Originality vs The Poseur

[Skeletal-Chic]

It seems virtually impossible to be “original” these days. With a boom in creative fashion and as subculture after subculture is brought into fashion the tossed aside by our cannibalistic high-street it seems to be a loosing battle. If a person tries to “be themselves” someone will always bring up the words “attention seeker” or the rhyme “I was in to that ages ago”.

So, I guess what I want to say is, you can’t try to be original. You can’t try to avoid being the poseur. You can only be happy and content in your own identity. Portray yourself. If that means you *want* to look like the other, the fashionable, so be it. Don’t allow the pretence of others to undermine you happiness and comfort in your own self.

I’ve changed the person I am. Initially I tried to shock and forced myself to be different. When this made me into something of a pariah, I switched to the alternate - trying to be a clone of the others around me. But now that I can see where I want to be in the world, I know who I am; though I may not like some parts of it. To be comfortable in ones identity and to portray your identity how you wish is something you can never, ever allow someone to take from you.

Be a Freak. Be a Monster. Be a Clone. Be Adorable.

[Sage]

Be a Freak. Be a Monster. Be a Clone. Be Adorable.

Don't you have a new Lady Gaga single to listen to? Originality exists; You just won't find it on the front page of anything.

[Skeletal-Chic]

No... What I'm saying is, you shouldn't have to be "original" just to please people.

[JCake]

Exactly, you shouldn't have to be original to please people and sometimes originality gets ridiculed (I think that's the right spelling?) because people see them as a freak. To steal Sage's example of Lady Gaga, half the people in my school think she's a weird because of how she looks and acts and stuff. But to be honest, originality will soon not exist simply because of the ever-dwindling (yet still close to infinite) amount of possibilities.

Anyways, that's just my take on it.

[Sage]

To steal Sage's example of Lady Gaga, half the people in my school think she's a weird because of how she looks and acts and stuff.

That wasn't an example of anything. I just mentioned her name because I think the messages she popularizes, as displayed by the OP (and many other's I've seen line of thinking) is a load of absolute bullshit and it disheartens me greatly that this is what we're stooping too. Boo-fucking-hoo. It's so hard thinking differently than the crowd, boo-hoo, every time I try to be original people make fun of me. Too fucking bad.

Being original doesn't mean you'll be popular, and being popular sure as hell doesn't mean you'll be original. Enjoy being just another face in the crowd if you like, enlist in Gaga's army of socially awkward monsters (or whatever stupid word she's come up with to stroke her fans' egos) and pride yourself in being generic. While you're busy, there'll be people out there in the world pushing boundaries and breaking new grounds.

Edit: And don't try to pretend you didn't get this idea from Gaga, I know you did.

[chazzrox2]

I believe that even new "original" ideas are just inspired or taken from previously existing things. Think of movies nowadays, some you think "oooh that's new", but then find out its actually a remake of an old book or a new take on an old idea.

Yes Lady Gaga (seeing as everyone else is using her) is original in her take on fashion, music but then RedOne who writes her music personally said he uses the same formula for everyone he writes for. Her idea of new fashion may be new ideas, but the idea of dressing oddly is just another re=used idea.

Originality is dead...but not necessarily a bad thing.

[Sage]

Yes Lady Gaga is original in her take on fashion,

No she's not. David Bowie did it first. Also, originality doesn't mean lack of influences- It means bringing something new and different to the table. Originality isn't dead, people are just terrible at finding it.

[JCake]

I don't go out of my way to be original or to fit in with the crowd. I'm just there. And I beg to differ originality isn't dead. Most things have been done already. Originality only exists in technology, not in society. Once you cover one thing such as in fashion, for instance "scene kids". The way they dress is supposed to express them, but if you notice, all scene kids are the same. That's why cliques develop, because everything is the same idea - it's nothing new. Hell, the most original thing I wear is a gray jacket that is torn up and has a few random studs that fell off my belt on it. But, that's nothing new, torn clothing and studs were worn before.

In art, it all follows the same idea, paintings, poetry, other forms of literature, everything. There's only so many themes, colors, or words. Human kind has been around for too long to still be able to make new things.

But if you look, original technology is coming everyday with enhanced features on old technology, and brand new technology being invented.

Humans aren't original, there's only so many ways a person can think, look, act, etc. There's probably been thousands of you and me born, all "original" and "unique" for their time, but there were more before them.

[Sage]

I don't go out of my way to be original or to fit in with the crowd. I'm just there. And I beg to differ originality isn't dead. Most things have been done already. Originality only exists in technology, not in society. Once you cover one thing such as in fashion, for instance "scene kids". The way they dress is supposed to express them, but if you notice, all scene kids are the same. That's why cliques develop, because everything is the same idea - it's nothing new. Hell, the most original thing I wear is a gray jacket that is torn up and has a few random studs that fell off my belt on it. But, that's nothing new, torn clothing and studs were worn before.

In art, it all follows the same idea, paintings, poetry, other forms of literature, everything. There's only so many themes, colors, or words. Human kind has been around for too long to still be able to make new things.

But if you look, original technology is coming everyday with enhanced features on old technology, and brand new technology being invented.

Humans aren't original, there's only so many ways a person can think, look, act, etc. There's probably been thousands of you and me born, all "original" and "unique" for their time, but there were more before them.

Define 'originality' in your own words.

[JCake]

originality is an idea/thing that's new and unique/one of a kind

[Sage]

originality is an idea/thing that's new and unique/one of a kind

The way you describe it you make it seem as though if anything draws any inspiration or ideas from past works then it isn't original. In which case you'd be entirely wrong as you aren't qualified to talk on artistic trends if you have no grasp of the evolution of culture and art over time.

Drawing influences from old things does not deter from originality, being nothing BUT old things deters from originality.

[The Joker]

ever-dwindling (yet still close to infinite) amount of possibilities.

Amount of possibilities my fucking ass. There's always a new way to do something, which makes this so called "dwindling" amount of possibilities grow larger.

[Skeletal-Chic]

Wow... some people can take things way too far. and the whole "adorable monster" and this post... yeah, my idea. Adorable Monster i took from a name of an album my mom has called Beautiful Freak, not lady Gaga, and I altered it and used it as my tumblr name.

[Sage]

Wow... some people can take things way too far.

I applaud you for not actually addressing a single point I've raised.

[Rutherford The Brave]

I can give an example. Im in a band right? I wear our shirt. Im an original member (or bread head) as they are called. I am one of the originals, but now since it got popular alot of kids are either copying us or saying they are like us when they are not.

[Skeletal-Chic]

I applaud you for not actually addressing a single point I've raised.

Clearly I've addressed several points, namely the ones aimed at me. And you didn't address a single one of the points I made. Instead you chose to respond with sarcastic, pretentious spouting.

[deadpie]

It seems virtually impossible to be “original” these days.

Here's something original: Photographer Andres Serrano takes pictures of high quality feces and sells them for thousands of dollars.

It's not as hard as you think to make something that hasn't been made before. Do what Bansky said - Think outside of the box and take a fucking knife to the box afterwards.

OP should research Avant Garde and Dadaism.