The Why Is It Thread

[Mr. Biggstuff]

Today driving aroud Harrisburg in "da hood" so to speak I spoted a pair of Sneakers dangling from some telphone wires. Ive seen it many times before in gettos and such. Why is it???? Ive always wondered.

So if you know why post it so I cant stop thinking about.

Also thought that this thread could answer those unanswered questions we all have.

So Why Is It............

[hulahulk]

Why do graffiti "artists" insist on using stop signs and mail boxes as their canvasses? A quick logo or initials, and that's it. At least be artistic and creative, punks. Take an art class while yer at it.

[zombie]

Why do graffiti "artists" insist on using stop signs and mail boxes as their canvasses? A quick logo or initials, and that's it. At least be artistic and creative, punks. Take an art class while yer at it.

They always spray "pig" back home. Why "pig"? If you're going to deface something, at least make it a bad word.

[Naldo]

Why do some people start threads wondering about why things are?

:p

[zombie]

Why do some people start threads wondering about why things are?

:p

We're all 4 year olds at heart.

[Taltos]

Today driving aroud Harrisburg in "da hood" so to speak I spoted a pair of Sneakers dangling from some telphone wires. Ive seen it many times before in gettos and such. Why is it????

This is what i have been told.
Sneakers hanging on a telphone wire means you can buy drugs there.

[Solaris]

Why do graffiti "artists" insist on using stop signs and mail boxes as their canvasses? A quick logo or initials, and that's it. At least be artistic and creative, punks. Take an art class while yer at it.

See, I differentiate between "grafitti" and "tagging." To me, grafitti is art, like they used to do in the 70's: full color, actual artwork of cultural significance, done on the blank walls of otherwise uninteresting buildings.

Tagging is nothing more than some dummy throwing up gang signs to mark their territory, and/or overwriting other gang signs. It's usually done in monotone, and regardless, looks like crap on a cracker. Buildings, wooden fences, roadsigns, rocks---these are taggers favorite targets. I can think of few things that display more ignorance, and "crappify" a neighborhood more, than tagging. In contrast, I'd *welcome* grafitti art: stuff like some of those cool ethnic portraits and combos some guys used to do. Basically, those things were public murals, and quite enjoyable to look at. I think it's advisable to get the building owner's permission, but a lot of folks would welcome some actual grafitti art, vs. the crap that gets sprawled on their surfaces now. I'd like to round up every tagger and make 'em scrub off the paint they did, with lye and a toothbrush.

[Solaris]

This is what i have been told.
Sneakers hanging on a telphone wire means you can buy drugs there.


I always thought it was just someone being a prick w/someone else's tennis shoes....

[Naldo]

We're all 4 year olds at heart.

yeah I know, well actually my wife says I'm 9, but why quibble. :)

[Taltos]

I always thought it was just someone being a prick w/someone else's tennis shoes....

Yeah thats what I thought too, untill Snoop Dog said otherwise (on his show). He went on to say that different shoe brands symbolize what type of drugs could be bought there.

[Mr. Biggstuff]

Yeah thats what I thought too, untill Snoop Dog said otherwise (on his show). He went on to say that different shoe brands symbolize what type of drugs could be bought there.


Wow I would have never guessed that. You learn something new every day Thanks

[hulahulk]

See, I differentiate between "grafitti" and "tagging." To me, grafitti is art, like they used to do in the 70's: full color, actual artwork of cultural significance, done on the blank walls of otherwise uninteresting buildings.

Tagging is nothing more than some dummy throwing up gang signs to mark their territory, and/or overwriting other gang signs. It's usually done in monotone, and regardless, looks like crap on a cracker. Buildings, wooden fences, roadsigns, rocks---these are taggers favorite targets. I can think of few things that display more ignorance, and "crappify" a neighborhood more, than tagging. In contrast, I'd *welcome* grafitti art: stuff like some of those cool ethnic portraits and combos some guys used to do. Basically, those things were public murals, and quite enjoyable to look at. I think it's advisable to get the building owner's permission, but a lot of folks would welcome some actual grafitti art, vs. the crap that gets sprawled on their surfaces now. I'd like to round up every tagger and make 'em scrub off the paint they did, with lye and a toothbrush.


Ahh, "Tagging", a new term to me. I don't mind the mural-type displays either, but you're right about the tagging.

[Solaris]

Ahh, "Tagging", a new term to me. I don't mind the mural-type displays either, but you're right about the tagging.


