March 14, 2021

"Every so often, a TikTok comes along that physically debilitates me. Sometimes it’s... an overwhelming, full-body gut punch..."

"...one that’s triggered by a deep sense of emotional recognition. It could be embarrassment, fear, or stress. Or it could be positive: excitement, pride, joy..."

Writes Emilia Petracha in "What Will You Wear on the First Day of the Rest of Your Life?" (New York Magazine). Here's the TikTok she's talking about:

@jayden_the_weeb1

♬ original sound - Jayden_the_weeb1

"My heart breaks for Jayden that he hasn’t been able to be in school this whole time, presumably because of the pandemic.... [I]n a way, we’re all relearning what it’s like to exist in the world again. I’m even asking myself similar existential questions: Who do I want to be?... How do I make myself look hot so that boys will like me?? Every time the seasons change, I feel an acute need for a makeover.... [P]eople on Instagram [are] concerned with looking good for social reentry: high heels, corsets, miniskirts, and 'slutty going-out tops' — an aesthetic one person described as 'vaxx summer hookerwear,' which I support.... They’re not concerned with what’s trendy or tasteful. Instead, they want to wear what’s most colorful and fun and expressive of their personality.... Lately, I’ve been trying to introduce some sunnier colors into my wardrobe, namely lavender. I couldn’t explain why, but then this week, while Googling grieving rituals in different societies, I learned that historically it’s been a color that people wear when they’re emerging from a period of solemnity."

ADDED: No one's had any feedback in so long. Maybe there will be all sorts of amazing variety as everyone makes their big comeback. This kid is getting it right as he sees it. Everyone has his own vision. Will there be a great blossoming of individuality, or will people quickly move to pleasing each other with fabulous new enthusiasm?

33 comments:

I'm Full of Soup said...

My goddaughter and her husband are teachers at suburban Philly private schools. Both schools have pretty much been in-person teaching since October. As a result, both also have waiting list of applicants from frustrated parents of kids in the public schools.

The media has pretty much ignored reporting on that contrast.

I Have Misplaced My Pants said...

Let me be the first to point out that “social reentry” is only a thing for those who choose to make it a thing.

I will say that when my dragass church FINALLY starts worshipping in the sanctuary again (it’s been outside all this time) in a couple of weeks I need to get some things to wear. I didn’t bother to go to the parking lot worship services (I don’t participate in bullshit and that was a full on truckload of bullshit capitulation to the overly emotional, underly rational Karens who perhaps are not as assured of their salvation and God’s sovereignty as they could be) and I have regrettably gained some so my church wardrobe needs some spiffing up.

(My herpes is fine because hey that’s the price you pay for being a hookup slut but I’m terrified of covid wardrobe is ok, though.)

Shouting Thomas said...

While I sympathize with the kid because my grandkids have been going through the same thing, he’s incredibly fat.

His bigger problem is getting control of that or he’s going to suffer a lifetime of diabetes and physical disability.

Lurker21 said...

More or less what they used to say about great art.

tim maguire said...

I’ve started dressing up for zoom meetings because I was never wearing my nice clothes. They’ve just sat in the closet. I got an expensive pair of leather gloves from my wife for Christmas because I’m building a classic “age with grace” wardrobe, but haven’t taken them out of the package yet because I have nowhere to wear them.

Yancey Ward said...

My oldest sister's two kids have been on home learning now for a year. Now, they are extremely intelligent teenagers and home-schooling works for them because their parents are outstanding ones, but my niece, the oldest of the two, is a senior in high school. She has missed what I consider very important formative years of social development. I worry for her as she goes off to college this Fall. What we have done to the children in our panic borders on criminal. They are going to pay for our foolishness.

DavidUW said...

I'm sure this stupid bitch supported the lockdowns.

Rather than turning this into something all about herself, she should abjectly apologize for supporting this idiot facemasklockdown religion, repent and loudly advocate immediate and complete opening of everything.

Idiot.

JAORE said...

My daughter (under 40) and her two HS kids are scared of Covid like it has a 99 percent mortality rate rather than a 99 percent survival rate for their cohorts.

Their school allowed parents to choose if kids go back to class.

