Why “We’re Not Gangsters, We’re ACS Boys” Have Gone Viral

What does it mean when someone says: “You confirm peaked in high school” ?

It’s when a person, in this case, a grown man, still holds onto his school identity and all the glory that came with being a teen. Most of the time, the comment is not a good thing. 

What happens then when your pride and joy of being in the coveted Anglo-Chinese School (ACS) unintentionally start a slogan that can potentially earn you some ka-ching?

Fun Time in KTV

On a snazzy Saturday night of 2 Mar 2024, a group of six men were having a blast at a private KTV lounge at Orchard Road.

It was filled with songs, sensuality and stars until the police showed up for a raid. 

The police were conducting an anti-vice raid at the KTV, part of their four-day operation at various establishments to curb any “underground” illegal activities. 

Uncovering Secrets

During the raid, the police found a man with an e-vaporiser (or vape), which, as you know, is illegal in Singapore. 

Following standard operating procedures, the police officers asked some questions to the men in the private lounge (the usual stuff like personal details and their purpose of stay). 

Suddenly, one of the men in the group spoke out to the police. He declared, “We are not gangsters. We are ACS boys”.

Suffering from Success

His short and catchy words went viral, evolving into an unintentional slogan fit for merchandise. 

This is set against some conceptions associated with students of ACS such as their boys being snobbish and elitists, stemmed from its yearly cohort mainly comprising  children from more privileged backgrounds. 

As the rest of us poke fun at the man’s supposed “superpower” (which has arguably expired), some netizens have gone to put the slogan onto T-shirts and even created a song. 

It’s unknown whether these T-shirts are really for sale.

The song was AI generated by a user called gritty intense rock, and included the ACS motto as well references to their school uniform.

Netizens (including ex-ACS students) took to Reddit to share some quirky comments about this case too, with some likening the pulling of the ACS-card to the “Hail Hydra” catchphrase made famous in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 

Slap of Reality

Unfortunately, as this Reddit user says, it’s never a good idea to name your school as a “get-out-of-jail-free card”, and to further perpetuate the ACS boys stereotype. 

Who knows, maybe copyrighting the slogan can earn him some passive income. Look out bros, we’re all part of his marketing scheme!