p.111 made me laugh.
"One of the central messages of modern advertising is that the individual can express who he or she is through the purchase of a branded product or through identification with a group of people who express themselves with the same style."
My little cousin is going through a non-conformist phase. Truth be told, there aren't a lot of 11-yr old punk-rockers in Hawaii... but he tries. He has the black jeans, black t-shirt, studded belt, and dyed black hair. He has the attitude to match, always talking about how he doesn't like all those preppy A&F and GAP/BR/Old Navy kids... that they're all the same. This is where the fun begins...
He absolutely hates when I call him an emo kid. He hates it more when I talk about how conformist he is. He denies it up and down, but all of his punk rocker friends look just like him... hair all the same color... they all buy their clothes from the same store... that store is a nationwide chain... ;) In trying to avoid a mainstream stereotypical look, he went straight to an alternative stereotypical look.
I see this identity crisis a lot in sports. The rich new guy is always the easiest to spot - without any experience, he shows up with brand new gear from head to toe... not just equipment, but clothing and apparel as well. It's a shopping spree in attempts to try to be ready, fit the stereotype of the sport, and try to self-boost their validity by wearing what they think a "real sports star" would wear. :)
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3 comments:
Your post had me cracking up! I cannot imagine any goth/emo kids running around in Hawaii. The heat and humidity would melt that black attire right off! Hm...I wasn't aware that the particular "chain store" would be able to make it out in Hawaii.
I actually had a flash back to a South Park episode where Kyle joined the goth kids and became "non-conformist" by looking like all the other kids. It's a bit ironic, you change from one mainstream culture identity to one that is labeled as an underground sub-culture, then you must be "unique." I think those that are truly individualistic stick out in society. For example, in Santa Cruz there is a local man that the locals dubbed "Pink Umbrella Guy." Well, as him name suggests, he is always decked out in pink frilly/fluffy women's attire with tons of pink make up (Think Mimi from the Drew Carey show)and sporting a pink umbrella lined with foil. He strolls down the streets of downtown Santa Cruz taking one baby step at a time and pausing to smile at those around him. Most people do not refer to him as being unique or non-conformist, but I do hear terms such as "crazy", "weird", and "psychotic" quite often.
You make an interesting point about your cousin conforming with the emo culture in order to avoid conformity with mainstream culture, but I'm glad he's conforming on his own terms!
It sounds like your cousin is making a good attempt at subverting mainstream culture. In this way, he's participating in a COUNTER culture that has the ability to change MAINSTREAM views and behaviors. I think it is quite honorable for a young teen to speak with an alternative viewpoint, even if it isn't at unique as you both would like.
Your little cousin’s “conformism” reminds me of my little brother. My brother loves skateboarding, and he is always buying all kinds of T-shirts, hats, tennis shoes, and many other objects which people who practices skateboarding consider important to have. He claims that he hates being just like everyone else, and he says that he would not dress up like ordinary people. However, when I look at his friends, they acquire the same branded products, and most likely they buy their clothes at the same store.
Maybe inside their group of friends, my brother and your cousin express their styles and their personalities by wearing the same branded product. But whoever observes this scenario from outside can see clearly that they are definitely conforming to their own norms.
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