Uniform Anonymity (II)

Uniform Anonymity (II) - Welcome back to my blog site! - A while ago, we were walking behind two youngsters at a local mall. Had it not been for their different heights, I honestly would not have been able to tell that couple apart from each other. Those guys or rather a guy and a girl just looked identical in terms of clothing as they were both dressed in dark and baggy recreational wear, black woolen hats and dark boots. She was just a little shorter than him, but otherwise there was indeed no telling about any specific gender attributes since they were rather skinny on top. However, what truly amused me more than anything else, their demeanor was also eerily similar the way they used their hands while talking to one another. Boy, oh boy, I thought to myself, these two really appear like clones! - More than ever, I am picking up on that weird trend especially among young folks of consciously turning away from the natural desire of portraying one's individuality. Instead, there is this overwhelming longing for complete anonymity. This again seems to be entailing the approach to gender neutrality, a grey area where the line between the sexes is unstoppably softened up, blurred and consequently dissolved in the end. It truly feels as if males and females are eventually striving to become one and the same gender regardless of their primary sexual features. The clothing industry clearly supports this development by swiftly adapting to those increasing mainstream wishes of uniformity. Of course, we need to be careful as not to start compartmentalizing or generalizing. There are luckily still plenty of youngsters out there that just defy such odd concepts, be it unbeknownst or in full awareness, and both proudly and self- confidently present themselves in all their individual uniqueness. I suppose, pride and self- confidence serve as the major key- words in this context. Somehow, I just can't help thinking that guys and gals these days generally lack pride in showing what they were given by nature. Most certainly, pride and self- confidence go together. If the latter one is damaged or under- developed, pride just won't grow. This raises the question about whose fault this is, the parents' or maybe in a much broader sense even society's on the whole? Today's parents are often far too preoccupied with life's chores and tend to end up being out of touch with their own emotions because they have just become too dull in general. Their function as role- models is therefore seriously challenged and at high risk of ultimately failing entirely. Advertisement, on the other hand, fulfills their share more than accordingly by stressing whatever currently trends in how males and females are stereotyped. Male models are adapting ever the more feminine features while female models are just taking on more masculinity. Thus, the modern guy appears very lean but no longer packed with muscles, and the new girl image shows fewer curves and less bust. The favored look nowadays is clearly going towards the androgynous with narrow hips and flat chests which basically leaves us with stick- figures. Ultimately, such a deceptive image can only put the wrong kind of impulse into the heads of mainly young and immature people because it simply leads to the utmost confusion and not seldom straight into suicide. What intention is actually pursued in all of that, we may wonder rather logically? Well, just come back again next week when I shall be zooming in on a theory of mine.