Today's Urban "Creativity" - Part I

By Lawrence Raysor

Part I
Creativity has become a lost art form. Yes people, I did just refer to the act of coming up with something artistic, yet new, as an art form. Unfortunately, we see it in today’s urban society more than anywhere. This is where an old man would normally lean back in a rocking chair, show off his eight remaining teeth, and let out a throaty, “Hmph! Back in my day…” The truth of the matter is, however, I was born in the 80‘s and “my day” is still going on right now, and I’m somewhat ashamed to be apart of it.

Let’s just take a look at some of the “creativity” we have going on out here now. Where should we start? How about the guys with the “Look, Mom, my jeans are tighter than my girlfriend’s” trend that has started up in urban fashion? It’s bad enough that the jeans look tight enough to have been “painted on,” - thanks B.I.G.- they’re also being worn with these rhinestone-studded and extravagant belts. Don’t get me wrong the belts are cool, in fact they were cool for a while, except of course when guys were wearing the rhinestone-studded name belts (check your closet before you laugh). Today, however, these tight jeans rest below the butt. These “look at me look at me” belts, therefore, do nothing but call attention to, that’s right you guessed it, an underwear -clad butt. Notice I said, “underwear-clad,” - usually something tight, unfortunately - and I bet some of you are wondering how I know this. The shirts are second cousins to the “belly shirts” that the hot girls in school would get called into the office for on those “it’s close to summer vacation so let’s test the rules and the boys with our skin” days. Those were the days…I digress. These tight t-shirts that the guys sporting are being worn just high enough to show what looks like two footballs wrapped in a scarf. I beg you, whoever you are, if you’re going to change or add anything to this style, please do NOT do anything to the underwear; just cover it up. Lord knows I don’t want to get to know any of these men any more than I have already. So that includes wearing thongs, g-strings, fishnets, going commando, wearing lace, boy cut shorts (don’t let the name fool you guys) etc. If you would like to do this on your own time I have no problem with it, but the public forum is not the place to express yourself in such a manner; on this I will not budge. Notice the seriousness in my literary voice.

I’m not questioning the creativity involved in men showing off more of their body parts, away from the beach. I can see where someone might view that as creative; I’m just guessing that someone would have on an oversized and faded powder blue t-shirt with the pen pocket on the left side of what appears to be a converted v-neck t-shirt. Trust me, I can understand that. I don’t mind the loud colors that I’ve seen in urban fashion, either: some people are wearing bright red and thick socks; some people are wearing neon green shirts with loud designs on them or witty phrases like, “I heart pu**y” and on the back it says, “ASPCA - Kitten attendant;” some people are wearing high-top purple sneakers with sun- ray- yellow laces; some people are wearing sky-blue trucker hats with really cool names like “Big Dan”; and of course some people are wearing the “Afghan” pashmina’s with a black and yellow checkered pattern. Wait, all of that was on one guy, not some people. Sorry, I guess the combination confused me and my mind registered many people and not one person; my bad people. Anyway, I get it, we’ve taken the “think outside the box” idea to a whole new level. I don’t even mind that the clothes are tighter. I definitely don’t mind the big, thick-frame glasses and the hats with the flipped- up bills. I don’t mind the big bucket hats, gold chains, jackets with the sleeves pushed up, crazy designs in the hair, and the black shades with the thick frames. Some of you might see where this is going, for the rest of you allow me to start the second bus: there’s a reason I don’t mind any of it…I was born in the era where it was actually C-R-E-A-T-E-D! Walking the streets of New York has turned into one big college campus where the theme for every party is “80’s Fashion”. Where’s the creativity in that? Is that really “your” style?

I could easily introduce an alternative to stealing 80’s fashion, but that would be too much like the right thing to do. Plus, we don’t need a million Lawrence Raysor look-a-like’s walking around here, even if it would make the world a beautiful place. There I go again, I’m drifting. I’m just saying, there has to be a better way to wear clothing. If we’re using the clothing to express ourselves, let’s do just that rather than using how someone else expressed him/herself in the past to do so. I believe in you urban America, bring the creativity back please!



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