History
The punk subculture emerged in the United Kingdom in the mid-1970s. Exactly which region originated punk has long been a matter of controversy within the movement. Some suggest the name "_Music
_Ideologies
_Fashion
_Gender_and_gender_expression
_Body_and_appearance
For_some_punks,_the_body_was_a_symbol_of_opposition,_a_political_statement_expressing_disgust_of_all_that_was_"normal"_and_socially_accepted._The_idea_was_to_make_others_outside_of_the_subculture_question_their_own_views,_which_made_gender_presentation_and_gender_identity_a_popular_factor_to_be_played_with._In_some_ways,_punk_helped_to_tear_apart_the_normalised_view_of_gender_as_a_dichotomy._There_was_a_notable_amount_of_cross-dressing_in_the_punk_scene;_it_was_not_unusual_to_see_men_wearing_ripped-up_skirts,_fishnet_tights,_and_excessive_makeup,_or_to_see_women_with_shaved_heads_wearing_oversized_plaid_shirts_and_jean_jackets_and_heavy_combat_boots._Punk_created_a_new_cultural_space_for_androgyny_and_all_kinds_of_gender_expression. In_trying_to_reject_societal_norms,_punk_embraced_one_societal_norm_by_deciding_that_strength_and_anger_was_best_expressed_through_masculinity,_defining_masculine_as_the_"default",_where_gender_did_not_exist_or_had_no_meaning._Riot_grrrl
Riot_grrrl_is_an__Visual_art
Punk_aesthetics_determine_the_type_of_art_punks_enjoy,_usually_with__Dance
_Literature
_Film
_Perspectives_on_drugs_and_alcohol
_Inhalable_solvents
" sniffing">luesniffing_was_adopted_by_punks_because_public_perceptions_of_sniffing_fitted_in_with_their_self-image._Originally_used_experimentally_and_as_a_cheap_high,_adult_disgust_and_hostility_encouraged_punks_to_use_glue_sniffing_as_a_way_of_shocking_society."_Model_airplane_glue_and_contact_cement_were_among_the_numerous_solvents_and_inhalants_used_by_punks_to_achieve_euphoria_and_intoxication._Glue_was_typically_inhaled_by_placing_a_quantity_in_a_plastic_bag_and_"huffing"_(inhaling)_the_vapour._Liquid_solvents_were_typically_inhaled_by_soaking_a_rag_with_the_solvent_and_inhaling_the_vapour._While_users_inhale_solvents_for_the_intoxicating_effects,_the_practice_can_be_harmful_or_fatal._Straight_edge
_Lifestyle_and_community
_Authenticity
In_the_punk_and_hardcore_subcultures,_members_of_the_scene_are_often_evaluated_in_terms_of_the__Interactions_with_other_subcultures
Some_of_the_first_hip_hop_ MCs_called_themselves_punk_rockers,_and_some__Persecution
_East_Germany
The_punk_scene_began_to_emerge_in_socialist__Global_perspectives
The_punk_subculture_has_spread_to_many_countries_around_the_world._The_fluidity_of_musical_expression_in_particular_makes_it_an_ideal_medium_for_this_cross-cultural_interpretation._Mexico
In_Mexico,_punk_culture_is_primarily_a_phenomenon_among_the_upper-middle_class,_many_of_whom_were_first_exposed_to_punk_music_through_travel_to_England,_but_rapidly_shifted_to_the_lower-class_youth._South_Africa
Punk_arrived_slowly_in_South_Africa_during_the_1970s_when_waves_of_British_tradesmen_welcomed_by_the_then-_Peru
In_Peru_punk_traces_its_roots_to_the_band__Cuba
A_punk_subculture_originated_in__See_also
_References
_Bibliography
*_ *_ *_ *_ *_ * *___Further_reading_
*_ *_Savage,_Jon._''England's_Dreaming:_The_Sex_Pistols_and_Punk_Rock''._ Faber_and_Faber,_1991.__External_links
*_ {{Authority_control * 1970s_in_the_United_Kingdom Australian_culture Motorcycling_subculture Music_and_politics Musical_subcultures Punk Stereotypes Youth_culture_in_the_United_Kingdomhtml" "title="Punk]. Retrieved 18 April 2009. The punk subculture influenced otherMusic
The punk subculture is centered on a loud, aggressive genre of rock music called punk rock, usually played by bands consisting of a vocalist, one or two electric guitarists, an electric bassist, and a drummer. In some bands, the musicians contribute backup vocals, which typically consist of shouted slogans, choruses, or football-style chants. While most punk rock uses distorted guitars and noisy drumming sounds derived from 1960sIdeologies
Punk political ideologies are mostly concerned with individual freedom andFashion
Early punk fashion adapted everyday objects for aesthetic effect: ripped clothing was held together by safety pins or wrapped with tape; ordinary clothing was customised by embellishing it with marker or adorning it with paint; a blackGender and gender expression
In the United Kingdom, the advent ofBody and appearance
For some punks, the body was a symbol of opposition, a political statement expressing disgust of all that was "normal" and socially accepted. The idea was to make others outside of the subculture question their own views, which made gender presentation and gender identity a popular factor to be played with. In some ways, punk helped to tear apart the normalised view of gender as a dichotomy. There was a notable amount of cross-dressing in the punk scene; it was not unusual to see men wearing ripped-up skirts, fishnet tights, and excessive makeup, or to see women with shaved heads wearing oversized plaid shirts and jean jackets and heavy combat boots. Punk created a new cultural space for androgyny and all kinds of gender expression. In trying to reject societal norms, punk embraced one societal norm by deciding that