The meaning of the word freak. Who are freaks and what do they do? Famous representatives of the subculture

Freaks

Freak- a person distinguished by a bright, unusual, extravagant appearance and provocative (often shocking) behavior, as well as an extraordinary worldview, which is the result of a rejection of social stereotypes. Most often these are teenagers, but there are also older freaks. Freaks can also be people from creative professions - artists, poets, photographers, writers, etc.

This meaning appeared in the word in the 60-70s, in the context of the emergence of the so-called “freak subculture”, “freak scene”, which united politicized post-hippie pacifists and rock fans far from politics. and psychedelic music. In this sense, the word “freak” can be used both as an insult and as praise, including in relation to the speaker himself. It also means a strong attachment, an obsession with a particular activity, for example: “He's such a neat-freak” or “You're a singing freak” English). In addition, a “freak” (freaky, English, adjective, or freak, English, noun) can be called a person who has had a large number of sexual relations. In pornography, “freaks” refer to individuals who are particularly obsessed with sex, as well as those for whom sex is the meaning of their whole life.

In the past, the word “freak” referred to people who were physically handicapped, had rare exotic diseases, or had an unusual appearance, such as participants in “sideshows” (skeleton man, tattoo man, etc.). In this meaning, the word is almost never used and is used only as an insult or slang among the participants in the “sideshow” themselves. In this sense, a “freak” can be called someone who does not fall under typical standards of deviation. For example, a person of short stature will not be classified as a “freak” unless his height is less than - 3 SDS (standard deviation coefficient); the same rule applies to very tall people. Such "freaks" can be divided into two groups: people who were born "freaks" and people who became "freaks" in the process of their development. The reason for the appearance of “freaks” of the first group is most often genetic deviations, while at the same time a “freak” from the second group is a common person, who, by his own will or due to a combination of circumstances, has experienced changes in appearance(for example, due to implantation).

As before, the word “freak” is used to define genetic mutations in plants or animals. In English, the word "freak" is also used as a verb or adjective, for example, to describe panic attacks or uncontrollable behavior due to the use of certain types of drugs (freaking, freaking out) or as a substitute for one obscene word with another (Oh my freaking God! ).

"Frick", among other things, is also a surname, of French or Scottish origin. One of its bearers was Reece Freak, a famous industrialist and philanthropist from Adelaide, South Australia.

Story

Previously, there were many theories regarding natural deviations that had no real scientific explanation. One of the common superstitions in the 19th century was the belief that an animal or person that frightened a pregnant woman could pass on certain of its qualities or properties to the fetus. (The widely accepted theory regarding innate character traits has essentially the same basis.) Since ancient times, some religions have associated the birth of a child with deviations from generally accepted norms with astrology. Residents of Galicia believe that the result of recent solar eclipses was an increased number of children with various mutations. In Eastern religions there is a belief that the occurrence of deviations is influenced by karma. According to other beliefs, the cause is the will of God.

Varieties of freaks

Frank Zappa and the Freak Subculture

Freaks, in Zappa's opinion, were far from the opposition between right and left, mainstream culture and counterculture, conservatives and hippies, preferring an aesthetic free of fashion or political dogma. This allowed Zappa and The Mothers of Invention to expand the concept of "freak", previously used in the context of or synonymous with the expressions "flaw of nature" and "freak show". “Bearded, rough, dirty and devoid of all decency, they were... freaks. This was their purpose. They were part of the same game that lasted for ages, epater le bourgeoisie (Rus. shock the bourgeoisie ), but this time they weren’t dadaists or existentialists or beatniks, they were freaks.”

At The Mothers of Invention concerts, audiences followed his call to “freak out!” (the same name was the band's first album) and freely expressed their emotions through dancing or spontaneous screams, and the band members, in turn, poured whipped cream on the audience. This concert behavior was adopted by many other musical groups that appeared decades after Frank Zappa's group.

