Hello, I am Vivian. Today I will be giving out my point of view on "labels", people who align themselves with labels, trends, and other things.


Many kids seem to put value on what they wear, what kind of music they listen to, what kind of hairstyles they have. Many kids even label one another...but is labeling others unfair?

In some way, yes because you've prejudged someone. You haven't gotten the chance to see what they're all about. ..But you need to ask yourself this question: Do you deserve to be labeled?

Do you go around giving yourself a specific name like "prep, jock, gangsta"?
Do you align yourself with music to where it controls certain aspects of your thinking?
Do you think you're original by the clothes you wear? The clique you're apart of?
Do you value what people think of your "scenes"?

If you've answered these questions with a yes then perhaps you do deserved to be labeled and or stereotyped. See, you've aligned yourself with what type of music you listen to, what you wear, and that controls how you act to a certain degree if you let it. When you label yourself, you set an open invite to unnecessary ridicule and insults. It's like you're saying "Hey look at me, I'm different", and getting mad at the people (that you've unintentionally tried to alienate) who dislike your scene.

When you label yourself, and act like this poor child: [click please.] , you lose a sense of identity. You lose your personality because you believe you have to live up to this image that you've purchased over a counter.

Often people who label themselves are the true posers, which makes it seem very hypocritical when they say "Oh the scene guy is not really apart of the Y scene because he wears Z shoes. He's a poser.". A poser calling someone a poser is like Freddy Kruger telling Micheal Myers "You're a sick bastard.". Fred doesn't have room to talk, now does he? Labeling yourself is the weakest way of standing out in a crowd.

Your quest for originality by participating in these scenes---is rather fruitless in a way because you're no different from my parents wearing Dashiki clothing, or maybe your parents wearing "Hippie" or "Disco"-like wear. You're not really different from the generations before you who've chosen to "rebel", nor will you be in the generations after you that have participated in a scene, like yourself.

Your quest for not conforming is futile in a way. Being an Anti-Conformist is also a way of conformity. So if you think that you are not like "everyone else", by what you wear, listen to, you're highly mistaken. Whether you like it or not, we all conform in some way.

Many of you are not being singled out in high-school as you think you are. Everyone gets beaten up in school. Not just emos, preps, etc. It's apart of teenage life. Do you complain about it for 5 years straight? Or do you do something about it? That's up to you. I however, would not want to participate in such scenes if I'm going to worry about being hassled most of the time. Why be apart of a scene if all you are going to do is be miserable because of it most of the time?

I've always seen these "cliques", "labels", "scenes" as a way for kids to get to the top of the Social Food Chain in school without really having to put a lot of effort into it. Just slap on some clothes, listen to a few songs, and mimic MTV-BET-enforced stereotypes and you're apart of an ongoing trend.

Are you really as "rejected" as you claim to be ...when you're apart of a trend?

Think about it, trends are called that for a reason. Most people don't even align themselves with a scene until it becomes a "trendy" thing to do. Trends are more accepted than rejected, and therefore, you get accepted more if you choose to follow the crowd. Think of it like this: When some kids on St Patrick's day find a kid who's NOT wearing green, they punch them in the arm.

"But you don't know what our scene goes through!"

Oh I do. Just because I am not apart of the scene, doesn't mean I don't understand how these "scenes" and "cliques" work. They work in a shallow manner, where you have to act a certain way and look a certain way in order to be accepted. These are often the more privileged kids who decide to become apart of these scenes. So before you complain about how bad your scene has it...

Think about the kid's who's parents who can't afford to keep up with such an expensive scene like yours. Remember, every cent adds up once you think about it.

Now let's get a little personal: When I was in school, a lot of privileged children I saw were apart of cliques. They always had fresh clothes bought from stores that sell expensive items. Much like what some self-proclaimed emos might have gone to, to keep up with their scene.(makeup,accessories,clothes). I was often picked on by such social groups due to being born into poverty. But I knew that someday this will all pay off somehow if I didn't try to align myself with any scenes or participate in trends.

So what I've learned from it all, is that it's all just people with products that try to sell you things. It's all consumerism nonsense that you shouldn't take to heart and tell your future kids or younger kin not to follow these shallow highschool lifestyles for the sake of their own spiritual wealth.

interesting thinking, I liked your insight on the conformity / individualism struggle we all face that we must balance in our lives. Looks like most of your emphasis is on monetary goods like fashion?, money, and such. I can probably see some crossovers with stereotyping as well, that kinda confused me in reading the topic...

Do I think labels and scenes are a good or bad thing? I have to shrug my shoulders and say let the people do what they want. Certainly no mortal has control over all the billions of people doing their thing... in my case its a bit different. I like to oh la la la take advantage of people and surprise them instead.

You shouldnt stereotype, everyone is different to there own means. I listen to alot of folk metal and european power metal. But i listen to alot of Goth music, also i listen to paramore and bands simlar. Then again i play guitar in a jazz trio. WHAT DOES THAT MAKE ME? No one is normal. Normal is a fake word.

Quite right, "Normal" is only what self appointed Normal people consider it to be

Can I ask a question?

Who cares if people decide to label themselves? Who CARES if they want to follow a trend for a few years? Who CARES if they want to listen to certain types of music and not others?

Seriously. People need to stop going on about damn labels, like wtf. Their there, they'll always be there, everyones labeled to some degree. Lets get over it and let people live their own lives.


Uggggggggggggggggggggh. Ffs.

This isn't forcing people to do something else. So in reality I am letting people do whatever they want.

