This is just the beginning. Expect Playskool's My First Piercing playset and Pabst Blue Ribbon-flavored baby formula to hit the shelves sometime in Q3 2008.
There is something really creepy and troublesome about the "hipster kids" trend. Maybe it's just me, but I don't see why parents just can't let children be children, and not vessels upon which to impose their aspirations for the sake of basking in reflected vanity. If a child is raised to be a confident and independently-minded person, then the odds are he or she will gravitate to the cool stuff on their own volition, which is how it ought to be, rather than exploiting a child's desire for parental approval just so you can brag that your six year old knows who Bob Mould is.
Parents have always exterted their influence on their children's tastes, though the process in most cases has been subtle and unpredictable. Case in point: My aversion to 70's singer-songwriter performers and Prince, and affinity for Roger McGuinn and The Doors, all of which were commonly enough heard in the house during my formative years. The transmission time between exposure and appreciation can span decades, as numerous other personal factors can affect the metabolization process.
Attempting to hothouse it with a Misfits onesie or repeat plays of the KidzBop: Shoegazer Edition CD during naptime just feels crass, and uncomfortably similar to the methods employed by those parents who start crowing about "my little Harvard grad" or "my little all-star quarterback" even before the umbilical cord is cut. Besides, if historical trends are anything to go by, the end result of this tastemaking-by-fiat will be a generation of buttoned-collar AOR enthusiasts who worship at the altar of the Dave Matthews Band.
bis - Tell It to the Kids (from The New Transistor Heroes, 1997) - The only thing I have to say to the kids is GET OFF MY DAMN LAWN. Oh, and BUY SOME PANTS THAT FIT, DAMMIT.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
coffeehousin' by proxy syndrome
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5 comments:
Actually, I'm one of those parents and if you read the article it names the show "Yo Gabba Gabba" as one of the main hipster kids crossover things. My toddler completely loves Yo Gabba Gabba and while it does feature pretty hipster bands it is most definitely a "for the children" childrens show. When he's watching it with me or his mom we never worry that he's being preached to, manipulated or any of that, in fact even less so than when he watches other "less hip" shows like *cough* Dora the Explorer.
Cool blog anyhow, thanks!
And that's cool in and of itself if the kids dig it on their own volition.
I'm more concerned about the media mercs making the pitch primarily toward the vanity of parents (who have the disposable cash), rather than in the best interests of the kids. It's a very creepy confluence of factors.
...and, yeah, most kids' fare these days is merchandise-driven drek.
Alls I know is that most days I want to punch Neal Pollack repeatedly in the mouth.
Mom threw me out til I get some pants that fit.
Really, Jon? I heard it was because she just don't approve of your strange kind of wit.
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