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me and my epic friend Benus were talking yesterday about how people don't bother to do actual research when it comes to joining/being part of subcultures anymore and how this has evolved into subcultures being watered down into aesthetics, and imo this is so sad !!!
the discussion started with me seeing a tiktok with different moodboards and the text "POV: she's an X girl", on different slides there where different "aesthetics” combined with the moodboards, for example there was a slide with “shes a lolita girl” and the next slide was “shes a cutecore girl” now this one wasnt that big of a problem, since lolita/egl fashion is extremely focused on the visual parts, but we shouldn't forget about the ideologies lolitas hold and why the subculture was created of course, but mixing a subculture with a “core” got me questioning the tiktok a little, however the next few slides where a combination of cores and gyaru substyles? gyaru is very focused on the visual parts too ofc like the makeup, hair and clothes, but an equally big part of it is the mindset and lifestyle of a gal, being unapologetically yourself, being loud, having fun, hanging out with people, going against the norms. That's the whole reason gals created this subculture during the 70s, to stand against the norms in japan, the norms of staying quiet, not causing trouble and not standing out. and i feel by blending actual subcultures with cores and aesthetics you start becoming the problem why stuff gets watered down, you're essentially advertising these subcultures as aesthetics, now i dont want it to seem like im gatekeeping subcultures but i just want people to do their research before becoming part of one, knowing the history of why a community you're a part of was created is super important as well as knowing and doing research about the ideologies and things that aren't just pleasing to the eye.
i feel like this is becoming a big problem within j fashion, people do little to no research of the subculture they're joining, and if this keeps happening subcultures like gyaru and lolita will eventually lose all their meaning and just become an aesthetic completely, not only will this happen but the “rules” in the visual part of it all will be bent and blurred with other cores and aesthetics, this part is a little hard to explain so let me give an example instead: lolita/egl fashion revolves around modest, feminine, frilly things, like dresses and jumperskirts with pretty blouses and frilly socks, this can easily be confused with any picture of a feminine, frilly outfit you find on pinterest, lets say a pink frilly short dress thats sleeveless and a pair of mary janes, when someone who hasnt done the right research sees this outfit they think its lolita and say its lolita to others when its not. by doing this youre erasing one of the really big parts in lolita, modesty (aka ur changing and blurring the rules that the whole fashion stands on)
this isnt only happening in j fashion tho, its happening and has BEEN happening to a ton of different subcultures ever since social media became a big thing, i dont like using the word “poser” but essentially that is what you are if you don't do the proper research about something and are only in it for the aesthetic aspects, or even worse: just to be trendy.
to summarize, do ur damn research and have genuine enjoyment for whatever you are a part of, whether that be a fashion, music or politic based subculture ect, its so important and helps with building up the community again to what its supposed to/was always supposed to be !!
supersugoi_zelda out!!
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YourFriendHare
it makes me both happy and sad to some degree that these fashions and subcultures (or the culture that these subcultures derive from) are being popularized but washed down to the bare bones visuals.
i feel like a lot of people on tiktok who discover these are trying them out themselves, or show some interest in it, just unknowing of the history but want to show that they like it. i, for example, found interest in various styles over the years and still finding more and developing my own. some people maybe don't know that there's another that suits their style more than the one they're talking about and will later find it down the line and enjoy it more than the previous. i feel like it's also about not gatekeeping these subcultures, if somebody shows interest, then tell them the history if they're wanting to get into it. or show them other styles that might be better suited for them if they show interest in two or more.
imo the -core suffix being added to a LOT of things is getting annoying, sure it does popularize and help more people discover it... but sometimes that comes at the cost of people not knowing the actual name for it and never will until somebody says "hey (this)core derives from (this) subculture!". sometimes histories of these subcultures aren't easy to find, or it's hard to find a concrete telling of it. if they're following it to be trendy, then i say that's a completely different issue, let them be but the people who might come into the comments showing interest in this, be the one to tell them that the subculture doesn't actually look like what the poster is posting, or that it's much more complex than they think.
my words are kind of all over the place so i might come back and refine it. regardless, td;lr, some people just like it, but are unaware of the broader aspects of it.
