PuSSyCaTPosted: Mar 11 2004, 12:42 PM
Giam, I understand where you're coming from....
True - it's human nature to wanna seek security in a group and find a sense of "belonging" there. It's like our subconcious primitave instinct.
However, what I wanna say is that it's perfectly OK to adopt a certain "culture" regardless of what it may be (Punk, Skin, Skater blah blah blah), just please oh PLEASE do your research first.
For example....
WHY do Skins SHAVE their HEADS?
No, it's not cos they just wanna look garang....no, it's not cos they had a kutu infestation....no, it's not cos they have receding hairlines......and no, it's not cos Gillette was on sale at Watsons.....
The ORIGINAL ones are just your average Joes who work at the docks, in factories, etc.
Hair can be hazardous as it'll get caught in machinery, etc.
Plus, on top of them not wanting to bother with extra stuff like shampoo etc, it's friggin cold in the UK and people there tend to only take a bath once a day (some ppl I know from the UK who migrated to Singapore STILL do dat anyways..... eeh).
Some places where they work also deal with tar, which can drip in your hair and of course, we all know dat isn't very pleasant now, is it?....
So to maintain their hair's a hassle right? Shave it off. Simple.
PLUS, your hair is like part of your identity - it helps to differenciate you from others. So once u join this "brotherhood", to shave your head is sorta like to "become one".
Even people going for pilgrimages do this.
WHY do Skins WEAR BOOTS?
No, it's not cos Doc Martens were going cheap at Queensway Shopping Centre..... no, it's not cos slippers give them a rash....
Again, in the workplace, you can't expect them to be wearing sandals or flip-flops, right? And anything less than boots can prove to be hazardous - as if they were to drop anything on their feet, they'd be seriously injured.
Boots were originally designed for the working men anyway.
Steel-toe boots are not "for kicking your girlfriend's ex boyfriend's head in".
Nor are they meant for the purpose of kicking around dustbins....
Your toes are the most susceptable to injuries if a heavy load were to be dropped on your feet - so this is to prevent you from getting a serious handicap.
WHY do Skins wear TIGHT JEANS?
Once again, we all know that it's not advisable to wear loose clothing around machinery or when you're doing a lot of physical work.
Jeans don't rip easily, nor do they snag on things.
Perhaps it's not even tight? They work so hard and most of them are in pretty good shape (that's what manual labour does for ya), so the jeans just fit them snugly.
Or once again, they don't have the money to buy so many pairs of jeans, they're stuck wearing the same ones for the next 10 years, so through time and body development, it becomes tight.
I'm not even a Skin or whatever, but at least just have the common sense to realize the PRACTICALITY of what you DO or WEAR.
Yes, I'm into Metal - yes, my fiance's a Metalhead. NO he does not wear a Leather Jacket 24/7 in Singapore's "blessed" weather.
Yes, I admit I do have a leather jacket which I love....but I'm not gonna kill myself from heatstroke and wear it everytime I go out just cos "that is what Metalheads wear".
Hell, when Metallica came to Singapore, they didn't wear their leather jackets!!
Yes, I wear tight jeans - only cos I look good in it and I'm really active and move around alot, so my other pants are usually slipping off me a$$....trust me, I have to pull em up every few seconds.
Yes, I sometimes wear boots. Only cos I'm kinda rough by nature, so my sandals or whatever don't last very long.
Besides, I'm a girl with BROAD size 9 1/2 feet - you tell me where the HELL can I find comfy heels and I'll give you my cat (no wait, actually I won't....haha).
Wear what you want!! It's not a crime!! ANYTHING as long as your are COMFORTABLE and it’s PRACTICAL for your NATURAL SURROUNDINGS.
If you go to Africa, don't wear a snow cap and a ski mask.
If you go to Afghanistan, don't wear a string bikini.
If you go to the North Pole, don't wear JUST a bowtie.
So long as it's practical and doesn't make people snigger behind your back.
But don't come crawling to me when your feet's all blistered up from your thigh-high boots, you're delirious with heatstroke from your 6 layers of shirts & jackets or you've run out of plasters to stick on your sliced head....
Ok....I think I'm gonna add all this as a new article now..... heheheehhe.....
purerock.org
Author
perhaps cos this is fundamentally a metal and not a hc/punk forum..there're some points being missed out on..
Logged
............................Oh well