Ｍａｓｋ　Ｂｏｙ　Ｊａｙ　プマ科

http://dancersgroup.org/2008/10/behind-the-mask-the-jabbawockeez-america/

Jabbawockeez often stylised as JabbaWocKeeZ is an infamous masked American dance crew who dominate their stage, and or closed venues, with masked apparel although not intended as a form of intimidation. The effect itself is mesmerising as, similar to when you imagine the design of someone’s face upon hearing their voice, their dancing replicates this concept.  Gutierrez, a member of the crew explains the reasoning behind the masks in his own terms, stating, “The idea of the mask is to remove all ethnic and social barriers when we perform”. Bernal adds, “Those who watch us will see us for the dance moves and the style we put out there”.

http://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/28826/1/how-surgical-masks-became-a-fashion-statement

The concept of surgical masks as a fashion trend was magnified by the Japanese and, more so in my personal opinion, the Koreans. Although originally being intended as an act of preventing the spread of illness, primarily in that of Japan where it was considered general etiquette, more and more people began wearing the masks for cosmetic reasons. Some wore it to hide their face, like how some may wear hats to hide their messy hair while others took it a step further past the basic physical identity. Some wanted to hide their emotions. Referred to as ‘The honne-tatemae divide’. Justin Egli from ‘Dazed Digital’ states, “[honne-tatemae is] the contrast between a person’s true feelings and desires (honne) and the behaviour and opinions one displays in public (tatemae). By wearing a mask, these emotions can remain hidden”.

Now I am rather new to this concept but I’m quite a fanatic for the process. The world and the people within it can be quite intense so to be able to restrict your vulnerability to others on your own terms is therapeutic. Icons such as SCARLXRD and PRXJEK further enforce the surgical mask culture while Jahseh ‘xxxtentacion’ Onfroy (may he rest in peace) presented a full mask representation that contrasts the half-mask culture. While the surgical may be intended for control of emotion, I believe the full mask represents something more; identity and sense of self. This can be understood as a redefining of the ‘emo’ culture or more specifically the emo rap genre. In years prior the culture of emo revolved around intense eyeshadow, wild frizzy hair and fishnets yet it has evolved, at least in the emo rap scene, to be defined by tattoos, masks and colour. A sense of identity, control and individuality.

Firstly Hi! I’m gonna try and make this as quick as possible. I am simply addressing people’s reputation and how it doesn’t matter that much.

One of my friends recently went through quite a messy break-up, screaming, fighting, the whole lot because he cheated on her on suspicions that she was doing the same. She “snapped” and went around telling every girl she came past that he was ‘a cheating dirtbag’ and that he had an STD. Ya know, all the good shit.

He came to me broken, telling me that his entire relationship with her ruined his reputation and that no girl would ever give him a chance. He’s quite a sweet guy, never really done anything wrong (except the whole cheating thing) and hadn’t said a single bad word about her from the moment they started dating until he found out what she had been saying three weeks after breaking up officially.

I smiled at him because people have had worse, ex-convicts with countless murder charges still manage to find someone because he/she/they assumes that they know better than the majority.

To say that there are plenty of fish in the sea is true, but there will always be at least one that will try and push past what everyone is saying and prove them wrong because “how bad can he actually be”.