I keep getting 'research' sent to me to check about 'youth tribes'... Let's read 'suit assumptions' for that one shall we? 'Urban' kids, for example, aren't passionate or educated about music according to them... They have vapid heroes and are materialistic, with ambitions to be WAGS and little else. Christ...
Since I'm sorting out a lot of this research out, by you know (here comes the science bit) actually talking to kids, I've noticed the funniest thing.
When you ask them what they call other kids in say, West London, for example, they'll say - first up - they don't like to pigeon hole other kids (no, 'cos that would be our job) but... dig a little deeper, (ask two more questions) and they'll list them right up for you.
West London girls you see, get to be pigeon holed this way... 'Oh, you mean Chelsea girls? As in ra-ra girls'... There you go, you can pigeon hole after all...
Once girl, Aisha, (16) says:
People everyone (sic) has different personalities and you cannot group certain people from certain areas into one category.
Two sentences later, she's off on one... Here are just some of the ways she groups people...
Okay, so... Emo - Harrow, Retro - Notting Hill Gate and all over London, Scene - Harrow, Street - Everywhere, Chav - Ruislip, Watford, Uxbridge, Fresh - All over London...
Um, what their uniform is for each? Emo - Mostly everything is black that they wear. Black eye makeup, black clothes, black shoes. Retro - clothes from back in the 80's & 90's. Colourful clothing, items of clothing to do with things from the 80's & 90's like Mickey Mouse, rollerskates or items of jewellery, like Lego earrings, necklaces with cassettes on them... Scene - colourful clothing, cartoon print clothing, children's rucksacks... Straight back - combed hair. Lots of eyeliner and eye make up... Colourful extentions... Street - full tracksuits with a New Era hat or any type of woolly hat... Fresh - jeans (that) look like you just bought them. Trainers (sneakers) are immaculate. .. T-shirt (that) looks like you just bought it. Everything you wear just looks clean cut and you just came out of a catalogue.
What music would I normally associate with each scene?...
Emo - Rock, Heavy Metal...
Retro - Electro, Music From the 80's 90's, Dance.
Scene - Some Grime, Rock, Pop
Street & Fresh - Grime, Hip Hop, RNB, Slow Jamz, Bashment, Dancehall, Rap.
Hilarious... I love it... More to come...
Monday, January 14, 2008
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2 comments:
That's brilliant, very cool. Damn, I generally think of myself of still being pretty young, but I actually have no idea... I only heard of Emos for the first time 6 months ago, and given that was from my nephew who lives in New-York, I didn't even know they were already here in the UK! Fascinating stuff Ruby, thanks for the insights!
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