I Bike, I Buy, I Jerk: Adolescents, Music and Popular Culture

Final Paper

Adolescents and young adults are the most influential group of society when it comes to mainstream popular culture. Although some adolescents do not have the power to create political change through voting, they are able to change society through cultural aspects such as music and specific lifestyles. Adolescent social groups or cliques are indicators of changing trends in popular culture and the musical preferences of these social groups influences popular culture. While society does influence how teenagers think about sex, gender and materialism, teenagers dictate what becomes part of popular culture, just as in The Rules of Attraction. Adolescents are simply a reflection of the society in which they live and are a crucial force in movements or cultures that change society. I will examine two specific cultures, the bicycle and Jerk cultures that are currently growing in Los Angeles and will determine how music and each culture contributes to social constructions of sex, gender, and materialism.

The Rules of Attraction serves as an example of how adolescents create their notion of sex, gender and materialism. The book focuses on Sean, Paul, and Lauren who become involved in a love triangle while searching for love. All three characters attend Camden, a college that is overflowing with wealthy students. These three characters try to attain love by engaging in casual sex with as many people as they can in their microcosm of a hyper-sexualized and materialistic society. The characters in The Rules of Attraction are all similar in that they have a radical idea of what love is. It is normal for them to have meaningless sex, do drugs and, not to be concerned with their studies. Lauren, Paul and Sean all construct ideas of what their ideal partners should be, but they never truly find that ideal partner because their ideals are constructed based on desire which is dictated by their society through popular culture. Sex is a commodity for these characters and they only use each other to satisfy a need. The characters never form actual bonds or relationships when they become sexually involved with each other. The way that The Rules of Attraction represents love is by showing an extreme ideal of love that would otherwise be considered a transgression. In Sex Isn't Everything (But It Can Be Anything): The Symbolic Function of Extremity in Modernism, Joyce Piell Wexler states “extremity pushes the reader beyond the empirical referent: 'Something that smacks of revolt, of promised freedom, of the coming of age of a different law, slips easily into this discourse on sexual oppression...Foucault indicates the range of meanings transgression can evoke.' When the extreme becomes the norm, however, this proliferation of non-empirical meanings stops” (Wexler 167). In other words, the characters in The Rules of Attraction have extreme interpretations of love that become the norm and ultimately, part of popular culture. The characters in The Rules of Attraction are also influenced by music; One of Sean's favorite phrases is "Rock n' Roll" (Ellis). To Sean, Rock and Roll is an important lifestyle and he believes that everyone should posses some of the characteristics of Rock music. Much like the characters in The Rules of Attraction, Adolescents in Los Angeles are constructing their understanding of sex, gender and materialism through their own cultures while at the same time projecting what society has taught them.

Bicycle Culture
Recently, one of the more noticeable adolescent cultures in Los Angeles is the Bicycle culture. In Cultural Studies: Theory and Practice, Chris barker states "Culture is seen as having its own specific meanings, rules and practices which are not reducible to, or explainable solely in terms of, another category or level of a social formation," (Barker 9). The increased presence of bicyclists in Los Angeles can be attributed to the growing number of adolescents and young adults who own or have recently purchased a bicycle. Most of these young bicyclist own fixed gear bicycles, which are a single speed bikes that keep the pedals in motion as long as the bicycle is in motion. While some people consider bicycles to be the newest trend, the bicycle movement continues to grow. Bicycle culture is influenced by numerous factors and the people that are part of this culture follow what is considered to be normal just as in other cultures. Bicycles have grown in popularity in the past year and are becoming 'cool'. As Jacques Derrida argues in Differance, the meanings of words have several meanings and never have a final definition (Derrida 387), so what is cool to one person might not be cool for another person. So there are other reasons as to why the popularity of bicycles has grown. Materialism and capitalism are at work in bicycle culture, in Los Angeles, now more than ever. Owning a bicycle was once just a personal preference, but now it is becoming a norm and a commodity because of materialism and capitalism. As Karl Marx believed, "commodification is the process associated with capitalism by which objects are turned into commodities. The surface appearance of goods sold in the marketplace obscures the origins of those commodities in an exploitative relationship," (Barker 13). That is, bikes can now be easily sold therefore becoming easily exploited for profit in a capitalist system. A majority of the teenagers that are part of the bike scene are reminiscent of the characters in The Rules of Attraction; they value material possessions and money plays a major role in the scene. Since bicycles are now becoming part of mainstream popular culture, materialism is responsible for people's desire to own the most expensive, and flashiest bicycle.

