Skip to main content

"You are the Generation that bought more shoes..."

Live Fast, Die Clown T-Shirt by TET
Live Fast, Die Clown T-Shirt by TET
Available from RedBubble.
"You are the generation that bought more shoes, you get what you deserve." This quote is a song lyric that I heard on the radio (my apologies to the writer and artist that it belongs too because I don't know who either of you are). It's a great line and I can only assume it refers to the apparent lack of interest today's eighteen to twenty somethings appear to have in more serious and deeper issues.

Not that I'm trying to hold myself up as someone who campaigns strongly for the greater good of human kind or that I spend significant amounts of time raising awareness of important issues. I'm certainly not a poster boy for changing the attitudes of people with too many shoes but lyrics like that do make you think.

It's at this point that I really don't know where to go with this article. Should I focus on the material nature of modern society and its obsession with having more stuff? Or should I mention a few important issues, like Human Rights Abuses, the Iraq war and Globalisation to make it sound like I'm a little less interested in myself and how I look in a great pair of jeans?

With so many big issues and hard questions who really knows what to think? Perhaps it's just easier to go shopping? Buy more stuff so that you can be a better person. It's all about status and what brands are popular this week in order to be hip and with it. People are defined by what they wear and what they own right?

Buy more shoes.

[Edit/Update Jun 2021 - Thought it would be worth noting in the main post that I have since discovered the song name and artist: 'You are the generation that bought more shoes you get what you deserve' by U.K. Band 'Johnny Boy'.]
TET Life Topics:

Comments

  1. AnonymousMay 09, 2006 9:17 PM

    It's said that 'Clothes do not maketh the man!' It's 'manners that maketh the man' or to be politically correct by today's standards, 'maketh the person!' Let's not forget the ladies!

    In other words, it's what's inside and how you treat other people that make you the kind of person that you are! Today's young ones have alot to learn!

    I wore alot of 'hand-me-downs' from cousins, which fortunately were still good, and clothes from jumble sales, which showed where they came from in those days, not like the 'good stuff' that's given away today! What does that make me then!

    I actually didn't turn out bad, and can appreciate new clothes more. People today actually make an outing of doing the rounds of the op shops, as there is some good stuff to be had, including designer labels and things bought on the spur of the moment, so hardly worn!

    Cherrio!

    ReplyDelete
  2. TET (David Arandle)May 25, 2006 1:59 PM

    I tend to agree with you but the point I think the quote is making is more to do with young people's obsession with having the latest thing or being in fashion etc. etc. and not really having an awareness of wider issues affecting them, that they do have control over, if they would take an interest.

    ReplyDelete
  3. TET (David Arandle)June 01, 2006 9:17 PM

    I've since found out that the song I'm quoting from is actually called 'You are the generation that bought more shoes you get what you deserve' by U.K. Band 'Johnny Boy'. Now if I could just get hold of the words because I can't make out a single thing they're singing about other than the title...the band's web site is no help whatsoever :(

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousSeptember 08, 2007 7:23 PM

    I call it the disposable society, people around me seem to get new cats dogs etc and then "trade them in" for kids or smaller more convenient (or cute) ones for no reason other than boredom or something different. I love my animals as much as my kids and could think of nothing worse than letting one of them go for any reason, I think the youger generation need to have a bit more responsibility towards their pets and the RSPCA's would not have as big a problem.

    ReplyDelete
  5. TET (David Arandle)September 09, 2007 9:47 AM

    I certainly don't understand people who treat pets like fashion accessories (it's all the rage to have a cute dog this week but next week kitten's are the 'in' thing). In my day (doesn't that make me sound old) you bought a pet and it was just a given that it was now part of the family. Till death do we part and all that.

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousMarch 06, 2008 11:17 AM

    Actually, I think it is in reference to Baby Boomers, which a lot of people forget are the first generation of selfish, self-centered, egotistical, narrow-minded hippy-crits. Naturally, the spawn of such a generation will lead to the world in its current state.

