A Joint Creation by and Ryan

"Phony"

Anything can be described as phony: a T-shirt, a musician, and someone’s personality. Something that is phony is fake. It is an imitation of the truer form. However, it makes no effort to mimic the feelings or purpose of the real thing.

For example, Oakley sunglasses are extremely expensive while they provide long endurance, protection from ultraviolet rays, and are made of the finest of materials. Phony Oakleys or "Foakleys" can be bought at a cheap price of about 10-15 dollars. They look like Oakleys but cannot last long, protect as well, and are made of the cheapest of materials, which are bound to break easily. These glasses still fool a lot of public. They are an example of what is phony. They attempt to imitate the real thing, but posses none of the important qualities. Why would anyone make "Foakleys"? It’s the name and style that people want not the overall quality of the product. Not many people are willing to pay more than $100 dollars for a pair of sunglasses. Instead, they just buy the impression of the famous brand.

Another example of something that is phony, is a person’s personality. Anyone that goes along with a crowd’s beliefs or actions, but truly disagrees with them, is a phony. A person who is looking to put on a show, lies to themselves and others, and denies their true sentiment is a phony bologna, per say. A question might be what drives a person to be untrue to themselves and others. The answer is simple: that person is looking for acceptance or is unsure about their real value.

Many musicians nowadays can be considered as phony. Money, fame, and the need for mass acceptance have caused many musicians to change their music. Also, frequently artists don’t write their own music. While selling out is definitely a phony action, one must conclude that as long as an artist is creating music to their liking, singing others words cannot be considered phony. Limp Bizkit is an example of a phony band that sold out. Their first album showed aspects of hardcore, rap, and rock. It was a big seller and gained a lot of attention even though it didn’t have a lot of mass appeal. Their second however, exhibited more aspects of rap, and even pop. It was obvious that pressures from the record company and the desire for fame caused the band to change drastically.

A phony is anything that is not true to its appearance. Phonies have been developed as a result of the pressure and desire to be accepted. Phony objects are created for the simple representation of a popular name.