02-06-2004, 02:18 PM | #1 (permalink) |
The Mighty Boosh
Location: I mostly come out at night, mostly...
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American High Schools?
My only knowledge of high schools is what i've learnt from the movies. There are the different groups of kids (jocks, geeks, goths, outcasts, the popular ones, etc) and the head cheerleader always goes out with the quarterback.
Is true in 'the real world' or is it just a stereotype thats been blown way out of proportion?? I'm just curious
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Europes two great narcotics, Alcohol and Christianity. I know which one I prefer. |
02-06-2004, 02:20 PM | #2 (permalink) |
The GrandDaddy of them all!
Location: Austin, TX
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there are "circles" in high school and you will most likely find a group of friends "in your circle".
that said, the lines are not drawn in stone. looking back from college, the circles are looking pretty stupid now.
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02-06-2004, 02:36 PM | #3 (permalink) |
wouldn't mind being a ninja.
Location: Maine, the Other White State.
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I went to high school in the states, and where I came from that circles most definitely existed. They weren't exactly the same (we didn't have a football team, as we were a small town), but the soccer jocks always dated the popular girls, etc...
That being said, a lot of it has to do with perception, too. I was the "lonely outcast" type in my high school, but I never felt like that. I was just interested in different things than most people, and as such I was labelled as weird. I didn't mind too much. Like The_Dude said, the lines aren't drawn in stone, though the basic ideas are similar in most places. |
02-06-2004, 02:38 PM | #4 (permalink) | |
Tilted Cat Head
Administrator
Location: Manhattan, NY
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having lived in Singapore and my friends went to Singapore American School, they had similar cliques. Even the kids that went to the British schools had similar cliques as well.
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I don't care if you are black, white, purple, green, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, hippie, cop, bum, admin, user, English, Irish, French, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, indian, cowboy, tall, short, fat, skinny, emo, punk, mod, rocker, straight, gay, lesbian, jock, nerd, geek, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent, driver, pedestrian, or bicyclist, either you're an asshole or you're not. |
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02-06-2004, 03:23 PM | #5 (permalink) |
Float on.... Alright
Location: Where the wind comes sweeping down the plains, i.e. Oklahoma
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You gravitate towards your own level of comfort. Younger kids/adolescents are just more overt about singling out and excluding those who are not similar to themselves. Just what I've observed.
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02-06-2004, 03:33 PM | #7 (permalink) | |
Human
Administrator
Location: Chicago
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Le temps détruit tout "Musicians are the carriers and communicators of spirit in the most immediate sense." - Kurt Elling Last edited by SecretMethod70; 02-06-2004 at 03:36 PM.. |
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02-06-2004, 03:45 PM | #8 (permalink) |
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It depends on the school, socio-economic factors, racial/ethnic distribution, local social values and norms, geographic location and the population of the community (among other things).
Middle schoolers are likely to have a limited scope of groups by 8th grade, and they're likely to carry over into freshman and sophomore years a bit... but chances are good that they will diminish greatly into the later years of high school no matter where you go. The severity of the divisiveness of the groups will reflect a lot of factors happening outside of the school. I've seen schools that have very little in the way of exclusive cliques, and I've seen schools on the other end of the spectrum. People with like interests are going to hang out with each other; high schoolers tend to meet their friends in the classes or other groups they're in. A degree of this is going to happen no matter what, extreme cases tend to show deficiencies within the community to create a network allowing for different types of people interact in a positive atmosphere. To answer your question: I think, sadly, the stereotypical view is more common than I'd wish it to be.
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02-06-2004, 07:59 PM | #9 (permalink) |
Insane
Location: Within the Woods
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In my class* (Sweden though) we had two groups. The nerds and the popular ones.
I was, of course, a nerd. Since I didn't smoke, drink or sleep around (like the popular people did) I got put with the nerds. I didn't mind though. I like talking about computers. Question: Do people really do other peoples homework? That "culture" is virtually non-existant here. I've never seen it. (*) Class, because people didn't associate with people from other classes.
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02-06-2004, 08:15 PM | #11 (permalink) | |
Comment or else!!
Location: Home sweet home
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There is, but we dont really recognize it until we look at it real close where I went to high school. Even then, people in one circle would hang with people in another circle so its hard to tell.
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Damn I miss those precious moments....