    ReplyDelete
  7. TET (David Arandle)March 06, 2008 2:14 PM

    If I could actually get hold of the lyrics to this song I might argue the case re: Baby Boomers. On the surface though I don't think the song writers experience with Baby Boomers would prompt this song. More likely it would be prompted by their current experience of today's generation... I could be wrong though as I am only speculating.

    ReplyDelete
  8. RogerSeptember 13, 2008 1:00 AM

    Stumbled across a remix of this song on www.RCRDLBL.com a couple of months ago
    (I rehosted it here: http://www.box.net/shared/kg8ra79uvr)
    and I can't stop playing it as I train to run the Boston Marathon.
    I was curious what the actual lyrics were and after finding them thought I would post them here.

    I just can't help believing
    though believing sees me cursed
    For belief ignores the heathen's
    day by day sigh 'even worse'
    But for all we are receiving
    there's an evens key to turn
    You are the generation that bought more shoes and you get what you deserve

    Winter sweeps the streets of evening,
    this frequency my universe
    To reel a deep or meaning feeling　
    in seas where schools of fools be first
    But for all we are receiving
    there's an evens key to turn
    You was the generation that snorts for tunes and you get what you deserve

    Burberry Beamer Beakheads
    leaving Adidas sleek mystique reversed
    Without a dream or scream between 'em.
    Believing time does reimburse

    Suffer all we are receiving
    there's an evens key to turn
    You are the generation that bought more shoes and you get what you deserved

    ReplyDelete
  9. TET (David Arandle)September 13, 2008 11:08 AM

    Thanks for that Roger. I'll have to have a closer listen to the song now...

    Doesn't leave me any less clearer about what the song is on about though. Perhaps baby boomers at first but that second verse sounds more like the generation or two afterwords?

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Comments are moderated by an actual human (me, TET) and may not publish right away. I do read all comments and only reject those not directly related to the post or are spam/scams (I'm looking at you Illuminati recruiters... I mean scammers. Stop commenting on my Illuminati post!).

Buy Gifts and Apparel featuring art by TET.

Popular posts from this blog

Checking in on Tesla's Optimus Robot - Managing Expectations

Last year Elon Musk announced at the first Tesla AI day the Tesla Bot, which has since been renamed the Tesla Optimus, that is basically a general purpose humanoid robot assistant with human like appearance and proportions. Elon expected they would have a working prototype by the end of 2022. While very little has been released about the project since, in June Elon took to Twitter to announce that they would delay this year's Tesla AI day until September 30 in anticipation of having a working prototype of the robot by that time. Elon Musk announces the Tesla Bot at the 2021 Tesla AI day. When I initially wrote about the Tesla Bot I noted that both Boston Dynamics and Disney Imagineering are developing robot technologies that demonstrate a streamlined, humanoid robot like Optimus is certainly possible. However with precious few details, and the occasional appearance of static, concept manikins of Tesla Optimus bots at places like the Cyber Rodeo Gigafactory Austin, Texas  (see vi...
Post a Comment
Continue Reading »

Is AI Art 'Art'? The Say NO to AI Art Movement, and Why Human Artists Will Adapt

AI Art No T-Shirt by TET Also available on other items . Right now there is a big debate over not just whether AI art is 'art' but whether AI's are actually ripping off the work of actual human artists, without their consent, to create their images - particularly images 'in the style of' specific artists. From my own observations this debate started to get more traction when artist's signatures began appearing in the output of AI Art  image generators. Is It Art? Cool Froyd the Cat Sketch by TET. My style is very much influenced by classic Disney and WB character styles. To get some clarity on how real human artists work (of which I am one)... we, that is all of us... take influences from the art that has come before. i.e. whatever artists we like, have studied, seen etc. we are influenced by. It shows up in our work, intentionally or not. If you really study my own cartoony art style you'll see I'm heavily influenced by early Disney and Warner Bros cart...
Post a Comment
Continue Reading »

James Gunn's Social Media Monkeys Joke Was a Highlight of His Superman Movie For Me

