Youth culture...

it's so finicky!

One day GloriaVanderbilt/VidalSasson/Jordache/SergioValente are what you want to cover your ass, the next thing you know it's Calvin's and Guess jeans. Who can keep up?

One year, a barely-out-of-baby-fat Britney Spears is the cat's meow for prancing around half naked in her parochial schoolgirl's costume, the next thing you know she's a big slut for parading her after-baby body (but still looking good all things considered) on the Mtv Awards. What gives?

We've seen it before: New Kids on the Block are hot, hot, hot!, until they're just a punchline. Ditto say, Ricky Martin. (Ricky who?)

Myself, I learned early not to play those games. To like what you like for it's own inherent worth, not because it was the hot thing at the time. (Levi's say, when they were American made of thicker denim and nice and dark looking. They fit good, lasted long, and looked nice. Now with the China-made thinner material and stonewash cheaper look, no good.) Listening to music you liked, no matter if it wasn't the hot ticket at the time. If you choose that way, you're more likely, kids, to still be able to listen years down the road.

In many ways, being an out-of-the-mainstream immigrant's child helps. You can't compete with the popular trends all the kids are into, but thankfully you look back and there are no pictures of you in the 80s with your hair moussed to the high heavens or tight jeans that you had to use a pliers to pull up. (I kid you not -- it was like a competition amongst girls in those days.)

Now this Obama-mania... they say it might be fading too among the young. The empty platitudes, the everybody's-on-board! trendiness. If you've got sufficient elders you respect in your life, or even practice old-time religion and spiritual values, you're probably not so needy for the lastest big thing and have to grab on to whatever seems new and hip.

My beef with Obama, I've stated before. Were he Barry O'Brien, first-term Illinois senator, no way would we even know his name. But inject the historical race thing (yes we can!) and the strong rhetoric skills, and good-looking(?) candidate and wife... and suddenly you've got a contender, no matter the lack of leadership track record.

I was taught it comes slowly: hard work, saving, sacrifice, postponing pleasure until you can handle the accompanying responsibility, making the right choices, working for what you want and not letting failure or the myopia of others shake your path. But some think they're owed. That if you collect enough credentials -- often helped by affirmative action helper programs -- and "network" with the in crowd, you can jump ahead without putting in the practice and hard work necessary to mature and make it on your own. Instead of sticking it out in one area, you jump around to maximize your own opportunities without caring much about loyalties.

If he's so good, why can't Obama apply his unifying bipartisan skills in the Senate first to demonstrate his leadership potential? I don't get it. Why he's somehow "owed" based on America's legacy of slavery and disenfranchisement.

Like most pan flashes -- and I'm definitely not saying the man has no potential, just that he hasn't really achieved anything solid yet -- it sounds like the kids might be catching on. No suprise... if you understand the patterns, and learn to recognize the short-term needs of youth.

Filling stadiums with chanting youth, dressing sharp and looking good while you're young, playing at the time what people want to hear... you might rise, but you tend not to stay up too long. Better to figure out who you are, what you realistically can accomplish and set to it, and why you don't look down on those who have put in their time in the trenches and might not look so pretty for it years later. That's a leader for the long term, not a joke quickly forgotten and dismissed when the next hot thing is up for sale...
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Here's a list of all my recent political posts, if you want to track my mindset. My fear? The Dems again will run somebody who doesn't have it in them to win the whole enchilada (in the general election). Then we'll point fingers (racism! bigotry!) and lick our wounds and be treated to another 4 years of Republican rule. Again, the more liberal weathier Democrats who jump on these bandwagons are kind of insulated from the consequences of Republican rule, so they're more willing to risk it all on a hope and a dream.

There's still time though to wise up, swallow your pride and come together in putting forth a credible candidate who can perhaps challenge McCain's more common sense conservatism. Immigration, McCain-Feingold, his flip-floppedness... there are plenty of ways still to fight Sen. McCain on his record. Somehow, I don't think just calling him "an old coot" as Paglia did, or yukking it up about his "combover" is going to defeat him.

But if you still can't get over the Clinton sex scandal, or that a woman personally might choose to forgive and stay with the cad in their marriage, then McCain wins by default. More illegal immigration, more money budgeted for miltary excursions overseas... I'd hold my nose and vote for him if necessary, over the redistribution schemes of Sen. Obama, who really has no clue how he'll pay for all these promises, but isn't hitting upon sacrifice, savings, hard work, and "earning" your way up. Nope, he thinks folks are owed, from what I can gather. That you manipulate the market because "it's not fair" that workers make less than CEO's. No thanks. I'd rather wait and make it the old-fashioned way: We eaarrrrrrrnnnnnn it.

Remember the Jimmy Carter years? The promise of "change" in Washington DC, as if mouthing the words are all that's needed to make it happen? Remember how long it took to rebound from the Carter years and elect another Democrat? No thanks, Sen. Obama. It's nothing personal... Please, go back to the Senate and fulfill your promises, turn the potential into reality. Then come back, ready to lead, and with a little more weight behind your words. Right now, we need somebody who gets how hard it will be, and isn't making promises without understanding the work needed to fulfill them. A little growing up for the childish short-term needs, so to speak.

UPDATE: I forgot to say... I too was very moved when I first heard Obama speak, it was the 2004 speech at the convention nominating Kerry. Paraphrasing: "We've got gay friends in the Red States, and we worship an awesome God in the Blue States too." Magnificent stuff. Very honest, and promising in building a coalition. But instead of knowing his role in 2008 = putting his rhetorical muscle and unifying message behind the Democrat's team, he decides he should run for President himself. Hello? With that record, not even a term completed in Congress, it's too soon, man. You should have been content to be a player -- a star player -- on the team this year, instead of jumping in and assuming you can be the manager. Simply put, it's better to work with your teammates when you're younger and reinforce your obvious strengths putting them to good use on behalf of the team, and learning new skills from more other teammates who have been around longer than you. Hard lesson, but one I hope we've all learned. It's not too late to stop thinking about the name on the back of the uniform, and spend more time working together to finally come up with a team win. Again, nothing personal, nothing racial, and I assure you, if you can help the team win now, these aren't the same as days past where the color of your skin means you'll never get your shot at managing the team. I know it's hard to be patient, but keep working and waiting and contributing... you'll get your chance, and you'll be better for having worked with others, and waited patiently for all you'll pick up in the meanwhile...