When I was a freshman in high school I probably wore black every other day and wore my hair in my eyes (which were covered in black eyeliner and heavy mascara). I was filled with angst against my parents, my religion, my school, even my friends at times, and bands like the Swedish group Refused used the political rhetoric I espoused.
Looking back at pictures of myself, I must admit that I am a bit embarrassed about my fashion sense in those early days of high school. I was also able to travel to Sweden this summer and tried to listen to Refused as I rode the train to Stockholm, but the scenery did not match the music. Sweden is one of the most beautiful countries I have ever seen and such a grungy, discontent sound described my hometown more than it did the Swedish countryside. I listened to Sigur Ros instead.
However, during high school I believed my fashion sense to be a form of protest. It thrilled me to wonder what the older people at church thought when they saw me clad in only black (after all, they had watched me grow up). I'm sure not many even gave me an extra thought, but it satisfied me nevertheless.
Punk and its many offshoots serve as a method of contentment for the wearer; they do not necessarily serve as expression to others. This may have been different in the early days of punk, when it was fresh and the mainstream hadn't realized the market potential it had. But today, when stores like Hot Topic specialize in non-leather dominatrix outfits, punk, in general, has become yet another example of groupthink and adherence to social norms. Some punks may believe in the rhetoric they spout, but most are probably just drawn into it because of its association with social deviance, or "coolness."
This is really a difficult issue to tackle without taking both sides. Punk can be what you want it to be. Punk can be everything or nothing. Punk, really, just is.
I'll end this with some lyrics from the song "Refused Are Fucking Dead" that I think capture the punk spirit.
A naive, young secret for the new romantics
We express ourselves in loud and fashionable ways
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4 comments:
Hey!
I really like your blogs!!! It is really interesting to see your view of appearance as a form of protest because it appears that you once lived it! I am curious, you said you wondered what people would think about you in church, so is that more of a "shock value" thing, or is it a protest? or are they both the same thing?
I think you're right when you said that punk serves as a method of contentment for the wearer. In my opinion, all protests mean something different to everyone. Everyone protests against something for different reasons, so I think punk is the same
I liked reading your blog because you were once a part of that culture. I see it first hand with my younger brother ( a high school freshman), who hangs out with all his Punk/Skater friends, shops at Hot Topic and listens to grudge music. I think you are right when you say that "punk just is." Different people make punk mean something to them individually. I mean my brother does not try to make it into a political or social protest. For him it's just a social group or a way of life. I'm hoping that one day he will realize that life isn't so bad and that there are other types of music...
Wow it is cool to know that you were part of the "protest" that we are talking about. I agree with you that punk is what it is. It can be a protest but doesn't necessarily have to be.
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