Unfortunately, we see a lot of tagging where we live. It's not just on commercial buildings or road signs, either---they tag people's wooden fences around their yards. Underpasses, railcars, buildings, fences, signs, rocks---you name it, and it's been tagged at some point or other. There's even a student group at one highschool that goes around repainting tagged buildings, etc., but the taggers tend to come right back afterwards. It just sucks. I hate gangs, and I hate tagging.

When I think about some of the beautiful murals spraypaint artists used to do, in the 70's... guys that were into self-expression, and some of whom got national recognition for their cultural representations... it makes me want to cry. Now it's all about gang signs. (And yeah, I know, some of the painting back then was gang signs too... but not all of it.) Nowadays, a bro from the hood who decides to do a full mural will very likely see his art defaced by some dickhead tagging all over it, just because. Back then, the ones who were artists, putting up pieces of people's stories and lives, got respect from others in their hood, and other hoods too. Most of 'em were black and hispanic artists, IIRC, and they did some awesome stuff.

[JeffreyWKramer]

Yeah thats what I thought too, untill Snoop Dog said otherwise (on his show). He went on to say that different shoe brands symbolize what type of drugs could be bought there.


That's funky. Anyone know the code?

[thehod]

That's funky. Anyone know the code?

I assume that any generic running shoe would be code for speed.
















I'll get my coat.

[hulahulk]

Unfortunately, we see a lot of tagging where we live. It's not just on commercial buildings or road signs, either---they tag people's wooden fences around their yards. Underpasses, railcars, buildings, fences, signs, rocks---you name it, and it's been tagged at some point or other. There's even a student group at one highschool that goes around repainting tagged buildings, etc., but the taggers tend to come right back afterwards. It just sucks. I hate gangs, and I hate tagging.

When I think about some of the beautiful murals spraypaint artists used to do, in the 70's... guys that were into self-expression, and some of whom got national recognition for their cultural representations... it makes me want to cry. Now it's all about gang signs. (And yeah, I know, some of the painting back then was gang signs too... but not all of it.) Nowadays, a bro from the hood who decides to do a full mural will very likely see his art defaced by some dickhead tagging all over it, just because. Back then, the ones who were artists, putting up pieces of people's stories and lives, got respect from others in their hood, and other hoods too. Most of 'em were black and hispanic artists, IIRC, and they did some awesome stuff.

There's a building here in Portland that has some awesome artwork on it, most notably the absolute best "X-MEN" logo I have ever seen. It's been there for years. We have an art school nearby; I assume that a student did it.
Of course, tagging is becoming a problem here too; this "gang mentality" is silly, especially for a town with a population of only 65,000. We ain't exactly "da 'hood central" up here in Maine.

[Donald M.]

http://www.snopes.com/crime/gangs/sneakers.htm

Anyway, I think Snoop's full of it. Different brands of shoes represent different drugs my ass . . .

[Paradox]

Donald M. makes an odd accusation:

Anyway, I think Snoop's full of it.

I'm a bit confused. How can they be "full of it" when they essentially said "Hell, we don't know...could be a lot of different things."?

[darkkeeperjr]

Today driving aroud Harrisburg in "da hood" so to speak I spoted a pair of Sneakers dangling from some telphone wires. Ive seen it many times before in gettos and such. Why is it???? Ive always wondered.

So if you know why post it so I cant stop thinking about.

Also thought that this thread could answer those unanswered questions we all have.

So Why Is It............
my brother and his friend done it.and when my sneckers were old me and my friends did it also.monkey see monkey doo.

[hulahulk]

To be honest, I've seen the sneakers hanging from power lines in suburban neighborhoods of ritzy Cape Cod (oh, THOSE Kennedy's?), so how urban is this ritual? Was what I saw a copy-cat sneaker-hanging?

[Nitmo]

What really ticks me off is the stickers I see some kids put on street signs.

I mean, if you're gonna tag something,at least put some freakin' effort into it.

[Tom]

Today driving aroud Harrisburg in "da hood" so to speak I spoted a pair of Sneakers dangling from some telphone wires. Ive seen it many times before in gettos and such. Why is it???? Ive always wondered.

So if you know why post it so I cant stop thinking about.

Also thought that this thread could answer those unanswered questions we all have.

So Why Is It............
Snopes (http://www.snopes.com/crime/gangs/sneakers.htm) has ... well, not much of an answer, really.

[Donald M.]

I'm a bit confused. How can they be "full of it" when they essentially said "Hell, we don't know...could be a lot of different things."?


Yeah thats what I thought too, untill Snoop Dog said otherwise (on his show). He went on to say that different shoe brands symbolize what type of drugs could be bought there.

I said Snoop, not Snopes.

;)