Since I haven’t received a scathing e-mail in a while, I thought I’d slam out a little bit of whiny tripe in an effort to stir the pot among some of our more brittle members of the OSU student population.
I’m talking, of course, about any member of a subculture out there, most notably the ones that seem to surround themselves with a heady and often polluted air of superiority.
Now, I myself would easily be considered a member of the geek subculture, most likely because of my belt bristling with nerdish implements, my impressive luggage set used to haul around my beloved better-than-thou’s laptop, and my penchant for using acronyms in speech without excessive thought.
I am, as many would point out, a nerd du jour, enjoying the technological side of life, on some days, just enough to cause saner people to run for the hills. Some members of the unwashed masses might call it an obsession, and, well, they might be right.
I, myself, call it an enjoyable career, and on occasion, when I’m being geeky and not being paid for it, an enjoyable hobby.
I’d like to offer the observation, however, that there is a fine line between a hobby and a mental illness.
Others, however, blur, spit on, scoff at, and firmly step over that line on far too frequent a basis and it’s beginning to grate on my nerves.
There are far too many people out there who take themselves far too seriously.
I do what I do because I enjoy it, not because it allows me to identify myself with a bunch of other nerds whose girlfriends will only talk to them after getting their credit card details.
Do you find that the best way to express emotional extremes (which consists mostly of anger and sorrow), is by keening forlornly at the top of your lungs to anyone who will listen? Do you find yourself wearing jogging sweats in the middle of August for no adequately explained reason?
Girls, have you replaced that blonde Rachel-style haircut to go with a pseudo retro-style black?
Do you wear glasses that Lisa Loeb thinks are creepy?
Congratulations, you’re now officially emo, now please get over yourself.
I have no issue with people who want to be part of a subculture because of some central aspect, such as the music, or the clothing style, or what have you.
But there is such a thing as going to far.
Not that I think that being a Hot Topic poser is any better. This is coupling the taking yourself too seriously syndrome with having absolutely no clue.
Allow me to offer an example:
The first few hundred people that wore the shirt with the caption “You laugh because I’m different, I laugh because you’re all the same,” were making statements, if not tired, stilted, and overly pretentious statements.
Now?
Everybody has them, so apparently, everybody is different while wearing the exact same shirt.
If you’re trying to establish yourself by wearing a shirt that expresses extreme emotional frumpiness so as to appear anti-establishment, then you’re a poser through and through.
The core, respected members of these traditionally anti-establishment subcultures don’t need shirts to prove to the rest of the world how damning of the man they are, how much of a unique and special snowflake they are, or how on the edge they are, because they simply are, as by their very nature.
How deliciously Zen of them.
But, all in all, no matter what you identify yourself with, here’s to being able to laugh at yourself, first and foremost.
Originally printed in the Daily O’CollegianOctober 19th, 2005.
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