Best Avatars

[Matt]

You can borrow all my old stuff, but I want it BACK when you transition into your "Early Pat Benetar" phase in a couple of years.

Oh God...PLEASE have pics of this phase...PLEASE...

[Lisa]

Did that get you a mad male following? For some girls here, that sort of thing seems to be quite the done thing now. When I was at high school, though, those sorts of girls didn't have many male admirers. Which, being a big fan of said girls, I was more than happy about.

Well, I did to a small extent, yeah, but it was also 1985. I mean, I was 21, younger, skinnier, firmer, and dressing like that was "cool", and really not seen a lot back then. Now, not so much!

It kind of dovetailed with my "pseudo suburban punk" look - kinda trying to be punk but not as much of a bad-ass as I thought I was! And the funny thing was, the guys who really trailed around me were guys who liked the whole "Funky/sort of punk" look, but dated the normal looking girls. I got my share of football guys, frat guys who were interested in me - this was Central PA in the 80s, so we had our share of totally normal jock guys. And my crowd of friends who dressed like that were very small and very unique on our white-bread little campus. So as much as it's laughable now, I think some of them were drawn to the "opposites attract" thing. As totally hokey as it sounds, it really was like whole "Pretty In Pink" thing where the totally normal guy goes after the weird chick. But understand, back then in that neck of the woods, you were considered a rebel if you did stuff like dyed your hair jet black and put blue streaks through it, or if you had your ears double pierced, or wore vintage clothes from the thrift store. It still just wasn't done back then in that kind of town.

[Bobby Bear]

That's really interesting. My school, college, and university experiences always revealed a tendency for people to gravitate towards their own kind. I can't ever remember seeing, for example, a punk kid going out with a "sporto"* or something equally contrasting.

As much as I understand where you're coming from on the potential "corniness" of opposites attracting, I don't find it hokey at all. At least the more "mainstream" people there went after someone different if they wanted to. With the groups here always being, in my experience, very inwardly focused, it would've been very refreshing to see that natural order upset as it was in your case.

The thing for me during the period between 16-18 was all the girls I liked were in my circle of friends anyway. Lots of us all hung around in one big group (with various subdivisions depending on class times and such.) Whenever I'd have to spend time with other girls in classes and that, I quickly became very thankful for those I was friends with. I'll not say they were all horrible people, but they definitely weren't my kind of people.

*Any excuse to break out the Hughesionary.

[Lisa]

Well, see, we were similar to your group in that we did form real bonds with the people we gravitated towards who were similar to us. My circle of friends in college was comprised of "suburban pseudo punks", real punks, theater geeks, and pretty much the only openly gay student in 1985 in a small Pennsylvania town. We were like The Sweathogs on "Welcome Back Kotter". And those were the real friends. On the occasion when the "sportos" (love it, Bobby!) did become attracted to us, I think it was because they thought it would be "naughty" to take, what they thought, would be a walk on the wild side. Which was laughable - we were actually pretty straight-laced for suburbo-punks. Basically, we looked like trouble, but we weren't. No drugs, a tiny bit of booze on weekends, and regular cigarettes (at that time - I've quit smoking years ago). Fairly decent grades, all but one of us graduated - basically, we just looked like we were trouble, but we weren't. We were good kids in bad packaging. So, I think a lot of these guys would flock around me and the other girls in our circle out of curiosity - you know, "Wonder what it's like to do a chick who looks like that?", that sort of thing. I actually never dated any of those guys - I stuck to my own kind too, sort of the same as you did. As you said, they weren't terrible people, but just not my kind.

[Timothy225]

Submitted a bad link before, Lisa. Here's the correct link for the 30 Second Bunnies take on Sixteen Candles!

Interesting discussion! I was graduating high school the same year Lisa was doing her pseudo suburban punk schtick. For me, it was hanging with the art geeks, or the AFJROTC cadets - Air Force cadet uniforms weren't quite the chick magnet as football uniforms, so there ya go. For the most part, though, I was one of those folks who were in the shadows - oh, people knew who I was, but I was considered somewhat of an "unperson." Hence my seething hatred for my high school years.

I didn't really get into a social group til college, and that was, again, the art crew. Dressed in a lot of black, sported a long ponytail(!) and goatee, and could be found with the other artistes hanging out in the studios, NYC, Asbury Park, or at the Inkwell getting our Bohemians on.