Freaks, with their militant antisocial position, became the subject of criticism not only from representatives of traditional culture, but also from representatives of other subcultural movements, including for their “theoretically competent, but at the same time futile attempts to resist the “false civilization” . John Lennon sang about how "freaks on the phone haunt me" Freaks on the phone won't leave me alone ) and that he was “tired of all these aggressive hippies or whatever they call themselves, the new generation... vying for my attention, as if I owe them something...”. Bob Dylan also suffered from Dylan freaks, “trying to force him to live and behave the way they thought he should live and behave.” In response to phrases that he “must be aware of his responsibilities as the idol of millions - you are DYLAN, boy, you are the object of worship for your fans, you are DYLAN, DYLAN, DYLAN,” Dylan replied: “I’m not Dylan, And you" .

The Filthy Speech Movement, one of the leaders of which was Jerry Rubin, can also be classified as a subculture of freaks.

"Artificial Freaks" Made freaks)

The word “freak” is often used in relation to people who consciously change their own appearance using various techniques. This may be true or part of a lifestyle, as we see with rock star Marilyn Manson or the Murderdolls, a reaction to disfigurement from an accident, an attempt to stay young, or a symptom of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). . There are several varieties of “made freaks”, they can exist either separately or together with each other: tattoo freaks, piercing freaks, etc.

Tattoos

Derived from the Polynesian word tattoo (or tatai, design) and derived from the Japanese traditional technique of irezumi, tattoos became extremely popular among sailors, and later among bikers and everyone else who wanted to have indelible drawn images on their bodies. Modern "freaks" are often represented with tattoos all over their bodies.

Punk hairstyles

Multi-colored hair, mohawk hairstyles, and dreadlocks are still associated with punks, despite the fact that they arose long before the first punk bands appeared in the 70s. Thus, in the 1961 film “The Rebel” (in American release Call Me Genius, “My name is genius”) with Tony Hancock in the title role, you can see Parisian artists with blue, green or crimson hair and black clothes, parodying the shocking antics of the surrealists. In magazines and newspapers from the 1950s, you can see then-rock and roll star Wee Willie Harris with hair Pink colour. In the early 60s, British actor Peter Sellers sang the song “I’m So Ashamed” in one of his comedies about a rock star who dyed his “hair a screaming green.”

Piercing

Notes

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

See what “Freaks” are in other dictionaries:

Mn. (eng. freak strange person) outdated. disabled person, freak performing in a circus or show. Modern weird person New dictionary foreign words. by EdwART, 2009 … Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

freaks- from English freak - freak. People who stand out too much from the crowd with their non-standard appearance (can be dressed and made up, or real). Did you hook up with this fucking freak? Youth slang … Dictionary of modern vocabulary, jargon and slang

A type of flea endemic typhus, characterized by a mild rash and severe course of the disease; epidemiology has not been studied enough... Medical encyclopedia

Freaks (English: freak, a strange person, an outdated disabled person, a freak who performs in a circus or show) is a trend in youth culture of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Social groups of people who try to look very bright and sometimes provocative... Wikipedia

φρίκη - [freaks] ουσ. Θ. horror, shudder... Λεξικό Ελληνικά-ρωσική νέα (Greek-Russian new dictionary)

The English word “freak”, applied to a person with non-standard and rather demonstrative behavior and a corresponding appearance, is firmly entrenched in the vocabulary of the youth audience... and once upon a time “freaks” were simply called “city crazy people”.

So, a “freak” is a person whose behavior, appearance and lifestyle are significantly different from the majority, who deviates from accepted norms, but does not pose any threat to society. “Freaks” are found among artists, musicians, and actors; this word is also often attributed to transvestites and schizophrenics.

Fundamentally, a “freak” differs from an obvious psycho precisely because of his madness, which is completely safe for others. It is worth noting that society in different times, basically, there was a fairly tolerant attitude towards “freaks”. The Christian religion forbade offending these strange personalities, so it was easy for the city crazy to become part of local folklore. Modern “freaks” replenish wallets quite well due to their defiant appearance and inappropriate behavior.

A little history...