ALSO, i get annoyed when people apply the labels to themselves and don't bother looking into it at all. it's one thing to not know the true history or origin or meaning due to the popularization of it's visuals, but it's another to outright know it and yet still ignore what you're getting yourself into. esp considering these people will eventually get asked by inexperienced ACTUALLY interested people of the subculture and yet will be told "oh yeah buy this and this brand and you'll fit into the label like i have!" when it's MUCH more complex than that
by YourFriendHare; ; Report
Midnight
This has been bothering me for a looooong time. Thank you for saying this and spreading the word. It's incredibly frustrating to see actual subcultures and countercultures just get reduced to pinterest boards.
As an EGL myself, something else that bothers me is the way we've all forgotten about the lifestyle lolita. While I understand that it's not for everyone, I barely see any posts about living that way these days. I wonder if that's got something to do with the aesthetic-ification of it all?
it might have to do with it tbh, and its so sad to see!!
by SuperSugoi_Zelda!; ; Report
Isa (˶′◡‵˶）
OHMYGOD THANK YOU YES
and for some reason (probably because 99% of j-fashion tik tok is full of misinformation..) a lot of people who are new to these subcultures are also allergic to taking criticism. I've seen so many videos of people doing certain styles (ESPECIALLY gyaru and jirai kei for some reason) completely wrong, and then go around calling everyone toxic or "gyarumaxxer"/"jiraimaxxer" who gives them criticism. like I'm sorry but if you refuse/can't follow simple rules then maybe certain subcultures just aren't for you? yes being alternative is about "self expression" but that does not mean you can just ignore every single rule, wear anything you want and still give yourself that label...
YESS!! however i hate when people give criticism in mean ways, for example ACTUAL jiraimaxers, i feel like they give a super bad rep to peopple who genuinly want to help baby jirais
by SuperSugoi_Zelda!; ; Report
Usagi
Im not rly in any aesthetic subcultures but i can see how dat would be annoying!
also i think i have seen some ppl attempt to exclude people from those kinda groups based on political stuff which seems bad to me but i think it makes sense to have a group ideology still like lolita ppl wanting to be modest and whatnot cause otherwise lolita could start to just mean any kinda cute clothing over time
besides politics stuff that is very key to the subculture
by Usagi; ; Report
‧₊˚☁️⋅Cloud⋅☁️˚₊‧
It honestly pisses me off so bad how people nowadays act towards subcultures of any kind. Its either overtly focusing on the visual part or only the attitude, never both! Its especially annoying on fashion based subcultures like gyaru. Ive seen people saying the only thing that matters to be gyaru is to have a rebellious attitude, but if we base the subculture solely on rebelliousness then what about punk, which also adapts such values?
That is why the fashion (along with the attitude) is key to difference them both! Ignoring any of them is leaving aside a key part of their identities.
SO TRUE!!!
by SuperSugoi_Zelda!; ; Report
koi
WAHHHH THIS DRIVES ME CRAZY TOO!!! It's so sad, it feels like people aren't willing to learn the history of any subculture and just want to jump on the next aesthetic trend... self expression is so fun why follow a trend yknow TT also people being shocked that a lot of subcultures use DIY?? I wear decora and the amount I get asked where I bought things and it's just like... I made them...
for real!! this is more of a personal opinion but i dont like when people ask like "guys pls tell me where i can get decora fashion!!!!" its really easy to do one google search and find so many resources and tips on both where to buy stuff you can use for decora fits, such as ACDC rag, but also resources on how to DIY ur own things for the style especially since DIY is such a huge part of the fashion!! so when people ask that it kinda shows how they dont bother to google about/show appreciation for the style, they just want to dress as it as fast as possible
by SuperSugoi_Zelda!; ; Report
FamGam08
Ong my vro!! I think that in all honesty you don't just join a subculture, you align with it- its not a club you can just decide to join because you're bored its usually a lifestyle or a political standing or even just music or fashion. Usually it just so happens to be a subculture connected with you and your tastes rather than picking one in a way if ya catch my drift
i didnt really word it in the text but i wrote it in "a club you can join" kind of way cus i feel like alot of people have started seeing subcultures as things you can just become part of kinda willynilly, BUT FR!!!!
by SuperSugoi_Zelda!; ; Report