The amount of weirdass revisionist history Iâve seen being spread about scene culture by 12-year-olds who just learned the word âsceneâ a month ago is making me mad af as someone who actually grew up during that time. Letâs talk about this shit.
âOMG SCENE KIDS DIDNâT WEAR KANDI!! KANDI IS FOR POSERS!!!â Scene culture was derived from the aesthetics of multiple alt subcultures, including ravers and kandi kids. There was even a controversy around Hot Topic selling premade kandi in the early 2010s, which got a lot of scene kids upset because it went against PLUR. Scene kids absolutely wore kandi.
âSCENE KIDS DONâT WEAR CHARACTER MERCH!!! INVADER ZIM IS FOR POSERS!!!â One of the many reasons scene was looked down upon as an alternative subculture at its peak was because it was based more on pop culture and brands than music. Invader Zim, Domo, Tokidoki, Hello Kitty, and Skelanimals were all heavily associated with scene culture at the time (and basically anything Hot Topic was selling; most scene kids were mall rats back in the day).
âSCENE KIDS WERENâT MAXIMALIST, THEIR OUTFITS WERE MINIMAL!!! IF YOU WEAR RAINBOW OUTFITS YOUâRE A POSER!!!â Because scene culture was based on aesthetics, there was never a defined âlookâ. Some scene kids just wore graphic tees and black skinny jeans and some wore neon tutus, knee socks, and character hoodies layered over patterned shirts with 5 necklaces and 3 studded belts.
âSCENECORE IS A FAKE GENRE!!! IF YOU CALL YOURSELF SCENECORE YOUâRE A POSER!!!â The term âscenecoreâ existed back in the early 2000s, typically used by emos and metalheads to disparage genres associated with scene culture (crunkcore, metalcore, etc). Itâs not a new term by any means.
âYOUâRE NOT DOING SCENE RIGHT!!! YOUâRE A POSER!!!â Okay, Iâm gonna hold your hand for this last point.
Scene is a poser aesthetic. If you identify with the scene subculture and call yourself scene, you are a poser by default.
Scene was never a respected subculture, especially at its peak in the mid to late 2000s. The term âscene queenâ originated as a derogatory term for girls who would go to emo and metal concerts, not out of love for the music and culture, but as an excuse to dress up, party all night, and try to hook up with the band members. Scene culture co-opted the visual aesthetics of other established subcultures (primarily emos and ravers) but didnât associate with any of them. Scene was the only subculture of its time that prioritized clothing, brands, looks, and attention over music. Scene kids at the time were seen as catty, cliquish, materialistic, drama-obsessed, and fake.
Trying to barge into a subculture you know nothing about and make up fake ârulesâ to boost your own elitist ego is one thing, but itâs especially stupid coming from people who call themselves âscene kidsâ. If you knew anything about the culture, youâd know thereâs no actual right or wrong way to be scene. âReal sceneâ vs âfake sceneâ doesnât exist, never has, and never will.
stormborns
yousharknotpass
vaporwave
andulkaphoto
areudirty
origamiaround
