There is a little girl standing in the hallway
Lost, confused, not older than ten
Loitering in her school hallway, waiting for her bus
Spinning around in her “trendy” fur overcoat
Showing a friend some popstar’s latest CD
Her balance thrown off by the messenger bag
Hanging from her shoulder to her feet
Unstable, and far too large for such a small child
Plastered with “fashionable” logos and brand names
She and her friends start to walk
Slowly, so everyone can see
Murmuring about their new belly shirt or
Super Platinum Designer Whisker Washed Denim Jeans
Clumping down the hall in 3 inch platform boots
Tossing a strand of her “blonde“, product-coated tresses
“Carelessly” over her shoulder
Like she had always seen it done
In her favorite movies and TV shows
A falsely confident smile emerges
Convincing herself she is right to be so “cool”
Humming a song by some scantily clad singer
Her voice lowered into a feigned alto tone
Struggling to make her voice like her favorite singer’s:
Whoever had a hit song that week
Her life a superficial daydream
Willingly drowning in the Jacuzzi of conformity
The future is doomed
Author notes
This is issue #25, the corruption of children by pop culture.
Written May 11th, 2004
A contest entry
- Do you have issues??? SOCIETY CONTEST by JM Kenyon.
800 points, ended May 14, 2004, 36 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
What did you think
Comments
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So bloody true...conformity is disgusting/depressing in the teen populace, but when trends start to infiltrate the younger populace...it's either tragic or utterly pathetic, or both.
Liked the background choice.
Just another brick in the wall, eh, Pi?
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Ugh, this reminds me of a kid I knew. It was my friends little sister, she grew up way to fast. Always listening to Britney/Xtina/Jessica/Hilary, whoever the "in" blonde ditz is these days. The girl started wearing makeup before I did, and I was about 4 years older! (And it's not like I started late, I was like 13 when I first started, she was about 8. That's gross ) In the third grade and she wore heels to school, and always had brand-name designer clothes. If it wasn't like, Hilfiger or Gap or DKNY, it wasn't even going to touch her skin. It was insane. Why do children do that? I mean, come on! Her brother, my friend, was completely normal, though. I think these kind of things are definately a girl thing.
Anyway, this was an amazing write. I especially loved the line "Willingly drowning in the Jacuzzi of conformity." hehe that was great. Really makes a good point, and makes you think. Good luck in the contest!
Edited on May 12, 6:28 p.m. because 'too dumb to type right'. -
It always astonishes me to see children decked out in all the "newest" designer fashions. From $200 dollar shoes to a shirt that would cost me a weeks worth of salary. I just don't understand it. These kids will out-grow this stuff before you can get your moneys worth out of them. I don't know what they are trying to prove. My kids hardly ever got the designer stuff...not matter how much they cried for it. After they got older...they went out and got odd jobs around the neighborhood and saved for it. 9 times out of 10 they didn't like it any better than the clothes I went out and bought.
Great poem and good luck in the contest.
Hugs,
Willow -
Hey! It is like you read my mind on this one. OK, so I have a story to tell here. So here goes....
I went into the grocery store on Sunday (mother's day to be exact) and just wanted to pick up some odds and ends on the way home that weren't carried in the grocery store I usually go to... (yeah I shop cheap...lol) Anyway, I was standing at the checkout as a young mother was cashing out and her little girl was talking away asking her a trillion questions as she piled groceries onto the checkout. I listen to them and the mother was explaining to the little girl about money...lol... saying "You can'thave things if you can't pay for them..." The child was holding a cheap sqirt gun that would cost like maybe $4. Anyway, I noticed that every single item the woman put onto the counter was name brand, your know, not store brand to save a few bucks, Swiss Miss hot chocolate and such...
I had just finished doing grocery shopping to last my family 2 weeks... and it had cost me $170, like I said, I am cheap...
I had managed 2 carts loads of groceries from a cheaper store... this woman was pushing a cart half full and she ran her credit card through to pay $222.09 for these groceries...the exact amount. I was thinking...oh my God, even if it is only her, her husabnd and the one child she will have to come back again next week and shop again! That means, just beacause she is buying the product NAME she is spending, per person (if there are only 3, more if there are more family members) roughly 50-75% MORE just to feed them!!!
I do not understand the entire name brand thing... Why would I pay more for the same product? Just try it, flip over a name brand product and a generic in the grocery store and read the ingerdients. Remember that the greatest quantity ingredient is listed first... also, compare the nutrition guide as well. Chances are it is exactly the same... and you would only purchase the higher cost because of the name brand... why??? Is someone going to judge you by the quality of your digested food and the impeccable taste you have in producing human waste from it and digesting the nutrients? I think not!!!
A great write and best of wishes... Good luck... ~genielassie~
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