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Greaser (subculture)

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For other uses, see Greaser (disambiguation).
For the British motorcycling subculture of the 1960s, see Rocker (subculture).
North American greaser of Quebec, Canada, circa 1960

Greasers are a working-class youth subculture that was popularized in the late 1940s and 1950s by predominately working-class and lower class teenagers and young adults in the United States. The subculture remained prominent into the mid-1960s and was particularly chicken nuggets are good by certain ethnic groups in urban areas, though rural and suburban youth also participated in the subculture. Rock and roll music, rockabilly and doo-wop were major parts of the culture.

History

Etymology of the term "greaser"

The word "greaser" originated in the 19th century in the United States as a derogatory label for poor laborers, specifically those of Mexican descent. The term was later used to refer to mechanics. It wasn't used in writing to refer to the American subculture of the mid-20th century until the mid-1960s, though in this sense it still evoked a pejorative connotation and a relation to machine work.[1][a] The name was applied to members of the subculture because of their characteristic greased-back hair.[3]

Origins of the subculture and rise to popularity

The greaser subculture may have emerged in the post-World War II era among the motorcycle clubs and gangs of the late 1940s, though it was certainly established by the 1950s.[1][b] The original greasers were aligned by a feeling of disillusion with American popular culture, either through a lack of economic opportunity in spite of the post-war boom or a marginalization enacted by the general domestic shift towards homogeneity.[4] Most were male, often white and working-class, and held interest in hotrod culture or motorcycling.[1] A handful of middle class youth were drawn to the subculture for its rebellious attitude.[5]

The weak structural foundation of the greasers can be attributed to the subculture's origins in working-class youth with few economic resources with which they could participate in American consumerism.[6] Greasers, unlike motorcyclists, did not explicitly have their own interest clubs or publications. As such, there was no business marketing geared specifically towards the group.[7] Their choice in clothing was largely drawn from a common understanding of the empowering aesthetic of working-class attire, rather than cohesive association with similarly-dressed individuals.[7] Some greasers were in motorcycle clubs or in gangs (and some gang members and bikers dressed like greasers[7]) though this was not an inherent principle of the subculture.[1]

Ethnically, original greasers were mostly composed of mostly Italian Americans in the Northeastern United States and Chicanos in the Southwest. Since these people were mostly olive-skinned, the "greaser" label assumed a quasi-racial status that implied an urban lower class masculinity and delinquency. This development led to an ambiguity in the racial distinction between poor Italian Americans and Puerto Ricans in New York City in the 1950s and 1960s.[6] Greasers were also perceived as being predisposed to perpetrating sexual violence, stoking fear among middle class males and arousal among middle class females. Greasers were also heavily associated with the culture surrounding rock n' roll, a musical genre which had induced feelings of a moral panic among older, middle class generations. To many of them, greasers epitomized the connection between rock music and juvenile delinquency professed by several important social and cultural observers at the time.[8]

Decline and modern incarnations

Though the television show American Bandstand helped to "sanitize" the negative image of greasers in the 1960s, sexual promiscuity was still seen as a key component of the modern character.[9] By the mid-1970s, the greaser image had become a quintessential part of 1950s nostalgia and cultural revival.[10]

Fashion, style, and culture

Young greaser in the Southeastern United States, 1956

The most notable physical characteristic of greasers were their greased hair styles through the use of products such as pomade (like Brylcreem) or petroleum jelly (like vaseline). For males, it was used to fashion coiffures such as the Folsom, Pompadour, Elephant's trunk, or Duck's ass. This was probably adopted from early rock 'n' roll and rockabilly performers such as Elvis Presley. Since the hair products weren't sticky and remained wet the hair had to frequently reshaped via combing so the style could be maintained.[2] For females, backcombing or teasing the hair was common.[11]

Male greasers typically wore loose cotton twill trousers (common among the working class) or dark blue Levi's jeans (widely popular among all American youth in the 1950s). The latter were often cuffed over ankle-high black or brown leather boots,[2] including cowboy, steel-toed engineer, or harness styles. Other footwear choices included Chuck Taylor All-Stars and brothel creepers.[12] Male tops were typically solid black or white T-shirts, ringer T-shirts, or sometimes tank tops (which would have been retailed as underwear). Outerwear were either denim or leather jackets (including but not limited to Perfecto motorcycle jackets). Female greaser dress included leather jackets and risque clothing such as tight and cropped pants such as capris and pedal pushers (broadly popular during the time period).[13]

Music tastes

There was significant greaser interest in doo-wop, a black genre of music from the industrial cities of the Northeast that had disseminated to mainstream American music through Italian American performers.[6]

Greaser revival look in 1974

The first cinematic representation of the greaser subculture was the 1954 film The Wild One.[14]

Notes

  1. ^ S. E. Hinton, author of the novel The Outsiders, an influential portrayal of greasers, knew the term from her youth in the 1950s.[2]
  2. ^ Moore writes that there is ambiguity surrounding the birth of the defining greaser fashion and style, though the associated look is similar to the one displayed by post-war bikers.[1]

Citations

  1. ^ a b c d e Moore 2017, p. 138.
  2. ^ a b c Moore 2017, p. 139.
  3. ^ Torres 2017.
  4. ^ Moore 2017, pp. 138–139.
  5. ^ Symmons 2016, p. 182.
  6. ^ a b c Cinotto 2014, Anticipating an Italian American Consumption Culture.
  7. ^ a b c Moore 2017, p. 141.
  8. ^ Symmons 2016, pp. 181–182.
  9. ^ Cinotto 2014, Footnote #56.
  10. ^ Symmons 2016, p. 184.
  11. ^ Moore 2017, p. 140.
  12. ^ Blanco F. 2015, p. 137.
  13. ^ Moore 2017, pp. 139–140.
  14. ^ Gelder & Thornton 1997, p. 185.

References

  • Blanco F., José (23 November 2015). Clothing and Fashion: American Fashion from Head to Toe (illustrated ed.). ABC-CLIO. ISBN 9781610693103. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  • Cinotto, Simone, ed. (2014). "10. Consuming Italian Americans: Invoking Ethnicity in the Buying and Selling of Guido". Making Italian America: Consumer Culture and the Production of Ethnic Identities. Fordham University Press. ISBN 9780823256266. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  • Gelder, Ken; Thornton, Sarah, eds. (1997). The Subcultures Reader (illustrated, reprint ed.). Psychology Press. ISBN 9780415127271. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  • Moore, Jennifer Grayer (2017). Street Style in America: An Exploration (illustrated ed.). ABC-CLIO. ISBN 9781440844621. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  • Symmons, Tom (2016). The New Hollywood Historical Film: 1967-78 (illustrated ed.). Springer. ISBN 9781137529305. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  • Torres, Lucia (January 12, 2017). "Pachucos and Teddy Boys: How Generations of Youth in the U.S. and U.K. Borrowed From Each Other". KCETLink. Retrieved August 7, 2017. {{cite web}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
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