Since owning a car is part of the norm, people who rely on bicycles for transportation are part of an underground culture, although it is growing in popularity. Some people believe that bicyclists are taking a step in saving the environment. Being conscious of the environment, or being green, has also become a mainstream ideal and riding a bicycle is one way to combat pollution and traffic problems caused by automobiles. From personal experience I feel that many drivers, in Los Angeles, feel that bicycles have no right to be on the road and resent bicyclists that use the road. One day on a commute to a bike shop with my brother and a friend I experienced the worst case of road rage that I have ever encountered. The three of us were traveling on Venice Boulevard through Mid CIty when a driver in a van began honking at us from behind. There was no indicated bike lane so we were riding on the right lane. According to the California Vehicle Codes and Bicycle law CVC 21202, any person operating a bicycle upon a roadway at a speed less than the normal speed of traffic moving in the same direction at that time shall ride as close as practicable to the right hand curb or edge of the roadway (DMV) . As the driver began honking, the traffic signal turned red and we came to a stop at the intersection. As we waited for the light to change the driver began shouting at us to get out of the road. We payed little attention until he started driving his car towards us almost as if he was showing that he was willing to hit our bikes with his car. Once the light changed and we started moving again, my friend told the guy to calm down as he passed us on the left. The driver got even angrier for some reason and pulled over to the parking lane a few yards ahead of us. I had an inclination that he was about to take his aggression out on us so I decided to ride onto the sidewalk. As I passed the van, I looked over at the driver and noticed that he was reaching for a machete which was under the passenger seat. At that moment I warned my brother and my friend, who were still riding in the road, that the driver had a weapon and they stopped right behind his van. We then threatened the driver with calling the police and he sped off. This is just one of many instances in which I have felt as an outcast for choosing to commute on a bike instead of a car. Growing cultures and social movements seem to place the young people against the older people, and bicycle culture is no different. Nonetheless, the bike culture continues to grow.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMX3qv1N37s (for Full version of video)

The bike culture in Los Angeles might not seem connected to music at first glance, but it is slowly being incorporated into music. Unlike other movement that have music as the main influence of a culture, bike culture is becoming the influential factor in music. For instance, when one examines the music video, "Kings and Queens" by Thirty Seconds to Mars, it is clear that a group of bicyclists is the focus of the video. Perhaps the band is trying to make people aware of the growing bike culture in Los Angeles or perhaps it is part of the marketing for the bands new album. However, the singer, Jared Leto was spotted on a group ride that was posted on www.midnightridazz.com, a bicycle forum site. One could argue that Jared Leto does in fact feel a connection to bike culture simply because he allowed real cyclists to be part of his music video. Having extras riding bikes could have been a simple solution for the video, but the extras would not have expressed the characteristics of the individuals that create the unique bike culture of Los Angeles. Some people might argue that the growing popularity of bicycles is just a scene and that most people that are part of the scene only ride a bike because it is hip.

Jerk(ing) Culture
Another movement that is beginning to grow in popularity while it is in its infancy is the Jerk movement. There is debate regarding the origins of the Jerk movement. Some people say that the dance stems from Los Angeles gang culture. Others claim that the dance was created by adolescents as a response to violent gang activity. Nonetheless, Jerkin' is an example of the power that adolescents posses when it comes to shaping popular culture. Jerkin' is not only a dance, it is a lifestyle for some of the adolescents jerk. The recent popularity of Jerkin' culture is attributed to the New Boyz, a pair of California high school friends who decided to create their own style of music. Jerk culture has created a style that is a mixture of skater, rocker, and hip-hop styles. The typical Jerk style consists of tight or skinny jeans often in bright colors, pristine shoes and graphic T-shirts. The tight fitting jeans and the belts come from the punk style of dress while the shoes are typically skateboarding shoes. Jerkin' culture seems to be one of the forms of music that relies on materialism. This culture dictates that Jerks wear the newest and often times the brightest clothing. A great deal of importance is placed on wearing skinny jeans to be considered cool.



Jerk culture has brought attention to the homophobia that exists within fashion. Since skinny jeans are as much a part of Jerk culture as the music and the dancing, people have began debating whether the clothes one wears determines one's sexual orientation. There are people who criticize Jerks for wearing tight, colorful jeans by claiming that only women should wear such jeans. Some of the people who criticize the Jerk style go as far as claiming that males who wear tight jeans are homosexuals. Hip-hop and rap have historically been categorized as violent gang cultures, but recently it has been overpowered by materialism. Making money, owning cars, and having a large home have become the standard by which the success of hip-hop artists and rap artists is measured. Perhaps this materialism is the foundation of Jerk culture which determines how these adolescents dress. Jerkin' music is in its beginning stages and it is not considered its own genre of music yet. Jerkin' music is a sub-genre of Hip-hop but the clothing differs from traditional Hip-hop style clothing. Hip-hop has been dominated by loose, baggy clothing since its beginning while Jerkin culture is dominated by tight fitting clothing. The contrast in clothing style can be attributed to materialistic adolescents who try look their best. Unfortunately, when teenagers dress to fit in or to express that they are part of this new movement they are categorized as being gay. It seems that the Black community suffers from a heightened level of homophobia. Since a vast number of Jerks are black they are discriminated by their own community. It is absurd to think that teenagers are gay simply for the fact that they are dressing the way that their Jerk culture dictates. It seems as if black adolescents are required to be thugs because of what mainstream Rap and Hip-hop have established as the norm. People of older generations seem to be the people that believe that the way one dresses determines homosexuality or heterosexuality. As a society we have been taught that men should wear T-shirts and jeans while women can wear dresses skirts, and a wide variety of clothing. Even though Jerks are wearing men's clothing they are still subject to being considered not just metrosexual, but also homosexual. Clothing is a reflection of personal style and fashion, but it is clear that questions of sexual orientation arise when people witness something they are not accustomed to. People need to rid themselves of preconceived ideas about sexuality to determine what makes a male straight or gay. As Judith Butler states in Imitation and Gender Insubordination, "Gender is a kind of imitation for which there is no original; in fact, it is a kind of imitation that produces the very notion of the original as an effect and consequence of the imitation itself” (Butler 722). Gender is a concept that humans created, but there is no original concept of how a male is supposed to act or how a female should act. Gender is a social construction and one must not claim that an individual is acting like the opposite gender simply because of their style of dress. Furthermore people only imitate society's construction of gender roles and never truly know the concept of gender. Ferdinand de Saussure states, in Course of General Linguistics that "[language] assumes that ready-made ideas exist before words" (Saussure 78). Gender insubordination is one of the features consider negative within the Jerk lifestyle.

