Boards
Some notes on Teds and new youth culture.
God yes I think I'm Dick Hebdidge these days (ask ANY Arts Faculty student), but I was thinking the other day, as I found myself waiting outside Walthamstow Central, that in these post modern Hoxton-y times the true heir to the original youth culture, the Teddy Boy (ignoring the East End Razor boy gangs as their identity was purely in numbers and no way sartorial), must be the hoodie speakerphone hip hop man.
I base this one the fact that this is a fashion that is entriely new and not cyclical in the way that all fashions post Ted were (a bit like Dr Who you could argue), and like the Teds vanity and masculinity are heavily accented along with a high measure of non substance (like the Teds, showing displays of wealth but for toally erroneous reasons). The music is no longer an intrinsic part fo the identification but a part of the matrialism that makes up for lack of purpose, something which initially was as far removed from Teds as it was from vicarage tea parties - with mods, punks and skin heads and new romantics, the music was and not an accessory.
Also on a lighter note people look at 'fear' with these groups of people - Teds were handy with knives and were constantly threatening people and were mistrusted and reviled*. 'Hoodies' are now real folk devils and people always say 'don't ask them to turn down their music or they will stab you' - you wouldn't say that to an 'emo' kid now would you?
There are probably hundreds of holes in this rather vague idea, but I am at work and do have a cold and want to expand upon some points at great length. But I can't be arsed.
* Of course all youth cultures are but these are examples.