Chav Culture

[Johnny]

as an outsider i dont get what 'chav' is/means/represents

obviously is a bunch of bad taste group.. maybe they like being 'rough' or act in a rude way?
can someone explain please?

www.chavscum.com

 

[Lena]

but its amazing.. are these people into heavy irony?

anyway, quite very entertaining dear Johnny, now -i think- i know what's all about chavs hmm muchos gracias

 

[helena]

so Lena - I guess no chavs in Greece then? .....I want to live there!!!!

It really is an affliction we have here Lena, its endemic. There a so few 'young' people who deviate from general chav style. There is no value placed on being different - they all dress in a uniform. Its quite depressing. Their role models are all chavs (posh spice, chav tv characters, footballers girlfriends). Have you heard of a girl called Colleen McLoughlin (there is a thread on her on tFS) - she is the epitomy of the young british girl. Obviously I generalise here but it is so prevalent its scary. Check it out if you have time. Also the fashion, culture & aesthetics thread is an interesting (if long) read - I'd be interested on your opinions (as you have a pan eurpoean perspective I suspect).

 

[Lena]

dont get me wrong Helena, the 'chav' culture is here as well, mainly evident with teenage girls, but see, they dont get 'serious' about their 'style' its just what their friends wear, its just what is affordable, its not a 'fashion' tribe.
Truth is i live in a less 'socialite' orientated society, young girls do as they like, chavs are not even the majority here.. childish or quirky is much more popular

what seems 'entertaining' to me is how much this chavscum site johnny posted is bordering between taking pride and totally ridicule the chav image.. so it seems a bit surreal.
is it pure english humour?
is it for real?

if one wants to go down tracking this 'trend' ( is more than a trend, it's social attitude) all goes back to 'yellow' and 'yellowish' magazines, the star/starlet system and the ever powerful media.

so.. are chavs responsible for their bad taste?
of course, they've been been bombarded by bad taste (like everyone else) seems almost like a collective efford in favour of complete tackyness..
what makes me sad, is that i suspect a kind of 'pride' as if bad taste was their real choice.. and its crtainly not their real choice, its just what they are fed with.
Actually i think chavs have no other choice.. entering a mainstream highstreet store will obviously explain why..

i can also see a kind of 'hatered' towards 'good taste' as if it's a bad thing to have or develop, as if 'taste' is a social thing, i fear that this is a complex response and somehow marks the dawn of a 'semi-dangerous' sociological conflict.
some years ago, people were trying to get some 'pretence' of culture and style..
now it seems as if they avoid any connection with style, going to pains to aquire 'non style' a reverse pretence system... smells trouble to me

anyway, seperatism (and elitism) always made me feel extremely uncomfortable

 

[helena]

Lena - you have hit the nail on the head - its a much deeper social attitude than just a 'fashion' (in its widest sense).

Yes, to answer your question, there is a pride in the 'chav'.

Personally I think its to do with the general malaise in British society left over from the 1980's (and Thatcherism) - that is, an overwhelming material greed. All people at all levels of society (formerly referred to as the 'upper, middle & lower' classes) want (and seem to need) status symbols in order to validate themselves. In the past we (perhaps) read more, took more excersice, had hobbies or other interests. But now, and I think the long working hours so prevalent here is partially to blame, we just don't have time so we spend more & buy more & more things. This filters throughout society & so everyone who sees Posh Spice wearing a Burberry bag wants one to show, almost, that they can have what she has (and vicariously or subconsciously they feel her success). Its a culture of wanting and because we are 'fed' by the media nonstop, we are never satiated.

You are quite correct - its dangerous for our society. We have an obesity problem, we have an epidemic of binge drinking, and we, as a nation, are burderned with huge personal debts. I am ridiculed for going to see classical music or a french film for being 'pretentious' or artsy farsty. These things seem to have no place in British culture where leisure time is spent getting pissed & reading Heat (girls) & 'Nuts' (boys) magazines.

It makes me really sad.... we are headed down the same route as that other great capitalist nation over the pond i fear.

Chip in anyone who wants to disagree....

 

[Elegance.Is.Refusal.]

i agree with the social aspect arguement being put forward. it is true that we have very little culture the youth especially. finding it more entertaining to rebel agaisnt higher figures in society. this may start as a small thing starting in school rebeling against teachers and parents to get a reaction. in school today it is hard to discapline pupils like this as there are the aspects that have been set in place that makes this difficult. teachers are unable to remove a disruptive pupil from class anymore as they cannot touch the child to remove them. this is because this may be seen as assult. and as such this may just reinforce them knowing they can get away with this behaviour. therefore it may esculate and become worse with time.

i am not saying all british youth are like this. some are decent kids and respect authority figures but there are the choice few that dont. this is fueled by other kids and them laughing at what they do making them feel powerful and popular.

i see charv's as an attitude the anti-social behaviour not by how they dress. yes they may have a 'uniform' and do things that we may cringe at. but i feel there are more social problems invlved in this trend than many of these posts let on.

well atleast that is my view

 

[Johnny]

Bravo Helena Bravo!!!

