The Rebel Rouse-less
I am flabbergasted at my discovery of the day: My high school's mascot, the Rebel Rouser, has ceased to exist! I hadn't thought about the Rouser in years until it came up in conversation with a co-worker today. We were discussing the stupidest mascots, so naturally I brought up the Rebel Rouser, a giant blue puffball with legs, arms and some semblance of a face. Stupid, right?Well, yes. But...let me give you the whole history. Back in the day, Fairfax High's mascot was Johnny Rebel, a soldier. Then one day, a bunch of people decided it was socially unacceptable to use the soldier as the mascot due to the Civil War--despite the fact that practically every street in the area is named after one soldier or another (Lee Highway, Confederate Drive, etc.). So, a great contest was held, and students submitted mascot ideas and drawings. Out of this came the Rebel Rouser. No one quite knew what he was, or what he had to do with Rebels, but nonetheless he became the chosen one.
We all thought he was dumb and made fun. But in my years at FHS, the little guy grew on me. He was happy and did dances during football games. He even let people beat him up in his big blue casing. Plus, he wasn't a generic mascot, like the Eagles or the Bulldogs. He was our own.
However, something must have gone terribly wrong since those days. I went to look the Rouser up to show my colleague, and instead I find this hideous lion graphic (above) showcasing "Rebel Pride." I was confused, wondering what this could mean. They obviously did away with the Rouser, but why? What do lions have to do with Rebels? What is so socially unacceptable about a blue puffball?
I unearthed the real story on an Internet message board. Here, m-logic writes:
03-20-2005, 09:04 PM
Fairfax High School Rebels
It was later determined that Rebels was a derogatory name so we were required to change it. The school voted on the nickname Fairfax Pride, but instead of completely dropping Rebels and taking Pride, they are now the Fairfax High School Rebel Pride. Ahahahaha
So the problem was not with the Rouser. It was with the Rebels. Again. Do they plan to go through this process every decade or so? The Rouser didn't even last 10 years. Have they never heard of branding, consistency, or professionalism? Schools just can't go around changing their mascots will-nilly.
Anyway, what they came up with (the Rebel Pride) really is laughable. Pride = lions, yeah I get it. Way to be original, school. And way to make me feel sad about something I never knew I cared about in the first place. I guess I'm just getting hit yet again with the realization that I am old now. I've been out of high school for more than five years. I thought mascots were somewhat of a mainstay, but the lesson here may be that nothing is. Everything changes and we all move on. The worst part is that I could not find a single picture of the Rouser on the Internet. Not even a mention. It's like he never existed.
I'm just glad I'm not the one having to go to a school with "Pride" in its tagline. Plus, the school is on "Rebel Run." How much do you want to bet that it'll be "Pride Run" before 2010? At that rate, they should just obliterate the entire area. Obviously, it reeks of the Civil War...the war was FOUGHT THERE and all. Why should we erase history? Just because there are reminders does not mean we believe in the prejudices of that other time.
posted by Sleepy Girl @ 3:56 PM
7 Comments:
I Think it's hilarious that this is a play on rabble-rouser, right? That's a hoot! Sorry it got erased, Big Brother style...
You can't forget about this lovely project too: http://www.fairfaxva.gov/school/FxHighSchool.asp
Oh, interesting. I hadn't heard about this project or driven by the school in quite a while. So they're finally fixin' the place up...is this a good thing ro a bad thing? I'm not sure...
Hey Fellow Rebel!
I went to FHS class of 1995-- wow a long time ago- but we also had a mascot vacancy while I was there. They had just banished the Johnny Reb masot soon before I got there and we actually had a few years without any mascot at our games or anywhere. The concept of the rebels were offensive to some parents and we weren't allowed to have the rebel flag showing anywhere- when I was a freshman I remember calling myself a baby-reb and drawing that all over my books and yearbook. Then my Senior year I actually had the rebel flag crest put on my class ring. Not because of what is symbolized in history but what it symbolized to me- but maybe I was just being "rebel-ious". I had huge school pride and I am still proud of my weird ring choice. But I don't feel any attachment to FHS now- I don't even recognize the building and haven't been back at all. Not a lot of 'pride' felt for that place--I think we were lost without a mascot.
Class of 2003. The Rebel Rouser came up at my job as well. I was there when the Rouser got the boot. FHS almost became the Fairfax Devils, but fear of another controversy put a hault to that. They settled on Pride :/ When I couldn't find the Rouser online, I went to my yearbook... NOTHING! I heard a rumor that the rouser was replaced due to them realizing the senior class who chose it meant for it to be a fuzzy blue ball (as in blue balls.) Don't know if there is any truth to it, but either way it was an interesting mascot!
This is the most incredible story ever. I heArd a story once from the very creator of the Rouser. Apparently, it was designed to be a furry, yet roguishly cool hairy blue character. What happened after that was appalling. The mascot was a blue tennis ball, lint-looking abomination. Have a little more faith in the Rouser, people.
My class was the last class to have Johnny Reb as mascot.1987.
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