History Main / GreaserDelinquents

* It seems that most of the western countries had their version of greasers at one time or another : from the british rockers to the swedish raggare, to the French blousons noirs and the finnish Rautalanka scene... There are also accounts of similar cultures in Italy, Germany and in Eastern Europe too. Every variant of the subculture has in common a fascination with America and rock'n'roll music (to a large extent), a idea of rebellion and a fondess for cars and/or motorcycles.

* In {{Australia}} and UsefulNotes/NewZealand, they were known as 'bodgies and widgies'.

* It seems that most of the western countries had their version of greasers at one time or another : from the british rockers to the swedish raggare, to the French blousons noirs and the finnish Rautalanka scene... There are also accounts of similar cultures in italy, germany and in Eastern Europe too. Every variant of the subculture has in common a fascination with America and rock'n'roll music (to a large extent), a idea of rebellion and a fondess for cars and/or motorcycles.

* Marlon Brando in ''The Wild Bunch.'' Probably the most iconic film example out there.

* In {{Australia}} and NewZealand, they were known as 'bodgies and widgies'.

* Danny Zuko from ''{{Grease}}''.

->''Grady was a member of the new school of juvenile delinquency, the You-Too-Can-Be-A-Rebel School. The headmasters were ElvisPresley and the spook of [[JamesDean Jimmy Dean]], and the entrance requirements were completely democratic. A boy was no longer excluded from the glamorous ranks of the delinquents simply because he had the rotten luck not to be born in a slum; all he had to do was ''look'' as though he had. If he would wear his hair in a duck-tail cut and his sideburns at nostril level, forsake grammar, dress in black khaki trousers with the cuffs narrowed to fourteen inches, never do his homework, and spit a lot, his origins, no matter how respectable, would not be held against him.''
-->-- Parenthetical sidebar, ''Rally Round the Flag, Boys!''

* ''RumbleFish'', written by the same author as ''The Outsiders'', is about the death of the Greaser subculture in the very late 1960s.

* Mutt Williams from ''IndianaJonesAndTheKingdomOfTheCrystalSkull''

* ''CryBaby'' by John Waters is a parody/homage to the greaser movies of the 50s. It basically tells the story of a gang of greasers whose leader (a young, greased-up Johnny Depp) falls in love with a girl from the rival subculture, the Squares (nice, by-the-book people). And everyone sings.

* In {{Australia}} and {{NewZealand}}, they were known as 'bodgies and widgies'.

* The Swedish "Raggare", who are obsessed with hot rods and American cars, but also with other aspects of American culture, especially those with connection to the 1950s and the American South. Raggare are a large, active but aging sub-culture in Sweden and have been seen on national stamps, and there are more 1950s American-made cars in their country than in the United States!

* Danny Zuko from ''{{Grease}}''
* ''Film/WestSideStory'' is about a conflict between white and Latino greasers

* The 1957 novel ''Rally Round the Flag, Boys!'' by Max Shulman had a clique of these at a suburban high school.

* ''WestSideStory'' is about a conflict between white and Latino greasers

You've seen them in nearly every work set in TheFifties, and to a lesser extent, {{the Sixties}} and very early [[TheSeventies Seventies]]. The kids with slicked-back hair, leather jackets, and blue jeans, who listen to Rock & Roll and Rockabilly, drive fast cars or motorcycles, and smoke cigarettes. Greasers, also known as Rockers, Ton-Up Boys, and Hoods.

* ''WestSideStory'' is about a conflict between white and Latino greasers

* Mutt Williams from ''IndianaJonesAndTheKingdomOfTheCrystalSkull''

* ''SomtimesTheyComeBack'', an adaptation of a Stephen King novel, is about zombie greasers coming back to haunt a man they used to bully in the 50s.

* The Fonz of ''HappyDays'' fame

* Deuce & Domino from {{WWE}} had this as their gimmick for quite a while.

* Greasers appear in ''VideoGame/MafiaII'' as enemies midway through the game.
* The Tunnel Snakes from ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'' are modeled after the Greaser lifestyle.

* The Kings in ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' are a hybrid of Greasers and {{Elvis impersonator}}s.