strength and anger was best expressed through masculinity, defining masculine as the "default", where gender did not exist or had no meaning. However, the main reasoning behind this argument equates femininity with popular conceptions of beauty. Everything that was normally supposed to be hidden was brought to the front, both literally and figuratively. This could mean anything from wearing bras and underwear on top of clothing to wearing nothing but a bra and underwear. Although that act can seem sexualised, to punks it was just a way of self-expression. Punk seemed to allow people to sexualize themselves and still be taken seriously. The nature of punk allowed many to create a non-gender-conforming style. Punks could be free to use femininity or masculinity to make what they were doing even more shocking to their audience. It became popular for some punks to accentuate societal norms. At one concert,Riot grrrl
Riot grrrl is anVisual art
Punk aesthetics determine the type of art punks enjoy, usually withDance
Two dance styles associated with punk are pogo (dance), pogo dancing andLiterature
Punk has generated a considerable amount of poetry andFilm
Many punk-themed films have been made. The No Wave Cinema and Remodernist film movements owe much to punk aesthetics. Several famous punk bands have participated in movies, such as the Ramones in ''Rock 'n' Roll High School'', the Sex Pistols in ''The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle'', and Social Distortion in ''Another State of Mind (film), Another State of Mind''. Derek Jarman and Don Letts are notable punk filmmakers. Penelope Spheeris' first instalment of the documentary trilogy "The Decline of Western Civilization" (1981) focuses on the early Los Angeles punk scene through interviews and early concert footage from bands including Black Flag, Circle Jerks, Germs (band), Germs, and Fear (band), Fear. The Decline of Western Civilization III" explores the gutter punk lifestyle in the 1990s. ''Loren Cass'' is another example of the punk subculture represented in film. The Japanese cyberpunk movement has roots in the Japanese punk subculture that arose in the 1970s. The filmmaker Sogo Ishii introduced this subculture to Japanese cinema with his punk films ''Panic High School'' (1978) and ''Crazy Thunder Road'' (1980), which portrayed the rebellion and anarchy associated with punk, and went on to become highly influential in underground film circles. ''Crazy Thunder Road'' in particular was an influential biker film, with a punk biker gang aesthetic that paved the way for Katsuhiro Otomo's manga andPerspectives on drugs and alcohol
Inhalable solvents
"Intoxicative inhalant, [Glue] sniffing was adopted by punks because public perceptions of sniffing fitted in with their self-image. Originally used experimentally and as a cheap high, adult disgust and hostility encouraged punks to use glue sniffing as a way of shocking society." Model airplane glue and contact cement were among the numerous solvents and inhalants used by punks to achieve euphoria and intoxication. Glue was typically inhaled by placing a quantity in a plastic bag and "huffing" (inhaling) the vapour. Liquid solvents were typically inhaled by soaking a rag with the solvent and inhaling the vapour. While users inhale solvents for the intoxicating effects, the practice can be harmful or fatal.Straight edge
Straight edge is a philosophy of hardcore punk culture, adherents of which refrain from using alcohol, tobacco, and other recreational drugs, in reaction to the excesses of punk subculture. For some, this extends to refraining from engaging in promiscuous sex, following a vegetarian orLifestyle and community
Punks come from all culture and economic classes. Compared to some subcultures, punk ideology is much closer to gender equality. Although the punk subculture is mostlyAuthenticity
In the punk and hardcore subcultures, members of the scene are often evaluated in terms of the authenticity (philosophy), authenticity of their commitment to the values or philosophies of the scene, which may range from political beliefs to lifestyle practices. In the punk subculture, the epithet ''Interactions with other subcultures
Some of the first hip hop MCs called themselves punk rockers, and some punk fashions have found their way into hip hop dress and vice versa. Malcolm McLaren played roles in introducing both punk and hip hop to the United Kingdom. Hip hop later influenced some punk and hardcore punk, hardcore bands, such as the Beastie Boys, Hed PE, Blaggers I.T.A., Biohazard (band), Biohazard, E.Town Concrete, The Transplants, andPersecution
East Germany
