I Wish They All Could Be Gyaru Girls

The following is a snippet of conversation between me and Ed Shepp at the recent WFMU Holiday Party:

Mark: No Ed, I've never tried Norival. By the way, I like the black around your eyes.
Ed: Oh my God! I wanted it, but wasn't sure I applied it right -- I just took the pencil and went like *r-e-e-a-a-u-h-h* around each eye.
Mark: It looks great, it's smeared perfectly, like you're in rehab and have dark circles.
Ed: Oh my God! That's what I was going for!
Mark: It's like the opposite of those girls in Japan, the "Gyaru" girls.
Ed: What's that?

Mark: Gyaru girls are...remember years ago those teenage girls in Osaka and Tokyo that dressed in that elaborate goth-futuristic-new-romantic-kind-of street style, and were photographed in magazines like FRUiTS and stuff?
Ed: Yeah.
Mark: Ok, well that whole scene faded away and now they all want to look like Paris Hilton.
Ed: Really?
Mark: Yea, but it's this really catawampus version of Paris Hilton, like California beach bunnies by way of Witchiepoo or Leigh Bowery. Just nuts, like I can't even describe it.
Ed: Oh my God! I've seen that! Don't they have long hair, and white block shapes on their eyes and are tan...like super-tan?
Mark: Yeah, like blackface! It's been going on for a while. There's whole armies of them over there...armies of blackface Witchiepoo Paris Hiltons attacking from Tokyo.
Ed: Oh my God! When do they get here?
Mark: Well, we can dream. And the music they listen to is even more insane. In fact, it almost sounds like your music, just super duper sped-up.
Ed: Really? Oh my God! Oh my God! Have you heard Swedish rap? It's crazy!
[Ed then breaks into a loud, accent-perfect imitation of Swedish rapping, complete with scale hand motions].

Comments

[Roger]

I've walked the hot summer streets of Shibuya, pushing my way through endless throngs of the ganguro, and the memory of it still wakes me up in the middle of the night, the sheets soaked with sweat.

The horror. The horror.

[fatty jubbo]

I have been seeing this style around for a while and always wondered what the fuck it was about. It's a really wonderful grotesque take on American "beauty".

[Brian Turner]

In 40 years:

http://www.hotflick.net/flicks/1998_There_s_Something_About_Mary/998SAM_Lin_Shaye_001.jpg

[Ed Shepp]

AHEM! I do NOT remember saying "Oh my god!" so many times! I probably said "No way!" at least once. And remember I also talked about those Japanese girls who are doing that bandage thing? Mmm-hmmm.

And you can't go wrong with Swedish rap.

[Mark Allen]

Sorry Ed, but talking to you can be a bit of a blur. Didn't mean to make you sound like a Valley Girl. I think these are the bandaged Japanese girls you brought up:
http://tinyurl.com/ys7dqo

[mayux]

GYARU NEWS
IM JAPANESE
I CAN SPEAKE ENGLISH A LITTLE
THENK YOU*･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･゜(ﾟ∀ﾟ)ﾟ･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*!!!!

[tomo]

I love yamanbas,manbas,gyaru and all sub-division