Yes, I've Finally Posted Again

I've been lurking on other boards for awhile. I've particularly enjoyed "Radio Free Holly" and "Fat Asian Baby". As Holly has been more active, FAB has gone into seclusion. FAB e-mailed me and said she'd lost her BlogJo (blogging mojo) following an extended hiatus. Made me realize. If I'm gonna bother, I should at least submit my own painful observations on a more regular schedule.

So here it is, I minor return. I'll try to take some "mental Metamucil" and be more regular . . .

Being a Teenager

When I was in high school ('81 - '84), we were allowed to be geeky and awkward. It was how we found ourselves. The cliques were obvious: Cowboys, Stoners, Jocks, Pops, Band Geeks, Drama F*gs, Punkers & Wavers. But most were just "students". Some drifted through different groups (myself: Band Geek as a Sophomore, Drama F*g as a Junior, and I graduated as a Punker), but we developed our own personalities. The problem I perceive is now the media is defining the teen culture. In the '80's it was organic. A transfer student brought a new look or a smuggled air tape from WLIR in New York expanded our "underground" attitude. Now, the hyper-sexualized Hollywood teens and the 24/7 coverage of their bad behavior are defining teen culture. The new looks are packaged and sold from The Hills to The Girls Next Door. 12-year-old girls are shopping Victoria's Secret and their mother's think it's cute. It becomes really hard to be ironic when your parents shop at Hot Topic.