Saturday, May 1, 2010

OK, we get it; you think you’re Gangsta


By far my favourite sub-culture, the self-proclaimed gangsters of Sydney suburbia have generously provided amusement for many within the past decade. Terrorising the ghettos of Bondi and Castle Hill, these ruthless thugs flock together in a parade of oversized baseball caps (despite the absolute lack of Australian baseball) and oh-too-revealing, “low-riding” pants. The American offshoot of “ghettoism” seems to have catapulted beyond the actual ghetto to settle into the quiet streets of Sydney suburbs and directly into the impressionable hearts of Australian youth. Glamorised in rap music and Hollywood movies, American gang culture provides a healthy dose of violence, egoism and misogyny to scrawny schoolboys everywhere, as well as a unique though indecipherable twist to the English vocabulary. In describing what I think to have been a dance practice in his two-car garage, my neighbour last week declared, “Thatz rite yo, dem playaz b bustin some moves up in ma crib!” Unfortunately I lack the swank, ghetto manner of speech, and cannot offer an accurate translation.

As long as musicians like Tupac, Eminem and Fifty Cent are immortalised into the consciences of adolescents, the glorification of guns, drugs and violence will persist with a steadfast force. But it’s not only the boys succumbing to this bizarre social trend – such groups are often stalked by a dedicated entourage of giggly girls, twirling their hair and fluttering their eyelashes in the presence of their rebellious dignitaries.

However, the manner in which sensationalist media has dealt with this particular sub-culture certainly seems ridiculous to anybody who may actually know one or two of its loyal followers. In Australia it appears to only serve the insecurities of the image-conscious, and is very unlikely to extend beyond the inconveniences of petty-crime and public disturbances.

In conclusion, if you ever come across these frightening rebels of society, be wary; gangsters will untie your shoelaces and shake your fizzy drinks - word.


13 comments:

  1. Love the joy of reading this blog. Rememeber when you were at that stage? I do it was drainpipe trousers and white socks and cuban heels. And that was the boys. The one worry for me is we all grew out of it so many seem now to be holding on way past the time when they should know better.

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  2. I'm gansta, but I'm an old gansta. I leave the house without taking my vitamins, yup that's rebellion at 40 something. Love the blog. Have a great day. :)

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  3. Val, if that is all your young gangsta types are doing in Australia, then consider yourself lucky.

    Here (in California) where I believe the look actually started (in the south, I'm northern) it's called "jailin'". Not long ago, prison officials removed belts and shoe laces from the inmates, causing the pants to need to be help onto or have them reside around the thighs, or fall off. And you have to walk carefully in shoes without laces.

    Ca has a lot of street gang activity, most affiliated with prison gangs. So, they adopted the look. And yes, even middle class kids want to wear the hip look.

    Disgusting. The only time I ever feel like slapping my kids is when they throw up their fingers in gang signs, want their pants three sizes to big and use that rap language.

    Hopefully our gang problems won't infiltrate your Aussy society any worse than it has already. We know how the world like to follow the US (lol) but this is one trend everyone could do without.

    ........dhole

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  4. Oops looks like I need to pull my pants up and take off my hoody, bling and cap. I don't find how I look disgusting, but I do find violence disgusting, and people often assume because I look a certain way, I must act a certain way too.

    For me, it's all about image, as Fonzie once said "If you look tough, you don't need to act tough".

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  5. I'm glad you're back!!! thanks again for leaving comments on my site. Write on fo shizzle ;-)

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  6. "Word." - You crack me up!

    Did you ever watch Ali G? He's a British comedian (Sasha Baron Cohen) who made it big on the 11 o'clock show way back when. What was hilarious about him was that he was making fun of the ganster/ghetto culture but also all the people who were afraid of the gangster/ghetto culture. There was so much loaded irony that I almost couldn't laugh because everything he did was so true.

    Love it.

    Jai

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  7. I'm loving this blog of yours. I popped over from Donna Hole's blog. She gave you a nice plug today :) So nice to see a fellow Aussie face!

    Don’t miss out on my contest!

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  8. Excellent post. These characters are everywhere.

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  9. Gangsters were a living nightmare during my time on the streets of New Orleans right after Katrina. There is nothing cool about cruelty. Mankind is so seldom kind.

    You have an intriguing and lovely blog. Thanks, Roland

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  10. Is it just me, or are the gangsta's pants getting even lower? Hard to *run from the law* when you're tripping over your jeans. Just saying.

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  11. "You say you're gangsta, but you never popped none!"

    I still don't understand how those pants don't just fall off...

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  12. Nothing more funnier than a white boy gangsta ...
    WORD !
    Peace out !

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