On June 20, 2000, American rock band Wheatus released the song ‘Teenage Dirtbag’, which became a global sensation. It was inspired by a bad childhood experience of the band’s guitarist and vocalist, Brendon B. Brown, when he witnessed a murder in the woods behind his home on Long Island.
The occult practitioner Ricky Kasso, who committed the murder, was wearing an AC/DC T-shirt when he was arrested. It was a period of “satanic panic” in the US. The locals became suspicious of heavy metal fans. Brown, who had a tape case full of AC/DC, Iron Maiden and Metallica, was questioned by parents, teachers and clergy about whether he was a satan worshipper. Brown wrote the line, ‘I’m just a teenage dirtbag’, as an act of defiance.
‘Teenage Dirtbag’ recently witnessed a resurgence on social media when Gen Z-ers embraced it to talk about their awkward teenage memories and the weird fashion trends they followed. More than eight lakh videos were created on short-video platforms with the tag #teenagedirtbagtrend. The idea of presenting yourself as the “teenage misfit” on social media to appear cool was evident. However, it is doubtful whether these platforms can capture the real essence of the song—Brown’s isolation and ostracisation in his adolescence just because he used to listen to Iron Maiden.