How Do I Know if I’m Being Annoying About My Art Degree?
On my way back from The Devils Wears Prada 2 I heard a bunch of bros on the train measuring each other’s dicks trying to one up each other of who they knew in theatre industry, what they’ve done, where they’ve done it, complaining about the lack of 35 or 40 under subsidized programs at theatre companies. Oh you know the playwright? He knows the playwright (cue Slayyyter). Were these men just using their education given tools of projection or were they boisterously talking about the woman director they went to Yale with at 10PM Friday on the 2 train to make sure they somehow got the credit for her prestigious work and for the train to hear their esteem.
Now keep this train scene in mind while I take you back. All the way back to middle and high school where I had un-toned bleach blonde hair, thick eye makeup, and a choppy swoop meant for the scene kids. By the grace of my parents, they took us to see Warped Tour in Milwaukee most summers at the Summerfest grounds where I would see bands like Alesana, The Devil Wears Prada, Forever the Sickest Kids, Millionaires, and my favorite band Paramore for the first time albeit with a gross boy that the only reason I had a “crush” on was because I could tell he wanted to make out with me and figured I guess that’s what I’m supposed to do as a teenage girl. Yeah, comphet was a bitch. Growing pains as a lesbian who didn’t know it haunt me everywhere, you and I can’t escape it, not even this article, but I digress.
Hayley Williams of Paramore at Warped Tour Scranton 2011
Vans Warped Tour was a United States wide tour founded by Kevin Lyman going state by state during the summer, showcasing lineups of music that you would see on Steven’s Untitled Rock Show. If you don’t know Steven’s Untitled Rock Show then I fear it’s a you had to be there situation, but imagine the scene and emo kids singing their hearts out to AFI’s “Miss Murder,” My Chemical Romance’s “Helena,” Paramore’s “Emergency,” Fall Out Boy, Blink-182, and I can say we’re just about painting the picture for you. Vans Warped Tour was the holy land for emo and scene kids with every band you’re obsessed with in one day surrounded by people who looked like you and understood you.
Now that you know it was the crème de la crème if you will of the emo scene community, you can imagine the privilege of being able to go every summer and man, little me had an urge to be accepted and burning desire to make sure everyone knew I was a cool, little scene girl. I remember a trip to Hot Topic with a friend, looking at the black and white checkered Vans backpacks and very loudly talking about how I liked the bag but based on past Warped Tours I’ve been to I simply could not get it for this summer’s and risk getting things stolen. The people of Hot Topic had to know and I had something to prove as a 13 year old girl just like those 30 year old men on the 2 train that evening. Of course there is no shame in my game growing up as a teenager in the early 2000s but 30 year old men acting like a 13 year old girl? I’d consider that embarrassing. As once an insecure little scene girl and an ex opera singer with a resonator built to fill an entire theatre hall, I can promise you there’s a difference between projection, projecting, and insecure men who need to prove themselves on a train in Manhattan.
Writer: Karlye Whitt
Editor-in-Chief: Karlye Whitt
