they fall down - and they will - we can all laugh.  ;D

Seen too many "Worlds' Dumbest Criminals" where the perps, wearing their pants too low - and not thinking they needed to change them when committing a crime - either trip or have their pants fall down when running from the man.  It's hysterical and on national TV for everyone to point and laugh.

 :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: What Happened???
« Reply #18 on: February 08, 2012, 08:59:25 pm »
I know where Milo is coming from-my feelings are pretty similar. When you have the memory of struggle of the civil rights movement and you see kids today with no knowledge of or respect for that struggle it just makes you want to stab yourself in the forehead. It demoralizes me when my people play into the stereotypes that keep us chained. And I know that much of that is my issue but it is how I feel.

I would think it would make you want to smack them in the head.  :-\

Quote
What happens in popular culture, and the meaning of it, for one community of people does not have the same meaning in another.
Pants hanging low on kids in Sweden does not come near having the same meaning as pants hanging low on black kids in south central Los Angeles...

I guess it's just my American cultural imperialism showing itself, but I was kind of wondering how much this is Swedish kids imitating an American style just because it is an American style.  :-\
"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.

Offline RouxB

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Re: What Happened???
« Reply #19 on: February 08, 2012, 09:02:13 pm »
Excuse me for being ignorant, I'm afraid I don't know a whole lot about American black culture. Of course I know about the civil rights movement, but that's about it.

What I do understand though, is the despair in realizing that young people's memory is so short they don't know what happened only one or two generations back, and that they lose the connection with their own roots and history of their people.

Back to my ignorance: in what way do those outfits show lack of knowledge of black history? What do they symbolize?
It's a bit embarrassing, but I have to ask.

It is in Milo's post-embracing a "gangsta" culture is both dangerous-there are plenty of people out there ready to disregard the youth rebellion argument and just take things at face value-and a bit of a slap in the face IMO to my aunts and uncles who put themselves in harms way in Birmingham AL fighting for our civil rights.
Baggy pants in and of themselves is not the issue-it is the rest of what goes into "the look"

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