You've seen them in nearly every work set in TheFifties, and to a lesser extent, {{the Sixties}} and very early [[TheSeventies Seventies]]. The kids with slicked-back hair, leather jackets, and blue jeans, who listen to Rock & Roll and Rockabilly, drive fast cars, and smoke cigarettes. Greasers, also known as Rockers, Ton-Up Boys, and Hoods.

* ''SecondhandLions'' has the main characters get hassled by four greaser delinquents who don't realize they're messing with a BadassGandpa.

* The Tunnel Snakes from ''{{Fallout}} 3'' are modeled after the Greaser lifestyle.
* The Kings in ''FalloutNewVegas'' are a hybrid of Greasers and {{Elvis impersonator}}s.

Greasers were a common working-class subculture of the 1950's and 1960's, known for their rebellious attitude and love of Rockabilly music. Most greasers were of a working-class or lower-class background and most greasers were of either Caucasian or Latino stock, and nearly all of the Caucasian greasers were either Italian-American or Irish-American (Notice that a lot of greasers in fiction tend to have either Italian or Irish surnames, such as Arthur Fonzarelli or Dally Winston. This is why.)

The trend was big in the 1950's and dominated the Northeast, Midwest, and even parts of the upper South like Virginia and Maryland. Many greasers formed street gangs, although the culture existed outside of gang life as well.

Dominant in the 1950's and the first half of the 1960's, greasers began to lose ground in the latter half of the 1960's and were pretty much gone by the mid-1970's.

In Great Britain, they were called Rockers, and lasted well into the 1970's, fighting the Mod subculture left and right. In a way, they were the predecessors to Gang Bangers (The earliest street gangs of the contemporary era were Greasers, more current gangs didn't really pop up until the end of the Sixties and into the Seventies), as well as the Punk subculture (Both were all about youth rebellion and rock music, although Rockers, the descendants of Greasers, fought against Mods, the predecessors of Punks), and even though the Greaser subculture is long gone, it's influence is felt today in fiction and to a lesser extent, real-life.

* The French "Blousons Noirs": literally "Black Jackets", urban, poor and/or working class youth that had a fascination with American culture, mostly rock'n'roll and motorcycles. Caused riots in Paris in the early 60s. This subculture was a staple of the Banlieue (the poor suburbs of the big cities) until the mid 80s.

* The Swedish "Raggare", who are obsessed with hot rods and American cars, but also with other aspects of American culture, especially those with connection to the 1950s and the American South. Raggare are a large, active, but aging sub-culture in Sweden and have been seen on national stamps, and there are more 1950s American-made cars in their country than in the US!

* Japanese "Bosozoku" {{delinquents}} originated in the 1960's and had strong similarities to the greaser subculture until the late 1980's.

The greaser is now an iconic stock character of TheFifties.

* Travis Kidd from Scott Snyder's American Vampire is the quintessential greaser... a vampire-killing one.
* Half-Life from Superboy & The Ravers

* Danny Zuko from {{Grease}}
* WestSideStory is about a conflict between White and Latino greasers
* JamesDean is famous for playing Greasers, oddly enough his role in RebelWithoutACause, often considered the TropeCodifier of the portrayal of greasers in pop culture, was not a role as a greaser.
* Mutt Williams from IndianaJonesAndTheKingdomOfTheCrystalSkull

* TheOutsiders is a novel and later a movie, about Irish-American greasers in the Midwest during TheSixties.
* RumbleFish, written by the same author as TheOutsiders, is about the death of the Greaser subculture in the very late 1960's.

* The Fonz of HappyDays fame
* Squiggy from LaverneAndShirley

* In the 50s Tribute Band Sha Na Na there are a few of explicit Greasers: Bowser, Donny, and Chico. A few others are more downplayed but still greasy. And Bowser's CatchPhrase, said at the end of every episode of their Eponymous Show: "Grease for Peace."

* Deuce & Domino from {{WWE}} had this as their gimmick for quite a while

* Greasers appear in Mafia II as enemies midway through the game.
* The Tunnel Snakes from {{Fallout}} 3 are modeled after the Greaser lifestyle.
* The Kings in FalloutNewVegas are a hybrid of Greasers and Elvis impersonators.
* Richard Miller, the protagonist of the first TimeCrisis game is not a greaser, but has a very Greaser-inspired look.
* Greasers also appear in VideoGame/{{Bully}} by RockstarGames.
* RiverCityRansom's American port changes the Japanese {{Delinquents}} into Greasers.

