Why Is That a Thing?

OK. I get it. Sometimes its good to be different. Dare I say, its even "cool." And I put the quotation marks on cool because although I'm just a sneeze from 40, I still epitomize cool. I ooze it. I embrace it. Hell, I still have swagger, don't get it twisted. But this new cool... I just can't seem to wrap my head around it.

Maybe I'm just old fashioned, literally and figuratively. I like my classic, East New York, Brooklyn style: Jeans, Hoodie, Timbs, Yankees hat. I don't do the huge white tees, I never liked sagging my pants. But this new "cool" confuses me. More and more young men are embracing the super skinny pants (I call them nut-huggers), the v-neck shirts that almost resemble blouses, and the outlandish, very-near-to-actual feminine accessories and accouterments. Don't get me started on the multicolored hair and the tight ass chokers. Straight weirdo if you ask me.

But that's the thing: Nobody asked me. Nor did anybody seek my permission or approval. Look, I'm all for individuality. You wanna make a statement through your wardrobe? Do you. You like to stand out in a crowd? Do your thing, playboy. I'm just gonna avoid the weirdness. And it's not just fashion, oh no. I'm not feeling the whole "millennial" movement, whatever the hell that is. Most of the new rappers, current TV, politics, society itself, it's just all one giant ball of WTF!

Ok, let me step back, sigh it out, and collect myself. Because what it all boils down to is this: I grew up, and grew older. My tastes have changed and so have my views. I still don't consider myself old, I'm getting settled into my older way of thinking. So, as I make a lane for whatever is coming next, I know my generation will never actually become extinct. We'll adapt a little, while still holding on to what makes us us. And y'all can still miss us with that weirdness.

Which brings me to my current train of thought: social relevance. My generation is looked at as being dead and gone, lost, over-with, etc. We are no longer the taste makers and trend setters. We are not looked upon, rather, we are now the looked at. We have become nothing more than exhibits in the human zoo of now-ism. Gawk, gaze, point, whisper, laugh. Ok, stop it, junior. Slow your roll. Let me remind you, ALL of you, of who is still running things. My generation, the so-called "old heads" are the brains behind the labels that cover your ass, literally. We keep our ears to the streets and keep ya'll draped up and dripped out in fly shit. Name one fashion designer who has consistently killed the game for years upon years that's not in their 30s. Go ahead, I'll wait. Not done? Don't worry, I'll give you more time, us old heads have plenty of patience.

Mock us in public, adore us in private. Face it, we curate your playlists, put your favorite artists in rotation, and make the clothes you love. We are more relevant than some of you wanna give us credit for. And the thing is, we have to be. We have to remain trendy. Why? Because it's just another way for us to connect with our kids. I personally have four monsters who are 16, 11, 5, and 3. That means I do the shoot, the mascot, and listen to "Baby Shark." And I'll still bust ya ass in the running man. The REAL running man, not this new shit that looks like baby steps.

So in a way, I guess we can all take a little blame for the weirdness that seems so relevant. Us 30 and above have to produce it, the 20 and below have to consume it. And all involved take pride in it. It's a feeling of being a part of something. Something big. Something powerful. Something... weird. And what's wrong with being weird, right? One man's trash is another man's treasure. So while a lot of these trends ain't for everybody, just relax. These youngins will grow up and grow out of it, give 'em time. And us old heads? We'll adapt. After all, we were the young weirdos once upon a time.