Is Your Child a Tagger?

1. Lea
   March 3rd, 2008 at 5:34 pm

   OR your child might just have interests outside of videogames and TV! OH NO! Expanding horizons and well-rounded educations!

   I hate people who freak and generalize. Besides…almost EVERY kid has a hoodie! And crayola markers are kinda fat…no ultra-fine points there.

2. Ali S.
   March 3rd, 2008 at 5:42 pm

   Jeez, way to generalize 99% of the teenage population!

3. jen
   March 3rd, 2008 at 5:51 pm

   Most of Santa Ana is a frickin ghetto partially because of scumbags who go around vandalizing other people’s property. If parents are stupid enough to raise someone with so little respect for other people’s things then It’s not a far stretch to think they’re stupid enough to not recognize “warning signs”.

4. otterly
   March 3rd, 2008 at 6:02 pm

   I can’t believe the amount of graffiti in southern California for about the last 7 years or so. The nice little hamlet that I grew up in is now a tagged up ghetto hell hole. I moved away years ago now, but it still breaks my heart to see what some people have done to my home town.

5. Paul
   March 3rd, 2008 at 6:17 pm

   SO stupid. It is call an old fashion ass whooping. If you catch your child defacing property you beat the snot out of him tell him you love him and lock him up. That is a lot better than going to juvenile hall for cause over $5,000 in damages.

6. CheeseDuck
   March 3rd, 2008 at 6:20 pm

   O RLY?

7. Andrew32
   March 3rd, 2008 at 6:28 pm

   YA RLY!

8. Andrew32
   March 3rd, 2008 at 6:29 pm

   thanks neatorama! now i know what i need to tag! yaaaaaaaay!

   actually i find some graffiti a kind of art.

9. sd
   March 3rd, 2008 at 6:36 pm

   as dumb as the hoodie/hat thing is, the rest of it is actually pretty spot on. especially the black book/stencil/huge marker thing, those are all pretty standard (being a grafgirl myself, i can attest).

10. Dan Smith
    March 3rd, 2008 at 7:14 pm

    I used to “tag” and actually went to jail for it…and I also disagree with all of the cynics in here. It’s not just dumb parents generalizing…this is kinda what you have to wear to go out writing. Uniform of necessity.

11. Andrew32
    March 3rd, 2008 at 7:20 pm

    Dan Smith. how long can they put you away for doing that?

    p.s. how old were you?

12. Ali S.
    March 3rd, 2008 at 7:35 pm

    I think the best possible way to help out kids who have that “urge” to go and tag something should be given a space to do so. I’m not condoning the act of vandalism but if they want to say it is an art form they should be able to express themselves in an area designated for it.

    When I used to live in the UK (for 2 years) the tagging problem was huge so the city of London decided that if kids have such a need to do so why not have them compete in a set area filled with concrete walls. Obviously, they had judges who made sure that gang related stuff was not allowed but this way kids who wanted to create art can be given a place to do so.

    Some of the talented kids who would’ve ended up either arrested for vandalizing property or acting like delinquents got commissions to do large art works on buildings and sets! Of course, there were those (gangs) who just wanted to go about tagging and the problem still persists but at a much smaller level.

13. Evil Pundit
    March 3rd, 2008 at 8:08 pm

    I think Ali S has the right idea.

    Kids who just scrawl mindless tags everywhere are vandals. But those who want to express themselves artistically should have a space in which to do so.

14. duus
    March 3rd, 2008 at 8:55 pm

    That article had a lot of good ideas for someone like me, who would like to get into tagging but just doesn’t know where to start! Thanks, the city of Santa Ana!

15. VonSkippy
    March 3rd, 2008 at 11:42 pm

    @Evil Pundit
    “…But those who want to express themselves artistically should have a space in which to do so.”

    Why? How about they show they’re responsible enough to be a member of society first.

16. shecky
    March 4th, 2008 at 12:29 am

    Why? Why not!

    I’ve always liked graffiti, to be honest.

17. Homer Jay
    March 4th, 2008 at 12:59 am

    I hope you guys (people with comments against graff) are pushing stereotypes even more.