The current meaning of this word was formed in the 1960-1970s, when the so-called “freak subculture”, “freak scene” appeared, uniting politicized post-hippie-pacifists and rock connoisseurs who were quite far from politics and psychedelics. In this sense, the word can be used both as an insult and as praise. It speaks of a strong attachment and obsession regarding a particular type of activity. In addition, people who have had a lot of sexual intercourse are also called “freaks”.

For some time, only physically disabled people with rare exotic diseases or people with an unusual appearance were called “freaks.” For example, a person whose height does not meet typical standards could easily be classified as a “freak.” Conventionally, “freaks” can be divided into 2 groups: those who were born “freaks” and those who became “freaks”. The first group of “freaks” is usually associated directly with genetic abnormalities, the second includes people who, of their own free will or due to circumstances, have changed their appearance.

Today, as before, the word “freak” also refers to genetic mutations in plants or animals. The word "freak" in English as a verb or adjective describes, for example, panic attacks or uncontrollable behavior caused by the use of any of certain drugs (freaking, freaking out), and it is also used when replacing one obscene word with another ( Oh my freaking God!).

Who are the freaks? The word “freak” can mean both a circus freak and a person obsessed with something.

But most often, freaks refer to an entire youth subculture that tears social norms to shreds and shocking the public left and right.

The first freaks appeared in the West, among informals and people who actively modified their bodies with piercings, tattoos, scarring and plastic surgery.

Today this is a more capacious concept. People indiscriminately categorize anyone who acts weird or looks provocative, from punks to rockers, into this category.

When you meet such a “handsome guy,” you can get confused. Piercings and tattoos all over the body, clothes of non-standard shapes and luminescent colors, a wig or mohawk, lots of makeup and other experiments with appearance...

This often shocks conservative passersby. Add to this exalted behavior that does not fit into the routine established by society, and it will seem to you that the end of the world has already come.

Why do freaks change their appearance and dress up in anti-fashionable things? This is a kind of protest - against the gray everyday life, conservatism, dogmatism, rules and norms.

To be different from everyone else. Yes, and you don’t live like everyone else. A true freak does not play this role, he is who he is, inside and out.

Representatives of this subculture are often described with the words: “crazy”, “mad”, “obsessed”, “informal”, “shocking”.

They spit on traditions and public opinion, they are their own fashion designers, stylists and designers.

Most often, freaks try to reflect their own creativity with their appearance, to express themselves, to let their true “I” out.

Therefore, the ranks of these “nice guys” are full of poets, artists, musicians and other creative characters.

Is it fashionable to be a freak?

It also happens that the image of a freak is just an image. Many musicians choose it for themselves in order to attract attention and shock the audience. And then they get used to the role - and become true freaks.

If you've ever seen Lady Gaga and Marilyn Manson, you know what we're talking about.

Famous freaks also include: singers Zhanna Aguzarova, Bjork, Kelly Osbourne, Amy Winehouse, artists Andrei Bartenev and Sasha Frolova, actress Helena Bonham Carter, journalists Anna Piaggi and Tavi Gevinson, designer Vivienne Westwood.

They put on unimaginable hats, paint their faces in a rainbow of colors, sew outfits from “grassland” and have shocking hairstyles.

Thus, Lady Gaga does not hesitate to go on stage in a dress made of raw meat, Bonham Carter has not used a hairbrush for years, and Aguzarova has been searching for a connection with space all her life.

Westwood claims to be the brightest and most shocking grandmother on the planet, Sasha Frolova is easy to mistake for balloon, and Bartenev flaunts costumes suitable only for a science-fiction cartoon.

Should we be afraid of freaks?

Despite their shocking, provocative and seemingly stupid actions, these boys and girls are usually harmless. Moreover, they bring to the world their concept of freedom from stereotypes, optimism, joy and beauty.

They are trying to show that there is no need to depend on the templates of the fashion industry and adapt oneself to “ideal standards.” Everyone is beautiful the way they feel. It's important to be yourself and let it out.

Real freaks, coming from the head and heart, model their reality and exist in it. It is already difficult for them to function normally in today’s society and to follow the rules.

They provoke, shock, break stereotypes and see this as their mission.

