Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Not Reading Enough Into the Clothes

I was reminded today of one of the funniest exchanges I've ever witnessed between a mother and daughter regarding clothes.

The teenaged daughter (I think she was about 16) came marching through the kitchen on her way out. She was dressed head to toe in black, and my friend (her mum) commented that she liked the outfit because it looked rock and roll.

I can't really capture the dramatic sneer of a teenager, but try instead to imagine the slouchy yet defiant stance, hand on-hip, annoyance, and general disgust with anyone, "old" and you'll be close. This was over twenty years ago, and the daughter now has two children of her own, but at that moment she knew old people were stupid, and what a waste she had to engage with us for a total of five seconds.

"It isn't rock and roll mother, I'm an anarchist. You don't know anything."

She slammed the door on the way out, but not before loudly muttering that she hated us.
"Well, I don't know, Emma Goldman wore more than black" we laughed.

So for you parents of teenagers, just be aware that when your teenage daughter dresses in all black, it is because she is an anarchist, even if she can't spell it. Because yeah, of course, how stupid could you be not to think anarchist when your kid wears all black.

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