Old Man Hater Syndrome
Maybe we don’t gatekeep well enough. The gentrification of culture and fashion is the new dead horse that is beloved to be beaten by all core demographics of multiple countercultures. As long as there are people pushing the boundaries of normie fits and radicalized thinking that supports these lifestyle choices there are going to be those who want to emulate them.
There is nothing wrong with wanting to be like your idols that give you inspiration because that's how all core people find their way upon their relative scene.
Where the disrespect is felt is when the normies begin to bite and misrepresent what people hold so dear to themselves personally. It feels like our society is still handcuffed to our tribal beginnings in so many ways. If you aren't a part of the tribe your odds of survival are severely diminished. I feel this is so ever present in everyone's mundane copycat fits. Perhaps this comes from wanting to "peacock" and stand out amongst your tribe for clout in hopes of being perceived desirable.
It's as if authenticity has become more valuable than ever in our golden social media age. Hence the popularity of these NFT ponzi schemes passing themselves off as art and artists.
One of the most evident cases of this is the recent phenomena of everyone wanting to wear Jordan and Air Force ones. These shoes have been a staple of one of the most authentic communities that has been pushing culture barriers across the globe for decades. Black people have held these shoes in high regard for generations and have held their place of relevance in culture since their birth.
Now once what was easily accessible to anyone has been swallowed by normie America. Their prices have skyrocketed and their availability stiffened to a halt. Being that normie culture sucks the cool bone dry out of whatever it absorbs their styling has been peak cringe worthy.
As we cross genres of style and culture this concept bleeds into lanes of fashion and music alike. Big pants in skateboarding, screaming lyrics in microphones , and sneaker culture are just a few mention worthy topics that quickly pop into mind.
More and more people are foaming at the mouth for the next quirky personality trait to add to their arsenal.
The yang of all this cringe has born well influenced sub genres that never would have had the ability to exist 20 years ago. The line between poser and core is blurrier by the day. But without those that have dedicated their life force into what they care about shines through the dirt and grime of bland lame ass imposters.
Again this is no knock to anyone that wants to chase something that they identify and yearn to be a part of that they've just stumbled upon. The issue is with those who inorganically try to be a part of something that they are in reality nowhere near the vicinity of the core demographic they are carelessly mirroring.
This results in fads being burnt out on social media and commercialized out of popularity.
When this happens the authentic essence is sourced off for content material or some other form of financial gain because capitalism is all about making that quick buck especially at the expense of someone else.
Imagine being bullied for something that you just genuinely enjoy or just happen to do naturally. Having to endure trauma for the person you simply are and made to feel like an outcast.
Then as time passes and you come to find out the type of people that would ridicule you now want to be apart of that very same thing simply because its become the trendy thing because someone else found a way to make money off it for all the wrong reasons.
It has been said that copying is the best form of flattery. Whenever there's an emerging artist their followers adapt their style and this can't be helped. It's a sign that you're doing something right but you can't let that force you into a place of complacency. Part of being a part of a core driving force is to continue to be unaverred in times of intense invasions of cooks.
Looking the part is considerably easier than actually playing it.