There was another group I hung with regularly outside of college - more outsiders, rogues, and n'er-do-wells who just seemed to gather together in the right place at the right time. None of whom ever really did (or admitted to doing) anything, but the sheer presence these guys generated had many people cut 'em a wide berth.

[Lisa]

No problem about the link, bud! I Google'd it and found it - that's some great stuff!

I didn't know all that about you, either! The thing is, probably by moving around within bunches of really different groups like that, you probably learned your art of people skills. Because I think you probably have a really great way with people of all types, and it's possible that transitioning around like that helped.

[B_Metal]

Sooooooooo,

Loving Leon Black's avatar right now.

[Bobby Bear]

Well, see, we were similar to your group in that we did form real bonds with the people we gravitated towards who were similar to us. My circle of friends in college was comprised of "suburban pseudo punks", real punks, theater geeks, and pretty much the only openly gay student in 1985 in a small Pennsylvania town. We were like The Sweathogs on "Welcome Back Kotter". And those were the real friends. On the occasion when the "sportos" (love it, Bobby!) did become attracted to us, I think it was because they thought it would be "naughty" to take, what they thought, would be a walk on the wild side. Which was laughable - we were actually pretty straight-laced for suburbo-punks. Basically, we looked like trouble, but we weren't. No drugs, a tiny bit of booze on weekends, and regular cigarettes (at that time - I've quit smoking years ago). Fairly decent grades, all but one of us graduated - basically, we just looked like we were trouble, but we weren't. We were good kids in bad packaging. So, I think a lot of these guys would flock around me and the other girls in our circle out of curiosity - you know, "Wonder what it's like to do a chick who looks like that?", that sort of thing. I actually never dated any of those guys - I stuck to my own kind too, sort of the same as you did. As you said, they weren't terrible people, but just not my kind.

I completely understand what you mean about the very Pretty in Pink "ooh, naughty!" appeal. There was definitely some of that going on towards members of my "clique." Principally, the guys I played music with. We were all amongst the most... colourful students and got quite a few "and why do you wear them like this?" type questions. Essentially, we were all one big Jesse Bradford explaining to various Kirsten Dunst's that the Clash are not my band, they're a band that I like.

At this point, I must thank you for inspiring a new video game: Suburbo-Punks!

Belfast, 2027.

Fifty years after punk rock first made the headlines, the people of Northern Ireland still can't abide it. For Junto and Dave-Dave, the guitarist and drummer in cult hardcore band The Melters, this means a constant barrage of insults, bricks, bottles, and whatever else society can find to throw at them.

When dissident paramilitaries kidnap Maggie, Junto's girlfriend (and Melters bassist) on the eve of their biggest show to date "because she looks kinky", it's up to her bandmates to rescue her in time to put on the show of their lives.

It's Probotetor...



with all the blast 'em up action that entails...



... for you to enjoy with a pal or alone in Resident Evil 5 style co-op mode. However, unlike Sheva, advanced AI means Dave-Dave isn't a complete spanner in need of constant rescue. He's a saliva hurling, drumstick twirling badass from Carryduff.

In addition to instrument-specific special moves (earth shattering drums and literally face-melting riffs) you'll, of course, have full access to whatever weapons your balaclava'd foes would turn against you. Everything from petrol bombs to bazookas to jet-packs comprise an arsenal that would make Niko Bellic jealous.

Certificate 18: Contains frequent ultra-violence, very strong language, and "Mum" jokes.

Oh, and the tagline?

"They're good kids... in bad packaging!"

[Lisa]

Oh, and the tagline?

"They're good kids... in bad packaging!"

ROYALTIES!!! Yessss!

[Bobby Bear]

You know it! Unless you object to association with extreme violence, I was thinking of a special dedication at the end, too.

[Ed Hocken]

Damn, I was thinking it would be something like Two Crude Dudes. But after watching In The Loop, that game would be set in Scotland.

[Lisa]

You know it! Unless you object to association with extreme violence, I was thinking of a special dedication at the end, too.

Naaaah, "Reservoir Dogs", both "Kill Bill" movies and "Godfather" I & II are some of my favorite movies, so go for it!

[Bobby Bear]

Splendid!

Great choices, by the way. Reservoir Dogs would be in my personal mix as well.

[B_Metal]

bobby's avatar is nice too.


;-)

[Bobby Bear]

Thank you, Captain Awesome. That's high praise, indeed.