Upcoming Trends, Slang, Pop Culture, Etc

[B1ue]

I'm not sure you're talking about the same thing. It's very common to see guys wearing jeans completely below their butt. As in the waistline of their jeans is even with the top of their thighs. I think it looks extremely stupid, especially...no you know what? I was going to qualify that and say "especially in someone older than 18" but no, it looks just as stupid in someone who hasn't graduated high school.

[methodwriter85]

   The whole look started in the early/mid-90's and was popularized by Marky Mark, and it's more of a hip-hop vibe than anything else. Kinda reached a fever pitch in the late/early '00s until preppy made its way back in circa 2003, but you still see the look around.

 

   Honestly, I'm kinda wistful for the days of the early 1980's, when guys wore extremely tight jeans and polo shirts. On the right guy, flattering as hell. I'm kinda glad that guys aren't dressed in uniformly baggy jeans now like they were when I was in middle school/early high school.

Edited September 3, 2014 by methodwriter85

[Kitt]

The pants on the ground look is dying thank god!  I think due in large part to that robbery attempt in which the perpetrators pants fell as he ran out of the store, and the plus size clerk sat on him till the police arrived. 

[impunity]

My understanding is the look started as an affectation of prison garb or, more specifically, the overly-large-prison-trousers-and absence-of-belt combo. Oddly, in our neighborhood, where the look is alive and thriving, belts are frequently added and worn below the arse. I'll admit that, depending on the arse, the look isn't always entirely unattractive. However, it does result in waddling which never looks good on anyone.

[methodwriter85]

If you're a guy with a trim stomach and a nice round ass and pull off a bit of a bad boy thug vibe, the look can work pretty well.

 

I remember it being popularized by Mark Wahlberg for suburban white kids back in the early/mid-1990's:

 

 

The look has actually had a pretty long longevity, to the point where I wonder if you can even call it a trend, because it's been around for 20 years and has never fully gone away. It's not as popular for white kids though as it was back when I was in middle school/early high school, though. A lot of guys are wearing skinny jeans now and you can't really sag with that look.

 

Although backwards baseball caps seem to have faded out. I don't see guys under 35 doing that anymore. Kinda sad- I actually really liked that look.

Edited September 4, 2014 by methodwriter85

[TetRefine]

Here in the city, flying low as I call it is only done by white trash and stupid thugs. It is literally one of the trashiest and dumbest looks that has come out of fashion in the last 30 years. 

[methodwriter85]

Yeah, I don't think it's been worn by hot college boy types since at least circa 2004. It definitely wasn't "in" where I went to college.

Edited September 4, 2014 by methodwriter85

[methodwriter85]

Jeremy if you need to research modern day "hipsters", just take a walk through South Street, Fishtown, Northern Liberties, or certain parts of Kensington. You'll see a overwhelming tidal wave of these douchbags on every corner in those neighborhoods.

 

I was watching an episode of Cold Case, from 2006, and they made a reference to Fishtown. Basically about Fishtown isn't exactly a place where you'd expect people with money would be from.

 

It made me think about the fact that in recent years, it's become a place where affluence is starting to creep in. As seen in:

 

Fishtown's Coffee Shop Boom

 

It feels very true that the key to a neighborhood revival is a good coffee shop. There's this single block in Wilmington- it's the one part of Market Street that's actually good, and it's anchored by a coffee shop.

[methodwriter85]

So I'm going to ahead and get deep, and show off this article that combines the "Just Girly Things" meme with photos that depict the harsh reality of war. You know, given that the Iraq War is on the horizon in CAP-land.

 

Just Girly Things Meets the Harsh Realities of War

 

I know that if Mark decides to cover the Iraq War, he'll do it justice, like he did for 9/11.

 

I guess for me, the tombstone that says "1985" on it kinda got me the most...because it makes me think about the fact that there were so many guys and girls my age who went off to the war, and a lot didn't come back. It just feels wrong for any kind of tombstone to start with dates from the 1980's, you know?

[methodwriter85]

   We're starting to get oh-so close to 2003. The O.C. premieres in 10 months, and Queer Eye for the Straight Guy in 9 months. Both had enormous pop culture impact, although Queer Eye's impact lasted for a longer period.

 

   I can't wait for when these characters start referring to things as "sick", and for JJ to "tszuj" (zhuj) his hair.

 

   I really feel like 2003 was when the 2000's really started feeling like a different decade than the 90's, and the last vestiges of the late 1990's were fading out. Bright colors and preppier styles made a big comeback that year.

 

    Also, Birkenstocks. For some odd reason though, Birkenstocks stopped being a hippie symbol, and it became something that preppie kids would wear with their distressed Abercrombie jeans and Hollister t-shirts.

Edited October 27, 2014 by methodwriter85

[methodwriter85]

Addison is a 'no'. 

 

     Okay, so like if Tiffany has a boy...how you feel about her naming him "Finnick" and calling him "Finn" for short?

 

     Sawyer would be another good one.

 

     Declan would go really good with Riley, though.

[Mark Arbour]

     Okay, so like if Tiffany has a boy...how you feel about her naming him "Finnick" and calling him "Finn" for short?