Who cares? Obviously you do. I just did this out of boredom plus I have younger kin trying to enforce this shallow nonsense. So yeah I have a right to care to a degree. You didn't even read it all,did you? You just went off on some predictable angsty tone pretending to be indifferent from it all.

I'm saying these kids going around labeling themselves and complaining about getting gruff because of their "scene" don't really have anyone to blame but themselves. I could respect a person who's into Metal if they didn't purposely enforce every stereotype about a "Metalhead".

Also what I'm saying is if you were to even be apart of a scene, actually enjoy it instead of complaining about how bad you have it because what's the point in participating in a scene when all you're going to do is be angsty the whole time or most of the time because some people *gasps*..judge you.

What made me think about this topic is the kids complaining they have it hard over small things like this. I've failed to see what kind of severe anguish they can experience about someone hating their style and music.

I'm not talking about those who just so happen to seem like they fall into that category and are their own person, I'm talking about those who define themselves by what they wear and what they listen to wanting respect when they don't really deserve it.

So I actually *am* letting people live their lives. No one put a gun to your head and made you read this, and I'm not putting a gun to anyone's head telling them to change. I'm just giving my insight on this. This guy brings up some great points.



Don't really like your attitude, too.

When did I stereotype? x__x Am I the only one who read this topic?

Yes, but loads of teens complain it's not just restricted to the type of clothing they wear or the scene they follow. Thats what teens do a big chunk of the time.

That is why labels are pointless. They do not determine a personallity, and those that allow their "scene" to consume them and feel the need to follow that trend completely are obviously not there own person. Just live in the knowledge that eventually they will grow up and feel extremely stupid looking back. Every generation has some form of this, hippies, punks, ect ect.



And, yes I have an attitude. Thanks for noticing.

That's what I was talking about the whole freaking time you were trying to get snappy about. Jeebus. :hmph Why are you telling me this as if I'm the one who doesn't know this already? I thought this place was for to give advice on life experiences?

So really you just caught an attitude over nothing XD

No, I'm just suggesting people stop moaning about it. Is all.

Hooooly Jeebus.

I'm not moaning about it. There was no whiny or moany manner in what I had posted.

If anything, your original post was more moany than mine, so perhaps you should practice what you preach. x__X And what you said didn't seem like a suggestion to me, more like a command.

-_- You're annoying me,so this'll be my last post to you. Go be a Vegeta elsewhere.

LMAO.


Whiny tone. Didn't realize text could speak. Maybe thats why I missunderstood it?

XD

Is there anyone else who would like to actually contribute to the topic? -_x --Without being an anus?

Well i tried reading it all and i totally agree with you. With my simple mind and not paying to thing more then a seconds. Yes. Trgger has an attitude and triggers like to get on my case sometimes. But that was shorty dealt with =D..

The thing is that. Its just them. People have simpe mind and they follow whoever they can. That's it. And people who "moan" and b**ch. It's not like they are doing anything different. =/

Trigger*

Get it right for once.

Please stick with the topic.If you aren't going to say anything that have anything to do with the topic go make ur own thread and b**ch there. =D

Another useless post from you I will report you Trigger.

*stops eating the popcorn

anyways besides all the negativity, how bout the business end? Surely if I was running a clothing store intended for certain scenes, then I would focus on advertising to those people. I mean you don't see 60, 70 year olds wearing Ecko shirts...

Lables to me is so 1990s. Why can't we all just be human? Why is it that someone what to separate our human race?

So we can tell the differences in people. It's an easier way to put ourself in different groups to make us feel special in a way.

Seriously people. No matter what you say or what you try to lable. You arent doing a damn thing. And for people who like labels, who cares? And for people dont act like the dont need labels people will still label you.

No matter what the hell you say, it's all around. It's everywhere. Nothing you will say here is going to change anything or anyone views on what labels is.


Yes there is opinions and yes people will b**ch and moan. But no matter what, you aren't going to change anything bitching on a forum. [not you luffy >.>]

There are some things time can not mend, some hurts go too deap and take hold. There is nothing wrong with being "Scene". I for one is and I always get judged by my looks and by the clothes I wear. And I dont like some one i'll let them know.
Soo just stop labeling people by the way they look.

Ohhh, and one more thing if you label people by the way they look you'll also by labeled by the way you look.

LOL got cha, Edel XD

I got to agree with Edel on this one. Why complain if you're not going to do anything about it? To me, there's people how talk about it and there's people who be about it. I never use labels and I accept others to respect me enough to return the favor but I know people are still going to label me anyway. So what? Let them get their jolly. In any case, you can't change the world by just saying something is wrong and then walking away from the overall problem.

Who's labeling? Uh..o..k...

You confuse me. Especially your first post. I'm just going to say this: if things hurt you so deep, you don't go out of your way to dress a certain way. I just find that to be a load of crock. If that's what you're saying then several starving unstable children in Mexico should be trying to adapt to a scene to express their pain and suffering.

If you're hurt then work on it. Joining things like this doesn't build any character.


I hate the word "label" because it's just a teen word for "stereotype". Same crap,different toilet. (Ok that was random, but hey I don't care right now.)

Geeze people are actually serious about these kinds of topics.

For future references:
I'm not trying to be a person trying to change the world or whatever behind a computer screen.
As far as this crap goes I honestly don't really care anymore.
(I know that some of you might not have been implying any of this, but just for future posters who want to jump on Mt. Assume.)

What you came on here without second thinking that people wouldn't take it so seriously to the point where you couldn't understand them anymore?

Comeon it's the net there like 10 billion people here. Of course some people will put some strong point to it and some will get you confused. Did you come here with a simple mind thinking that people can blow this labeling scene off?