After 25 weeks, Youth Radio’s weekly series What’s the New What? is ending. These stories explored trends from the perspective of Generation Y: sex without a condom; ombre; over-the-counter stimulants; dissonance music; yoga in juvenile halls; tasers as accessories; ads in Spanglish, and much more. We heard from youth reporters from around the country, including the San Francisco Bay Area, Maine, Atlanta, and Los Angeles. In our final episode, we set out to hear from young people about "Whats" that weren’t covered in our series.
What’s the new What? Threading is the new waxing. But threading is actually old. Let me rephrase that, extremely old. It’s an ancient South Asian beauty practice. And thousands of years later, it’s the hippest new thing in LA.
If you've never seen threading, picture a long strand of thread around your hands, crossed in the middle. And then some up and down motion that makes the thread catch and pull hairs. And voila your new eye brows are complete!
(Sounds of Jennifer at WOW! beauty center about to get threaded)
Jennifer: "I feel very nervous."
Salon employee: "Don’t be nervous."
That's me getting my eyebrows threaded at WOW! Beauty Center. And honestly, it’s not painful. On the other hand waxing feels like pulling your bottom lip over your foot, lighting it on fire, and then stepping on it.
Salon employee: "Because when you do it, after three or four times, your hair is going to become thinner, and lighter. So it's better."
South Asian women have opened threading businesses all over Los Angeles. But threaders weren’t always welcomed in established beauty salons. Just ask Indira Karki, originally from Nepal, and one of the co-owners of WOW! Beauty Center.
Indira Karki: "When I didn’t have a job, I went to so many beauty salons like American and they asked me, “Oh we need to have license to do threading.” So many places I don’t have a job because I don’t have license."
But even if she wanted to, she could not get a license – because threading isn’t taught in cosmetology school.
Tony Mendoza: "Ever since I’ve served on city council, there has been issue with surrounding the practice of threading."
That's Assemblyman Tony Mendoza, who represents a district which includes “Little India”. He wrote a California state bill that exempts threading from being licensed. And now it’s the law.
Tony Mendoza: "This bill in particular empowers immigrant women because it allows them to practice their culture and create a business for themselves."
Sumitra Batra: "Threading is such a regular, normal, prevalent part of our society. It’s street art form in India."
Sumitra Batra is the CEO of Ziba Beauty, an international chain of South-Asian themed salons started in LA. She has been credited with putting threading and henna tattoos on the map. She was the one who painted Madonna with henna for her 1998 music video, "Frozen".
Sumitra Batra: "There’s a certain amount of authenticity to us and our salons. We haven’t lost our ethnicity and our Indianness."
But what happens when cultural practices like threading become part of a corporate brand? Batra has recently created controversy by trying to trademark the term “art of threading.” There is now tension brewing between Batra's company and some independent threaders, such as Indira of WOW! Beauty.
(Instead of doing threading...)
But beyond the disputes, one thing is for sure... in Los Angeles, threading is becoming more and more popular, a trend that has helped Indira and the ladies of Wow! Beauty Center get their business off the ground.
Indira Karki:"Every time I think about my beauty salon, WOW! Beauty Salon, I feel like I'm happy. I feel like I'm in the heaven, you know. So I’m really glad."
What’s the new What? In the underground scene of Athens, Georgia, Dissonance……is the new Harmony.
That’s right…It’s happening here...the birthplace of REM….
(MUSIC: REM, It’s the end of the world…)
They pushed the boundaries of lyricism…Now musicians are pushing the boundaries of sound….…in a growing noise music scene.
(MUSIC: Better People)
Doug Patterson: I dare you to enjoy it b/c it’s anti-music and qualifies as unlistenable.
It might be unlistenable, but it’s got a huge following. Doug Patterson makes noise music under the name “Better People.”
(MUSIC: Better People)
Doug uses tape manipulation, effects petals, and computer software in his creations. 21 year-old Tyler Rosebush is a fan.
Tyler Rosebush: Since its so on the spot, it’s not rerehearsed it’s not prerecorded. The final product reflects the entire process and you’re intimately acquainted with every step of the way this music is created and you know now a days with digital music and iPods and stuff like that it’s easy to get caught up and just lost in this sea of just like stuff that is the end and not the means.