 

     Sawyer would be another good one.

 

     Declan would go really good with Riley, though.

 

Seriously?  Finnick or Declan?  Don't worry...I've got this one figured out.  :-)

[mmike1969]

Buffy/ Heidigard if it's a girl or Biff/Beaufort if it's a boy right?

[methodwriter85]

Seriously?  Finnick or Declan?  Don't worry...I've got this one figured out.  :-)

 

    I was kind of kidding on Finnick, but I was actually serious about Declan. Irish names are going to explode in popularity during this decade, especially "Aiden".

 

    For girls, Sophia, Isabella, or Hailey. Those names were on the rise at the time period.

[methodwriter85]

So now that we're half-way done with this decade, here are the trends I associate with young guys getting into during the first half of the 2010's:

 

1. Tank tops in funky prints or colors...no more white or black wifebeaters.

 

2. The Henley shirt revival. They were popular in the late 90's/very early 00's, and they came back again. (I really like this one- it's such a flattering look as long as you have broad shoulders!)

 

3. Facial hair, from scruff to beards to full-on huge beards to weirdly groomed mustaches. The latter was mostly a Hipster thing, but even white-collar and preppy guys were at least getting into scruff. The carefully shaved metrosexual look was out.

 

4. Tattoos. Not just the whole "Oh, I'll put a barbed wire tattoo on my bicep" type that Private Tim's generation did, but doing like full-sleeves, writing messages, and what I deemed the "necklace" look." I'll admit I haven't been a fan of that one. I don't mind tats if they're subtle, but a lot of guys seem to be going overboard. I absolutely can't stand the one where guys are putting a bird with spread wings on the front of their chest- that tattoo should be on their back!

 

5. Flat front shorts.

    And of course,

 

6. The undercut haircut

 

    I tried to do that look, but my hair is just too coarse and wire to pull that off.

Edited January 1, 2015 by methodwriter85

[methodwriter85]

This picture of a guy here kinda encapsulates a lot of trends I've been seeing on guys during this decade:

 

 

Hipsters are just fun. I'll miss them when they go the way of the 80's yuppies. You would've looked really good in hipster gear with your skinniness, Blue. Oh, well.

 

To make this outfit perfect, though, I would have him wearing Toms.

 

I will say that the fashion of now just seems a lot more fun than the boring fashion of the late 90's/early '00s with everything being muted tones and baggy urban lines. I mean, I pretty much stick to just v-necks and Henleys, but it's fun to ogle the guys wearing Neon tank tops and flat-front shorts.

Edited January 8, 2015 by methodwriter85

[B1ue]

 You would've looked really good in hipster gear with your skinniness, Blue. Oh, well..

 

Meh. Its alright on me, I suppose.

[methodwriter85]

You're missing the hat, Blue. And the shorts need to be higher and tighter. Still, lookin' good!

 

It's always weird to see pictures of people from online. I had you cast in my head as JD Pardo from Revolution. Now I have to re-cast the images. LOL.

 

Speaking of Twilight, god...I hope we manage to get a few references to that when we get to 2008. That was the best snark material from that decade. I once told a guy that he reminded of Edward Cullen because he was wearing the same kind of jacket, and god he got pissed. It was basically like the equivalent of telling a guy he reminded him of Zac Efron.

Edited January 16, 2015 by methodwriter85

[John Prz]

One question to methodwriter85:

 

How does OC influenced the pop culture? I mean I am younger so I was in end-of-elementary/middle school (10-14)  era so I was pretty young, but I am curious to find out!

Edited January 17, 2015 by John Prz

[methodwriter85]

     It set up a whole new fashion aesthetic for the decade, away from the urban, baggy, muted Tommy Hilfiger look that was popular with suburban teens in the late 90's/very early '00s, to pastels, Boho peasant blouses & skirts for girls, striped polo shirts for guys, and a more fitted look in general. This biggest influence was Seth Cohen, who kind of became the ultimate nerdy teenager that was also cool and not the general "nerd" that you usually saw on T.V. He made nerdy culture kind of cool, I think. (I wanted to be Adam Brody so badly.)

 

     And it's soundtrack was seriously amazing. I'd say it had a huge influence by exposing people to a lot of indie music.

 

     We'll also go with what they say on the Wikipedia page about the legacy of the show:

 

 

The O.C. popularised its setting, Orange County, and led to copycats like MTV's reality show Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County and the Bravo documentary series The Real Housewives of Orange County,^[168][37] and its success as a prime-time soap opera helped Marc Cherry get Desperate Housewives on the air.^[37] The show generated a dedicated and thriving international fan community. DVD Verdict said, "The O.C. has become one of those rare shows whose influence has begun to extend far beyond the television screen, and has actually started to take an active role in shaping American teenage pop culture."^[169] Fans of the show, sometimes dubbed OC Groupies,^[170] have been active in developing a large number of fan websites and forums dedicated to the program. Famous fans of the show include the Bush twins, Jenna and Barbara,^[171] and Princess Beatrice.^[172] Additionally, actual UC Berkeley students created in 2004 the Sandy Cohen Public Defender Fellowship in honor of Peter Gallagher's character Sandy Cohen. The fellowship is awarded to students who plan to work as public defenders and has been presented by Gallagher.^[173]

Comedy group The Lonely Island created a parody of The O.C. called The 'Bu. At Boston College, students created and produced a parody titled "The BC" that received nationwide acclaim and features in The New York Times and CBS Evening News. On April 14, 2007, Saturday Night Live aired a Digital Short titled "Dear Sister" that satirised the final scene of The O.C.'s second-season finale.^[174][175] The short became popular enough to beget a wave of re-enactments and parodies using "Hide and Seek" with the music set to slow-motion scenes of violence from various films and television series.

