the inVasion
The annual biker festival- Bikes, Blues and Barbeque- is in town this weekend. Thousands of
them are here, driving up the street, driving down the street. Gunning their engines as often and as loudly as possible....because, you know. The handle-bar mustache and ass-less chaps aren't quite ostentatious enough, it's important to throw in a little noise making as well. Apparently the goal is to demonstrate that one is "off the grid" or "free", rejecting the rat race and all that. And how is it exactly that they go about differentiating themselves from whitebread America? Well, they've devised a subversive lifestyle that involves not only the drinking of beer...they'll even go so far as to eat massive quantities of barbeque, that's how bold they are. And what says "F*ck you" to consumer culture more than traveling around in packs wherein each member possesses a stylized, overpriced vehicle.
Look, I'm not saying that biker culture is a bovine, yet simian display of capitalist ego, complete with asinine displays of wealth and pretense. Hold on....Yes. Thats is what I'm saying. Thanks.
them are here, driving up the street, driving down the street. Gunning their engines as often and as loudly as possible....because, you know. The handle-bar mustache and ass-less chaps aren't quite ostentatious enough, it's important to throw in a little noise making as well. Apparently the goal is to demonstrate that one is "off the grid" or "free", rejecting the rat race and all that. And how is it exactly that they go about differentiating themselves from whitebread America? Well, they've devised a subversive lifestyle that involves not only the drinking of beer...they'll even go so far as to eat massive quantities of barbeque, that's how bold they are. And what says "F*ck you" to consumer culture more than traveling around in packs wherein each member possesses a stylized, overpriced vehicle.
Look, I'm not saying that biker culture is a bovine, yet simian display of capitalist ego, complete with asinine displays of wealth and pretense. Hold on....Yes. Thats is what I'm saying. Thanks.
posted by Samwick @ 3:01 AM
1 Comments:
At 10:39 AM,
Anonymous said…
Sheesh, it's scary reading that. You're writing about something you have had to experience for real and I'd hate to experience an influx of these types into my neighbourhood. I don't think I'd dare step outside to go get milk.
We have enough in my part of London dealing with roaming nomadic tribes of disaffected teenagers smoking joints, listening to Eminem and cussing anyone who refuses to cross the road to get by them and instead walks down the same side of the street as if, heaven forbid, we think we've got a right to do so same as them. I mean, sure I was a disaffected teenager - the two words go together often - but I took to reading and writing when I was bored, or even - gasp! - talking to people as well as the standard, watching TV. I didn't just chew gum and have it away with someone against the back wall of the local chip shop. Stylish not. I don't understand this boredom, nor do I see it as being true rebellion - there's nothing noble there. It's just idleness and shows an unproductive disaffection with life which is harmful to them and those of us who encounter them.
I agree completely that some anti-social behaviours are rooted in capitalism. There is no solution as such to them without dealing with the BIG problem. Which nobody has the big danglies to tackle for fear of disaffecting the voters, raising taxes, blah blah blah. And so western societies continue to build on the idea that the way to deal with most problems is (a) not to look at them, it's easier to pretend that way and (b) build higher walls around our homes and buy better locks. Not very forward-looking but hey, it will work... for a time...
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