The good news is that Ska is still big enough to piss it’s nay-sayers off. The bad news is that everyone’s laughing at us. Ska Geeks have never been discouraged by our scene’s unpopularity, but rarely are we subjected to such accute scrutiny.
Over at Your Scene Sucks, recent American Ska fashion is being picked apart with sharp accuracy. The accompanying text goes on to declare that Ska is dead, but we know better. This is more a condemnation of the 3rd Wave fashion and music. As a Trad loving, non-uniformed Ska Kid, I neither resemble nor resent this characterization.
the rude boy was never good at any sports, so instead he opted to join the marching band which, incidentally, led to the formation of his own group. the band enjoyed their biggest success at a recent high school battle of the bands, where they showcased their originality by covering the reel big fish cover of a-ha’s “take on me”.
How about you? Is this your look? Does this burn your britches a little? Check out some of the other scenes covered at Your Scene Sucks to cheer you up a little. Everyone looks silly when they play dress up. Click the image to visit the Rude Boy page at Your Scene Sucks:
Thanks to Lawless over at Dancin Mood for hipping me to this.
Check out more Ska Deprication from Ska Blah Blah:
July 3rd, 2008 at 11:15 pm
So sad, but true…this is how ska has come to be characterized thanks to the nerdy silly-ska bands and their followers.
As someone who was in high school during the mid-80’s, this is especially saddening. Back then, “rude boys” actually dressed sharp and rode slick vespas (back in the last days that you could actually buy a 2-stroke vespa in Los Angeles before they stopped importing them).
The style back then was more mod-influenced, and much tougher. There was a lot of crossover between the scenes.
But there was definitely not a silly nerd element associated with ska or its followers.
I only wish that someday, somehow, ska will shed this ugly 1990’s image and either return to, or evolve to something more respectable.
July 7th, 2008 at 4:21 pm
I saw this a few years ago.
you can thank stores like Hot Topic and general commercialization of Ska Punk over the years for this.
the end. : D
July 17th, 2008 at 3:55 am
what would happen to this image if the prominent ska bands started dressing in their sunday best?