Independent Washington University in St. Louis newspaper Student Life said that, “The O.C.’s” legacy will live on through its viewers. Whether you wear a 'Save Marissa' shirt, a leather wristcuff or hoodie in honor of Ryan or listen to Death Cab for Cutie, as Seth did, know that “The O.C.” was a cultural phenomenon that will not be forgotten."^[176]

 

 

The cultural phenon aspect of the show was really only for about the first two seasons, but man, EVERYONE you knew was talking about the show, from my fellow students to middle-aged adults. I think that's the only time I followed a show that everyone was watching/talking about.

 

On a shallow note, it seemed like the first teen show that allowed the parents to be just as hot and sexy as their "teen" kids where. Kelly Rowan and Peter Gallagher are damned attractive people.

 

Mostly though, the music is the show's biggest legacy.

Edited January 17, 2015 by methodwriter85

[PrivateTim]

This picture of a guy here kinda encapsulates a lot of trends I've been seeing on guys during this decade:

 

 

Hipsters are just fun. I'll miss them when they go the way of the 80's yuppies. You would've looked really good in hipster gear with your skinniness, Blue. Oh, well.

 

To make this outfit perfect, though, I would have him wearing Toms.

 

I will say that the fashion of now just seems a lot more fun than the boring fashion of the late 90's/early '00s with everything being muted tones and baggy urban lines. I mean, I pretty much stick to just v-necks and Henleys, but it's fun to ogle the guys wearing Neon tank tops and flat-front shorts.

 

I've never seen any Californian dressed like that. They be laughed out of anyplace I go.

[methodwriter85]

I've never seen any Californian dressed like that. They be laughed out of anyplace I go.

 

 

You don't seem like you hang around hipsters, though.

[PrivateTim]

  We'll also go with what they say on the Wikipedia page about the legacy of the show:

 

"The O.C. popularised its setting, Orange County,"

 

The cultural phenon aspect of the show was really only for about the first two seasons, but man, EVERYONE you knew was talking about the show, from my fellow students to middle-aged adults. I think that's the only time I followed a show that everyone was watching/talking about.

 

On a shallow note, it seemed like the first teen show that allowed the parents to be just as hot and sexy as their "teen" kids where. Kelly Rowan and Peter Gallagher are damned attractive people.

 

Mostly though, the music is the show's biggest legacy.

 

Despite the incredible accuracy of Wikipedia, I think Orange County was already pretty popular as one of the top tourist destinations in the U.S.

 

No one I knew talked about "The OC" other than to mock it the way we mock "hipsters" now.

 

Schwartz was clueless about Orange County when he wrote The OC, he wrote it from an outsiders prospective with his preconceived ideas and biases. They say "write what you know" and Schwartz's lack of knowledge was glaringly obvious.

 

The Real OC, by way of contrast was accurate in showing one slice of one town, but teens in La Habra and Westminster wouldn't have recognized half of what went on as being "real" and not the Real OC, which is a much more complex place.

[methodwriter85]

Yeah, I do remember hearing that places like Anaheim were much more racially diverse and off-beat cool instead of the whole Nouveau Riche Stepford Whites only view that The O.C., Laguna Beach, the Real Housewives of Orange County were showing.

 

I remember the show got criticized for not having any black characters, but people pointed out that Newport Beach really doesn't have many black people there. It's crazy to think though that Newport Beach, at the time of the show, really was 90 percent white. That's just crazy to me- people joke about how Delaware is some backwards swamp, but we're a pretty diverse state because we're so close to Philly and Baltimore/D.C. I had an experience of a town like that when I went to IUP, as the surrounding town was 88 percent white or something, but there were a fair amount of minority students at IUP to make up for that.

[B1ue]

I've never seen any Californian dressed like that. They be laughed out of anyplace I go.

Really? Because I have. I realize I hang out with a slightly younger crowd, and live in a beach neighborhood, but I wouldn't have thought you'd miss them entirely.

 

And your friends would laugh someone out of someplace for the simple crime of wearing something pretty unoffensive? You must hang out with a lot of assholes.

 

Can't say I knew much about "The OC." TV was, and is, something to be endured rather than enjoyed, so it is entirely possible I checked out on conversations related to the show without noticing them. But other than seeing ads for it, I can't remember anyone really talking about it. As Tim alluded to, when the OC isn't some foreign land, but instead just down the street, some of the glamour is lost.

Edited January 21, 2015 by B1ue