Heaven forbid they cried.

The older child is smart as a whip, as they say. She's a senior now and just pulled a D in math. She's always been good in math.

My daughter now fears she may not graduate on time.

She does not seem to have identified a correlation.

richlb said...

My son is going to in-person instruction a week from Monday. We moved to a new home last year in early March just as things shut down. Because of that it's his first time ever in this new school with all new kids he has only seen online. It will be quite uncomfortable for him, but he is excited to go.

Tina Trent said...

Church isn’t about where it’s held or if the (anti-white woman slur) Karens are in control, Pants. Either you worship God or you don’t. The example you set isn’t about their rules: it’s about loving God. I am a sinner and God loves me. The rest is irrelevant, right? Don’t bring politics to Church, even if others do. You be the example. Including the kindness part. You don’t know their private lives. You don’t know their flaws. And they don’t know yours. Be kind. Be decent. Ignore small things.

It works.

gilbar said...

scared of Covid like it has a 99 percent mortality rate rather than a 99 percent survival rate

i decided a few years back; that Today's Problem, is that there aren't enough Problems

Covid is THE MOST DANGEROUS disease on the planet, If you've had NO experience with disease
Climate Change is THE MOST DANGEROUS thing; EVER! if you've had no experience with things
Systematic Racist is THE MOST DANGEROUS racism, EVER! if you've had no experience with racism
white people are THE MOST DANGEROUS people, EVER! if you've had no experience with people
and, finally; modern foreign relations are THE MOST DANGEROUS, EVER! if you've had no experience

gilbar said...

Tina? IF you were a Christian... You'd probably realize that Christianity is about Communion

MacMacConnell said...

The kid is dress appropriately. He dresses like an adult, of course adults haven't dress like actual adults for decades. Also see illegals crossing the border.

madAsHell said...

Oh.....the article is written by a woman. I never would have guessed.

I Have Misplaced My Pants said...

Church isn’t about where it’s held or if the (anti-white woman slur) Karens are in control, Pants. Either you worship God or you don’t. The example you set isn’t about their rules: it’s about loving God. I am a sinner and God loves me. The rest is irrelevant, right? Don’t bring politics to Church, even if others do. You be the example. Including the kindness part. You don’t know their private lives. You don’t know their flaws. And they don’t know yours. Be kind. Be decent. Ignore small things.

It works.


Thank you for the helpful lecture. A few notes:

--I will use any "slur" that I please

--Either you worship God or you worship your own panicky bullshit attempts at self-preservation

--My church was organized purportedly to worship God and yet its decisions reflect worship of self preservation which means it has tipped into heresy and I have every right to be alarmed and angry about this

--Pretending bullshit is truth is not kindness, it is cowardice

mikee said...

Calling the Church Ladies (Dana Carvey wasn't wrong) by the newer appelation of "Karens" ignores the basis of the power of the Church Ladies - Divinely Inspired, Self-Assigned Righteousness. Karens have only mere self-assigned righteousness, without so much as capital letters, let alone divine backing. Thus I approve of the the dismissal of "Karens" as a slur when used instead of the more correct "Church Ladies" in this comment thread.

If we're going to have an argument about God, religious worship thereof, and church participants who act like idiots yet assume control of things, let's start without making the mistake of secularizing our hate for the dingbats involved.

Jeff Brokaw said...

From the article: “It might sounds ridiculous — like I’m acting the same way as I did as a vulnerable, awkward sixth-grader — but in a way, we’re all relearning what it’s like to exist in the world again.”

No, “we” aren’t. YOU are.

And it does sound ridiculous, she’s right about that.

mikee said...

That kid is one well dressed young fella. Here's hoping his school return is spectacularly successful and that he enjoys every moment of his time there, and learns enough to succeed in his future endeavors, whatever they may be.

I doubt school will support his efforts in a useful manner.

Jeff Brokaw said...

Seems to me, if you’ve been hiding from the world to that extent, your issues might be bigger than choosing outfits for your grand re-entrance.

What’s on the inside is A LOT more important than what’s on the outside.

RigelDog said...