The punk scene began to emerge in socialist East Germany in the late 1970’s. It shared many similarities with that of the West and was considered by the ruling authorities to be a spread of an international youth sub-culture which had its roots in the U.S.A. and Western Europe. Indeed, this was an assessment many East German punks shared themselves. According to one, Mario Schulz, "The start was that I liked the music. I did not quite understand the English texts, but this ostentatious experience as an outsider, this capacity to shock, that pleased me. I was already- someone else would probably express it differently- an awkward sod." By the authorities, punk was seen as representing a way of life which was contrary in nature to existing social conventions and values. Punks were, however, not the only youth sub-culture to be considered ‘negative decadent’ and a threat to the stability of socialist society: heavy metallers, skinheads, and goths were also targeted. Whilst it is hard to ascertain an exact figure, the punk scene in East Germany in the early 1980s was still relatively small. For example, ‘In 1981, the Stasi (secret police) identified 1,000 punks and a broader group of 10,000 sympathisers.’ Punks, whether considered as individuals or as groups, were persecuted by both the regular police and the Stasi. More overt methods of persecution by the regular police- such as enforced haircutting, arrest, and physical beatings- were combined unofficially with the more insidious and far-reaching Zersetzung, decomposition methods (trans. Zersetzung) of the Stasi: these involved various forms ofGlobal perspectives
The punk subculture has spread to many countries around the world. The fluidity of musical expression in particular makes it an ideal medium for this cross-cultural interpretation.Mexico
In Mexico, punk culture is primarily a phenomenon among the upper-middle class, many of whom were first exposed to punk music through travel to England, but rapidly shifted to the lower-class youth. Because of low fees at public universities in Mexico, a significant majority of Mexican punks are university students. It is estimated approximately 5,000 young people are active punks in Mexico City, hosting two or three underground shows a week. These young people often form chavos banda—youth gangs—that organized subculture activity by creating formal meeting spaces and rituals and practices. Oral nicknames are a distinguishing feature of Mexican punk, where the tradition of oral culture has influenced the development of nicknames for almost all Mexican punks. Patches are widely used as an inexpensive way to alter clothing and express identity. Though English-language bands like theSouth Africa
Punk arrived slowly in South Africa during the 1970s when waves of British tradesmen welcomed by the then-Apartheid in South Africa, apartheid government brought cultural influences like the popular British music magazine ''Peru
In Peru punk traces its roots to the band Los Saicos, a Lima group that played the unique blend of garage and break dance music that would later be labeled punk as early as the 1960s. The early activity of Los Saicos has led many to claim that punk originated in Lima instead of the UK, as is typically assumed. Though their claim to be the first punk band in the world can be disputed, Los Saicos were undoubtedly the first in Latin America and released their first single in 1965. The group played to full houses and made frequent television appearances throughout the 1960s. Throughout the 1970s, the band was completely forgotten. Years later, a plaque that declares "here the global punk-rock movement was born" was placed at the corner of Miguel Iglesias and Julio C. Tello Streets in Lima. By the 1980s the punk scene in Peru was highly active. Peruvian punks call themselves ''subtes'' and appropriate the subversive implications of the English term "underground" through the Spanish term ''subterraneo'' (literally, subterranean). In the 1980s and 1990s subtes made almost exclusive use of cassette recording as a means of circulating music without participating in formal intellectual property and musical production industries. The current scene relies on digital distribution and assumes similar anti-establishment practices. Like many punk subcultures, subtes explicitly oppose the Peruvian state and advocate instead an anarchic resistance that challenges the political and mainstream cultural establishment.Cuba
A punk subculture originated inSee also
References
Bibliography
* * * * * * *Further reading
* * Savage, Jon. ''England's Dreaming: The Sex Pistols and Punk Rock''. Faber and Faber, 1991.External links
* {{Authority control Underground culture, * 1970s in the United Kingdom Australian culture Motorcycling subculture Music and politics Musical subcultures Punk Stereotypes Youth culture in the United Kingdom]">Punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...Music
The punk subculture is centered on a loud, aggressive genre of rock music called punk rock, usually played by bands consisting of a vocalist, one or two electric guitarists, an electric bassist, and a drummer. In some bands, the musicians contribute backup vocals, which typically consist of shouted slogans, choruses, or football-style chants. While most punk rock uses distorted guitars and noisy drumming sounds derived from 1960sIdeologies
Punk political ideologies are mostly concerned with individual freedom andFashion
Early punk fashion adapted everyday objects for aesthetic effect: ripped clothing was held together by safety pins or wrapped with tape; ordinary clothing was customised by embellishing it with marker or adorning it with paint; a blackGender and gender expression
