Once upon a time there were Yankees, a rough and tumble group of youths who flaunted convention, rocked mullets, smoked, and occasionally resorted to fisticuffs when it was called for. Sure, they were a little unrefined but you knew where they stood.
However, now it seems a new breed of young men and women have evolved from this who enjoy climbing into freezers and standing on subway tracks for fun. This new class is being named DQN (Dokyun) in Japan.
The name DQN has been around for a while, originating as internet slang for Yankees, but with the recent spate of petty crime themed photos posted on Twitter and other social media in Japan, it seems to have found a new home. The above photo which has circulated around the net in Japan provides an outline of the modern DQN. Let’s take a look at it in English.
If you’re an old fart like me you might not be familiar with Maximum the Hormone. They’re like this generation’s Japanese Sepultura or Korn. They use “the shocker” as their hand sign. I’m not sure if it’s intentional though.
Also, it’s hard to tell from the illustration, but a “school bag” in this instance is kind of like a tote bag. When worn on the back like a knapsack it can be quite the nuisance to those around on a busy street or train.
Netizens agreed with the analysis saying, “I know a kid like this” and “When I see them I have to hold back the laughter.” Depending on how you look at it, this could be a sign of the degradation of society, or just the rest of us getting older and losing touch.
Either way, since someone like the guy drawn above will most likely be managing my elderly care facility when the time comes, I’d like to officially pledge allegiance to the DQN by saying loafers suck and Maximum the Hormone rocks!
Source: Twitter via Byokan Sunday (Japanese)
Video: YouTube – MTHOFFICIAL
Bag Image: Amazon