My Take on Labels

You know that time in your life where you are searching for that one style to make you fit in or to feel comfortable with yourself? Well you should, or if not yet, then very soon. I guess this is about ‘labels’ and as much as people ‘hate’ them I’m going to write about it.

When I was in middle school I had the same mind as everyone else. Even if you were gothic, or a punk, a prep, a jock, or a skater, everyone hated labels or had some type of resentment for them. Now I see how stupid I was. I now have the balls to proudly say “I am a Goth/Rocker and fuck you if you call me a poser.” I don’t mean to sound like I’m attacking you but I mean that. See, labels confuse the hell out of me. If you don’t believe in labels, then why are you dressed the way you are. Is it because you’re being yourself and being different than everyone else? That may be true about being yourself but look at your friends or other people in your school or just around you; I guarantee you will find someone who looks extremely close to you.

If you don’t believe in labels, then what gives you the right to call someone else a poser? Face it, labels are real and to some extent you believe in them. You know; if you dress like a Goth, have the attitude of a punker, or the lifestyle of a prep, then you are that label and you are the biggest hypocrite if you say that someone else is a poser when you deny that you are the label you follow. I hope that made sense, I really do because I’m so sick of hearing things like “I hate labels” and “Labels are for posers.” Now that I think about it, it’s sort of amusing to hear because I know secretly that the so called ‘posers’ are the real people. Make sense? If not then let me give some details of why posers are called posers.

When you think poser, you think of a fake person who does something just to be cool. In a way this is very true; a person who wears Fox gear but doesn’t ride or doesn’t have MX or BMX in their life is a really good example. I’m not saying that’s wrong and if you want to do it then do it. You may think a person who wears thick black eyeliner and Goth cloths one day then punk clothes the next is a poser. That can be true but most people dress to the music they listen to. Wait, now I’m getting confused. When I really think about what a poser is, the more I disagree with the earlier argument. Hmm. Oh yeah, yup I got it now. There are ‘real posers who aren’t really posers’ and there are ‘posers who really are fake.” I don’t know if you can see the difference but I can.

I think it’s sad though because people are put down for who they really are and some don’t even get the chance to express themselves because they are ridiculed so much. I hate how people stereotype Goths as being ‘Satanic, soulless, depressed individuals who cut and are obsessed with dark things.’ Some of this is true but not every single Gothic person has each of those characteristics. I hate that some Goths deny certain things in their life because they are afraid of being judged. It isn’t fair to those people who were right about you. I hate how people think preps are these ‘materialistic, fake, evil bitches’ because that again isn’t all true. That is just that basic stereotypes people give preps. I hate that preps live up to some of those expectations just because people expect them too. And emos, I think it is fucked up that people call you all faggots when most of you aren’t. I think you are the few people who admit to what you are. The only thing I don’t understand is this; if you truly are depressed and want to die so badly and post stuff saying you are going to kill yourself and that your life is so bad, then wouldn’t you guys be close to extinction? Again, I have no idea why you say that but it must come with the emo territory. And no, I’m not bashing emos. I could go on and on and on but I think you’ve heard my point.

I didn’t do this to make people angry or to sound like I know everything and my way and thoughts are right, I just hope you can understand a little bit of what I’m saying and make your own judgment on things. I want people to not feel weird or even ashamed to admit who they are and that they follow a label. It’s just… natural. In my opinion, of course.