new thread
Well, I saw that whole 'Rocker' thing on the boards and I spose I fit into that. At first I grew my hair out simply because I love Ozzy Osbourne's music. But along the way, I just liked having long hair and I can't get rid of it.
How about some other popular stereotypes or namecalls out there?
Hippie...hobo...pothead...junkie...any more?
Lol I find them funny cuz usually they aren't accurate.
I'm one of the original hippies from the 60s and darn proud of
it.
The funny thing for me is I fit into a bunch of them.
-I'm too young to be a "real" hippie, but I love hippie music, I'm generally opposed to the man, and I walked around barefoot for an entire semester in college just because I felt like it (eventually they threw me out of the dining hall and I had to start wearing flip flops like everyone else)
-I'm also a metalhead...I play electric guitar, go to Ozzfest, and love all kinds of metal old and new, from the glory days of maiden and priest to the nu-metal (well, some of it) of today.
-I'm ALSO a CS major. I don't really qualify as a linux-longhair per se, but I have used it, and being a CS major is close enough.
If only my hair were longer...
Hello Everyone,
Sometimes "stereotypes" can be helpful, for example, you are waiting for your bus, train or plane, and you see a "showy" guy, wearing a poncho, smelling like patchouli, with his Grateful Dead stickers on his guitar case. If you love to play guitar, you may want to strike conversation with him and exchange guitar playing tips. You may want to discuss travel adventures as well. You may feel 90% sure the guy is very friendly, and not some psycho.
The above example is one of the things I remember when I was twenty-something, when people frequently let their "freak flag" fly, thus making it easy to meet new friends.
Then came the eighties when people were "preocupied" with stereotypes, and started to cut off their hair. Discussions like "You can still care about the environment and have short hair", "You don't need to look like an Earth-firster to care about the environment", "You can play guitar and have short hair - you can sing like Enrico Macias and be a metal head deep inside" - Basically as pop psychology, new age and self-help groups were flourishing, people were essencially told to keep their personal passions "deep inside", look neutral, and not attract attention on themselves, thus the mass haircutting. From one series of stereotypes to a more conventional series where men are clearly defined as men by their short haircuts, and women by their long hair, high-heels, and dresses.
I feel, one should not let oneself be preocuppied by stereotypes, and use them to meet new friends, for example: Wear a linux t-shirt, and you may have a conversation about linux at the train station, or on the train. If you like a hippy (trad or neo) style, if you look like one but a clean hippy, you may attract others who will talk about their travels. Same goes for metal t-shirts, etc... I see nothing wrong with displaying one's interests. We are in a diverse world, and the way we dress can be a way to say, I am a geek, a musician, etc... and I like to meet other people to exchange on my hobbies, etc.
Basically I put no energy about avoiding falling in a certain stereotype, it is not a worry for me. I have met friends in the past by the buttons they wore on their ponchos, the instruments they were carrying or playing, the books they read etc.
On the other hand, a "neutral looking" person who finds his workaday lifestyle boring may want to talk with you about his more carefree days, his desire to break from the mold. That can give the more ordinary folks a view of a world that is more open minded, more positive than what the media spews on them, through wide-screen TV's lining airport or train station waiting areas.
Today, some people try to look "neutral", maybe to avoid violence from those who may not agree with their views. Maybe the times are changing again....
Have a nice day,
Georges in Montreal.
I went through a bit of a rocker/goth phase three years ago when I made a new friend but I had long hair well before I even liked rock music. Today, I still like rock music but I am not a rocker. I am however a keyboard player - I've been a keyboard player for 20 years but I compose my own style. I guess I fit into the 'arty type' bracket.
RM
I hear all the stereotypes quite often. Hippie, pothead, druggie, metalhead, etc.
I suppose I am a "metalhead", but I consider myself more of an overall musician rather than just a rocker. And besides, I love the hair way too much in itself, regardless of anything else!