This isn’t about being weird, it’s about going into another state of mind. Pop music doesn’t exactly make you think with lyrics like: “get you drunk off my hump…my lovely little lumps”
(MUSIC: Black Eyed Peas)
Douglas Patterson: That’s what my music is – it’s a rejection of pop, a rejection of rock and roll…b/c it’s harsh and abrasive and it’s not a pretty thing – it’s coming from a pretty angry place.
Noise performers are challenging the notion of what music is and who qualifies as a musician. Rob Peterson is a graduate student in Art at the University of Georgia. He experiments in sound sculpture, and performs at live shows:
(MUSIC: Noise Music Performance) Robert Peterson: A lot of these shows – there’s no stage. It’s just the floor of a house. A lot of times all you can’t see the artist because they are on the floor – are you can do is hear b/c people are hovering. There is no barrier between audience and the performer. So it is this kind of mutual self expression.
But if you give music by artists like Doug Patterson a chance: Douglas Patterson: There’s an intention behind it and I’m trying to tell you something. If you take the time to get into it, the rewards will be so much more than listening to something that’s already been laid out for you.
I do want to be challenged…and for me, that’s the main difference between pop music and noise music. Without comfortable lyrics or a predictable grove, your mind works a little harder. And I like it that way.
What’s the new what? I say liquor stores are the new department stores.
“Liqa Sto Song”
These days when you go to your local corner store to buy a 99 cent bag of chips and a soda, you might end up leaving with a whole new wardrobe.
Walk into an inner-city liquor store in the San Francisco Bay Area and you’ll probably witness firsthand how huge this phenomenon has become.
“Liqa Sto Song”
D.Willz, a rapper from the Oakland , even made a song about it.
D.Willz- When you go to the mall….you got the clothes the food and shoes and everything you need is right there one stop shop…
It started with five dollar white tees, and grew into selling almost any type of clothing imaginable right there at your local neighborhood liquor store.
D.Willz- It’s cheaper you know you can go to the mall and get a pair of Jordan ’s for like what 150 you go to the liquor store you can get it for 50 bucks
And I feel much better supporting a family run business in my own community than some huge corporate run department store.
While regular people are struggling, rappers like Kia Shine are talking about spending 900 on a pair of jeans on a pair of shoes. Entertainers talking all this slick stuff are giving kids unrealistic goals and misplaced values.
Liquor stores not only make shopping more convenient, but also keep guys Leon Sykes, an Oakland resident and faithful liquor store shopper, fashionable and up to date for a reasonable price.
1:02 Nowadays it seems as if designer clothing no longer matters because the economies going down as far as pricing is rising, were in a recession so people are trying to get whatever they can get for their money.
He’s not lying. There have been countless times when the corner store has come to the rescue, like recently, when I got a call from that gorgeous girl I had been trying to kick it with.
“Let’s go to the movies” she said. As I was about to walk out the door I glanced in the mirror. I had been wearing that same black hoodie, flipped back beanie, and old white-tee for way too long. I needed to step it up, and fast. A quick walk around the corner elevated my clothing game to a new peak, with enough time to pick up my beautiful date, get my popcorn, and find a seat all the way in the back of the pitch black theater.
Woahhh dude, Tie-dye is back …But this time high-end designers are in the mix trying to make sure that tie-dye’s trip back to public consciousness isn’t a bad one. They’ve even given it chi chi name, Ombre.
TRACI (on tape) Really the definition of Ombre means to shade, to dip dye.
OLIVIA That’s Traci Peace, director of a youth fashion program called Visions of La Moda.
TRACI (on tape) The color graduates from light to dark basically. It could be a sky blue on top and as it goes down, down, down, …
OLIVIA It becomes a darker blue – like a navy. Tracy Peace got wind of the new tie-dye look from the spring and summer collections at New York Fashion Week. It was a bit of a shock.
TRACI (on tape) Unless you’re going to a Grateful Dead concert, I just would not wear tie-dye of the 1960’s.
OLIVIA Where I grew up…Berkeley, California…you don’t have to be on your way to a Dead show, to show off your old school tie-dye.
