Mall/Maul

I've been to the mall twice today, buying nothing either time. Wait, no. I actually bought food both times. Anyway.
While walking by HotTopic, I felt the need to stop and stare at the store from across the mall. That used to be the place to be. That was where it's at. At least amongst all the "alternative" kids. But that then go me to thinking.
It started with all the 80's Guns N Roses, Billy Idol, Poison, stuff. It didn't do too well at first, but it got there. The kids that originally went there were all the industrial goth kids that followed Marilyn Mason like he was some holy prophet, or Nine Inch Nails. Either, or.
And of course, anything the goth kids do, the punk kids have to do, but in their own way.
Or something. So you have the two of them doing whatever, then onto the grunge kids that didn't wash for weeks on end. And it was all good.
Then something happened.
Somewhere between the death of emotive-hardcore and the birth of post-hardcore, the mall goths began to rise in the early 2000's. Slipknot, Korn, etc. And there was nothing wrong with this, until the constant message of death and self hate was being taken from the music.
Im not saying that the message of death and self hate is what the music was trying to communicate, but that was the way it was taken. That then began to morph into what would now be called "emo". Taking the term out of context and using it as something entirely redundant, describing an incorrect genre of music along with a kind of person. Now, mid 2000's the "emo" kids began to show up, further glorifying the idea of death. Not the idea of killing or hurting others, but the idea of killing and hurting one's self. Suicide and self mutilation became a trend. It became cool. Agony, depression and self loathing was a common theme. Within four years, the trend then evolved into what is no known as "scene". Basically the same style as "emo" (though dwelling a bit more on being elitists) but instead of cutting themselves with razors, they cut themselves with credit cards.* Just as the industrial goths followed NIN, the scene kids follow Jeffree Star, who really is just a pink-powdered, ultra-femme, sparkles and frosting covered version of Marilyn Manson.
I suppose that it is simply natural for older generations to fear for the younger, but honestly I do a lot more than just fear for the generation after me. A low price has already been put on life by my generation and the one before, and it seems to be rapidly going downhill. I am terrified to know what the next "trend" is. The next "cool" "hip" thing. I really am afraid to know what is going to happen next and what horrific fashion will appear in the next two years among those "alternative" kids and among the "scene". We will all find out sooner to later. I'm not sure if that is a good thing or not. All we can do is hope for the best.

*thanks to Jenny's friend Ian