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NIGHT-OWLS: word has it we've got Boogiehands


Guest willy.wonka

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Whats up nightowls...im givin a quick "whats up, hoooty hooo" then im gunna go catch some sleep...i got my first day of school in 7 hours so i wanna get more then 5 hours of sleep.....Willy hope your calmer about that sheet....I had the same thing happen to me, but it was worse like I said...Adios...Mahalo...

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ugh... there's this punk message board that i post on occasionally (occasionally meaning i've posted 15 times in the last year or so)

someone started this thread saying they hated some kid because they write and was offended by it, think it's the scourge of the world, and then said they were thinking about turning this kid into the cops... i got pissed off and just spent about an hour writing a reply... i'm still rather heated about it, and also proud of what i wrote... so i'm sharing it with you kids... here goes (watch out, it's long!)

 

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oh, boy...

before i go off, i'll give you the warning... narcing on a writer (meaning tagger, graff lid, whatever you wanna call it...) and turning him in to a cop will turn the most peace loving kid into a blood thirsty killer... are you aware that the amount of damage that not constitutes felony vandalism is only $500 in california? it used to be $50,000. that means that any kid starting off, being an idiot (as most writers are when they start) who catches as little as 3 small tags on a couple of bus shelters can get charged with felony vandalism and if so would face a minimum of 5 years jail time. the same time the felony damage amount was dropped, the age was as well, meaning that a 14 year old kid can easily face 20 years in prison simply for writing his word around for a few months... long story short, if you narc on the kid, be prepared for the consequences because they may be very serious... now for the real shit...

 

you asked why people even do it... but why do people play music, why do people write poetry, why do people paint pictures? for the exact same reason [many] people "tag"... as a form of self expression. to convey feelings they have. or to become known or remembered. how many people do you know that play music, or make art? now think about how many of those people have actually had any of their shit seen? and i'm not talking about the local punk rock establishment, which is only frequented by the same people every day... i'm talking about a situation where people outside of the scene would see it, like a major gallery or something like that... i'm willing to bet that the number is very low. meanwhile, writers can say that hundreds of people have seen something of theirs. it may not be a work of art, it may not change the way the world thinks, and it may not have any deep inner meaning, but people have and will see it.

i play music. i draw. i paint. i know that the chances of any of the things i do taking off are rather low. the type of music i like to play is not very appreciated, even in the "oh so alternative" scene that i am a part of. the stuff i prefer to draw and paint, stuff that i feel is full of emotion and meaning, just like my music, is also not very appreciated... that means i’ll most likely never even be given the opportunity to show my work to the world. but through graff i can guarentee that my work will be seen. it may not be appreciated (as is obvious in your situation) but it will be seen. my "name" will be seen, and, if all goes as hoped, i will be remembered when i’m gone. i’ve had my "work" all over the internet, in magazines, in newspapers, etc. people may love me for it, people may hate me for it, and it may be through love or hate that my stuff is published, but i should live on... whether it be through magazines found in someone’s attic, or as photos used in some kind of lesson against crime, or through stories people tell to their kids...

now another thing along these lines, have you ever thought about the fact that it may be this person’s whole goal to piss people off? i assume since yer posting on this board, that you’re into punk rock... do you realize that punk is founded on pissing people off? and that half the art you would go to see in some fancy gallery that you have to drop $30 just to get into is there for the same thing? there are artists that spend their entire careers trying to piss people off more and more... so consider for a minute that this person was trying to piss you off, trying to make you think, and then consider the fact that he succeeded! and if that’s the case, then let me be the first to tell him/her congratulations.

 

now, to address the differences between a "tagger" and a "piecer"... first, let me tell you how much those names piss off most writers... the word tagger is now commonly associated with the word "tag-banger" which is not what most writers strive to be... tag-bangers are the gang kids who use a name or word to define territory... those kids are a lot different from writers...

second, there are people who strictly tag, and people who strictly piece, but most people do both, so before you start idolizing "piecers" for being artists and being all sensitive or something, think about that fact that almost all of those people also walk around with a pen or sumpin, and write... whether writing or piecing, they’re doing it for the same reason most of us are... so when they’re not painting a mural or whatever you wanna call it, they’re out uglying up yer town with a nasty scribble and possibly even an offensive quote or two... by the way, they might be drinking a beer while they’re at it, so be sure to steer clear of those mean old "taggers"...

 

next up, "what is punk rock or diy or revolutionary about it"? well, it doesn’t get much more diy than graff... nuff said...

what is punk rock about it? think about what makes punk rock what it is... it’s a group of people trying to do stuff that is different, stuff that doesn’t have any rules, stuff that may be offensive, and stuff that makes you think (whether it be thinking about some kind of mind set considering a form of government, or simply how much fun it can be to sit around the house with your friends)... and i thought part of punk was being accepting of others and new ideas... if this is no longer the case just let me know and i’ll turn in my patches...

now then, what is revolutionary about it? take a look at all the "obey" stuff you see all over the place... think about what it suggests with the word obey, and the black and red color scheme, and the pictures of revolutionaries and dictators...

 

onward, you critique this person for their "slightly curved black lines forming blocky letters" and you crap on "bull shit amatuer tagging"... people rarely start anything with inherent talent. most things take practice. i don’t know if any of you play music, but if you do, listen to that shitty tape your first band made... or better yet, listen to what you were playing before other people were even willing to play with you...

now if you consider all that and still think these people suck but "illegal muralists" are next to god, then take your head out of your ass so you can see what i’m typing... these "illegal muralists" started off the same way... they started as geek kid with a big pen and the can of paint they found in mom’s garage... they started with a horrible word, and the handstyle looked horrible, but they progressed and turned into these folks that you claim are better people...

 

now then... if your main issue with this person is their choice of placement, then have you considered talking to them? wouldn’t it feel a lot better to change this person’s view on the world, our environment, or even graff in general, than to simply turn them into the police and let them face murderers and rapists for multiple years in jail!?

you said you can turn them in, so you know who they are, so fucking talk to them. a werd of advice tho, approach them in a friendly way... get rid of your feelings of hatred towards them and approach them as another individual who simply wants to rock the boat a little... and if they simply will not admit to it, then by all means, leave it at that! the person who won’t admit to it at all is the same person who will likely kick your ass for narcing, and if they get jail time then you could very well be fighting for your life... some people form crews (the random letters you’ll often see after a tag) just so they can get their "name" spread even more, or so they can solidify a friendship with other writers, but a lot of writers form those crews for protection and revenge... if you send someone in a tough crew to prison you could easily have 40 or 50 people out looking to seriously hurt you, if not kill you... keep in mind i’m not saying this as a threat at all, simply as a word of advice so you don’t get hurt...

 

i have tags, or bombs, or pieces or whatever in 26 states. i have friends that i have made, specifically through graffiti, in probably 40 states, and just the ones in the US. people have seen my work all over the world. and i know for a fact that i ahve changed peoples entire outlook on life simply through a couple of sentences written next to my word on a wall... in my opinion, i am doing something with my life, and my goals are being achieved. i am proud of myself for this, and will never let anyone take these feelings away from me... and if i end up in jail, or if people hate me, or even if i end up dead because of this, i will still know that i have accomplished something, and that i will be remembered, even if only by a few people, long after my name stops appearing... no one can steal that...

 

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word to the me...

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