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Him: Ok, I have to ask, what do you believe? Me: Shit happens. |
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02-06-2004, 08:41 PM | #12 (permalink) |
Enter Title Here
Location: Tennessee
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We had the groups in highschool. Being from a rural highschool we also had what was the 'coon hunters'. which was comprised mostly of country boys who wore greasy hats and clothes.. Our school was so white trash that we had a Tractor Day where said kids could show off their tractors.
Looking back, I'm so proud of my high school. |
02-07-2004, 02:25 AM | #13 (permalink) | |
She's Actual Size
Location: Central Republic of Where-in-the-Hell
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I've noticed that with smaller schools, the cliques tend to fade over the last year or two, which is nice.
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"...for though she was ordinary, she possessed health, wit, courage, charm, and cheerfulness. But because she was not beautiful, no one ever seemed to notice these other qualities, which is so often the way of the world." "Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" |
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02-07-2004, 03:03 AM | #14 (permalink) |
Junkie
Location: Florida
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When I was in high school, there were certainly cliques like that, but nothing nearly as overt as is shown in movies. I had friends in all different groups.. I like cars so I got along well with the rednecks, computers so I had a lot of geek friends, and I had a few jock friends too which meant I never really got picked on.
Doing other peoples' homework isn't extremely common. A friend and I would usually do half of the assignments and then copy each others' stuff (we'd alternate halves since the first problems were generally a lot easier too), but we were more clever than average. I've actually gotten far more discriminating in who I associate myself with since high school. I used to try and make everybody happy so I had a wide circle of acquaintances. I'm much happier with being myself even though most people think I'm an asshole, and having a couple close friends. |
02-07-2004, 12:27 PM | #15 (permalink) |
The Mighty Boosh
Location: I mostly come out at night, mostly...
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Thanks for your input guys, my question was based solely on watching The Breakfast Club the other night!
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Europes two great narcotics, Alcohol and Christianity. I know which one I prefer. |
02-07-2004, 01:31 PM | #16 (permalink) |
Here
Location: Denver City Denver
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Yes, it is just like it is in movies.
The head cheerleader dates the football quaterback. The nerds all wear glasses and for some reason can't find pants that are long enough. The loser/outkast kids all smoke and do drugs and must own a leather jacket and are flat out stupid. Teachers are all old and unattractive and are never nice to their studants... Wait... no it's not. American high schoold studants now are too busy trying to get laid and fix up their Hondas to form cliques. Everyone does drugs and smokes. No one is really cool and the head cheerleader already has two fuckin' kids... from some stoner guy that raped her at a party. It's even more fucked up than it is in movies. I want to see a movie that protrays it as it is. Kids drinking in class, fuckin' in thier cars between classes. Half the time no one is even in the school because they are all driving around getting high. I hate teenagers. Even when I was one.
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heavy is the head that wears the crown |
02-07-2004, 02:11 PM | #17 (permalink) |
Free Mars!
Location: I dunno, there's white people around me saying "eh" all the time
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Well, I've been out of high school for 3 years now and the whole circle concept is absolutely true. But depending on where you live in United States or Canada (I included Canada since I live in Canada and Canada is practially the 51st state), my HS was in a country bordering on a major city. The whole thing about cheerleader and varsity football was kinda bullcrap, everybody in my high school knew that.
My group was one of those "nerdy" kinds and didn't have anything better to do other than have little private war with the "cowboy" group and check out the hot chick in the "hot chick" group. But 3 years later, the hot chicks weren't really that hot at all, I ran into one of them the other day and I was shocked to realized at that moment that she was ugly as fuck. High school always have circle and will always do, it'll evolve into "program" circle depending on what college/university you go to.
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02-07-2004, 10:54 PM | #18 (permalink) |
Insane
Location: Earth
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all stereotypes.
at my high school (and i graduated from there a few years back), we had the drunks and the non-drunks. in the non-drunks/drinkers/partiers/whatever, you would find people grouped more. but for us drinkers, we'd love ya, as long as you'd buy the beer sometimes |
02-08-2004, 01:07 PM | #20 (permalink) | |
Upright
Location: NJ
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02-08-2004, 01:09 PM | #21 (permalink) | |
green
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Re: American High Schools?
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02-08-2004, 01:12 PM | #22 (permalink) | |
The Northern Ward
Location: Columbus, Ohio
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Re: Re: American High Schools?
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"I went shopping last night at like 1am. The place was empty and this old woman just making polite conversation said to me, 'where is everyone??' I replied, 'In bed, same place you and I should be!' Took me ten minutes to figure out why she gave me a dirty look." --Some guy |
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02-08-2004, 01:32 PM | #25 (permalink) |
Death Leprechaun
Location: College Station, TX
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Basically my high school fit the stereotype mold. Except it wasn't the QB it was the tight-end or something, sports players got treated like gods and got away with everything. Actually if you saw "Varsity Blues" it was loosely based on my high school. If that gives you an idea of where I went.