In the United Kingdom, the advent ofBody and appearance
For some punks, the body was a symbol of opposition, a political statement expressing disgust of all that was "normal" and socially accepted. The idea was to make others outside of the subculture question their own views, which made gender presentation and gender identity a popular factor to be played with. In some ways, punk helped to tear apart the normalised view of gender as a dichotomy. There was a notable amount of cross-dressing in the punk scene; it was not unusual to see men wearing ripped-up skirts, fishnet tights, and excessive makeup, or to see women with shaved heads wearing oversized plaid shirts and jean jackets and heavy combat boots. Punk created a new cultural space for androgyny and all kinds of gender expression. In trying to reject societal norms, punk embraced one societal norm by deciding that strength and anger was best expressed through masculinity, defining masculine as the "default", where gender did not exist or had no meaning. However, the main reasoning behind this argument equates femininity with popular conceptions of beauty. Everything that was normally supposed to be hidden was brought to the front, both literally and figuratively. This could mean anything from wearing bras and underwear on top of clothing to wearing nothing but a bra and underwear. Although that act can seem sexualised, to punks it was just a way of self-expression. Punk seemed to allow people to sexualize themselves and still be taken seriously. The nature of punk allowed many to create a non-gender-conforming style. Punks could be free to use femininity or masculinity to make what they were doing even more shocking to their audience. It became popular for some punks to accentuate societal norms. At one concert,Riot grrrl
Riot grrrl is anVisual art
Punk aesthetics determine the type of art punks enjoy, usually withDance
Two dance styles associated with punk are pogo (dance), pogo dancing andLiterature
Punk has generated a considerable amount of poetry andFilm
Many punk-themed films have been made. The No Wave Cinema and Remodernist film movements owe much to punk aesthetics. Several famous punk bands have participated in movies, such as the Ramones in ''Rock 'n' Roll High School'', the Sex Pistols in ''The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle'', and Social Distortion in ''Another State of Mind (film), Another State of Mind''. Derek Jarman and Don Letts are notable punk filmmakers. Penelope Spheeris' first instalment of the documentary trilogy "The Decline of Western Civilization" (1981) focuses on the early Los Angeles punk scene through interviews and early concert footage from bands including Black Flag, Circle Jerks, Germs (band), Germs, and Fear (band), Fear. The Decline of Western Civilization III" explores the gutter punk lifestyle in the 1990s. ''Loren Cass'' is another example of the punk subculture represented in film. The Japanese cyberpunk movement has roots in the Japanese punk subculture that arose in the 1970s. The filmmaker Sogo Ishii introduced this subculture to Japanese cinema with his punk films ''Panic High School'' (1978) and ''Crazy Thunder Road'' (1980), which portrayed the rebellion and anarchy associated with punk, and went on to become highly influential in underground film circles. ''Crazy Thunder Road'' in particular was an influential biker film, with a punk biker gang aesthetic that paved the way for Katsuhiro Otomo's manga andPerspectives on drugs and alcohol
Inhalable solvents
"Intoxicative inhalant, [Glue] sniffing was adopted by punks because public perceptions of sniffing fitted in with their self-image. Originally used experimentally and as a cheap high, adult disgust and hostility encouraged punks to use glue sniffing as a way of shocking society." Model airplane glue and contact cement were among the numerous solvents and inhalants used by punks to achieve euphoria and intoxication. Glue was typically inhaled by placing a quantity in a plastic bag and "huffing" (inhaling) the vapour. Liquid solvents were typically inhaled by soaking a rag with the solvent and inhaling the vapour. While users inhale solvents for the intoxicating effects, the practice can be harmful or fatal.Straight edge
Straight edge is a philosophy of hardcore punk culture, adherents of which refrain from using alcohol, tobacco, and other recreational drugs, in reaction to the excesses of punk subculture. For some, this extends to refraining from engaging in promiscuous sex, following a vegetarian orLifestyle and community
Punks come from all culture and economic classes. Compared to some subcultures, punk ideology is much closer to gender equality. Although the punk subculture is mostlyAuthenticity
In the punk and hardcore subcultures, members of the scene are often evaluated in terms of the authenticity (philosophy), authenticity of their commitment to the values or philosophies of the scene, which may range from political beliefs to lifestyle practices. In the punk subculture, the epithet ''Interactions with other subcultures