Jerk culture prides itself on being positive. The dancing particular to Jerk culture is said to have come from the gang culture which existed in the 1990's in Los Angeles. The adolescents who allegedly created the Jerk movement generated positivity into a dance style which was previously gang related. There is little doubt that Jerkin' is a positive alternative to gang-banging, but this culture that considers itself positive has many of the negative aspects associated with Hip-hop/ Rap music. A majority of Jerkin' songs contains explicit lyrics, even though most of the songs are created by young teenagers. Juveniles involved in Jerk culture have constructed their perceptions about sex and gender based on Hip-hop ideals. The males that are part of this culture are supposed to know how to dance (jerk) and should dress in accordance to Jerk fashion. The dancing and the appearance of the males creates sexual appeal for the females that are part of the culture and to females who do not necessarily consider themselves part of the culture. Most of the music that is part of this culture is created for adolescents by adolescents. A large number of Jerkin' songs rely on sexually explicit concepts. One particular song, "Tippin on My Dick" by a Jerk crew called GGPR (Go Go Power Rangers) demonstrates the hyper-sexualized aspects of Jerk culture. The song uses Jerk vernacular to present a rather negative side of the Jerk lifestyle. The song is loaded with sexually descriptive lyrics, one of the less explicit lines, "One hand on my drank, other hand full of ass" demonstrates how adolescents value drinking and sex. Some people might be appalled to hear some of the lyrics in these songs, but in reality the juveniles that make this music are simply projecting what society and mainstream popular culture has taught them.

Jerk culture becomes radical when one examines the juxtaposition of its innocence and its sexual attributes. The culture's innocence is present in the way that Jerk dress. Jerks typically wear bright colored clothing which resembles the type of clothing that small children wear. Jerks, although typically are teenagers, do include preteens and few elementary age children. Another aspect that reveals the innocence of the movement is the names that Jerk crews choose. Some Jerk crew include Go Go Power Rangers, and Teen Titans, and Team Rocket, all of which derive their names from cartoon or television shows for children. The names also have a nostalgic vibe to them since most of the adolescent Jerks were children when these cartoon characters were made. The New Boyz is another name that reveals the innocence of the culture simply through the word "boyz" which in this case looks like a word that a child might spell. On the other hand Jerkin' relies draws influence from sexualized mainstream Hip-hop music. It seems a bit paradoxical, at first, that young high schoolers are making songs about sex. However, American adolescents are becoming sexually active at younger ages, so it is no surprise that they are writing music about sex. "Popular culture can be regarded as the meanings and practices produced by popular audiences at the moment of consumption. Thus the study of popular culture becomes centered on the uses to which the commodities are put" (Barker 52). It seems that Jerk culture has made teenagers commodities to each other when it comes to sex, much like in Rules of Attraction. These teenagers make sex a priority and disregard the traditional
implications of sex, therefore constructing their own definition of sex and gender.

Adolescents are often times disregarded in their contributions to society. Young adults and teenagers are the most influential group in determining mainstream popular culture. Two movements, the bicycle and Jerk movement, in Los Angeles are shaping popular culture throughout the nation. The adolescents that are part of bike or Jerk cultures are constructing definitions of sex, gender and materialism for themselves and for society through musical preferences and lifestyle choices.

Works Cited

Barker, Chris. Cultural Studies: Theory and Practice Third Edition.
Sage Publications Ltd, Thousand Oaks, CA 2000.

Butler, Judith. Imitation and Gender Insubordination.

California Vehicle Codes and Bicycle Laws. CVC2102
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/vc/tocd11c1a4.htm

de Sassure, Ferdinand. Course of General Linguistics


Derrida Jacques. Differance.

Ellis, Bret Easton. The Rules of Attraction. Vintage Contemporaries, New York.
June 1998

Foucault, Michel. The History of Sexuality.

Wexler, Joyce Piell. Sex Isn't Everything (But It Can Be Anything): The Symbolic
Function of Extremity in Modernism. College Literature, Vol. 31,
No. 2 (Spring,2004), pp. 164-183