AX: Hey can you spare any leftovers for a hungry, drunk, fat kid…Spare a smile…Spare a smile… Please spare a smile…
OLIVIA Here on Telegraph Avenue, the tie-dye epicenter of Berkeley, the sidewalks are lined with vendors selling incense, political T-shirts, jewelry, and of course tie-dye. I asked a tie-dye street vendor Sam Miksell what he thinks about this symbol of 60’s radicalism becoming high fashion…
SAM (on tape) I‘ve never really heard of it but I imagine it’s just like normal tie-dye. I mean, there’s only so many ways you can dye a shirt multiple colors.
OLIVIA Well that’s not what Ombre designers want you to think. And my friend Ariel Krizack agrees. She bought a green and white Ombre dress at Forever 21.
ARIEL (on tape) Well this is definitely a cocktail dress that I bought. I don’t think it’s even comparable to something you would wear on Telegraph because you wouldn’t wear it to the same occasion whatsoever.
OLIVIA And if you’re buying Ombre from high end designers like Stella McCartney and Marc Jacobs, it’s pricey too. I recently searched the Nordstrom website and most of the Ombre clothes sell for 200 dollars or more – even small items like clutch bags and neck ties. The kind of accessories that wouldn’t be worn by stoners, you dig?
Still, Traci Peace advises all you flower children not to pull out your old tie-dye.
TRACI (on tape) I would very kindly say, give it away, throw it away. laughs
OLIVIA My friend Ariel Krizack has a kinder recommendation for those ex-hippies: ARIEL: I think it’s hella tight when people make their own tie-dye. Bring tie-dye back.
OLIVIA That’s right…my friends just started inviting me to tie-dying parties. GOOD OLD, DO it yourself tie dye….not three figure designer dip dye. But instead of sitting around with lava lamps and listening to Janis Joplin, we’ll be bumping Zion I and taking tie-dye from far out…to hella tight.
What’s the New What? Mark Anthony Waters says, gay fashion is the new straight fashion, in the ‘hood that is, and that’s what makes it new.
Anthony says he’s always had a distinctive sense of fashion…until recently that is. Now, the very same boys who teased him as a kid are jacking his style, shedding their plain blue denim and white T’s for ornamented skinny jeans and patterned shirts in every shade. In this story, Anthony explores the intersection of fashion, youth culture, and identity, reframing what it means to look tough, and reminding us that the best fashion is always dangerous.
What’s the new what? I say, gay fashion is the new straight fashion… in the hood, that is. And that’s what makes it new.
In ghetto neighborhoods in my generation, male fashion has always been about blending in. I know you’ve seen the look before: white T’s, blue jeans, and Nikes. The rapper, Keak Da Sneak, even recorded an anthem dedicated to the boring uniform of the street.
I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing the white T look. I’m all about big shiny sunglasses, sparkling necklaces, tight legged jeans…and this cute shirt I spotted at one of my favorite stories: DD’s Discounts.
TAPE: Look at this! Oh my gosh, I’ve been looking for this shirt forever… (more ambi)
The straight boys who used to whisper about me on the bus haven’t discovered DD’s yet, but they are jacking my style. It all started when artists like Kanye West, Pherrell, and Cam’ron showed up on the TV screen, suited and booted in outfits I would have picked out in middle school. Now my uber-macho nephew, AR, is raiding my closet.
AR (on tape) Tell you the truth, unc, you got swag.
ANTHONY AR loves that word swag.
AR (on tape) Swag is how you dress, it’s how you make people compliment you on everything you do, even how you walk, that’s swag.
ANTHONY I’m so proud AR doesn’t look like every other fashion reject in a white t-shirt. But standing outside my closet at home, I ask AR if he thinks my favorite new shirt is “swagalicious” (his word, not mine). It’s got a rainbow pattern and says, “I will not apologize.”
AR (on tape) (Sigh). I mean… no disrespect to the homos, but that’s not my swag.
ANTHONY No disrespect taken, cause I’ll always dress better than he does. But then I ask AR if he’d at least compliment a gay boy on a nice pair of jeans.
AR (on tape) If they do got something nice on, I will respect that, and I will let em know that. I like the jeans. ANTHONY Hearing that comforts me. But Duke University Professor Mark Anthony Neal, who writes about gender and race, isn’t so optimistic. He says straight boys might push the boundaries in terms of fashion…
PROF NEAL (on tape) But might not push those boundaries in terms of the cultures and life styles that some of those clothing styles come from. So they can dress gay in their minds, but they might not want to have friendships with gay men.
