Punk
It's not about hair dye and who has the largest spikes. It's not about being sad and putting pictures in your profile where you are flicking off the camera. It's a movement, a movement backed by music - a movement that died out a long time ago.
Punk, like many movements, can still exist within someone through the ideals that he or her holds. It is not about externalizing your beliefs on your ears or sporting lame-ass tattoos that say "Riot Girl." Punks believe that authority is what makes systems corrupt, they see police brutality as evil and something that happens entirely too often. Most practice anti-authoritarianism, like Albert Camus expresses in his novel, The Stranger, and that in no way involves violence, riots, or tattooing your message that you are against authority across your body. In fact, the main character stays true to himself and that is what leads to his demise, sticking by his beliefs.
"Selling out" is when one sacrifices their ethical beliefs to become richer. Selling out is not what Simple Plan did because they had no message in the first place, other than their girlfriends broke up with them. They had no message or reason for making a band and even admitted that they just wanted to make money. And since they suck anyway, there's no more reason to dwell on this topic.
A person that listens to punk music (real punk music) is not a punk unless they believe in the ideology behind it. They are simply going to the shows for the music, not for the message behind it. This is conforming to the music and sometimes to the stereotypical style of being punk - but they are not conforming to the ideology. Conforming to the ideology would mean being non-conformity. What does that mean? Punks believe in free expression, thinking for one's self, and coming up with new and innovative ideas. If you are expressing yourself and thinking for yourself but you believe it is right, you are conforming to the ideology by practicing non-conformity.
Punks, now-a-days, would probably be inclined to believe in Unitarian Universalism because of the respect that is holds for other people. They wouldn't like the traditional religions due to the authority that it presents as well as conformity. However, since they do not respect authority and UUs have respect for everyone as an individual, this might prove to be contradictory.
Social action is a huge deal with punks and they will do anything from boycotts to protests and can turn violent in riots. They have also bombed animal testing labs and graffeti billboards to make them get a message across. New trendy kids think that it's cool to destroy someone's private property as an act of rebellion. You're not being punk by doing this, since punks do not believe in materialism. The loss of personal property does not mean anything to them.
A lot of punks have environmentalist views and others are practicing vegetarians or vegans. Since both systems are corrupt, punks will view them as a reflection on the way people have been exploited by authorities in the past. It is seen as immoral or corrupt.
Punk is not going to your local Hot Topic and buying a studded belt and wallet with a chain that says "Punk RAWK!" on it. Punk is a movement, an ideology, a thinking process. You're conforming to a style that is a new-age ridiculous trend that doesn't mean anything. You're buying into a corrupt system and supporting sweatshops. You are not "Punk!" and listening to the main stream bands like New Found Glory, Coheed and Cambria, My Chemical Romance, The Used, Senses Fail, Simple Plan, Good Charlotte, Matchbox Romance, Bowling for Soup, Jimmy Eat World, and Story of the Year does not mean you know real punk music.
The closest you've gotten to punk music is probably Green Day. They express anti-authoritarianism throughout their most recent album, and even though they have sold out and no longer go the independent "do-it-yourself" route, they have expressed a need for people to come together and wage war against war, and maybe the government. However, they are still very far from punk. If you want to get closer try Anti-Flag or Rise Against. If you want to hit the nail on the head, check out some of the 70s and 80s bands like The Clash, Sex Pistols, or the Ramones.
So, next time one of you 16 year olds decide to get a tattoo of "Riot Girl" on your back when you turn 18, think otherwise. Realize that being a "Riot Girl" is a trend - and that you probably don't even "riot" or protest or care about any political issues what-so-ever.
Thanks, I needed to get that out.
Punk, like many movements, can still exist within someone through the ideals that he or her holds. It is not about externalizing your beliefs on your ears or sporting lame-ass tattoos that say "Riot Girl." Punks believe that authority is what makes systems corrupt, they see police brutality as evil and something that happens entirely too often. Most practice anti-authoritarianism, like Albert Camus expresses in his novel, The Stranger, and that in no way involves violence, riots, or tattooing your message that you are against authority across your body. In fact, the main character stays true to himself and that is what leads to his demise, sticking by his beliefs.
"Selling out" is when one sacrifices their ethical beliefs to become richer. Selling out is not what Simple Plan did because they had no message in the first place, other than their girlfriends broke up with them. They had no message or reason for making a band and even admitted that they just wanted to make money. And since they suck anyway, there's no more reason to dwell on this topic.
A person that listens to punk music (real punk music) is not a punk unless they believe in the ideology behind it. They are simply going to the shows for the music, not for the message behind it. This is conforming to the music and sometimes to the stereotypical style of being punk - but they are not conforming to the ideology. Conforming to the ideology would mean being non-conformity. What does that mean? Punks believe in free expression, thinking for one's self, and coming up with new and innovative ideas. If you are expressing yourself and thinking for yourself but you believe it is right, you are conforming to the ideology by practicing non-conformity.
Punks, now-a-days, would probably be inclined to believe in Unitarian Universalism because of the respect that is holds for other people. They wouldn't like the traditional religions due to the authority that it presents as well as conformity. However, since they do not respect authority and UUs have respect for everyone as an individual, this might prove to be contradictory.
Social action is a huge deal with punks and they will do anything from boycotts to protests and can turn violent in riots. They have also bombed animal testing labs and graffeti billboards to make them get a message across. New trendy kids think that it's cool to destroy someone's private property as an act of rebellion. You're not being punk by doing this, since punks do not believe in materialism. The loss of personal property does not mean anything to them.
A lot of punks have environmentalist views and others are practicing vegetarians or vegans. Since both systems are corrupt, punks will view them as a reflection on the way people have been exploited by authorities in the past. It is seen as immoral or corrupt.
Punk is not going to your local Hot Topic and buying a studded belt and wallet with a chain that says "Punk RAWK!" on it. Punk is a movement, an ideology, a thinking process. You're conforming to a style that is a new-age ridiculous trend that doesn't mean anything. You're buying into a corrupt system and supporting sweatshops. You are not "Punk!" and listening to the main stream bands like New Found Glory, Coheed and Cambria, My Chemical Romance, The Used, Senses Fail, Simple Plan, Good Charlotte, Matchbox Romance, Bowling for Soup, Jimmy Eat World, and Story of the Year does not mean you know real punk music.
The closest you've gotten to punk music is probably Green Day. They express anti-authoritarianism throughout their most recent album, and even though they have sold out and no longer go the independent "do-it-yourself" route, they have expressed a need for people to come together and wage war against war, and maybe the government. However, they are still very far from punk. If you want to get closer try Anti-Flag or Rise Against. If you want to hit the nail on the head, check out some of the 70s and 80s bands like The Clash, Sex Pistols, or the Ramones.
So, next time one of you 16 year olds decide to get a tattoo of "Riot Girl" on your back when you turn 18, think otherwise. Realize that being a "Riot Girl" is a trend - and that you probably don't even "riot" or protest or care about any political issues what-so-ever.
Thanks, I needed to get that out.