I remember back at the turn of the century, as I was just getting out of college and heading into a job at a music magazine, thinking how depressing the music scene was. As a highschooler growing up in the early-mid 90s indie scene, it was depressing to see the majority of listeners having turned to pre-fab crap sung by no-talent tarts.
But then in a blink of an eye the music was back (with a disproportionate number of “the” bands – The White Stripes, The Hives, The Strokes, The Vines, The Music, The Killers) and life was good.
And what’s the reasoning for this useless anecdote? To illustrate that all good things come to those who wait.
When I washed up on these shores only a few short years ago I was a bit depressed to see that China’s youth were not, by any means, cool. Text-book/teacher worship, and collared conformity were the fashions of the day.
Now, I recognize that “cool” is an entirely subjective term – but with youngins more eager to fit in than stick out, you don’t get much individualism, unique personal expression, or, ultimately, creativity. And that was sad.
But all good things…
As I wrote about a while back, Chinese creativity is in bloom, and as this post from ChinaSMACK visually illustrates – so is breaking from conformity.
Admittedly, I’m at the age where I’m going from rad to Red, and am more likely to call these kids a bunch of dumbasses then rush out and get my hair coloured and teased. However, what it represents in the broader scheme of things is just pure awesome.
Odd fashion sense or not, this idea of breaking with tradition, bucking conformity and flipping the bird to the “establishment” pretty much assures that as China becomes the giant world leader that everyone is predicting it will, there will be a foundation for critical analysis, creative thinking and artistic expression that will make China and its people ever more diverse.
And that’s cool.
Sadly these people are the kind of “Brain-lacking”, or “Nao can”. I wouldn’t want to see China being famous of having a diverse group of these post-90 spoiled kids who spend their parents’ money and think that they are “the world”.
i am always excited to see kids break out of the norm. here in GZ we got some great local punk bands coming out who may not have much to say other than ‘tiu lei ma’ right now, but in my opinion that one hell of a start!
I tend to agree with Avi, it’s not what they’re saying or worrying that China’s going to be over-run with dumb punks that is important – it’s that it’s a breeding ground for difference and defiance.
I think that the textbook/teacher-worship has much more authenticity and is therefore much cooler than the fashion-accessory grab bag that some of these kids go for.
Maybe China will have its own nerd revival just like Western culture.
I don’t think there’s any more “authenticity” in the teacher worship – it’s completely utilitarian and drilled in by over-ambitious parents who see their children as their future pension earners.
Bottom-line, no one is cool without a brain in their can and I’m certainly not connecting coolness with being able to buy a new style of clothes.
What these kids are doing, whether they realize it or not, is paving a bit of a path for other people to go their own way and not conform to what their parents, teachers or culture dictates they “should”.
Unfortunately, Ryan, This is a tiny unfelt minority. You must also admit to that. You, as many other foreigner in China, tend to look at the reality around through your own rosy glasses with way too much wishful thinking. If you’ll stick around for another decade or so, you’ll see that China will remain China, no matter how much western hopes you pour unto it.
The anti-mainstream are always a minority — by definition. But to say that China’s youth culture isn’t changing and flourishing is foolish and, to borrow your metaphor, you must be wearing some fairly dark glasses not to see it.
This isn’t about China becoming Westernized — this is about China’s youth developing freedom of expression.
You can always depend on the dumbness of teenagers. Or was that kindness of strangers? I think I got the quote mixed up.