Some of the first hip hop MCs called themselves punk rockers, and some punk fashions have found their way into hip hop dress and vice versa. Malcolm McLaren played roles in introducing both punk and hip hop to the United Kingdom. Hip hop later influenced some punk and hardcore punk, hardcore bands, such as the Beastie Boys, Hed PE, Blaggers I.T.A., Biohazard (band), Biohazard, E.Town Concrete, The Transplants, andPersecution
East Germany
The punk scene began to emerge in socialist East Germany in the late 1970’s. It shared many similarities with that of the West and was considered by the ruling authorities to be a spread of an international youth sub-culture which had its roots in the U.S.A. and Western Europe. Indeed, this was an assessment many East German punks shared themselves. According to one, Mario Schulz, "The start was that I liked the music. I did not quite understand the English texts, but this ostentatious experience as an outsider, this capacity to shock, that pleased me. I was already- someone else would probably express it differently- an awkward sod." By the authorities, punk was seen as representing a way of life which was contrary in nature to existing social conventions and values. Punks were, however, not the only youth sub-culture to be considered ‘negative decadent’ and a threat to the stability of socialist society: heavy metallers, skinheads, and goths were also targeted. Whilst it is hard to ascertain an exact figure, the punk scene in East Germany in the early 1980s was still relatively small. For example, ‘In 1981, the Stasi (secret police) identified 1,000 punks and a broader group of 10,000 sympathisers.’ Punks, whether considered as individuals or as groups, were persecuted by both the regular police and the Stasi. More overt methods of persecution by the regular police- such as enforced haircutting, arrest, and physical beatings- were combined unofficially with the more insidious and far-reaching Zersetzung, decomposition methods (trans. Zersetzung) of the Stasi: these involved various forms ofGlobal perspectives
The punk subculture has spread to many countries around the world. The fluidity of musical expression in particular makes it an ideal medium for this cross-cultural interpretation.Mexico
In Mexico, punk culture is primarily a phenomenon among the upper-middle class, many of whom were first exposed to punk music through travel to England, but rapidly shifted to the lower-class youth. Because of low fees at public universities in Mexico, a significant majority of Mexican punks are university students. It is estimated approximately 5,000 young people are active punks in Mexico City, hosting two or three underground shows a week. These young people often form chavos banda—youth gangs—that organized subculture activity by creating formal meeting spaces and rituals and practices. Oral nicknames are a distinguishing feature of Mexican punk, where the tradition of oral culture has influenced the development of nicknames for almost all Mexican punks. Patches are widely used as an inexpensive way to alter clothing and express identity. Though English-language bands like theSouth Africa
Punk arrived slowly in South Africa during the 1970s when waves of British tradesmen welcomed by the then-Apartheid in South Africa, apartheid government brought cultural influences like the popular British music magazine ''Peru
In Peru punk traces its roots to the band Los Saicos, a Lima group that played the unique blend of garage and break dance music that would later be labeled punk as early as the 1960s. The early activity of Los Saicos has led many to claim that punk originated in Lima instead of the UK, as is typically assumed. Though their claim to be the first punk band in the world can be disputed, Los Saicos were undoubtedly the first in Latin America and released their first single in 1965. The group played to full houses and made frequent television appearances throughout the 1960s. Throughout the 1970s, the band was completely forgotten. Years later, a plaque that declares "here the global punk-rock movement was born" was placed at the corner of Miguel Iglesias and Julio C. Tello Streets in Lima. By the 1980s the punk scene in Peru was highly active. Peruvian punks call themselves ''subtes'' and appropriate the subversive implications of the English term "underground" through the Spanish term ''subterraneo'' (literally, subterranean). In the 1980s and 1990s subtes made almost exclusive use of cassette recording as a means of circulating music without participating in formal intellectual property and musical production industries. The current scene relies on digital distribution and assumes similar anti-establishment practices. Like many punk subcultures, subtes explicitly oppose the Peruvian state and advocate instead an anarchic resistance that challenges the political and mainstream cultural establishment.Cuba
A punk subculture originated inSee also
References
Bibliography
* * * * * * *Further reading
* * Savage, Jon. ''England's Dreaming: The Sex Pistols and Punk Rock''. Faber and Faber, 1991.External links
* {{Authority control Underground culture, * 1970s in the United Kingdom Australian culture Motorcycling subculture Music and politics Musical subcultures Punk Stereotypes Youth culture in the United Kingdom