First a 'mainstream subculture'. What's next?

With all these talks of indie going big and a popularised rise of a new bunch of 'indiekids', some people already in the scene loath the thoughts as being absolutely in contrary of the original idea of turning to the independent scene in the first place. Labels go wild again alongside new trends that are not supposed to be trends initially -- and are we not confused enough?

THIS SHORT BREAK they're giving us is very fulfilling, though being quite packed. Rarely do I find this time of the year as interesting, or to some extent, exciting. But it has been that way, even for the first early weeks of the year, so I guess I'm very glad to go with the flow.

To go with that, it is suddenly the season, again, to lament about some bands going mainstream, or your (once) favourite fashion label getting very overrated. That, and maybe a particular trend that I observe and appreciate being hit by a bigger crowd that looks very confused.

I get all these above, usually, from Syith -- who whines a lot but will in the end makes a point, the last time being our insomniac early birds nasi lemak session down at Kg. Baru -- and also from some other people with raging thoughts. At his arguments I would be incredulous at first, before virtually agreeing. And then maybe it's time to observe the reality.

Trends are one of those things that are confusing me a lot right now. Other things include J.Co's sinful doughnuts and people who always sound deadly horrible when they pick up the phone, but really, those are other things. However trends are ultimately bound to have followers -- which makes the whole 'trend' thing beats anyway -- and they are really meant to be followed. But who is to judge what is to be followed and who is following?

Even doughnuts are becoming a stressful trend. You have one column in a magazine saying that it's lustful and you'll have a long queue barging for another defined taste of something you've already known. And people do got the money flowing nowadays, as DSLRs worth thousands of ringgit now can be regarded as only 'accessories' to be 'slung' on your shoulders (?). So does that leaves pretty pictures to be captured using tiny sleek handphones while you're carrying this black, bulky thing around, or am I just wrong?

Once upon a time, at least two or three years back, I'm one of those guys who were very thankful for the presence of Topman in this cruel world. I'm always a minimalist in fashion, and back then, Topman was very desirably minimal, in a way, and I favour their clothes a lot. To carry that zesty lime green bag was something, but that was in the heydays.

Quiksilver survived and Zara brought along (finally) Pull and Bear, but Topman went down the drain with its overrated pity fate to be shared with its confused wearers. I still regard brands top-notch in choosing what I wear, but once you have these weird people wearing what they don't even know, you'll know that it is time to get off the bandwagon. We can hope for Gap, FCUK and Banana Republic don't go the way Topman did locally, or else I'll resort for independent clothing fully altogether.

Blogs have found their way into this jagged 'trend' too. For some blogs to be commercialised is not wrong, but the misinterpretation of blogs is something I cannot really tolerate. Ignorant views of non-bloggers defining blogs as diaries are something that I always have wanted to correct from time to time.

The fact that some bloggers made their blogs as their daily journals is true, and it is not wrong either. But to generalise all bloggers as diarists is very idiotic. It shows shallow general knowledge or the habit of interpreting things to a simpler (but wrong) comparison in some people, especially non-bloggers. Blogs are very large in definition. So if you have this certain types of people who are trying their best in 'catching up', but at the same time they're not appreciating (or more so, enjoying) what they're doing, it will practically mess things up.

And I'm not even getting to the music part. But I will leave that to the pros (that is, the enthusiasts) as they really do have many things to talk about.

It's all in the matter of self-opinion and defining attitudes. If you're still confused, it's as simple as this. You don't have to skate if you don't like to skate. And you don't have to change that if anybody else is skating, because you know you won't be appreciating that. I don't drag people into buying DSLRs and capturing pictures, or for clarity's sake, expecting people to love the art of building as much as I do, or, seriously, asking anybody else to wear green because I love that bloody color so much.

Appreciating and enjoying are the cores of doing basically anything. I don't enjoy wearing skinny jeans, as I don't think I will pull the look off, so I don't wear them even if it is such a freaking hit. I don't appreciate hardcore, more so metal music, but I don't force myself to listen to them even if my good friends are listening to them. I appreciate visual and performing art, but that doesn't mean I have to open the topic on a table of people who have zero knowledge about it. I enjoy blogging, for fuck's sake, that why I blog!

We don't have to be semua boleh, as we are given options. We can try out new things, but that doesn't mean that we have to like everything we try. So I heard a lot of people saying that 'they're becoming something they're not' -- then don't! Seriously, when some people utter 'get a life' to you, do pinpoint it accordingly. I am seriously not going to live my life over anybody else's decisions.

So with this 'indie going big', I do think that there's something contradictorily wrong with the phrase. Something redundant like 'a cili api that's not spicy' or, say, 'Islam Hadhari'. Indie goers have scornfully paid thanks to Hujan and Kami The Series for the past few months, while contemptibly welcoming indecisive newbies in the local scene.

While they are criticised for not being 'sharing' enough, the very intent independent local scene followers have barred the mainstream followers as 'non-appreciative' of the sounds and sights they are trying to embrace. It's the situation nowadays which shows no sign of receding.

The focal question is always about how fast indie is not becoming what it is supposed to be -- independent. And for all these other 'trends', you may try and you may choose, but don't fall as a victim.

PICTURES 1 Zip Zieller, performing at Bingit! at MCPA Hall, January 26 2008. 2 Exhibits at Jerit fest, at MTC KL, September 1 2007 More Updates on Pictures at Flickr.