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This project is a look at the evolution of punk throughout the years. For clarification, punk is not about the music nor is it about the fashion. Punk is the expression of emotions. This includes both happiness and anger, but the rebellion that anger brings tends to make the best history so there is a lot of that. But, punk is saying how you feel. Feel the fear and do it anyway. |
Sumerian Revolt
The oldest known rebellion is the Sumerian Revolt back in 1739 BC. Sumerian cities were fighting for their city states to become totally independent. This lasted 4 years and ended with the Babylonian king. Not much else is known about this event.
American Revolution
The American Revolution is one of the most well known rebellions on history. It began in 1763 and did not end until 1783. To put it short, American wanted to be free from Britan. In the end they were successful and America was officially founded and the 10 founding fathers went down in history.
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea party took place on December 16th, 1773. It was a protest on the British Parliament's tax on tea. Ships threw out 92,000 pounds of tea into the Boston Harbor. This is equivalent to approximately $1.7 million US dollars in today's money. As a result, the British shut down Boston Harbor until akk the 340 chests of tea were paid for. This event played a great part in the American Revolution.
Britain's Economic Crash of the 70s
During the 1970s, Britain was plagued with high inflation and uneven economic growth. Our of a population of 55,650,000, about 50,000 were homeless. The oil crisis was largely to blame for this as well as inefficient production of goods.
The Ramones
Formed in 1974, The Ramones are often called the oldest punk band in history. This is because the term "punk rock" was defined to mean a specific musical scene happening in New York City. The Ramones were the first ones with a grungy, harsh sound and emotionally charged lyrics to make it mainstream. Although, many can argue that the UK band Sex Pistols were the first official punk music group. The Sex Pistols emerged from Britan's economic crash in the 70s. Both The Ramones and the Sex Pistols owe debt to smaller bands such as New York Dolls and band Detroit, as they were smaller bands that influenced and made these large bands into what they are today. Let us not forget that although the Ramones is garnered as the first punk band, there were many before them that just did not see the top of the industry.
Bad Religion
Bad Religion is nowhere near to a founding father of punk, but they are a good example of a classic punk rock band. Begining in the 80s, the band created songs with lyrics centering around politics. This became a theme for most punk rock bands as, once again, punk is emotional and politics often get a rise of feelings out of those who are interested in them. They started their own record company called Epitaph Records and now pick up more hardcore punk rock bands. My favourite band underneath this label is Soul Glo. Bad Religion is also just my favourite punk band.
Marilyn Manson
Although Marilyn Manson's music is not anywhere near punk rock, he is still punk. He is one of the main reasons why America has broken free from religion since the 90s. His songs are a mix of commentary on politics, religion, and love. His whole look and brand was made to make people uncomfortable. Change can only happen when people step out of their comfort zone. His look also tied into his idea of beauty - that we are all afraid of being ugly but sometimes ugliness is required. That true beauty only begins the moment you decide to be yourself and share what you love and act from the heart.
Gyaru
Gyaru is a subculture that originated from Japan in the 80s as a rebellion against East Asian beauty standards. It's main features are long fake nails and huge false eyelashes. People who wear this makeup can sometimes tan their skin in attempt to look tacky and trashy, or they can wear intricate fashion that is often y2k inspired. But, the only 2 pieces that are mandatory for gyaru, are the nails and eyelashes. There are many types of gyaru and each have their own set way of hair and makeup and often clothing. Gyaru is one of my favourite subcultures because it directly goes against beauty standards and is a reclamation of feminimity at the same time.
Avril Lavigne
Avril Lavigne was a popular pop-punk singer in the 2000s and changed the public's view of punk forever. Avril's music was not emotionally charged and was professionally produced, taking any soul away from it. Of course, this was not her fault as she was a child who was being taken advantage of my the music industry, but her music was certainly not punk. She dressed in an edgy way and people loved her for it. This marked the shift between the public seeing punk as a revolt, whether it be by throwing tea into the sea or making music about politics, to the public seeing punk as a fashion style. You no longer needed the mindset to be punk, you needed the money to buy the clothing. This clearly went against any sort of punk values. The whole movement was about being authentic and that often involved making your own clothing. However, the new shift caused the punk movement to be a matter of whether ot not you could afford the ready-made clothing.
Todays Punk Climate
Today's punk scene is overwhelmingly teenagers who simply enjoy the fashion. Obviously there is nothing wrong with that, but by using the label "punk" they are watering down the meaning and message behind the scene. Brands such as Dollskills and Killstart offer cheap dark clothing that are being consumed at rapids rates and hold no punk values. I find that one of the best truly punk scenes in our current social climate is the folk punk scene. Folk punk is a small genre of music that basically consists of middle aged drunk men with an acoustic guitar singing in their basement. This sounds terrible but their lyrics are always raw and emotional. They may not dress in dark tattered clothing and they may not have bright pink mohawks that are so big they touch the ceiling, but they are authentic and real.
Thanks for reading! Stay true to yourself. Saying how you feel will never ruin a real connection.
