Comments on: When did China get so damn cool?

By: chip

chip — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 08:47:31 +0000

You can always depend on the dumbness of teenagers. Or was that kindness of strangers? I think I got the quote mixed up.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 02:05:25 +0000

The anti-mainstream are always a minority — by definition. But to say that China’s youth culture isn’t changing and flourishing is foolish and, to borrow your metaphor, you must be wearing some fairly dark glasses not to see it.

This isn’t about China becoming Westernized — this is about China’s youth developing freedom of expression.

By: Ilan

Ilan — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 22:54:52 +0000

Unfortunately, Ryan, This is a tiny unfelt minority. You must also admit to that. You, as many other foreigner in China, tend to look at the reality around through your own rosy glasses with way too much wishful thinking. If you’ll stick around for another decade or so, you’ll see that China will remain China, no matter how much western hopes you pour unto it.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 03:30:41 +0000

I don’t think there’s any more “authenticity” in the teacher worship – it’s completely utilitarian and drilled in by over-ambitious parents who see their children as their future pension earners.

Bottom-line, no one is cool without a brain in their can and I’m certainly not connecting coolness with being able to buy a new style of clothes.

What these kids are doing, whether they realize it or not, is paving a bit of a path for other people to go their own way and not conform to what their parents, teachers or culture dictates they “should”.

By: otron

otron — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 02:31:59 +0000

I think that the textbook/teacher-worship has much more authenticity and is therefore much cooler than the fashion-accessory grab bag that some of these kids go for.

Maybe China will have its own nerd revival just like Western culture.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 04:51:39 +0000

I tend to agree with Avi, it’s not what they’re saying or worrying that China’s going to be over-run with dumb punks that is important – it’s that it’s a breeding ground for difference and defiance.

By: Avi

Avi — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 04:37:47 +0000

i am always excited to see kids break out of the norm. here in GZ we got some great local punk bands coming out who may not have much to say other than ‘tiu lei ma’ right now, but in my opinion that one hell of a start!

By: KX

KX — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 18:03:09 +0000

Sadly these people are the kind of “Brain-lacking”, or “Nao can”. I wouldn’t want to see China being famous of having a diverse group of these post-90 spoiled kids who spend their parents’ money and think that they are “the world”.