I wanted to begin by replying to a few of Genevieve's thoughts, and then move on to some other stuff: On Sat, 5 Dec 1998, Genevieve Wesley wrote:
but i do not think there is a movement really...i mean,if they really wanted to rebel against something,yes certainly they have got VERY important things,not just your parents values..like maybe how we're destroying our earth?...seriously..i mean a lot good going 'fuck society man! i'm a rebel!' when you might not have clean water to drink...or fresh air to breathe,i think it's so sad,when even the most beautiful,pristine places of wilderness on earth have smog in the air floated over from other cities...rebelling against mass-consumption...it would take lots of people and unfortunatley,that big number of teenagers are the ones who just contribute more and more buy falling for the commericals,this image that they are supposed to be ("selling ourselves to ourselves")buying every tommy hifiger,nike prouduct etc.
I think in the 60's, rebellion was more political than it is now, when it seems to have been integrated completely into consumer culture. For this reason, I can't blame anyone in B&S (or any other band) for just leaving the entire "youth culture rebellion" image behind. It's meaningless anyway. Although, I have to admit that I always loved the way Roxy Music dealt with the dilemma of "how to appeal to the counterculture without taking yourself too seriously." They always had such a nice jaded take on teen fervor, for example, in the lyrics to Manifesto, which I have been told are based upon a manifesto by pop artist Claus Oldenburg, called "I am for an art," but could just as well have been based on any of the communist, socialist manifestos. I am for the man who drives the hammer to rock you 'till the grave his power drill shocks a million miles away I am for the revolution's coming I don't know where she's been for those who dare because it's there I know I've seen now and then I've suffered imperfection I've studied marble flaws and faces drawn pale and worn by many tears Anyway, it's a great example of eurodisco (hope nobody minds this term).
are going to kick your ass" hee) but the one thing i find kinda fake in all these groups is the importance of what you wear how you look..you get loads of piercings and tattoos and spike your hair and THAT'S why your a rebel? or you wear a short skirt? or whateve..i mean if you like that look,FINE..but so many define their whole soul around an image..and if you do that,it must be a kinda shallow movement?
The classic contradiction between image and substance, exactly what we thought we were fighting for in 1984, I couldn't agree more with you, Geneieve. well, I'll shut up now on this tired old thread. Enjoyed the discussion, though! JJ - are you serious? Is there really an EP somewhere in the world that sells for $1.97? If you could pick up a copy for me, I'd be happy to pay you once I get to Ann Arbor (or make you a tape, whatever you'd like). Whoever wrote about the Levi's campaign marketing to the "pop" audience - that's really funny. I think Levi's is on a crusade to get hip. Here in Berkeley they've got these subways posters showing a lot of young Afro-American and Hispanic kids sporting g hip clothes and haircuts, covered with tattoos, with slogans saying "Candizzy" or "Kizmet Rising." They artwork is pretty neat but I don't know if I'd like to be put in a "hip-hop bag" by Levi's, if I were Afro-American. Well, that's it for today. Ciao! Heather +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the Sinister mailing list +---+ To send to the list please mail "sinister@majordomo.net". To unsubscribe send "unsubscribe sinister" or "unsubscribe sinister-digest" to "majordomo@majordomo.net". For list archives and searching, list rules, FAQ, poor jokes etc, see http://www.majordomo.net/sinister +---+ "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" +---+ +-+ "the cardie wearing biscuit nibbling belle & sebastian list" +-+ +----------------------------------------------------------------------+