Rebel Yell

I always remember the people who stood out by rebelling against society's norms. Growing up, my first taste of "different" was The Beatles, with their shaggy hair and pointy boots. (I actually saw their 1st appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show...and not on a re-run. I really am old!)

They were not the first rebels, of course. Elvis stood out, gyrating his hips and belting out that NOISE! James Dean, brooding and morose... well, they were a little before my time. (Yes, they were before my time, wiseguys). A lot of young people wanted to emulate these guys because of the attention they got. Of course a whole lot of people wanted them to go away. Eventually, the stars faded, partially because the novelty would wear off, and partially because their styles became mainstream. It was time to find new ways to "stand out".

Got me to thinking. Look at what's popular now...outrageous behavior, loud-mouthed attitudes, in-your-face styles. Everyone's loud. Everyone's off the charts. Tattoos covering a whole lot of body surface, piercings, barely-there clothing. But if you look around, who the heck is standing out today? Music is pushing the envelope, the Censors heads are spinning, but who is really unique any more, you know? The "outrageous behavior" is really becoming mainstream. Who are you going to shock if you go out and get a tattoo? No one will burn you at the stake if you add a piercing or two, right? If you put on a belly shirt and head to the mall, you'll blend in with 1000 other people wearing belly shirts, right?

So what's next?

What is going to be the next wave of "Rebel behavior?"

Maybe you'll begin to see upstarts out there, waving around Graduate Degrees...extensive vocabularies...musical talent? Would someone be so bold as to show up at a party and begin reciting Shakespeare?

The next thing you know, some hot-shot will show up for dinner wearing a suit and tie! And shoes!

Imagine that...