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02-08-2004, 02:22 PM | #26 (permalink) |
Quadrature Amplitude Modulator
Location: Denver
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I had a pretty strong disdain for the social circles in high school.
I still do. So almost all of my friends are from college these days.
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02-08-2004, 06:09 PM | #28 (permalink) |
Addict
Location: Amish-land, PA
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Well, my alma mater is about to become famous. For some reason, Sports Illustrated / MTV came together and had a writer write a book about my high school's prom. Seems like we were one of the best in the nation or something (hardly remember my prom...too many drinks/years ago). Anyway, the book is entitled "Wonderland" (yes, after the John Mayer song) and will come out in May. Plus, they're going to make a movie out of it. Amazing.
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02-08-2004, 06:19 PM | #29 (permalink) |
EVIL!
Location: Southwest of nowhere
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Watch the movie "American Graffitti" and you will see my high school exactly. Midcentral US high school in the Early-Mid 60's.
The cars, the Drive-in restaurant, the drive-in movies, the girls, and the stupid stunt's we all did.
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02-08-2004, 07:42 PM | #30 (permalink) |
Insane
Location: in the clouds ;)
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in high schools, you'll get the extremes of every group then you get a big group of people that don't fit into to any group. Then you get the people that go between groups and it begins to sound confusing. The best way to think of it is that you got preps, punks, goths, skaters/surfers, the feses (Foreign Exchange Student), the ghetto people and then there are the stoners that hover in the ghetto to surfer/skater area. but it's just best not to worry 'bout it.
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02-09-2004, 09:51 AM | #31 (permalink) |
I'm a family man - I run a family business.
Location: Wilson, NC
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my highschool had the generic cliques and everything, but everyone was nice to everyone (for the most part). if you wanted to be friends or talk to someone who was "cooler" than you, you just did it. all the cool kids usually had all the cool parties and stuff though. but I didn't really give a rat's ass.
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02-09-2004, 10:19 AM | #32 (permalink) | |
Insane
Location: land of the merry
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It's called KIDS and was written and directed by Larry Clark. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113540/ And as far as suburban white Midatlantia goes (Carroll County represent. Unh.) - Yeah. It really is bad - the cliques in Westminster High (biggest school in county) were disgusting. When you walk down the hallways, and half the people are talking about the giant drinking party last night, and having sex with random people, it really starts to grind on your nerves. Sometimes I wonder if I'm the only one with any grasp on reality whatsoever. But then I look around, at my clique, with your dorks, dweebs, musicians, punks...the smart ones, that is...and I feel a lot better. Last edited by tehblaed; 02-09-2004 at 10:24 AM.. |
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02-09-2004, 10:31 AM | #33 (permalink) |
Tilted Cat Head
Administrator
Location: Manhattan, NY
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KIDS interesting movie. I worked with Lauren Zalaznick the co producer for a number of years when she worked here at VH1.
it's definitely an interesting movie and worth at least one sit through.
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I don't care if you are black, white, purple, green, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, hippie, cop, bum, admin, user, English, Irish, French, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, indian, cowboy, tall, short, fat, skinny, emo, punk, mod, rocker, straight, gay, lesbian, jock, nerd, geek, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent, driver, pedestrian, or bicyclist, either you're an asshole or you're not. |
02-10-2004, 06:22 AM | #36 (permalink) |
Who You Crappin?
Location: Everywhere and Nowhere
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Our Homecoming King and Queen were two of the smartest kids in school. She wasn't a cheerleader, he wasn't a football player. She was student council and field hockey and soccer, he was in band, orchestra, drama and the diving team.
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02-10-2004, 07:31 AM | #37 (permalink) |
shit faced cockmaster
Location: CT
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Stereotypes are just that, stereotypes and no stereotype holds completely true. And I agree with the whoever said it, don't watch american teen based movies without knowing that hollywood is just a big joke.
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"To alcohol! The cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems." |
02-10-2004, 06:03 PM | #38 (permalink) |
Crazy
Location: san fran
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There are those groups of course.. But i dont think its quite to the extreme of the head chearleader and starting quarterback thing. Although ironically thats a relation ship goin on in my school now.. heh o well ... reminds me of the movie just another teenage movie
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