They don’t have to be friends with me… They just better realize they wanna look like me. And if ghetto fashion has always been about looking tough, there is nothing tougher than being who you are, without apologizing.
What’s the New What? This week, our story comes from Maine, where outdoor enthusiasts are enjoying the lingering warm days and going on full moon adventures in the water to wrap up the season. Molly Adams of Blunt Radio reports there’s been a sea change in Maine when it comes to how people are riding the waters.
INTRO: It’s time again to hear what’s in and what’s out from our friends at Youth Radio in the latest installment of their series What’s the New What? This week, our story comes from Maine, where outdoor enthusiasts are enjoying the lingering warm days and going on full moon adventures in the water this week (Sept 14-16) to wrap up the season. But as Molly Adams of Blunt Radio reports, there’s been a sea change in Maine when it comes to HOW people are riding the waters… SCRIPT: What is the new what? Kayaking is the new canoeing.
The open-hulled canoe is classic Americana. Boy Scouts don’t kayak…they canoe. They even get canoe badges. But lately faster, sleeker, lighter kayaks have overshadowed and outsold the heavy lumbering canoe. And who cares? Well, we Mainers do. Canoes are the Maine paddle-craft! They are part of our history.
KELLOGG: A lot of place names here in Maine, Kennebec, Penobscot, Presumpscot, Machias, they’re river names. That’s Zip Kellogg, the author of “The Whole Paddler’s Catalog.”
KELLOGG: They have names like that because the Native Americans were traveling on these rivers in their canoes mostly. My earliest memory of a canoe is falling out of it. Maybe that's why kayaks sell better. They don't tip as easily. Zip doesn’t think so.
KELLOGG: Um…Personally, I don’t think that’s true because I think the canoe does fine on its own. It’s when people get in it that things start to happen. You can see how the canoe vs kayak debate gets personal.
But preferences aside, Maine’s top paddling retailer Johnson Outdoors says kayaks are outselling canoes almost three to one.
AX: Water sounds I went to try out a kayak myself, something I haven't done in a couple years. LL BEAN GUIDE, STEVEN CUSTER: Go ahead and get in there and get your butt as far back in the seat as it will go. MOLLY: All right. (fade down here) AX: Water sounds I’m in the Harraseeket Bay in Freeport, Maine on a kayak tour. I meet Ken and Eric Desmitt there, a father-son pair from Ohio.
ERIC: Yeah. I’d rather go kayaking than canoeing.
MOLLY: Is it ‘cause it’s like, faster? ERIC: It’s easier too.
MOLLY: Now have you ever been canoeing before, Ken?
KEN: Uh, many, many years ago in the Boy Scouts. That’s the problem right there. Kids these days… they learn how to paddle in a kayak not a canoe, like the Boy Scouts did and do. Families are buying three or four kayaks a piece if they can afford it; two small or tandem kayaks for the kids, two for the adults. That’s a big shift from buying one canoe per family. And in Freeport, Maine, LL Bean’s Alice Andrenyak has canoes in stock, they’re just out-numbered.
ALICE: Recreational kayaks are significantly up in sales. This is a me boat, so people who have limited time can go out by themselves.
These “me” boats…in personalized colors like “cloud” and “sunrise”…are taking over, even as canoe sales remain steady.
In a sign of the times, an Old Town, Maine fixture “Old Town Canoes” is now called “Old Town Canoes and Kayaks.”
I feel somewhat wistful about the rise of the kayak. I like canoes. They’re kind of dorky in a slow, sweet way and you can meet a friend in the middle to share a sandwich.
Maybe in a few years, canoes will become an object of nostalgic lust and come back on top, but for now, here in Maine, kayaking is the new canoeing. Host Back Announce: Molly Adams is a reporter with Blunt Radio in Maine. That story was produced by Youth Radio.
Youth Radio’s Nico Savidge examines the trend of “slacktivism” – how internet awareness campaigns and “social” ventures offer political involvement, without offering real pathways to action.
Minneapolis-Saint Paul___Now before you get your baffled face on, let me explain.
When Youth Radio was preparing its Republican National Convention reporter team, the first question they asked us was...
