Can the Modern-Day Public Recognize a Greaser?

In this segment of Rockabeau, we’re going to the public eye! Since Greasers are a dying breed, I was curious to see if anyone else, outside of my peer group, can recognize a greaser. I went around my University campus to chat up random strangers. I asked my fellow students, staff, and patrons these three questions below. 

1. How old are you, what gender and where from?
2. Can you recognize what I am, based off how I am dressed?
3. Do you know what a greaser is?

For the first question, I asked random selections for their location to see if it held a pattern of popularity in location of greasers. I asked for age to see if that also affected knowledge of greasers. Lastly, I asked for gender to see if that affected more masculine people, since Greasers as typically masculine.

With the second question, I asked my random selects if they could identify if I was a Greaser based off what I was wearing. I dressed as a stereotypical greaser, with a leather jacket, white t shirt, blue jeans, and boots with my hair slicked up.

While I don’t want to base my research off looks, greasers are typically known for the way that they dress.

Lastly, I asked my selects if they knew what a greaser is, to get to the point of this assignment. Below is a graph of my information

Random Select	Age	Gender	Location	Aware of what a Greaser is by historical knowledge or media	A description of who I am based on how I am dressed
1	18	Male	Indonesia	No/Neither	Casual
2	44	Female	Erie, PA	Both	Young college student
3	49	Male	Erie, PA	Historical knowledge	Typical college student
4	18	Male	Bronx, NY	Media	Normal person
5	19	Female	Erie, PA	Media	Normal person, skater?
6	21	Female	Rochester, NY	Media	Cool dude
7	62	Male	Erie, PA	Familial Relationship	Normal
8	55	Female	Erie, PA	Historical Knowledge	Student
9	21	Female	Cleveland, PA	Media	Normal
10	N/A	N/A	N/A	Historical Knowledge	Normal*

I was very surprised by the responses I got. Most of the people above who knew greasers from Media, could recognize greasers from the movie Grease. The young gentleman form the Bronx recognized greasers from The Outsiders.

The 62-year-old man had the most interesting recollection of greasers, because his brother was one. “You know the guys with the white t-shirts with the carton of cigarettes rolled up the sleeves”. He also gave me his card in case I could find a replica of my jacket. I would like to say, you have good taste, brother.

I was flattered by select #6 calling me a “cool dude”. Select #10 said that my style wasn’t too different. “American culture is so relaxed, today”, she said. Along with all the “normal” responses, it got me thinking. Either greaser style has had a positive effect on our culture for being blended in, or maybe our style just isn’t too different from others nowadays.

To my fellow greasers, do you think the public in your area could recognize a greaser? If so, tell ‘em Rockabeau sent ya.

And away we go, Rockabeau ;)