Haha! I'm having a flashback moment. I remember having my bedroom walls PLASTERED with pictures, posters and album covers of Bow Wow Wow! I even had my hair cut to look just like Annabella Lwin!!! Thanks to my good friend Tina!!! My mom just about had a heart attack when she got home from work when we surprised her with my new hairdo. My mom ignored me for an entire week, maybe a little longer. My mom couldn't do anything, my hair had already been shaved. I didn't really give her much warning. She knew I was a huge fan. But she never saw this change coming. I mean I went from being a super preppy gal, argyle socks, penny loafers and all, to suddenly having a mohawk. ♥ I wore my hair and makeup like Annabella Lwin in 9th grade Jr. High. My wardrobe also changed to match my new look. ♥ My mom eventually came around to understand that my change was nothing more than an outward expression, but my heart remained the same. My new look grew on my mom. All she asked of me was that I maintain my grades. Unbeknownst to me, my new look made a statement that was unbecoming to my school.
To give you a better understanding of my environment, I went to public schools in Studio City, CA where the famous song "Valley Girl" was created by Moon Zappa. I went to school with her younger brother Dweezil Zappa. Their father is the famous Frank Zappa. There is also a great classic movie titled, Valley Girl with Nicolas Cage! Yes, I was a valley girl combined with quirky Melrose Avenue and the Beach scene. I have a special affinity for 80s movies like Fast Times At Ridgemont High, Sixteen Candles, and The Breakfast Club because they pretty much describe our teenage years over here. I watch these movies when I need a fun blast from the past.
Well when it came time to start preparing for graduation the Dean of our school sent a letter home saying I would not be permitted to receive my diploma on stage because they were concerned my new appearance would disrupt the graduation ceremony. Well, that's all my mom needed to hear to come to my defense. I had a B+ average. Okay, so I wasn't an A student but I was above par just shy of being an A student. That was my mom's ammunition. We began petitioning to get my school officials to let me graduate on stage with the rest of my class. The word spread to our rival schools and those students were rallying for me too.
I usually wore my long hair down to one side. One morning I decided to wear it up, it was otherwise known as a mohawk. That day at school while in my french class, my teacher was so disgusted she said my appearance distracted her from teaching and escorted me to the assistant principle who took me to the Dean of our school. I had to sit in his office for almost an hour listening to him tell me how disgusted he was with me and what a disgrace I was to our school. It was a pretty bad experience that made me break down in tears. I had always been in good standing, always met with a smile and a cheerful greeting from everyone including teachers, administrators and other school staff. His mean spirit came as a huge surprise to me. While I was crying a friend happened to be passing by in the hall and overheard what the Dean of our school was saying to me. My friend walked right in and told him that he had no right to talk to me that way and what he was doing to me was wrong. He told her it was none of her business, to get out of his office and close the door behind her.
Well just as he began to threaten to expel me if I didn't change my ways, the school fire alarm went off. His face turned RED as he paused for a few minutes. Then yelled at me to "get out of here, go out to the field with your classmates, just remember you are the only person we've allowed on campus to ever wear a mohawk up." I was SHOCKED! I quickly gathered my things and scrambled out of there. When I got to the field, everyone starting CHEERING for me! You see, it turns out that my friend asked another friend to set off the fire alarm so the VERY MEAN Dean would let me go! It worked. In the end, the school caved in after getting much grief and pressure from my mom, my fellow students and the community. The school agreed to let me graduate on stage with one condition, that I wear a stylish hat. So I went dressed in a vogue red dress, with a vogue black hat and wore vogue black long gloves! I never became a Punk Rocker as some may have perceived me to be. I was very much New Wave. But the good news that also came out of my experience was that ALL of the genuine Punk Rockers that were previously being discriminated against because of their appearance, that had qualifying grades were also allowed to graduate on stage with our class. Everything happens for a reason. I had the time of my life. Such fond memories!
To give you a better understanding of my environment, I went to public schools in Studio City, CA where the famous song "Valley Girl" was created by Moon Zappa. I went to school with her younger brother Dweezil Zappa. Their father is the famous Frank Zappa. There is also a great classic movie titled, Valley Girl with Nicolas Cage! Yes, I was a valley girl combined with quirky Melrose Avenue and the Beach scene. I have a special affinity for 80s movies like Fast Times At Ridgemont High, Sixteen Candles, and The Breakfast Club because they pretty much describe our teenage years over here. I watch these movies when I need a fun blast from the past.
Well when it came time to start preparing for graduation the Dean of our school sent a letter home saying I would not be permitted to receive my diploma on stage because they were concerned my new appearance would disrupt the graduation ceremony. Well, that's all my mom needed to hear to come to my defense. I had a B+ average. Okay, so I wasn't an A student but I was above par just shy of being an A student. That was my mom's ammunition. We began petitioning to get my school officials to let me graduate on stage with the rest of my class. The word spread to our rival schools and those students were rallying for me too.
I usually wore my long hair down to one side. One morning I decided to wear it up, it was otherwise known as a mohawk. That day at school while in my french class, my teacher was so disgusted she said my appearance distracted her from teaching and escorted me to the assistant principle who took me to the Dean of our school. I had to sit in his office for almost an hour listening to him tell me how disgusted he was with me and what a disgrace I was to our school. It was a pretty bad experience that made me break down in tears. I had always been in good standing, always met with a smile and a cheerful greeting from everyone including teachers, administrators and other school staff. His mean spirit came as a huge surprise to me. While I was crying a friend happened to be passing by in the hall and overheard what the Dean of our school was saying to me. My friend walked right in and told him that he had no right to talk to me that way and what he was doing to me was wrong. He told her it was none of her business, to get out of his office and close the door behind her.
Well just as he began to threaten to expel me if I didn't change my ways, the school fire alarm went off. His face turned RED as he paused for a few minutes. Then yelled at me to "get out of here, go out to the field with your classmates, just remember you are the only person we've allowed on campus to ever wear a mohawk up." I was SHOCKED! I quickly gathered my things and scrambled out of there. When I got to the field, everyone starting CHEERING for me! You see, it turns out that my friend asked another friend to set off the fire alarm so the VERY MEAN Dean would let me go! It worked. In the end, the school caved in after getting much grief and pressure from my mom, my fellow students and the community. The school agreed to let me graduate on stage with one condition, that I wear a stylish hat. So I went dressed in a vogue red dress, with a vogue black hat and wore vogue black long gloves! I never became a Punk Rocker as some may have perceived me to be. I was very much New Wave. But the good news that also came out of my experience was that ALL of the genuine Punk Rockers that were previously being discriminated against because of their appearance, that had qualifying grades were also allowed to graduate on stage with our class. Everything happens for a reason. I had the time of my life. Such fond memories!
Wow! Rare interview. I've taken the following from the YouTube description. "During an intense heat wave in which the studio air conditoner broke, Annabella Lwin is interviewed by Merle Ginsberg. Dismissed as fluff by critics I thought Bow Wow Wow with Anabella at the helm were about change the face of New Wave with her/their cut the crap attitude. Videowave is a public access program featuring music ignored by the mass media."
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