|
|
|
|
So, the $64,000 dollar question: What on earth is there, for a teenager, to do during their difficult middle years? This is a problem that has bugged people from the teens themselves, right through to their parents and even local governments. Finding things to keep you entertained, interested and occupied has always been tricky. But I believe I've found a few solutions that might prove interesting. Read the following essay - you might be surprised at what's out there.
Just to start you off and show you exactly what I mean, let me introduce you to Modern Toss, a comic that's been sweeping the UK for a few months now. Scruffily drawn, basic and profane, Modern Toss takes inspiration from the negative aspects of our day-to-day lives. Note: The website actually shows cartoons, but the comic version is out there.
Resources of up-to-the-minute diversions are everywhere, but it helps to know just what you're supposed to be looking for. Possible attractions include the following:
If you're old enough, you might want to rent Teeth, a so-bad-it's-entertaining B movie in which a girl realises she has a sharp set of teeth in her vagina. Cue pushy boyfriend and the fun begins.
Alternatively, for those of you who want to see a deeper film, there's XXY. Featured at the 22nd London Lesbian and Gay Festival, the film follows Alex, an intersex teenager, as she learns how to deal with her body in a gossipy little village. A powerful and unusual drama.
The clubbing and dance magazine Mixmag is varied and run by people highly experienced in the music industry. Lighthearted yet expert, the mag very much has its finger on the pulse of modern dance music.
Gil Elvgren was a highly-successful pin-up artist. He specialized in painting real women... and then made the legs longer, the breasts larger, the clothes more risque. His pictures have a real vintage charm and some can be viewed on Gilelvgren.com.
Once he had gained popularity as a cheesecake artist, he began to make the pictures saucer, and many of the later ones show the women in various states of undress. However, they remain somehow wholesome and glamorous, with a charming American feel.
Watch out for galleries such as fashion in Film's "If Looks Could Kill". ILCK is a collection of images showcasing the fashions of movie villains.
Subjects for galleries won't always include fashion. The Parisian Galerie Laurent Godin is currently showing an exhibition of images featuring, of all things, sweat! And at Ink_d, Pure Evil showcases dark and twisted humour, including their signature vampire rabbits.
And speaking of rabbits, the Michael Hoppen Gallery is currently showing an exhibition which has a very tall girl called Gwen as its subject. Gwen's image is manipulated to turn the concept of the 'Bunny girl' upside down, using dark surrealism and humour.
An online source of this comic was hard to come by, but Dr. Parsons is a cartoonist local to Brighton, UK, who draws provocative and grotesque comics. Quite possibly the darkest and most sinister comic you will ever see.
There are clearly a huge number of sites to choose from, but a great example comes in the form of Weebl and Bob. Weebl and Bob are two egg-shaped creatures who have many adventures in this Flash cartoon-laden website. This site has something of a cult following, who frequently make jokes about pies and anarchic preserves. A really good chuckle.
The above barely scratch the surface of what is available. Although some are regional (information sourced in Brighton, UK), I hope they offer you a reasonable idea of what you might find if you look. So why would you want to keep up with these events and resources?
Keeping a trendy image is difficult if you don't know how it's done, but the gist of it is to look like you're on the ball, and to use information that others don't know how to look for. It makes you an invaluable source of information for others, and therefore has the potential to make you something of an icon. When you know what the coolest things are on the block, others will naturally want to hear what you have to say. So use it!
Incidentally, a good resource for men's T shirts can be seen at GenEric. Note: GenEric's website looks like your computer's flipping out, but don't worry - it's just the site design.
Quite apart from keeping other people entertained, the latest trends can be fascinating for you, too. In a time when you're just growing from childhood to adulthood, you may be unsure about what you're now into. The trends take inspiration from all kinds of different places, so sooner or later something is bound to come by that's of interest to you.
Finding things to talk about, even with your friends, can be a hard struggle at times - especially when you're younger. But knowing about the latest shocking artist, or the most recent disgusting comic, or a film that made you think for hours afterwards, can be a great topic of conversation. Can you imagine going to the Rockabilly Rave with your schoolmates? Now that would be something to talk about! An event doesn't have to be to your taste to be a conversation topic!
So, where can you learn of these resources? Finding out what's going on in your area isn't too hard - for the most part, all it really takes is to hit the streets.
In some areas, style magazines are available to pick up for free. The idea is that companies who wish to advertise their products pay to be featured in it, and the magazine brings in money that way. Then, it releases the mag for free, and delivers it to shops all around town. Look in hairdressers, fashion shops and, if you know somebody old enough, ask them to check you town's pubs.
Examples of style magazines include Brighton Source and Impure (The link to Impure is to a .pdf file rather than a standard webpage, just to let you know. I doubt I need to tell you that Impure also has an adult edge, for those easily offended).
The only way I could show examples of the style magazines was by showing you their websites. But their sites will have different - and sometimes more up-to-date content, than the printed mag. So they're worth looking for. To catch all the available information, check both.
As much as this sounds rather old-fashioned, it can be very well worth talking to the shop owners in your area. Just a couple of tips: it's better worth talking to people in independant shops rather than franchises (businesses with shops in lots of different places), as the person you speak to will more likely have a passion for what they do, and may well be the owner, who will often be well-informed on his or her shop's subject matter.
The second tip: try artistically-based shops. To give you an example, I went to a burlesque cabaret a couple of years ago and saw a woman running a stall there. She was selling nipple tassels and I decided to buy a pair. Fast forward to a few months ago. I was walking around my home town and came across This shop (link to erotic boutique for women). I recognised the owner immediately - she was the same lady I had bought the nipple tassels from! She didn't recognise me yet - fair enough, as she saw dozens, maybe hundreds, of people per month - but the shop was so beautifully laid-out that I returned a few times. She got to know my face.
On my last visit to that shop I picked up a copy of Impure to research for this article. I was also looking for a local magazine called Pure. She informed me that Pure no longer existed, but Impure was compiled by the same people who had worked there. She is such a friendly individual that I find it easy now to get information from her if I want it - and she is happy to give it.
Same goes for Juju, a fashion shop. The owners are more like hosts than regular shop assistants - they are easy to talk to, cheerful and friendly. They have to have their finger on the pulse of what's going on in my home city because it's their business to know. And it's also their passion - they didn't set up that shop for nothing.
So use your local independant shops for the same information. It's well worth doing so and as somebody once said, "it's not what you know, it's who."
Television can also be surprisingly good at giving you the latest information. In Britain we have The Culture Show, hosted by Lauren Laverne and film critic Mark Kermode, who is refreshingly honest in his opinions of films, both mainstream and cult.
For those of you interested in seeing old bands and new, Later with Jools Holland can be a fantastic programme too.
Note: BBC programmes can be seen up to a week after initial airing via the BBC.co.uk website, so those of you outside the UK may well be able to watch them too. Articles for both shows are sourced from all over the world, so there may be information applicable to your area.
The world of culture is as shocking, diverse and beautiful as anything you can imagine. It's a fun and often accessible world, and it's there for your entertainment. So go ahead - make the best of it!
Home |
| |
About Me |
| |
Terms of Use |
| |
Useful Links |
| |
Advertising |
| |
Contact Me |
bravenet.com