 

[helena]

where's faust? he needs to get stuck into this one....

 

[lucky]

The baby trainers made my day! Can't wait till that trend comes here. For a while the chavs around here were sucking on baby's dummies.

 

[Lena]

yes helena and cowboyboots, i absolutely agree with your 'look' into chavs.

chavs seem to be antisocial, but this anti-sociality is segmented towards the 'cultured' having taste will soon be a crime?
will we look good behind bars helena? will i be punished for all my blue note cds?
last but not least.. what should we wear when put in prison for having good taste?
will we be forced to sport a trucker hat, animal print babyT, silver&fucia striped croped pants and pink platforms?

 

[Elegance.Is.Refusal.]

maybe its just this generation and things may change for the better we hope

trends become bigger then die away because people realise it was a stupid thing lets hope this is the case

 

[helena]

Lena when you are behind bars you will be fitted with a regulation Britney Spears (the ultimate chav heroine) outfit & you will be laden with chunky gold jewellery & dowsed in (very) cheap fake tan. You will be forced to listen to Beyonce's latest album and your diet will consist of kebabs & mcDonalds washed down with Bacardi Breezers (thus assiting in knocking off braincells- as you clearly have too many). Your only reading materials will be The Sun & The Mirror (you can get Heat mag if you show signs of contrition). That will punish you for trying to be cultured & tasteful. LOL. The world will be a better place.



edit: mmm is that prison or Britain?

 

[Lena]

a social mechanism is more than a trend..
and this separatism is just gettign worst and worst in Europe,
groups of people against other groups of people...
its not fun and it certainly seems to be getting somehow out of control

but yes, lets be optimistic, why not?

 

[Lena]

Lena when you are behind bars you will be fitted with a regulation Britney Spears (the ultimate chav heroine) outfit & you will be laden with chunky gold jewellery & dowsed in (very) cheap fake tan. You will be forced to listen to Beyonce's latest album and your diet will consist of kebabs & mcDonalds washed down with Bacardi Breezers (thus assiting in knocking off braincells- as you clearly have too many). Your only reading materials will be The Sun & The Mirror (you can get Heat mag if you show signs of contrition). That will punish you for trying to be cultured & tasteful. LOL. The world will be a better place.



edit: mmm is that prison or Britain?

yesss that will be the day helena... lucky us..
cause while in the chav prison you'll be honarable transformed to dear
POSSSHHHHH , fake lips, fake nose, fake jaws, fake hair, fake teeth and all will certainly serve well your classical music taste

 

[Elegance.Is.Refusal.]

i see it as a 'trend' that seems to start off young in the early teens although i do have friends now that where into this charv culture and have now completely changed and you would never think that they where like that. im glad they saw the light and changed their ways. my bf was a former charv but if u saw him now you would never no it he looks like someone out of kings of leon as someone told him once

bring on the cultured and witty so much more fun than sitting on street corners drinking white lightening!

 

[Hipkitten]

i just need to step in and defend myself...because..
a-when i posted this article...i was not a mod...and
b-americans don't have such a thing...

so it was more of a 'curiosity' for me than anything else...

i guess it's similar to the american term 'redneck'...
but we even have tv shows now...'are you a rednec?'...

so they don't seem to mind..in fact they even seem to take pride in the label...
so i'm not judging..i'm just sharing this particular phenomenon...i actually think it is very interesting from a sociological point of view...and that's a lot of what 'fashion' is about...identifying oneself with a certain group...

as an outsider ...i think it's fascinating...

ps...don't you think the chav's are having a laugh at all the 'yuppies'...or whatever they call the mainstream..?...i'm quite certain it goes both ways...it usually does...

I couldn't agree more. Whether you're a Chav, or you're the most posh gal on the block, you know what your personal style conveys to others. In fact, I'm certain everything you buy was purchased, in part, because it was an extension of your personality, status, etc. And although I was raised not to discuss money/class/status - and my mom would be disappointed - I'm not above joking about someone's egregious fashion faux pas.

 

[fab_fifties_fille]

The baby trainers made my day! Can't wait till that trend comes here. For a while the chavs around here were sucking on baby's dummies.

I can remember this 'trend' so well!!! It was the most random thing, anyone slightly charvy (girls) from ages 10-18 would walk around with those plastic dummy things round their necks, all different sizes different colours, some would have them in their mouth. Wow I really forgot about that, how random

 

[helena]

oh god I think I remember something like that too FFF. some people are cretins.

sorry everyone but I am a bit highly strung today so am a bit vitriolic/cynical in my posts.

 

[fab_fifties_fille]

haha^ just take a couple of sedatives all will be f...in..e..zzzzz

Or just have some white lightening when your down the park tonight helena

 

[Johnny]

Helena's tipple is Thunderbird ....and lime, of course.