You've seen them in nearly every work set in The Fifties, and to a lesser extent, the Sixties and very early Seventies. The kids with slicked-back hair, leather jackets, and blue jeans, who listen to Rock & Roll and Rockabilly, drive fast cars, and smoke cigarettes. Greasers, also known as Rockers, Ton-Up Boys, and Hoods.

Greaser subculture archetypes helped codify tropes such as All Girls Want Bad Boys, Hell Bent For Leather, Smoking is Cool, and Badass Biker.

* The French "Blousons Noirs": litteraly "Black Jackets", urban, poor and/or working class youth that had a fascination with american culture, mostly rock'n'roll and motorcycles. Caused riots in Paris in the early 60s. This subculture was a staple of the Banlieue (the poor suburbs of the big cities) until the mid 80s.

* The Swedish "Raggare", who are obssessed with hot rods and American cars, but also with other aspects of American culture, especially those with connection to the 1950s and the American South. Raggare are a large, active, but aging sub-culture in Sweden and have been seen on national stamps, and there are more 1950s American-made cars in their country than in the US!

* Japanese "Bosozoku" delinquents originated in the 1960's and had strong similarities to the greaser subculture until the late 1980's.

The greaser is now an iconic stock character of The Fifties.

Noted examples include...

Comics

Film
* Danny Zuko from Grease
* West Side Story is about a conflict between White and Latino greasers
* James Dean is famous for playing Greasers, oddly enough his role in Rebel Without A Cause, often considered the Trope Codifier of the portrayal of greasers in pop culture, was not a role as a greaser.
* Mutt Williams from Indiana Jones And The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Literature
* The Outsiders is a novel and later a movie, about Irish-American greasers in the Midwest during The Sixties.
* Rumble Fish, written by the same author as The Outsiders, is about the death of the Greaser subculture in the very late 1960's.

Live-Action TV
* The Fonz of Happy Days fame
* Squiggy from Laverne & Shirley

Music
* In the 50s Tribute Band Sha Na Na there are a few of explicit Greasers: Bowser, Donny, and Chico. A few others are more downplayed but still greasy. And Bowser's Catch Phrase, said at the end of every episode of their Eponymous Show: "Grease for Peace."

Professional Wrestling
* Deuce & Domino from WWE had this as their gimmick for quite a while

Video Games

* The Tunnel Snakes from Fallout 3 are modeled after the Greaser lifestyle.
* The Kings in Fallout: New Vegas are a hybrid of Greasers and Elvis impersonators.
* Richard Miller, the protagonist of the first Time Crisis game is not a greaser, but has a very Greaser-inspired look.
* Greasers also appear in Bully by Rockstar Games
* River City Ransom's American port changes the Japanese Delinquents into Greasers.

•The French "Blousons Noirs": litteraly "Black Jackets", urban, poor and/or working class youth that had a fascination with american culture, mostly rock'n'roll and motorcycles. Caused riots in Paris in the early 60s. This subculture was a staple of the Banlieue (the poor suburbs of the big cities) until the mid 80s.

•The Swedish "Raggare", who are obssessed with hot rods and American cars, but also with other aspects of American culture, especially those with connection to the 1950s and the American South. Raggare are a large, active, but aging sub-culture in Sweden and have been seen on national stamps, and there are more 1950s American-made cars in their country than in the US!

•Japanese "Bosozoku" delinquents originated in the 1960's and had strong similarities to the greaser subculture until the late 1980's.

•The French Blousons Noirs : litteraly "Black Jackets", urban, poor and/or working class youth that had a fascination with american culture, mostly rock'n'roll and motorcycles. Caused riots in Paris in the early 60s. This subculture was a staple of the Banlieue (the poor suburbs of the big cities) until the mid 80s.

•The Swedish Raggare, who are obssessed with hot rods and American cars, with added redneck culture. The raggare are a big culture in Sweden and have been seen on national stamps, and there are more 1950s american-made cars in their country than in the US!

•Japanese Bosozoku delinquents originated in the 1960's and had strong similarities to the greaser subculture until the late 1980's.