Their goal is to attract attention and evoke a storm of emotions among those around them. Therefore, modest introverted freaks simply do not exist! They are all ready for stares, bathe in them.

Therefore, freaks are not hermits at all; without society they will not exist: there will be no one to oppose themselves to.

Therein lies a strange relationship: freaks need spectators just as society needs them - as a breath of “fresh air” and as proof that the world can be very multifaceted!

Also, freaks are often people of creative professions - musicians, artists, poets, photographers, writers, politicians, etc.

Encyclopedic YouTube

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✪ The Craziest Freaks on the Planet [Body Modifiers]

✪ MEDICAL FREAKS / QUACK DOCTORS ON INSTAGRAM

✪ Andrei Petrov and Gauguin Solntsev - freaks or not?

Subtitles

Story

This meaning appeared in the word in the 80-90s, in the context of the emergence of the so-called “freak subculture”, “freak scene” (eng. freak scene), uniting politicized post-hippie pacifists and rock fans far from politics. and psychedelic music. In this sense, the word “freak” can be used both as an insult and as praise, including in relation to the speaker himself. It also means a strong attachment, an obsession with a particular activity, for example: “He's such a neat-freak” or “You're a singing freak” English). In addition, a “freak” (freaky, English, adjective, or freak, English, noun) can be called a person who has had a large number of sexual relationships. In pornography, “freaks” refer to individuals who are particularly obsessed with sex, as well as those for whom sex is the meaning of their whole life.

In this sense, a “freak” can be called someone who does not fall under typical standards of deviation. For example, a person of short stature will not be classified as a “freak” unless his height is less than - 3 SDS (standard deviation coefficient); the same rule applies to very tall people. Such "freaks" can be divided into two groups: people who were born "freaks" and people who became "freaks" in the process of their development. The reason for the appearance of “freaks” of the first group is most often genetic deviations, while at the same time, a “freak” from the second group is an ordinary person who, by his own will or due to a combination of circumstances, has undergone changes in appearance (for example, due to implantation implants).

As before, the word “freak” is used to define genetic mutations in plants or animals. In English, the word "freak" is also used as a verb or adjective, for example to describe panic attacks or uncontrollable behavior due to the use of certain types of drugs (freaking, freaking out) or as a replacement for one obscene word with another (Oh my freaking God! ).

"Frick", among other things, is also a surname of French or Scottish origin. One of its bearers was Reece Freak, a famous industrialist and philanthropist from Adelaide, South Australia.

Previously, there were many theories regarding natural deviations that had no real scientific explanation. One of the widespread superstitions in the 19th century was the belief that an animal or person that frightened a pregnant woman could pass on certain of its qualities or properties to the fetus (the widespread theory regarding innate character traits has, in fact, the same basis).

Freaks, in Zappa's opinion, were far from opposing left and right, mainstream culture and counterculture, conservatives and hippies, preferring an aesthetic free of fashion or political dogma. This allowed Zappa and The Mothers of Invention to expand the concept of "freak", previously used in the context of or synonymous with the expressions "flaw of nature" and "freak show". “Bearded, rough, dirty and devoid of all decency, they were... freaks. This was their purpose. They were part of the same game that lasted for ages, epater le bourgeoisie (Rus. shock the bourgeoisie), but this time they weren’t dadaists or existentialists or beatniks, they were freaks.”

At The Mothers of Invention concerts, audiences followed his call to “freak out!” (the band’s first album had the same name) and freely expressed their emotions through dancing or spontaneous screams, and the band members, in turn, poured whipped cream on the audience. This concert behavior was adopted by many other musical groups that appeared decades after Frank Zappa's group.

Freaks with their militant antisocial position have become the subject of criticism not only from representatives of traditional culture, but also from representatives of other subcultural movements, including for their “theoretically competent, but at the same time futile attempts to resist “false civilization.” John Lennon sang about how “freaks on the phone haunt me.” Freaks on the phone won't leave me alone) and that he was “tired of all these aggressive hippies or whatever they call themselves, the new generation... vying for my attention, as if I owe them something...”. Bob Dylan also suffered from Dylan freaks “trying to force him to live and behave the way they thought he should live and behave.” In response to phrases that he “must be aware of his responsibilities as the idol of millions - you are DYLAN, boy, you are an object of worship for your fans, you are DYLAN, DYLAN, DYLAN,” Dylan replied: “I’m not Dylan, And you" .