    It is definatelly not the parents fault as to why writers do what they do. I’ve met taggers from all walks of life; rich, poor, strict/non-strict parents, people who live in the “ghetto” and people who come from upper-class neighborhoods. I once met a writer who’s father was a cop. So don’t be so quick to point the blame on the parents.

    As for the people who say graff isn’t an art, PLEASE explain to me what hair glued to a piece of would is. Honestly graff is a much more interpretable form of art than a lot of the art you see hanging in a museum.

    And this is by far the worst description of a writer, Its more of a description of a rookie ‘toy’ who cant wait to be caught. I think dave chappelle said it best “just cause i’m dressed like a slut, doesnt make me a slut” moral of the story, dont dress in a way that you dont want to be seen as.

18. Homer Jay
    March 4th, 2008 at 1:00 am

    I meant “I hope you guys KNOW, YOU’RE pushing stereotypes even more….” typo

19. Jsahko
    March 4th, 2008 at 1:10 am

    @duus - Seriously? You’d like to “get into tagging”. You should check it out. There’s some baldheaded kids in my neighborhood that’d love you to “get into it” with them. I’m sure you’d fit right in. They all read Neatorama by the way so likely they’ve already sussed out your interest and will be right over to pick you up for some fun times tagging the hood.

    If someone could explain what purpose tagging serves…

    It sure ain’t artistic expression. It looks like dripping shit. And makes everything around it look like shit. And anyway, are people really still tagging? Sweet FredfreakingDurst that’s so nineties. Get a hobby, kids. Read a book. Draw a picture. Talk to some adults. Throw out your baggy pants. Turn your hat back around, retard. Get on the team and come in for the big win.

    Graffiti’s cool though. As long as they don’t let stupid taggers do it.

    Oh, the most recent tag in my neighborhood: “Lordes is a retard.” No lie. Sweet.

20. Jsahko
    March 4th, 2008 at 1:13 am

    @ Homer Jay

    I think you meant to say “‘peace’ of would”. Check it out. I think I’m write.

21. ted
    March 4th, 2008 at 2:52 am

    “Piece of would”, “who’s father”.

    Not to perpetuate a stereotype, but come on, Homer Jay…

22. Tony LaRocca
    March 4th, 2008 at 9:41 am

    Yes, graffiti is an art expression. Yes, some of it is quite beautiful. No, such artists don’t have the right to deface someone else’s property.

    This post is hysterical, however. I love when the government tries to educate parents.

23. drr
    March 4th, 2008 at 12:30 pm

    Every prison cell is covered in graffiti. Its a predictable behavior of caged humans.

24. Jsahko
    March 4th, 2008 at 3:51 pm

    @ drr “Every prison cell is covered in graffiti. Its a predictable behavior of caged humans.”

    So is every toilet wall. Explain.

25. Ray Kampf
    March 4th, 2008 at 4:29 pm

    I hate graffiti as much as the next guy and I REALLY HATE TAGGING.
    That said, I am a professor of Graphic Design at Cal Poly Pomona. I take umbridge at this rediculous representation of a generalization of those who have hoodies, black markers and black sketch books. Hell thats most of my students.

26. oh snap its chile 01 from HRA
    March 4th, 2008 at 8:33 pm

    thats why i wear a suit and tie when i go out. paint gets on it but hey- a suit coat at the thrift store will set you back a LOT less than the latest logo hoodie.

    whatever on tags, peices are where its at! fellas spend hours creating a masterpeice.

27. Sofar
    March 4th, 2008 at 11:57 pm

    Myself, I prefer /consensual/ art. If I want art on the unpainted ashlar wall of my historical apartment building, (which is already a freaking work of art,) I’ll commission someone.

    I like writing my name pretty too, that’s why I practice calligraphy.

28. SEAN JOHN
    September 12th, 2008 at 12:20 am

    WELLL I GUESS THIS FITS EVERY DESCRIPTION OF ME

29. angle
    October 15th, 2008 at 8:12 pm

    ok ima tagger &its just another way expres you self and the reason they put it on wallz iz so if they die something of them will stil b ther ima tag til i die

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT