Chav

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Look up chav, charva in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Caricature of a stereotypical chav

For a full discussion of the etymologies of chav and charva, see Wiktionary.

For a list of synonyms for chav and charva, see WikiSaurus under the headword chav.

Chav or Charv/Charver is a mainly derogatory slang term in the United Kingdom for a subcultural stereotype fixated on fashions such as gold jewellery and 'designer' clothing. They are generally considered to have no respect for society, and be ignorant or unintelligent. The term appeared in mainstream dictionaries in 2005.^[1][2]

The defining features of the stereotype include clothing in the Burberry pattern (notably a now-discontinued baseball cap) and from a variety of other casual and sportswear brands. Tracksuits, hoodies, sweatpants and baseball caps are particularly associated with this stereotype. Response to the term has ranged from amusement to criticism that it is a new manifestation of classism. ^[3] The term has also been associated with delinquency, the "ASBO Generation", "Hoodie culture" and "yob culture". Chavs are often stereotyped as being particularly anti-emo and anti-Goth, two other subcultural groups.

Etymology

The accepted etymology for "chav" is that it derives from the Romani word "chavi", meaning a child.^[4] Related words derived from the same source include "charva" (used in northern England in a similar sense) and perhaps the obsolescent "young shaver" (meaning a boy). In modern Spanish "chaval" means "lad".^[5].

There are a large number of synonyms and regional variations of "chav", including "scally", "townie", "ned", "kev", "yarco", "dobber", "Mallie"^[6], "Meader"^[7], and in some areas, "Pikey".

Many folk etymologies have sprung up around the word. These include backronyms such as "Council Housed And Violent"^[8] and "Council House Associated Vermin" and "Cheap And Vulgar". It has also been suggested that pupils at Cheltenham Ladies' College and Cheltenham College used the word to describe the younger men of the town ("Cheltenham Average")..^[9] It is similarly thought to refer to Chatham Average.

From its origins as a slang term, use of the word spread so rapidly that by 2004 it had become a hugely popular word in national newspapers and common parlance in the UK. Susie Dent's Larpers and Shroomers: The Language Report, published by the Oxford University Press, designated it as the "word of the year"^[10] in 2004.^[11] A survey in 2005 found that in December 2004 alone 114 British newspaper articles used the word. The popularity of the word has led to the creation of sites devoted to cataloguing and mocking the "chav" lifestyle.^[12][13]

Chavickle

Chavickle is a derivative of the "Chav" Culture, they are Young Children or possibly Babies, that are often forced by parents into the ways of the chav Mainly in Dress, e.g tracksuits and cheap knockoff jewelry, young children sometimes engage in blind violence towards elders and others along with smoking.

To put the following into context

"over there on that bench mother chav (age 12) and father chav (age 16) [ages may vary] smoke weed and reflect on a hard days thieving and generally being nasty, whilst chavickle rolls away unattended in his/her stolen pram"

Elements of the stereotype

Vicky Pollard, a chav character used in the show Little Britain and played by Matt Lucas, shown here in a spoof sniffing Pritt Stick. This is the stereotype of a chav: tracksuit, bling, hoop earrings and a variation on the Croydon facelift. Unseen in this image, but also in the sketch are the tracksuit bottoms and white trainers, and the conspicuous mobile phone.

Elements/symptoms of the stereotypical chav are someone who:

• Wears particular clothing, such as:
  • Brand-name athletic clothing and shoes. Stereotypically, this might include but is not limited to white trainers and tracksuits. ^[3]
  • Trainers such as Nike Shox, Nike Air Max, Rockport and Reebok Classics are becoming increasingly common among chavs.
  • Designer clothing and accessories (usually counterfeit), in particular the distinctive tartan of Burberry. ^[14]
  • Fake gold jewelery—in particular conspicuous earrings and trinkets on chains for women, and gold sovereign rings and large gold (or fake gold) chains for men.
  • Sports caps or Burberry caps and hoodies (for males). Often both are worn at once. ^[3]
  • Sports or jogging trousers, especially white. ^[3] These may be worn tucked into sport socks, but more commonly they are worn with one trouser leg pulled slightly above the ankle. These trousers are also referred to as "tracky Bs," "trackies" or "tracky bottoms".
• If female, often wears thickly applied make-up, large hoop or dangle earrings, makes heavy use of fake tan, and has a hairstyle in which the hair is pulled back into a tight ponytail (called a "Croydon facelift"^[15] or "council-house facelift").
• Owns a "tacky" or "cheap" modified car, usually with a basic original specification, but decorated in a gaudy style. The Vauxhall Nova is one of the many small hatchbacks associated with this group.^[16]
• Aspires to the latest mobile phone and other mobile gadgetry. ^[17] The stereotype may not be above buying fenced phones or obtaining the phones themselves via mugging or theft.
• Lives on council estates and other low-income neighbourhoods, often supported by the "dole"^[16] (unemployment benefit / Income Support).
• Often takes part in underage drinking, sex (and consequently is associated with teenage pregnancy), smoking and sometimes drug abuse.^[16]
• Congregates and loiters in areas such as bus stops, shopping centres, under bridges,^[18] corner-shops and fast food restaurants.^[19]
• Is associated with crass, loud, in-your-face drunken behaviour and minor criminal activities. This includes unprovoked attacks on members of the public (see happy slapping), vandalism, verbal abuse, and drug abuse (see ASBO). Often these crimes are committed purely for the fun of it and not material gain. ^[20]
• Classically (particularly in the schoolyard culture) have a vehement dislike of 'goths' and 'emos', as well as other "alternative" subcultures. ^[21]

Criticism of the stereotype

The widespread use of the chav stereotype has come under criticism; some argue that it amounts simply to snobbery and classism,^[3] and that serious social problems such as Anti-Social Behaviour Orders, teenage pregnancy, delinquency and alcoholism in low-income areas should not be scoffed at. Critics of the term have argued that its proponents are “neo-snobs,”^[22] and that its increasing popularity raises questions about how British society deals with social mobility and class.^[23] In a February 2005 article in The Times, Julie Burchill argued that use of the word is a form of “social racism,” and that such “sneering” reveals more about the shortcomings of the “chav-haters” than those of their supposed victims.^[24] The writer John Harris argued along similar lines in a 2007 article in The Guardian. ^[25]

Burchill also produced a Sky One television programme on the topic where she sought to link the word with the entire working-class population. The controversy around the term was also the subject of a Channel 4 documentary in July 2005, simply entitled Chavs.

Commercial effect

The Burberry clothing brand, which quickly became synonymous with the chav subculture, ceased production of its branded baseball cap in 2004, in an attempt to distance itself from the stereotype. It also scaled back the use of its patented checkered/tartan design to such an extent that it now only appears on the inner linings and other very low-key positions of their clothing.^[26][27]

The company has argued that all chavs are associated with counterfeit versions of the clothing: “They’re yesterday’s news,” stated Stacey Cartwright, the CEO of Burberry. “It was mostly counterfeit, and Britain accounts for less than 10% of our sales anyway.”^[28]

In August 2006 a company introducing tuktuk vehicles into the south coast resort of Brighton, England named one of the vehicles the “Chavrolet” and had it painted in the distinctive Burberry tartan. However, the company soon had to withdraw this vehicle after being threatened with proceedings for breach of copyright by the Burberry company.^[29]

Additionally, the fall in the sale of thongs has been attributed partially to their association with female chavs.^[30]

In 2005, Bluewater Shopping Centre banned hooded tops from anywhere in their complex.^[31] Pubs in Leicester announced that they would ban young people wearing certain fashion brands due to an association between these brands and football hooliganism.^[32]

The large supermarket chain ASDA has attempted to trademark the word “chav” for a new line of confectionery. ASDA spokeswoman Rebecca Liburd said: “With slogans from characters in shows such as Little Britain and the Catherine Tate Show providing us with more and more contemporary slang, our Whatever sweets — now nicknamed chav hearts — have become very popular with kids and grown-ups alike. We thought we needed to give them some respect and have decided to trademark our sweets.”^[33]

Media characterisation

The "chav culture" has been portrayed extensively in British media:

• The character Vicky Pollard, as portrayed by Matt Lucas in the BBC comedy series "Little Britain", is perhaps the most iconic chav caricature. She is often seen in a pink Kappa tracksuit, and describes — at an almost incomprehensibly fast pace — her activities of under-age drinking and sex (leading to her having several children), mindless gossip, petty crimes and playing truant. She also has no respect for any form of authority. Matt Lucas himself has admitted that the character was based on the youths he saw in Bristol when he was a student. ^[34]

• A character similar to Vicky Pollard, Lauren Cooper, played by Catherine Tate in The Catherine Tate Show, another BBC comedy series, is a stereotype of a chav female. ^[35] Her catchphrase is “Am I bovvered?” (pronounced /æm a ˈbovəd/"). Tate performed a sketch as Lauren at the 2005 Royal Variety Performance. In a March 2007 Comic Relief sketch British Prime Minister Tony Blair used the "Am I bovvered" phrase in a mock interview with Ms. Tate playing in character. ^[36]

• Other portrayals include that of the notorious “Devvo” on the popular website Fat-Pie and E4. Devvo epitomizes the behaviour of a typical chav, with his violent behaviour and constant swearing. Such comical attributes as his driving ban without having ever held a license and his begging for money whilst denouncing Third World charity hold similar pretexts in reality with regard to "chavvish" lifestyle. Occasionally thought to be genuine, Devvo actually is played by Crust, a friend of David Firth (the owner of Fat-Pie), and he lends his voice to several of the flash animations on the site. ^[37]

• The British magazine Viz includes a character called Tasha Slappa, an exaggerated teenage female chav. The strip has satirized chav culture since its inception in the 1990s. ^[38] (The character was originally called "Kappa Slappa" until the Kappa company filed a lawsuit against Viz.