The Filthy Speech Movement, one of the leaders of which was Jerry Rubin, can also be classified as a subculture of freaks.

"Artificial freaks" (eng. Made freaks)

The word “freak” is often used in relation to people who consciously change their own appearance using various techniques. This can be both true and part of a lifestyle, as we see in the example of musicians Marilyn Manson or a group of bikers and everyone else who wants to have indelible drawn images on their bodies. Modern "freaks" are often represented with tattoos all over their bodies.

Punk hairstyles

Multi-colored hair, mohawk hairstyles, and dreadlocks are still associated with punks, despite the fact that they arose long before the first punk bands appeared in the 70s. Thus, in the 1961 film “The Rebel” (in American release Call Me Genius, “Call Me Genius”) with Tony Hancock in the title role, you can see Parisian artists with blue, green or crimson hair and black clothes, parodying the shocking antics of the surrealists. In magazines and newspapers from the 1950s, you can see then-rock and roll star Wee Willie Harris with pink hair. In the early 60s, British actor Peter Sellers performed the song “I’m So Ashamed” in one of his comedies about a rock star who dyed his “hair a screaming green.”

Piercing

Piercings, which have existed since ancient times, have often been attributed mystical significance. Nowadays, piercing is one of the ways to decorate the human body, part of youth fashion (in particular, face piercing - ears and lips, multiple piercings).

Cosmetic surgery

As a result of cosmetic surgery, a person's appearance can be changed in the most radical way.

Science freaks

IN modern language Representatives of pseudoscience are given the name “freaks” or “scientific freaks” (from the English science freak).

0 At all times, people dreamed of standing out from the crowd, and some succeeded. However, such individuals are divided into those who have certain mental and mental disorders and those who engage in shocking behavior. Among women there are many more such individuals, and this is not surprising, because every girl dreams of hitting her chosen one in the very heart, doing various funny things with her face and body. It is worth paying attention to youth fashion; it is among fashionistas that you will find the real freaks, for example Tumblr girls, Soft grunge, Sadboys, etc. What does Freak mean?? In Russia, of course, there were freaks before, only they were called " blessed"and were very respected. Nowadays, such individuals are mostly laughed at and mocked, because they look and behave differently. The term Freak comes from in English "Freak", and is translated as "freak", "pervert", "strange", "eccentric".

Freak- an individual who tries to stand out from the gray crowd with his clothes and appearance, and whose behavior goes against generally accepted norms. The main goal of any freak is to attract attention.

Example:

Why did you call him a freak, a normal, handsome and sometimes even brutal guy.

I don't like him because he's clearly a freak.

A richly dressed freak is the star of any party, but a poor freak is unlikely to pass face control.

This summer I was in Berlin, in addition to the local Muslims, I remember one German freak who showed up at the opera house in shorts, although he was not allowed in.

He acts like an idiot, he's crazy, he's a freak, he dresses weird...

IN Lately Masha looks like a freak with pierced cheeks, nose and strange makeup.

Sometimes they send us a courier, a real freak, he should come today too, look at him.

In general, Freaks are noticeably distinguished by their non-standard behavior and clothing. Nowadays, most Freaks adhere to a certain ideology, religions and belong to a special subculture. Everyone can be considered a Freak Hare Krishnas, who in Central Russia chant their harinama in frosty weather, when all the natives walk around wrapped in down jackets and fur coats. In the US the term " freak" began to be used in modern meaning since the 60s last century, and this word came to Russia in the early 2000s, after it was popularized in Hollywood films.

Meanings of the word Freak

First value. A freak is a person with oddities, a harmless eccentric who does not accept mass norms of behavior and universal human values, sometimes has a provocative clothing style and behaves assertively and rudely.

Second meaning. A freak is a person who is part of a community of freaks, a participant