I'm going to call out someone I love dearly here, at least to the extent of using him as an example of how saturated our society has become with what I think is a problem. My brother, bless his little, pea-pickin' heart, sent me a text a while back and it hurt my head to read it. I'm not going to publish it here, because it was a conversation between him and me but suffice it to say that he was trying to convey to me that our relationship is better now than it really ever has been and his intention is to keep it like that. Don't get me wrong - totally dig that he feels that way. But because of the way he wrote it, I had to read it 2-3 times over to really get what he was trying to say to me. I even responded to him and said, "I have no idea what you're trying to say." Now, my brother is a sharp guy. He's funny, he's intelligent, he's creative, and apparently, he doesn't realize that he wasn't born or raised in South Central L.A.
After reading it, though, it brought me back to a thought that I keep coming back to the more I watch people (especially young people) and their mannerisms. When did it become cool and acceptable to be ghetto? The clothes. The vehicles (white walls out!) with the music blaring to the point of rattling the internals of my ears. The grammar...ooohhhh, the grammar.
Someone else told me that people in Arlington, TX call it - Ag-town...yo. Seriously?? Because saying all 3 syllables is too much for you? You'd rather shorten it (by one syllable) and add 'yo' to the end (making it, yet again, 3 syllables) because you're a thuggish, middle-class teenager living in the DFW area? Hm. Interesting.
I was in a major department store the other day and this young (16-ish?) kid was walking around with the top of his pants at the middle of his ass (with boxers and briefs sticking out of the top...not sure what that's about, but I'm sure that's because it's a whole other bottle of wine) and he kept pulling them up as he was walking. Not sure why he didn't just wear them correctly or buy a belt. He was in the right place. I'd even help him try them on despite not being paid for it simply because he looked like a jackass. Anywho, yells to someone who turns out to be his girlfriend/wife, "Yo!" and nods towards the door at which point she comes running, they grab hands, and walk out. My heart sank. To me that's equivalent of snapping your fingers or patting your hand on your leg and whistling while you say, "Here, girl...here pretty girl!" I'd slap someone silly if they ever beckoned to me with "Yo..." Beyond that, I'd slap myself for responding with anything other than a look of disgust and my middle finger. And this young thing responded like it was nothing. (I could take this opportunity to get into how young women are raised to feel like they need to appease their man to keep him, but again - that's a whole other bottle of wine...)
I watch some of these kids behaving the way they do and I have to blame the parents. I won't blame the music. If you model yourself after a music video, you have more insecurities than Freud could handle and I won't even try to tell you as much because chances are you won't listen. My parents wouldn't let me leave the house looking like a hobo or a hooker and they had eyes everywhere (much to my chagrin) to ensure that I didn't change my clothes/apply my hooker get-up when I got to where I was going. Now, I recognize that parents can't be everywhere all the time - I totally get that. But, I don't necessarily think it's all just about having a GPS-tracking system on them at all times, be it in the electronic or human form. To me, it's more about self respect. My parents taught me that 'pretty is as pretty does' and that not only meant 'pretty' from the outside, but also from the inside. If I carried and presented myself in such a manner that made people think, "Hm...this chick might have it together," the rest would fall into place. I remember my mom not letting me where these chain-looking earring things because they were 'trashy-looking.' (Looking back now, she was right. At the time, however, she was just being a mean mom...)
Anywho, I won't pretend to be any kind of super parent - I'm 4-months old in this parental gig. But I will say that if my daughter brings home a young man who doesn't know that the pockets of his jeans need to align (ironically enough - they're also proportionate to them) with the cheeks of his ass and that you look like an idiot walking around with a shaggy-dog haircut that makes you unable to look me in the eye without moving said hair from your line of vision, we might have to have a sit-down.
With all of this being said, I'm off to roll in my ride (white walls out, draulics on) wit my biatches and we gonna drink 4t’s and cruise like it aint nuttin but a g-thang through the hood...
Deuce.
After reading it, though, it brought me back to a thought that I keep coming back to the more I watch people (especially young people) and their mannerisms. When did it become cool and acceptable to be ghetto? The clothes. The vehicles (white walls out!) with the music blaring to the point of rattling the internals of my ears. The grammar...ooohhhh, the grammar.
Someone else told me that people in Arlington, TX call it - Ag-town...yo. Seriously?? Because saying all 3 syllables is too much for you? You'd rather shorten it (by one syllable) and add 'yo' to the end (making it, yet again, 3 syllables) because you're a thuggish, middle-class teenager living in the DFW area? Hm. Interesting.
I was in a major department store the other day and this young (16-ish?) kid was walking around with the top of his pants at the middle of his ass (with boxers and briefs sticking out of the top...not sure what that's about, but I'm sure that's because it's a whole other bottle of wine) and he kept pulling them up as he was walking. Not sure why he didn't just wear them correctly or buy a belt. He was in the right place. I'd even help him try them on despite not being paid for it simply because he looked like a jackass. Anywho, yells to someone who turns out to be his girlfriend/wife, "Yo!" and nods towards the door at which point she comes running, they grab hands, and walk out. My heart sank. To me that's equivalent of snapping your fingers or patting your hand on your leg and whistling while you say, "Here, girl...here pretty girl!" I'd slap someone silly if they ever beckoned to me with "Yo..." Beyond that, I'd slap myself for responding with anything other than a look of disgust and my middle finger. And this young thing responded like it was nothing. (I could take this opportunity to get into how young women are raised to feel like they need to appease their man to keep him, but again - that's a whole other bottle of wine...)
I watch some of these kids behaving the way they do and I have to blame the parents. I won't blame the music. If you model yourself after a music video, you have more insecurities than Freud could handle and I won't even try to tell you as much because chances are you won't listen. My parents wouldn't let me leave the house looking like a hobo or a hooker and they had eyes everywhere (much to my chagrin) to ensure that I didn't change my clothes/apply my hooker get-up when I got to where I was going. Now, I recognize that parents can't be everywhere all the time - I totally get that. But, I don't necessarily think it's all just about having a GPS-tracking system on them at all times, be it in the electronic or human form. To me, it's more about self respect. My parents taught me that 'pretty is as pretty does' and that not only meant 'pretty' from the outside, but also from the inside. If I carried and presented myself in such a manner that made people think, "Hm...this chick might have it together," the rest would fall into place. I remember my mom not letting me where these chain-looking earring things because they were 'trashy-looking.' (Looking back now, she was right. At the time, however, she was just being a mean mom...)
Anywho, I won't pretend to be any kind of super parent - I'm 4-months old in this parental gig. But I will say that if my daughter brings home a young man who doesn't know that the pockets of his jeans need to align (ironically enough - they're also proportionate to them) with the cheeks of his ass and that you look like an idiot walking around with a shaggy-dog haircut that makes you unable to look me in the eye without moving said hair from your line of vision, we might have to have a sit-down.
With all of this being said, I'm off to roll in my ride (white walls out, draulics on) wit my biatches and we gonna drink 4t’s and cruise like it aint nuttin but a g-thang through the hood...
Deuce.
Yo G !
I know what you mean. Those pants are insane. I'd like to see one of those guys try running form the cops with pants that are 3 sizes too big.
why you gotta be all up in dis? you ain't got ta front! yo...