Talking problems over.

[mirrille]

RE, I noticed that.

I have some relatives who live in the Southern US, so I've been there to visit. People seem alot more into touching and hugging there. I got to meet some rather distant relatives while there and the first thing they did was give me a big hug. From each person! Of course I hug them back because I already figured it would be rude to refuse. It took me off guard at first because the first thing that came to my head was "woah! I don't even know you people! And we are not THAT closely related. (by marriage)" I think it's funny because I come from Western Canada, which is supposedly where people tend to like keeping their personal space alot more, plus my culture is one where people aren't that physically demonstrative. Some of these were male relatives too. I noticed that I wasn't entirely comfortable with that. It just felt weird and unnatural. But it all came down to upbringing and what I was used to. I haven't hugged my own brother since I was a little kid and here I was getting a big hug from some distant male cousin.
That's the reason I mentioned upbringing. Sometimes its just amazing how these little cultural differences can give such a different feel to a place.

[StrawberryIcecream]

I live in England and judging by all the American teen movies, we are a lot more polite over here. Then again i have no right to judge when i havent seen american teens in real life. Most of my friends swear but i always make a conscious effort not to and most of us dont really care what's cool or not. We are kind of the 'unusual group' of my class. For instance a couple of us are OBSESSED with LotR and each of us has our own individual likes. Though i'm called weird every day for likin the x files and The Pogues - an irish punkband.

We all tend to hug each other. Not excessively every time we meet but when one of us is going a way for a while or when weve just made up aftert a fight. We certainly dont think its gay. Its just friendly.

As for gay and fag, one of the other groups uses them a lot! Then again that is also the group which smokes and takes drugs, which i think speaks for itself. Anyway, now i've bored you with my experience of my fellow teens.... i'm going to weigh myself. Dunno why really.

[Rosie-Lass]

I totally agree with you, Strawberry, we are unusual!
The group that uses 'fag' tend to say it as 'faggot' and I find this funy, because they are in fact making a referance to fuel for a fire!
I have another set of friends who hug a lot more. We're generally a lot more open but, then again, we have known each other for seven years, so.
I, too have never heard hugging being called 'gay' but boys who I speak to generally think it's weird. Chuh, men! (j/k, all you men out there).

[Darth Tater]

I would NOT base a view on any country on their pop culture!

[emplynx]

Originally posted by StrawberryIcecream
The Pogues - an irish punkband.

I love punk, where can I hear thier music?

[Darth Tater]

YOU love punk emplynx? I am very very scared.

[emplynx]

Originally posted by Darth Tater
YOU love punk emplynx? I am very very scared.

Why, punk music is great?

[StrawberryIcecream]

I'm not keen on all punk, i'm more of a pop gal and all disney songs ever (sad isnt it??!! Makes me sound like a ten year old.).

Have you never heard of the pogues??? The POGUES! Shane McGowan??? The bloke with no teeth???

You can pretty much get their cd's from any music shop but if your'e into modern punk it probably isnt what your looking for. But still its good. There is A LOT of swearing though and some quite ...mature content but still since they are always drunk on stage you cnt tell what they are saying anyway!!! I'll try and get some links up soon.

[Rosie-Lass]

Yeah, the Pogues are good. I dont like punk generally, but if you're into all the eighties stuff this is JUST what you are looking for!

[samwise of the shire]

*Thinking out loud* Gay is actually a term for happy and merry is yet another term for happy so I guess using Gay in the wrong sense would mean that I'm insulting Merry. Hmmmm Gotta think about that
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm trying to hold off on "gay" because it's a totally wrong usage of the word. I think that when my friends use the word "gay" in the sense of clothing they mean that it's something that's really floferry and fluffery and kind of dumb so they say"That is sooo gay", when they're talking about Leonardo Dicaprio(they abhor him)they're talking about th emodern usage of the word as in Leonardo D. is gay as in likes another guy. It can be used also as "I am so gay" as in "I am so happy" But you use Happy because if you said "I am so gay" in public...well let's just say it'd be awkward(that is such a weird word. Sp?)
Sam

[Darth Tater]

Emplynx, punk is the devil's music. Ya know how I know that? Cause some of it is good and fun

[emplynx]

Originally posted by Darth Tater
Emplynx, punk is the devil's music. Ya know how I know that? Cause some of it is good and fun

That is the best part of Punk, it can be fun without using profanity and vulgar remarks, the can just sing nonsence. P.S. There are some great christian punk bands: Relient K and MXPX for example.

[FrodoFriend]

I love punk music! But then, I love all music.

Tater, would I get in trouble if I posted the words to a song called "Sodomy" on Entmoot?

[StrawberryIcecream]

The good thing about the pogues is that though they can do some really fast paced songs about *ahem* well figure it out

They can also do some real sweet ones like my fave christmas song ever, Fairytale of New York. Such a sweet song...

"And the boys of the NYPD choir,
were singing Galway Bay,
and the bells were ringing out for christmas day.....

"

Wow i love that song!

[Elf Girl]

I hug my friends all the time. It's not gay.

[Arian]

I know, she's says she wants to keep her repution. I serious don't get her. She's so up tight. She can be super nice when not out in public. But you know how if girl's have something on there shirt, and the friend sometimes brushs it off. Well if I try brushing a piece of dust, she snaps. And when I give her a hug out in public. Geez, who cares what people think, just because of what they think. Seriously. Also so many people cuse and it drives me nuts. If you guys know what i mean.

[Laurelyn]

Yeah, hugging friends is not a expression of homosexual attraction . . . anyway, if there's anything wrong with being Gay, bi, lesbian, or whatever, then I obviously don't know about it.
But in a way, I feel sorry for the people who really are gay, because of the huge no-no society makes it out to be. They can't help their sexuality, geez!
And as for reputations: Screw everybody else's opinion. They can't hurt you unless you let them, and I figure if they don't like me that's their problem. They're missing out. If they think what I do is "gay", then they can think that: I'm not gonna change my ways for a group of people who sinks to a low of insulting gays to get at me. 'nuff said.

[Khadrane]

P.S. There are some great christian punk bands: Relient K and MXPX for example.

My friend's brother is in a Christian band. I think it's a punk band. I doubt anyone's heard of it though. It's pretty local. It's called Straightforword. Not that anyone cares.

[Arian]

Well I agree. There are some christian punk bands. But yeah, i agree it's not gay to hug. But she werid. Well o well

[Rosie-Lass]

They can also do some real sweet ones like my fave christmas song ever, Fairytale of New York. Such a sweet song...

That truly IS the best Christmas song EVER. It's so funny. Then Strawberry told me the story of the female singer in that song who never drank because she was afraid of drink-driving and then on (Christmas Day?) holiday she got hit by a speedboat driven by a drunk man in front of her family and died. And she never drank. That is tragic irony.

Sorry to go off the subject, but that is a very poignant (sp?) story that I think demonstrates that even if you try to get away from social bad-points like drunkenness they will come back to you. So if your friend tries to get away from the (she thinks) gayness of hugging, she may get the reverse in that her friends will get away from her instead. Not that I'm saying you and your friends are bad, but it could happen, believe it and take it seriously.
I'm going to go into a corner and be sad now. But I shared it with you! Perhaps not totally relevant, but it shows something, even if I'm not sure what!