B efore James Gunn's Superman Movie was released there was a whole rumor going around that the movie would feature monkeys on computers trolling Superman's social media, sparking much outrage. #supersh*t. I didn't know this was even a thing until just prior to writing this article. I did a search to see if anyone had posted a clip of the monkeys scene from the movie and got pages of discourse featuring videos and articles prior to the film. Most of it from Gunn detractors (let's say) seeing it as some kind of childish swipe at them... well not them specifically but, you know, those other people who have every right to hate on anything sight unseen. Anyway, I'm not going to give even one such example a link or air because it's kind of sad watching someone devote so much commentary to a throw away gag that is absolutely a nod to James Gunn's Superman trolls.  The whole reason this post exists, is to say I loved the joke, because fourteen years ago, and I...
Post a Comment
Continue Reading »

Boom Crash Opera Born Classic But Not Again

Boom Crash Opera are an Australian Band that reached the peak of their popularity in the mid to late nineteen eighties. They are a band that I knew about at that time but was never really excited by until they released their ill fated double album Born and Born Again in 1995 (Album cover pictured). At the time of its release I was very much into emerging Australian musical acts and was also looking out for new sounds that were different and had kind of a futuristic/electronic sound. Artists that I was buying at the time included; Swoop , Nine Inch Nails and Pop Will Eat Its Self . As well as a really interesting release by David Bowie, the concept album, Outside . Born was a fairly radical departure for Boom Crash Opera (BCO). The first single, Gimme , was often compared to the sounds of Gary Glitter, particularly his single, Rock n Roll part 2 , because of the pounding drum loops. Watch the video below. My favorite single from the album is dissemble which probably went now...
16 comments
Continue Reading »

Are Ion Thrusters the Future of Flying Cars? Spoiler - Probably Not But... Hover Boards... Maybe?

Undefined Technologies Ion Propulsion Drone prototype 3D concept image. You may have heard of Ion engines or, more likely, Ion thrusters. NASA uses them on their spacecraft to help maintain a craft's position or to propel them through space.  Upon hearing that you might think they're big, powerful engines, but actually they are not. They work well in the vacuum of space but, once any kind of atmosphere and gravity is involved they'd be hard pressed to launch you off the ground if you strapped four of them to your lawn chair and yelled "up, up, and away!" I am no expert on Ion thrusters - they're basically magic that science has an explanation for. If you want to know the details, The Space Techie website has a layman's explanation .  Build Your Own Ion Thruster Earth based Ion Thrusters work a bit different to their  space based cousins by Ionizing the same air that we breathe to create thrust (an effect known as Ionic-wind ).  While they sound highly soph...
Post a Comment
Continue Reading »

Embarrassing Yourself with Doof Doof Music

Ever since Spinal Tap popularized the notion of turning an amp up to eleven audio systems have been rising to the challenge of louder, more awesome sound. In particular, car audio systems have embraced the notion of the bigger the noise the better the sound must surely be. What I'd like to know is, if these sound systems are so good, why do they make all music sound the same... Doof, Doof, Doof? You've all heard them. Pimped up cars, with audio systems seemingly worth more than gold, volume blasting way past eleven. Sound waves booming long before you make a positive visual on the car... Doof, Doof, Doof. It has to be the audio system right? Surely all these people can't be playing the same tune? Doof, Doof, Doof. Could it be that the more money spent on a car sound system the less musical range it will actually play? Maybe these people can't afford to buy music after purchasing the audio system so they all play the same demo track? Doof, doof, doof. In my own car I hav...
14 comments
Continue Reading »

Kids today are smarter than their parents?

Mother's Bed Art Board Print by TET. Available from RedBubble . How often have you heard it said that kids today are smarter than their parents? I’ve heard it quite frequently in the media – even Dr Phil has said it. I say speak for yourself. It’s not true and don’t let the media fool you. Today’s kids may have access to more information that may give them more choices but in my experience, they only take in what they want to hear and still make stupid, uninformed decisions. Just like we used to at their age. Like any cross section of people there will be exceptions. There are kids that are genuinely smarter, more mature and responsible for their age. However the vast majority know everything they need to know by the time they turn fourteen. They’re ‘adult’ enough to be responsible for all their own decision making so parents should just let them do what they please…right? Just like we thought at fourteen. Don’t be fooled. Just because your son knows how to download MP3’s onto an i...
15 comments
Continue Reading »