Scene Tween is an aesthetic that emerged approximately in the early 2010s, combining elements of Kidcore and the Scene subculture. This fusion arose as mainstream culture began marketing the original Scene aesthetic towards children, much like Teenpunk with its emo-inspired imagery, but targeting an even younger audience. Scene Tween retains many of the visual elements of Scene, such as animal patterns and bright colours, but with a distinctly childish and feminine twist.
It's worth noting that Scene Tween could be interpreted as a form of commercial appropriation. It takes an existing subculture (Scene) and repackages it for mass consumption by a younger demographic, potentially overlooking its original meaning and significance.
History[]
The origins of the Scene Tween aesthetic date back to the late 1990s, when there was a 1970s revival present in consumerist aesthetics.
Brands aimed at teens and tweens at the time sanitized the original meaning behind the “edgier” themes of the subcultures they took inspiration from, they were made to be more feminine in order to appeal to the young women they were selling to, this style has been named by Evan Collins of the Consumer Aesthetics Research institute as “Rocker Grrl”
In the late 2000s when the Scene emerged among teens, it began to be stripped of its original roots in order to appeal to young children of the time, with the style peaking in tween brands in the 2010s such as Justice.
It too got deemed as a “diva/sassy” type of aesthetic and was more youthful and feminine much like its precursor.
Visuals[]
Scene Tween and Scene, as mentioned above, share many similar motifs and visuals, such as:
- Bright colors
- Animal print patterns
- Animals (especially in fashion)
- Rainbows
- Neon colors
- Glitter
- Peace signs
- Hearts
- Positive messages
Media[]
Franchises[]
- My Little Pony
- The Honey Girls
- Domo
- Care Bears
- Hello Kitty
- Monster High
- Littlest Pet Shop
Television and Cartoons[]
Television from the Scene Tween era mainly consists of children's cartoons from said time period.
Television[]
- iCarly (2007-2012)
- Zoey 101 (2005-2008)
Cartoons[]
- My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic (2010-2019)
- Littlest Pet Shop (2012-2016)
- Hanazuki: Full of Treasures (2016-2019)
- Strawberry Shortcake's Berry Bitty Adventures (2010-2015)
- Popples (2015-2016)
- Rainbow Butterfly Unicorn Kitty (2019)
- Luna Petunia (2016-2018)
- Powerpuff Girls (1998-2005)
- Rainbow Rangers (2018-present)
- Unikitty! (2017-2020)
Music[]
- Ke$ha
- Taylor Swift (Red and 1989)
- Kelly Clarkson
- Katy Perry
- Lady Gaga
- Breathe Carolina (Hell Is What You Make It and other later albums)
- Flo Rida
- 3OH!3
- Hot Chelle Rae
- David Guetta
- Avril Lavigne
Toys[]
- I Love VIP Pets
- Original run (2013-2017)
- Reboot (2020-present)
- Kittipillars/Pupillions
Video Games[]
- Neopets (1999-present)
- MovieStarPlanet (2009-present)
- Fantage (2008-2018)
- StarSue (2006-2020)
- Stardoll (2004-present)
- BooniePlanet (2014)
Resources[]
Pinterest Boards
https://aesthetics.fandom.com/f/p/4400000000000071771
https://www.are.na/evan-collins-1522646491/rocker-grrl-diva
Brands[]
- Tokidoki
- So So Happy
- Lisa Frank
- Furby
- Faded Glory
- Sweet n’ Sassy
- Hot Focus
- Webkinz
- Twinkle Toes by Sketchers
- Build a Bear
Gallery[]
