as most of you probably know, i work at a mall, and so i get to see daily the horrible things teenagers do to themselves in order to appear "cool" and "different" and "alternative."

the problem with trying to make a statement is that first you must have something to say.

the way these children dress, i can only imagine that statement is "i am ugly."

now, i understand the desire to subvert the status quo by rejecting the prevalent beauty standard, but these people look like they're wearing uniforms, and i'm sorry, but shopping at hot topic instead of the gap does not immediately render one punk.

what, you think hot topic isn't corporate? spending forty dollars on a pair of khakis is really no different than spending forty dollars an a pair of pre-ripped plaid stretch pants with non-functional zippers and buckles all over the place. hot topic is nothing more than focus-tested alternative. it is blink-182. you can't just walk the walk.

and for christ's sake, if you're going to dye your hair, be thorough.

don't get me wrong, i completely respect and understand where you're coming from, and you've got the right idea, but dressing ugly does not subvert the status quo--it serves it. because all you're doing is providing a stark contrast and therefore validating the beauty standard, and you're spending a shitload of money doing it.

rebellion does not exist within a pair of doc martens and a wallet chain. rebellion is implicit in your ideas and actions. and what is it you're rebelling against, anyway?

nobody is going to take your revolution seriously looking like that.

i saw somebody wearing a t-shirt that said, "i dress this way to annoy you." okay, good enough. but WHY? and let's not forget that this is a mass-produced shirt that a million kids are wearing. this idea is not your own, get it?

it is not enough to be weird for the sake of weird. if you are going to be weird, you must be a freak. you must not just act the part, you must be the part.

jesus, imagine what my kids are going to be like.