Rip Off!!!
"Anyway, I liked Tina’s entry which she wrote weeks ago. Quoting her, Punk is a trend, nowadays. That’s the end of it. They’re all a bunch of hypocrites. And as Steve-O said at the end of the SLC Punk, “I guess I was nothing more than a goddamn poser.” I was impressed because it seemed like she wrote perfectly what I’ve always had in mind. When I look around, I see people trying so hard to be cool by wearing shirts that scream emo or those who are wrapped with supposedly ‘cool’ accessories to show they’re holier than thou and all that bullcrap. I mean, c’mon, what’s with all this garbage anyway? Our professor this semester for PR plays for an independent hardcore band. Their band plays loud music. But you can never really guess it from the way he looks, or at least, from the way he dresses. That’s what you call individuality. There’s no sign of trashy clothes and unprecedented haircuts (or lack thereof) that conceal faces. There’s no sign of ghastly body piercings that constantly make people squirm. Why do some people who call themselves punks or emo or screamo (or dismal or hopeless) could not move on with their lives without having to look dreadful anyway? Black is not the only color, to begin with. It's not even a color, for pete's sake.
And bloody hell, what’s with the whole “I am so different from everybody else” deal when you are all multiplying like a plague? You look around, you see this kind of people, this kind of hairstyle, this kind of getup, yadayada whatever floats your boat, absolutely everywhere. I don’t really condemn their ballooning population but most of them really think they’re cooler than everybody else, when they’re obviously not. Most of them even find it hard to finish school because they’re too busy promoting their groupies' assembly or some other appalling activity. What are you, Congress? It’s especially aggravating to those who have to bear seeing them drunk, wretched, smelly and crazy, everyday, everywhere, in this goddamn planet.
And with the emo/screamo thing? I actually listen to this kind of music sometimes but I don’t live it. You know what I mean? I don’t change my freakin’ friendster name to something like foreveryours, heartbreakkid, willneverforgetyou, myheartbleedsforyou crap. Unless I'm delusional. I join friendster to meet old and new friends, not to form some bloody groupie for the heartbroken and the desperate.
I know some people might raise hell on me because of this entry. But you know what? I don’t really care. Bring it on. This is my space and I have the right to nitpick and pick holes about whatever, whenever I want. If you could care less, so do I. "
-- Mitch's Muni-muni post
As much as I want to comment on Mitch's post, I couldn't since I do not blog on xanga. So, I just copied, better ripped off, her post for the very good point that she'd like to send.
Honestly, the quote, "to each his own" would be a mere excuse or an overuse to this post. I know some would not agree because the least of one's priority should be the way of life of the people whom you barely know. (Exactly. Exactly?) We all have our reasons why we do/wear certain things. Or just by running out of reasons, we stir excuses.
Ok. Before I continue my sermon, please play the song, "Everybody Looks The Same" by fatboy slim (?...not sure.) .
What an angsty living most of us practice! Rebellion kuno. Style daw. Originality and individuality raw. The hell. Admit it. We are all weak because we are taken over by these "negative," or positive it you may consider, thoughts of ours. I mean, who doesn't want to look stronger? or tougher than the guy/girl next to you? or tha bomb? or an attitude loaded pare/mare? or astig? or lufet? or siga? or tha "it"? Come on. Everyone is trying to live a day after each other outdoing our insecurities and covering our pains. The result? Angst. (Now, switch the song to a Silverchair.)
Perhaps, angst would just be one. But usually, it's the easiest to let go. Nope. We couldn't hide it. Angst eventually shows up. The way we look. The way we talk. The way we dress. Even the way we play the soundtrack of our lives.
Hmm, soundtrack. That brings me to music rip offs. Most people bash Cueshe and Orange and Lemons for allegedly copying the chords, or some part of the chords, of a Silverchair song and a that of Simple Plan on their single, "Stay." That's for Cueshe. While Orange and Lemons was pointed for allegedly using the chords of The Care's song "Chandeliers" to the bands big hit, "Pinoy Ako."For the nth time, people who are trying to be as harsh and piercing as Simon Cowell, be exorcised. You don't have to listen to their music and buy their album. I am an Orange and Lemons listener. But if I do not like their song to be played on my radio, I switch stations. Simple, he? And if you've heard of Urbandub, read their take on people bashing some musicians about the rip off issue. Click this see what they have to say.
