High school graduation photos from Russia
I thought that the expression on girl on the left in this picture was really funny. This is from a series of high school graduation photos from Russia. According to Infidel753, "The odd uniforms are a relic of Soviet times, now worn only on graduation day."
I don't always agree politically with this blog, but you can always find some great stuff that is off the beaten path at Infidel753 - such as Underwater Fountains of St. Petersburg, Your toothpaste is poisoned, and Christianity, summarized.
Update: Karla over at Rabbits, Toyen, and so forth has some great Pottsylvanian graduation pictures from 2006 and 2007 as well.
I don't always agree politically with this blog, but you can always find some great stuff that is off the beaten path at Infidel753 - such as Underwater Fountains of St. Petersburg, Your toothpaste is poisoned, and Christianity, summarized.
Update: Karla over at Rabbits, Toyen, and so forth has some great Pottsylvanian graduation pictures from 2006 and 2007 as well.
12 Comments:
That chick who's shooting the nasty look looks like Prince William in drag. Maybe he's taking a page outta Evil Spock's book.
At Munich's Oktoberfest you see fourteen and fifteen yo girls with pink hair, a plethora of facial piercings wearing dirndls and hoisting the litre mugs. They made me giggle.
Contrary to popular belief, these European teens are no better able to hold their liquor than their American counterparts. This part was not so funny, particularly if you were on the train next to a swoozy teen.
Thanks for the links, Dr. Z.
As disturbing as it is to see teenagers with alcohol and cigarettes (most Slavic cultures have a terrible alcohol porblem, but it's more pervasive among males), I can at least say based on pictures I've seen that piercings (gag, puke) seem to be a lot less common in eastern Europe than in the West.
Surely these aren't high school graduates, they look like 12-year-olds. Depraved 12-year-olds, but 12-year-olds. So I'm guessing this is the Russian version of junior high, which looks about like I suspect some of the people I knew in junior high looked on the weekend.
Angry Ballerina: Yes, but Evil Spock pulls it off so much better!
Jess Wundrun: I can't believe that you made me look up dirndls. Hey! I kind of like those! I always love to see a pretty girl in a ridiculous outfit.
Infidel753: Hmm... and do you have a theory as to why there is this discrepancy?
Karla: If you actually got to the link, pretty much all of the girls look a few years older. In the comments section there was some discussion about the age of the girls in this picture in particular. two posts seem to think that the age of graduation in Russia was 16-17 years old. Maybe they graduated early? Or some girls just look younger. I just thought the look on the girl's face was wicked, and it was humorous juxtaposed with the ridiculous "hats" and the beer and the cigarette.
you made me look up dirndls
And when you looked up them, what did you see?
(Sorry, couldn't resist.)
Hmm... and do you have a theory as to why there is this discrepancy?
Maybe part of a broader pattern of greater emphasis on physical attractiveness? A lot of the way people look and dress in the Western world nowadays seems to be almost deliberately striving for ugliness. The piercing fad is just the most extreme example.
I think the more interesting question is why in the West in the last decade or two it has become almost normative to get fat, walk around in public in pajamas or baggy shorts and a T-shirt that isn't tucked in, with a "beard" that looks like one just forgot to shave for a few days, and bits of metal stuck through various parts of one's face, rather than why people in other parts of the world don't do those things.
I really hate how his tits look better than mine. Maybe I will have to get that boob job after all. Can't let Evil Spock one up me in the mammery dept.
My high school had a uniform for graduation, too.
Sigh,
Tengrain
Infidel753: dirndls - Ha! I can't resist a bad pun either! Good one.
But unfortunately your analysis is really just descriptive, and does not explain the root cause. A greater emphasis on physical attractiveness would seem unlikely, people used to be far more concerned about their appearance in the 40s and 50s, and even the 80s and 90s. I don't know what it is either. The whole "few days growth beard" is really annoying to me as well. you know what's even worse? The "soul patch!" People are emulating Maynard G. Krebs!
Angry Ballerina: Yes, but he just has tranny boobs. You have ballerina bosoms! There is a big difference. Tranny boobs don't even come with a warranty!
Tengrain: I doubt that you had to dress up like a French maid and put puffy mouse ears on your head, though. What did you have to wear?
A greater emphasis on physical attractiveness would seem unlikely, people used to be far more concerned about their appearance in the 40s and 50s, and even the 80s and 90s.
I meant a greater emphasis on physical attractiveness in eastern Europe today compared with in the West today (that is, as why eastern Europeans are less interested in revolting fads like piercing than Westerners are).
*looks down* Yea....I gotta start saving my pennies. Or start eating.
Infidel753: That is actually a very good answer.
Angry Ballerina: Or you could just eat pennies.
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