I feel for this boy. Kids obsess over going back to school, what to wear, etc. regardless of pandemic. I don't miss being that age.

farmgirl said...

This kid may be a bit round, but kids usually chub up before a growth spurt. He’s getting ready to shoot up.

Our churches opened in person last June. Not to full capacity, but our shrinking Catholic congregation is sincerely grateful for community, Communion and the physical effort it does take to keep holy the Sabbath. Today’s homily was on how we must not see as the Pharisees -
hmmmm, see is in Pharisee- b/c they only saw the faults of others, blind to their own sin- rather, preferring to gossip and judgement of others. We need to be blind as to rely on God for His sight. Father did a great job. He’s very young- 34, I think. He loves the cold and snow and changing seasons so different from India.

Lurker21 said...

"Karen" is secular and at most middle aged. Church lady is equally censorious, but older and religious. Karen wants to talk to your manager. Church lady just wants to whisper rumors about you behind your back. A generation or two back, Church lady could have reported you to the authorities. Today, she knows the authorities aren't on her side. Karen also tends to be pushy, materialistic, and concerned with her own physical appearance in way that Churchy lady isn't.

Will there be a great blossoming of individuality, or will people quickly move to pleasing each other with fabulous new enthusiasm?

Nothing much is going to change. When COVID is beaten we aren't even going to be able to celebrate by gathering in crowds and grabbing and kissing random people in the street (for several reasons).

farmgirl said...

The above cited definition of Karen is as constructed as- today’s culture.
But... whatever

Temujin said...

Or you may be living in Florida where life hasn’t stopped and the kids are in school.

DavidUW said...

Nothing much is going to change. When COVID is beaten we aren't even going to be able to celebrate by gathering in crowds and grabbing and kissing random people in the street (for several reasons).
>>
COVID will never be beaten unless/until there is mass (un)civil disobedience.

Kathryn51 said...

Will there be a great blossoming of individuality, or will people quickly move to pleasing each other with fabulous new enthusiasm?

This is my fervent prayer. All of the younger generation forced to hide behind masks became a mandated uniform. The entire lower face hidden such that we became indistinguishable from one another. I'm hoping they will recognize the value the individual rather than the collective. Non-conformity more than conformity. Individual acts of kindness more than public virtue-signaling.

It starts with culture/fashion. We shall see.

MadisonMan said...

His bigger problem is getting control of that or he’s going to suffer a lifetime of diabetes and physical disability.
He will slim up as he goes through puberty. I'd bet money on that.

Sebastian said...

"No one's had any feedback in so long."

Huh? What do you mean, no one? Many states have been open for quite some time, and even in the closed ones rebellious citizens have successfully evaded prog oppression. Jeez.

But it is true, of course, that the Party of Science, in actuality the Party of Teachers Unions, has grossly oppressed and disadvantaged American children. Their outfits are the least of it.

stlcdr said...

I’m sure we are going to go through a lot of issues in the next few years, and it will be made political that only the [democrat controlled] government can solve. Of corse, it will be blamed on republicans.

EAB said...

Am I unusual? Once things opened up (beyond “essential”) here in NYC, I have shopped for clothes, etc. as I did before. Which is not that much to begin with, but I didn’t and don’t avoid stores. My clothing choices were unaffected. Our church was one of the very few that returned to live worship in late June/early July. Because we have a senior pastor who made the decision and led the staff to proper preparations and compliance with guidance and restrictions. I’m not aware of a single case of COVID resulting from those gatherings. And, yes, we sing. Wearing masks. But we sing. The biggest difference is we used to gather for a meal together after services upstairs in our fellowship hall. Most people stayed for the meal. Now we simply gather outside on the street corner drinking coffee.

Birches said...

Woman navel gazing...yawn.

Birches said...

The kid was alright, but I can't imagine buying a pair of Jordans for my kids. So expensive and at that age, he'll barely wear them before they get too small.

Black Bellamy said...

I would like to point out this woman needs serious help. She is viewing random short-form videos on the internet and experiencing severe physical symptoms. She's debilitated from the gut punches and so distraught that her heart is actually broken. I feel we should be talking about this tick-tokking time-bomb rather than that teenager, who I suspect will be just fine.