Aug 28, 2009

Friday Night Lights

High school football games are curious things.

As with all high school, everybody is sorted quite well, but there is a place for everyone. The jocks, obviously, on the field and their girlfriends are cheering for them. Other popular kids sit in the student section with obnoxious school-colored decorations, yelling back and forth with the cheerleaders. Proud parents and high school has-beens adorn the stands, yelling everytime something remotely good happens. Musically talented geeks or those who can wave flags semi-gracefully join the band, and other various geeks perform for the ROTC colorguard. "Rebels" and kids with skinny jeans and blue hair hang out around the sidelines, far away as they can get from the field while still being at the game, looking like they're above it all but they're still there. And, my personal favorite, the high school wannabe gang, usually from middle school, dressing like the older kids and wearing way too much makeup and pretending they're having the greatest time.

This various slightly, but pretty much the formula at every high school in every city in every era. There's a slight beauty in it though, when everybody from every clique or group, is screaming at the top of their lungs in celebration when the team pulls out a difficult win.

The high school football game is indeed a curious thing. I'd like to shoot a documentary about it, Discovery Channel-style. Instead, I'll sit in the stands amongst the many groups, not really fitting into any of them as usual, and enjoy the microcosm and the game.

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