Skinheads

[Je Hones]

Is your skinhead a fashion choice and you're just generally worried about being interpreted as racist, or politically charged in some way? When I see skin-heads though I don't think 'racist'. Maybe if I let media manipulate my perspective, or I was around when skin-head neo-nazism was prevalent I would. Most of the people I know don't think that either, they just see it firstly as a hair style, until the guy starts beating up the 13 year old Pakistani kid at the back of the bus. Then the parallel is drawn.

If it's the former, you can't do a fucking thing. It's gathered this association in mainstream consciousness, right or wrong. If it's the latter then try and come up with something that doesn't already have these connotations and the confusion might not exist. Also, I disagree with dressing to conform to your music preference's clique, if that's what you're doing.

 

[Uberjoe19]

I would never become a skinhead because I like my hair and it keeps my head warm.

 

[dududf]

Be careful, Russ is about...

[HEADING=1]
HAH AHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAA! OH GOD![/HEADING]

You sir... oh god... you win at everything...

 

[RatRace123]

Oh well, those douches ruined it for you. You can't change public perceptions, at least within one life time. This is why we never see people with tiny square mustaches. And it's known that the swastika was significantly less sinister before the nazis got ahold of it.

Point is, you can't change it. So just ignore what people think about you and wear your incredibly short hair with pride... not that type of pride though.

 

[trueluigi7]

This is just another form of racism really.
Hey I have no problem with anyone on how they look as long as they are not racist.
I never really thought of skinheads being racist just people who are racist as being racist.

 

[BonsaiK]

I'm so sick and tired of the bullshit media's portrayal that ALL skinheads are racist. BULLSHIT I SAY. The movement began back in the 1960's among white kids in response to how much they LOVED Jamaican music.

The even weirder thing is that a lot of the racist skins also still loved Jamaican music. Gosh, not the brightest chaps, those lot.

I get what you're saying though, and I agree. The problem is that the idea "skinhead = racist" is so heavily embedded into popular culture. Then add to that the fact that racist skins just tend to get noticed more because they're always doing stupid violent shit, whereas the non-racist skins just tend to mind their own biz which doesn't make for a good media story. My first experiences with skinheads was watching them beat up people on TV. I didn't meet non-racist skins until way later, and then I saw things more broadly.

You've just identified one reason, within a mountain of reasons, why I haven't watched TV or read newspapers since about 2004.

 

[Dark Knifer]

...This was an issue?

 

[Lavi]

Or we just say neo-nazi and leave the word skinhead out of it?

 

[2012 Wont Happen]

Being a skinhead just has to do with working class pride at its core right?

 

[Soulgaunt]

I would never become a skinhead because I like my hair and it keeps my head warm.

Same here.
Also:
Skinheads, Skinheads, running in the night!
Skinheads, Skinheads, causing lots of fights!
*Cough*
Uhh.....Sorry?
OT: I've never really heard much of skinheads. Well, other than that, but that doesn't really count.

 

[Sleekgiant]

Being a skinhead just has to do with working class pride at its core right?

Not since the 80's my friend. Now being a skinhead is about "preserving the race".Look up Gangland on wikipedia it will give links to all the gangs they've covered, which includes the Aryan Brotherhood. It will make you change your mind about skin heads
Here's a conveniently placed link

 

[2012 Wont Happen]

Being a skinhead just has to do with working class pride at its core right?

Not since the 80's my friend. Now being a skinhead is about "preserving the race".Look up Gangland on wikipedia it will give links to all the gangs they've covered, which includes the Aryan Brotherhood. It will make you change your mind about skin heads

There are those skinhead groups, but there are also anti-racist skinhead groups. I saw the gangland episode about skin heads, and putting aside the sensationalism thats where I learned about the movements original roots.

Racist skins like the Aryan Brotherhood disgust me though.

 

[Sleekgiant]

Being a skinhead just has to do with working class pride at its core right?

Not since the 80's my friend. Now being a skinhead is about "preserving the race".Look up Gangland on wikipedia it will give links to all the gangs they've covered, which includes the Aryan Brotherhood. It will make you change your mind about skin heads

There are those skinhead groups, but there are also anti-racist skinhead groups. I saw the gangland episode about skin heads, and putting aside the sensationalism thats where I learned about the movements original roots.