I guess it's the culture. We are trying to be Americans but we hate the comparison. We don't admit the pattern. We don't admit the idolatry. We wanted to hear our own voice and live our own generation. But we are still living in the shadows of the ones we imitate. Maybe we are not living our own life. We are living the life we see on MTV and American tv and movies. Maybe.
With regards to being a poser, hmm, if one does his/her thing just to expose his/herself. That's what a poser means to me. It's like an attitude at a wrong place, at a wrong time. Appealing or appalling. That's the question.
Nice clothes are good to look at. But nice people are way better to look at than clothes. I think that no matter what or who you wear, looks still count. And as I always tell myself when I meet people who's shopbag is in their brain, "you don't make love with your clothes on." Corrupt, I know. But I should also send signals to these kind of people to back off. I would not allow them to swallow me whole. Physical is still over the material. Solid is better than hollow.
Mitch, thanks for this post of yours. I have the angsty feeling today at work. Not because of system failures but from a disturbing person yesterday. I was just happy to leave the office carrying my small bag and asian salad from kfc when this guy, whom I think is the emo/angsty/screamo kind, looked at me from head to foot. That annoyed me. I knew he was checking what I'm wearing. Sorry. But I wasn't wearing my "busted" white shirt. I was in black with a big print that reads, "Motel" blah, blah (not in an offensive way. I even think that my shirt was the pa-cute type) My shirt isn't even a high end brand. And it's local. I was also wearing shorts and rubber shoes. I wasn't even making a statement with what I'm wearing. Ok, I am no way cooler than the guy. Hooyah!
Anyway, to be different does not mean that I should alienate myself to my own self and to this world. No matter how I want to stay in my own created world, I would still have to deal with people in the same world we're living in. And I think the distinction among people is their choice on how to live their life. Yes. Posers, my and your own definition of the word and person, are here to stay. Just like everybody else who's a dismay to the posers.
Lastly, there's more to freedom of expression than associating reggae with dreads; ranting through protests on the streets; hatred with cussing. The list goes on. But no matter how unique or different our personalities are, we have already lived by the shadow of the ones we idolized. There alot of people who were born and who lived this planet before us. No matter how strong or astig we want the people to see, we are still soft inside because we let the things around us pester our thoughts. Hence, deciding to show what others would want to see from us.
Let me share a habit that I usually do when I feel down. And the only outlet that I think of was to look weird and perhaps tie a rope around my neck and walk down the street to reprazent a new age fashion. For a few seconds, I just look at myself infront of the mirror and appreciate what I see. That's me. And I have to love and take care of me. Then, I smile at myself. That wouldn't hurt unlike frowning while giving that screamo look.
There. I don't believe in the saying, "If you can't beat them, join them." It's just a waste of time, effort and money. The "wala lang" attitude is more acceptable than the "pakialam ko sa'yo" for me. Besides, they, the "pakialam ko sa'yo" people, really care. They just hide it. They're mad because they care and they couldn't accept it.
Whoa! Rip offs. Tell me what's original nowadays.
* Arnold leaves to the toilet to pee because he's about to attend to work again after taking his lunch... walks away while singing "everybody looks... everybody looks... everybody the same..."
then...
pauses for awhile to add another post*
As I was walking along Ayala yesterday afternoon, my friend, Ricky texted me. He asked, "Pare, sumali ka ba sa laban O Bawi? Tinawag kasi pangalan mo, eh."
Of course, I wasn't able to reply due to my ongoing boycott against my network provider (They forfeited my almost a hundred load before it expired. Grrr.) I was curious on how my other friends would react if they watched that noontime show and heard my name called as one of their contestants. I don't want to assume that they would stay glued on their tv sets on that day that I was suppose to play. Mumutain lang kayo sa kakaintay. Hindi po ako yun.
* goes back to singing "everybody looks... everybody looks... everybody the same..." but now with head banging*
posted by Arn 
at 7:10 AM
|
<< Home