Greaser (subculture)
Greasers is a subculture that started in the 1950s and continued through the mid-1960s. It is debatable whether the name derives from the heavy use of hair grease or from the dirty state of the clothes and motorcycles they used. In the 1950s the Greasers were rebellious, forming gangs and riding motorcycles. Music of the Greasers was Rock and Roll, Elvis and other "rebellious" music of the era. Their fashion style of leather jackets and denim jeans was inspired by Marlon Brando's The Wild One. Later movies and television programs glorifying Greasers would include The Lords of Flatbush (1974), the Happy Days series (1974-1984), the film Grease (1978) and its 1982 sequel, and The Outsiders (1983).
Worthy of mentioning is the fact that the Greaser sub-culture was largely an American youth phenomenon, where as the British equivalent would be the rockers or Teddy Boys (Teds) of the 1950's and the Swedish raggare. Although leather and motorcycles were not part of the Teds culture, it was part of the Ton-Up Boys culture of the same era.
Different countries, different names
The 1960s British parallel to the Greaser would be the Rocker. Rockers evolved from the Ton-Up Boys and Teddy Boys ("Teds") of the previous decade. The term Greaser only came into use later when Hells Angels or hippy bikers started being the norm in the 1970s.
In Australia and New Zealand, the term Bodgie was used for the same phenomenon.
In Estonia - Lõngus (Greasers - Lõngused).
In Scandinavia - Raggare.
Revival
Today there are recurrent revivals all over the world of these infamous music/fashion sub-cultures. Just as Punk and Rockabilly continue on to this day, movies like American Graffiti and Grease saw the Greaser culture revive in the late 1970s and remain popular to this day. For the modern-day Rocker it's all about the right look, music and the ever present British motorcycle. For the modern-day Greaser, it's all about the fashion, the music and classic American "Hot-Rod" cars.
See also
- Raggare
- Rockers
- Teddy Boy (youth culture)
- All-terrain vehicle
- Anarcho-Rockers
- Cadillac
- Dune buggy
- Mods and Rockers
- Motorcycle gang
- Outlaw motorcycle club
- Punkabilly
- Punk Rockers
- Psychobilly
- Rock and roll
External link
http://the59club.com/public_html/rocker.html
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