Racist skins like the Aryan Brotherhood disgust me though.

Well unfortunately the Aryan Brotherhood is what most people are going to associate skinheads with

 

[2012 Wont Happen]

Being a skinhead just has to do with working class pride at its core right?

Not since the 80's my friend. Now being a skinhead is about "preserving the race".Look up Gangland on wikipedia it will give links to all the gangs they've covered, which includes the Aryan Brotherhood. It will make you change your mind about skin heads

There are those skinhead groups, but there are also anti-racist skinhead groups. I saw the gangland episode about skin heads, and putting aside the sensationalism thats where I learned about the movements original roots.

Racist skins like the Aryan Brotherhood disgust me though.

Well unfortunately the Aryan Brotherhood is what most people are going to associate skinheads with

That's an unfortunate fact about America- people commonly judge groups here with zero knowledge about what they are. As a socialist, I feel great sympathy for non-racist American skinheads because socialists are another group that no one seems to know a thing about but everyone seems to hate.

Someone actually asked me why I, as a socialist, disliked democracy- not realizing that socialism relies entirely on democracy in its theory.

 

[Sleekgiant]

Being a skinhead just has to do with working class pride at its core right?

Not since the 80's my friend. Now being a skinhead is about "preserving the race".Look up Gangland on wikipedia it will give links to all the gangs they've covered, which includes the Aryan Brotherhood. It will make you change your mind about skin heads

There are those skinhead groups, but there are also anti-racist skinhead groups. I saw the gangland episode about skin heads, and putting aside the sensationalism thats where I learned about the movements original roots.

Racist skins like the Aryan Brotherhood disgust me though.

Well unfortunately the Aryan Brotherhood is what most people are going to associate skinheads with

That's an unfortunate fact about America- people commonly judge groups here with zero knowledge about what they are. As a socialist, I feel great sympathy for non-racist American skinheads because socialists are another group that no one seems to know a thing about but everyone seems to hate.

Someone actually asked me why I, as a socialist, disliked democracy- not realizing that socialism relies entirely on democracy in its theory.

This is now turning into a political debate so I must stop you and turn you back towards the issue of skinheads which we have covered quite clearly

 

[BlumiereBleck]

well i do think you are taking this to personal, Skinny boy. But it really isn't just America and brit lands fault. It's kinda the whole "we need a name for something and fast, but we are bald and in jail plus we love Adolf Hitler, why don't we call ourselves SKIN HEADS. Because we are bald."

 

[Kalfira]

Look. I'm sorry. I will totally buy that not all Skinheads are racist gang member twats. But let be realistic here. Being a skinhead is just the same as wearing a uniform. While it is sad for you that you are immediately identified with racism and Neo-Nazi's that's just the way it is. I would say the same thing to a person who was ticked that wearing a fireman uniform NOT on Halloween that everyone assumes that they are a fireman. It kinda comes with the turf dude. If this is REALLY that big an issue in the "good" skinhead community why doesn't the community as a whole stop dressing like skinheads? I know it's unfair but unfortunately we live in an unfair world where appearance and first impressions are EVERYTHING to most people.

 

[Hollock]

Look. I'm sorry. I will totally buy that not all Skinheads are racist gang member twats. But let be realistic here. Being a skinhead is just the same as wearing a uniform. While it is sad for you that you are immediately identified with racism and Neo-Nazi's that's just the way it is. I would say the same thing to a person who was ticked that wearing a fireman uniform NOT on Halloween that everyone assumes that they are a fireman. It kinda comes with the turf dude. If this is REALLY that big an issue in the "good" skinhead community why doesn't the community as a whole stop dressing like skinheads? I know it's unfair but unfortunately we live in an unfair world where appearance and first impressions are EVERYTHING to most people.

I agree with this. And I would like to add that while yes it's not fair, the meaning of certain things change over time. I'd like to bring up the swastika, for 1000s of years many different cultures used the swastika as symbols of luck, symbols for their religion, and symbols to represent their people as a whole, but today we instantly think of nazi. This change is not a bad thing, it's only natural that our perceptions change on these symbols.