I'm Generation "Nouveau Yobbo"

I've never been one to follow trends nor start them. In fact all my life i have wondered who actually starts trends? I've always imagined that someone, somewhere is sitting on a throne with servants around them holding new fashion trends or products that they have the ability to make cool or "so 1984." Sitting in a tent that wouldn't look out of place in Persia, the "creater of cool" would reign upon high as us mere mortals look for any sign of a trend like catholics in Rome anticipate the white smoke at the Vatican when a new pope is elected.

I've never felt comfortable about being stereotyped into a "yobbo" because i've always felt more cultured than that. According to wikipeidia a yobbo's characteristics consist of " heavy drinking, possibly to the point of alcoholism, low intelligence, fashionably ignorant (usually wearing thongs/sandals and cheap t-shirts and shorts) and usually a fan of Rugby League, Australian football, Cricket or V8 Supercars. It is through conduct at these sporting activities that the term has gained connotations of hooliganism."

Now i love a drink now and then (preferably "now") i also love my footy and are quite inclined to have the fashion sence of an Andy Warhol painting but still there are parts to my DNA that have always shyed away from the traditional "yobbo" vibe. At the other end of the spectrum are the twin towers of the "metrosexual" (the trait of an urban male of any sexual orientation who has a strong aesthetic sense and spends a great amount of time and money on his appearance and lifestyle) and the "ubersexual" (It is a variant of metrosexual, in that the male is "refined", but contains more of an implication of confidence and traditional notions of manhood than the former term).

Still that didn't feel right. I'm not in the class of a Clooney or a Bono. I'm just a boy from the burbs that didn't feel the wave of anger that Generation X'ers supposidly felt because i missed the post-Vietnam War confusion. I didn't even know I was part of Generation Y but it seems i am. The MTV Generation tag can go straight to the keeper because when i was growing up MTV was on for three hours on a Saturday night on channel nine hosted by peroxide king and future host of "Keynotes" Richard Wilkins and So far the closest Generation i can be classified in is the "Boomerang Generation" whereby kids come home after uni and live for their parents for a while and the relationship between child and parents is further developed. Sure my boomerang came back a little bit later than the generally specified age span but still that didn't feel like me.

Then whilst i was back in Hong Kong for the Grand Finale it hit me... I am "nouveau yobbo."

"Noveau Yobbo" represents an evolution of the Australian male who still loves his yobbo roots but isn't covered in tattoos of Peter Brock or roses ambushed by thorns. I love AC/DC and Midnight Oil but i also enjoy other musical stylings such as Crowded House, Missy Higgins and Franz Ferdinand to name a few. I love a drink but i enjoy all types of beers from all over the world and not just from Australia or Victoria. I feel that "nouveau yobbo" is a refined Aussie male who not only can have a great chinwag about footy but at least has a basic idea of the world around them.

The race riots in Sydney a few months ago really pissed me off seeing bearded, sunburnt pissed Aussie guy and girls saying "get back to your country" whilst chanting "Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi" and being fuelled by Bundy and Coke. It questioned my place in this country a lot and made me look inward and ask myself.."how can i define who i am?" After a few months of this question popping in and out of my head the answer came to me in Hong Kong. I know i'm more advanced than most yobbos out there but i'm not degrading them at all, i'm just not like you guys. I don't like tattoos or utes.

Basically a "Nouveau Yobbo" is someone who:

- Has grown up in Australia yet has experienced life over seas. No Contiki tours don't count.
- Who loves everything Australian yet understands there is more to Planet Earth than Australia.
-Who enjoys a drink with his mates but can appreciate beers, wines and spirits from overseas. You cannot try one Budweiser and say you are "nouveau" it has to be at least a 50% Aussie Beer to 50% Foreign Beer. Wines and Sprits are part of the "nouveau" experience.
- Enjoy your sports but don't go so far to decorate your house, wardrobe and body with reminders of your club or its colours.
- You love your family but you cannot use names such as Harley or Caleb but names like Jack or Sam are acceptable.
-You can hold a conversation about most topics in the world and you have a good idea of current news events. No you cannot use "Hey did ya know that such and such is drivin for Ford next year" as an example
- You read books and not just the Trading Post, People and Inside Football.
-You love a Chicken Parma but can appreciate foods from around the world and no a lamb kebab after getting shitfaced at the local pub doesn't constitute the be all and end all of food from around the world.
-Your beer gut is on its way out but the "bling" and "eye cream" aren't on the way in.
-Your dress sence still has a bit of style but you never wear Armani unless you are at a wedding or at the races.

That's just some of the ideas i have about "nouveau yobbo"

I like them.