Youth Radio: "How old are you?"
Ankitha: "What? I'm 18, why do you ask?"
Youth Radio: "That's good, because only journalists 18 and over are allowed into the RNC."
Seems like a lame rule, doesn't it? The obvious reason might be that only people over 18 are allowed to vote, so if there are die hard political junkie journalists who are on the younger end of the spectrum, they're denied the chance to play a vital role in this year's political process.
Much like this convention, many nightclubs across the country require partygoers to be at least 18 to enter. The resemblances don't stop there. If you've ever been to a club, I'm sure you've had interesting experiences with the huge bouncer, who guards the club doors to make sure only the "worthy" are allowed in. Similarly, the Xcel Center in St. Paul was guarded by security officers, metal detectors, and scanners. Moreover, just as you'd need to have your name on a special list, the convention requires credentials for anyone to enter the Xcel Center, and getting those credentials is tricky business if you're under 18.
Maybe it's just me, but isn't it a little weird that the RNC didn't allow journalists under 18 when they're trying so hard to appeal to the youth? And moreover, this just gives the Democrats more power, since the DNC happily welcomed underage reporters.
We spoke with folks from YPress, a media organization similar to Youth Radio headquartered in Indianapolis. They were frustrated when the RNC denied them any credentials, forcing YPress to look elsewhere for RNC coverage. And the worst thing is that they've covered both the DNC and the RNC for years now, so it's a little confusing why they weren't credentialed this time around. But the YPress team got some pretty awesome stories; they interviewed Fred Thomson, Mike Huckabee, and a few other cool cats. So take that RNC.
At the very least, Youth Radio producers reported, Youth Radio was in the “Special Press” category (under college media and weekly newspapers) handled by the GOP directly.
Listen Audio So what’s it like to be a young protester at the Democratic National Convention in Denver this week? Complicated. That’s because some young organizers and activists are trying to craft critical messages while trying to harness the positive energy of Obama-supporters. Youth Radio’s Martin Macias reports how that conflict is appearing on the streets of Denver among protesters. Read It
ATLANTA_We have a lot of SUVs in my "in-town" neighborhood of Atlantic Station. All the roads were built by the State Department of Transportation and are classified as highways stemming from the Interstate -- implying very high speeds and a lack of pedestrian involvement.
This is the “urban lifestyle” toted by many developers as what it’s truly like in a city. Many new glittering high-rises offer more parking than their predecessors and their ground-level retail contains many chains commonly associated with a mall food court.
To bring people into our cities we have to offer them the comfort reminders of their old suburban lifestyles instead of their new urban one. McMansions catering to those who can’t downsize their square footage and roads must be wider to accommodate their habitual car habits. When you compare old in-town neighborhoods such as Inman Park or Candler Park to their newer counterparts of Atlantic Station and Dupont Commons you notice the loss of community and more pronounced sense of mass production. Anything created on such a scale would be considered "in-organic growth," likely found in the suburbs.
I’ve always been able to spot OTP (Outside the Perimeter) from ITP (Inside the Perimeter) people, and quite frankly I don’t want any OPT’ers in my neighborhood. They would just buy a nice cottage, demolish it, build some monstrosity out of Better Homes and Garden then “attempt” to parallel park their Hummer out front.
My parents are still OTP in a sense. They drive a little more than they should and they aren’t very involved in community affairs. Despite my pleas to petition our neighborhood to listen to the needs of it’s residents and opposed to its customers, which is run like a shopping mall.
Now don’t think I don’t appreciate older, more pro-active suburban neighborhoods that reign in growth and promote more efficient lifestyles. It’s just that there aren’t many in the metro Atlanta region, a region that before 1950 didn’t even exist. It’s all one large, pre-fabricated subdivision.
Jesse Budlong is a native of Atlanta, Georgia currently studying Urban Planning at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
There are TONS of parallels between Thai food and dishes from different Latino cuisines including Mexican, Peruvian, and Colombian. Even the spicy, sour and sweet flavor profiles are similar. My aunt started cooking Thai at home—and she didn’t even need to buy new spices!” Youth Radio LA’s Evelyn Martinez says the newest hot spot for Latinos in LA isn’t the taquerÃa, it’s the neighborhood Thai restaurant.
Let’s face it, conversations that used to be conducted through private e-mail exchanges are now posted for all to see on Facebook walls. Clothing that used to simply imply “I’m better than you” now actually says “I’m better than you”.
It’s gotten out of hand. For my generation, sharing information is no big deal. I no longer hesitate when I type my phone number and detailed plans for the evening on social networking sites. In fact, sending information through private channels has become unheard of, even out of style. The last time I gota Facebook message (the equivalent to an e-mail), I expected it to be SUPER juicy, since only I would be able to access it. I thought the message would at least include a social security number, or perhaps a dirty comment about a backstabbing friend. Instead, the message was just a simple “what’s up” – this secretive “hello” almost offended me. I mean, who sends a hello message and doesn’t make it public? When wallposts that say things like “I went to this show last night and got so drunk, and then I hooked up with some hot guy named Jake and we spent 14 dollars at the hookah bar on Mission…” what’s left to send as a private message?
So I was in Mars yesterday, a vintage store on Telegraph Ave in Berkeley, CA, and went over to their collection of super adorable aprons. I actually had been eyeing them for a while. I don’t cook that often – and when I do I never wear an apron. But these kitchen garments didn’t look like they belonged anywhere near the oil and grease.
A lot of them were flounced and see-through, with delicate colors like light yellows and pinks. Some of them had pockets and flowery designs. Sifting through the clothing racks, my eyes landed on a navy, sheer apron with red and green lining and flowered pattered pockets. It was love at first sight and was way too cute to be hidden by a kitchen counter.
When I told my friend that I planned to wear it outside of the home, she suggested I wrap it around a black skirt. So today I put on a knee length black dress and tied my new apron around my waist. I bought it for 16 dollars, which may be a little pricey for a place like Mars – but there were others in the rack that went for as low as 8 dollars. It was great find and a trendy fashion statement (The compliments from my co-workers let me know).
I know I look like a throw-back. My mother was one of the first girls to wear pants to school back in the 1960’s. So why am I reverting to 1950’s housewife fashion? Honestly, I just like the look. I didn’t wear my apron to set a new trend, but if a Domestic-Goddess style comes out of it, so be it. If my bold fashion statement has inspired you in anyway, go ahead and rock an apron of your own.
Girls kissing girls has been “hot” for a while – but recently musicians have gotten hip to the trend and started releasing girl-on-girl themed songs. One that stands out in my memory is T Pain’s “My Girl Got a Girlfriend”.
“My girl got a girlfriend, I just found out but it's aight as long as I can be with her too. My girl got a girlfriend it really is not a problem cuz I'ma make it do what it do. Cuz havin two chicks is better than no chicks I'd rather just join in, keep my girl and keep the other one too.”
“I kissed a girl and I liked it…It's not what, good girls do, Not how they should behave.”
People seem to either love or hate the new girl-on-girl song trend, and I tend to side with the latter. My frustration has nothing to do with opposition to girls being with girls, but rather, the way in which bi and lesbian women are portrayed in the media. As someone who identifies as bi-sexual, I find it offensive to hear a guy talking about how excited he is that his girl’s got a girlfriend, and how that means he will automatically get to be with two girls. Likewise, it bothers me that Kate Perry, who apparently isn’t bi, and has never actually kissed a girl, repeats over and over that she kissed a girl and misbehaved. Unsurprisingly, I was even more offended by her other biggest hit, “Ur So Gay (and you don’t even like boys)”.
When asked in an interview whether she thought the song might be offensive to her gay listeners, Kate Perry responded “I think when everyone hears it, they’ll laugh. It’s very funny and positive and kitsch…”
Offensive or not, the song has spurred a lot of great dialogue among young people. If you skim comments about the video or lyrics there's responses such as:
"I'm sick of this bisexuality crap, it's all along the same lines as that Tila Tequila show...it's just for guys to beat off to, it is horrible representation for gays and lesbians..."
and even: "I love this song. Not the best, lyrically. But hey - its different. Its not too often you hear songs about homosexuality/bisexuality on the radio. Our generation is more open and accepting that previous ones, and now the music is starting to reflect that."
Its true, the fact that major recording studios are accepting lyrics about girls kissing girls is progressive, now we just have to wait to see how long it takes them to promote a song featuring two guys getting it on.
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