• Lottery millionaire Michael Carroll is the self-proclaimed “King of the Chavs” due to his lifestyle and antics. He is frequently derided in the tabloid press for his anti-social behaviour, and is often referred to as the “Lotto Lout” in the British tabloid media.

• The Welsh rap group, Goldie Lookin' Chain, have been described as both embodying and satirising the chav aesthetic, though the group themselves deny any such agenda, simply making a mockery of the subject..^[39]

• Footballer Wayne Rooney^[40] and girlfriend Coleen McLoughlin,^[41] rapper Lady Sovereign,^[42] glamour model Jordan^[43] (AKA Katie Price), actress Danniella Westbrook,^[23] and former Big Brother contestant Jade Goody^[44] have also been labelled "chavs" by British tabloids.

• In the Doctor Who episode “New Earth,” Rose Tyler is described as a “chav” and “chavtastic” by Lady Cassandra.

• Indie/Brit Pop band Arctic Monkeys' song "A Certain Romance" describes the aesthetic of "chav" ^[45] with the lyrics "although they might wear classic Reeboks / or knackered Converse, tracky bottoms tucked in socks." Also during the song "Bigger Boys and Stolen Sweethearts," the lyrics say "at least he hasn't got a Nova or a Burberry hat." ^[46]

• British band Kaiser Chiefs are another band to mention the chav generation. In their song "I Predict a Riot", in which they are describing the late night clubbing scene of England, they sing: "I tried to get in my taxi / A man in a tracksuit attacks me / He said that he saw it before me / he wants to get things a bit gory / Girls run around with no clothes on / To borrow a pound for a condom / If it wasn't for chip fat they'd be frozen / They're not very sensible."

• Pop sensation Lily Allen has been described and criticized for being a chav and because she does not come from a working class background pretending to be one ^[47],^[48].

• Ali G, the "gangsta" character invented by Sacha Baron Cohen, shares some of the stereotyped characteristics of chavs and can be viewed as a forerunner for the now widespread parodying of chav culture.

See also

Social categorisation

• Stereotype
• Social class
• Moral panic
• Folk devil
• Lumpenproletariat
• Underclass
• Subculture
• Deviancy

Similar stereotypes from outside the UK

Rest of Europe

• Ireland: Scanger and Hoiya, Norry, Spide, Millie, Irish Traveller
• Spain: Cañi
• Poland: Dres
• Italy: Coatto
• Latvia: Urla

United States and Canada

• White trash
• Trailer trash (refers mainly to rural people)
• Guidos
• Ghetto fabulous
• Wiggers
• Greasers
• Canada: Hosers

Caribbean and Latin America

• Mexico: Naco

The Pacific

• Australia and New Zealand: Bogan, Westie (person), Yobbo

Asia

• Singapore: Ah beng (male) & Ah Lian (female)
• Israel: Ars
• Japan: Kogal (コギャル) (female)

References

Further reading

• Keith Hayward and Majid Yar (2006). "The "chav" phenomenon: Consumption, media and the construction of a new underclass". Crime, Media, Culture 2 (1): 9–28. DOI:10.1177/1741659006061708. 

External links

Articles

• Larcombe, Duncan. "Future bling of England", The Sun Online, 2006-04-10. Retrieved on 2007-03-06.
• Ward, David. "Get hip to Chav as this year's wizard word", The Guardian, Guardian Unlimited, 2004-10-09. Retrieved on 2007-03-06.
• Jackson, Melissa. "Music to deter yobs by", BBC News Magazine, bbc.co.uk, 2005-01-10. Retrieved on 2007-03-06.
• "End Of 'Hooligan' Cap", Sky News, 2004-09-10. Retrieved on 2007-03-06.
• Lewis, Jemima. "In defence of snobbery", Daily Telegraph, 2004-02-01. Retrieved on 2007-03-06.
• Harris, John. "So now we've finally got our very own 'white trash'", The Guardian, Guardian Unlimited, 2007-03-06. Retrieved on 2007-03-06.

Other

• Burberry
• BBC Language Lab survey
• The Chav Test
• A satirical article about chavs
• The chavs page from the ihate website
• Leave Chavs Alone