Defination:
Punk: Being your self and not giving a fuck what
people think about you or say about you.
So where did the word "punk" originate from? Not from the 70s, as most of you think.
Most envision Johnny "Rotten" Lydon of the Sex Pistols wearing a safety pin
in his ear as a defining moment. Punk rock man.
But where did the slang word originate from?
Let's take a stroll down memory lane, that is if you still have one. Back in 40's
and early 50's there were a series of films and then a television show, first
titled "The Dead End Kids," then later "The Bowery Boys".
You can thank Leo Dorcey and his cohorts for uttering the word
as part of their Brooklyn-ese vocabulary.
You could say James Dean and Sal Mineo were punks from the film
"Rebel Without A Cause". The hairstyles gave it away. Slicked back on the
sides and the pompadour in front. That lasted all the way through the 60's.
In the 70's hair grew, but in the 80's it became the mohawk, and from
that point all the way up to today, a shaved head signifies at least the look.
And what was a "punk"? Was it an attitude?
But, of course it was and still is.
To the masses and the church going public, a punk was a juvenile
delinquent, later called a "greaser". The look was different also, as
compared to the 70's through todays. Punk spelled trouble.
Athletic types would love to beat up on punks. Punks would love to
beat up on athletes, and bookworms.
It was simply a progression of lifestyle clash.
Perfect name for the next real "punk" rock band, The Clash, of course.
Less attitude, but a hell of a lot better musically.
Was "Punky Brewster" a punk? No, but a nice use-age of the word
anyway. Was "Cow punk" for real? I don't think so.
Maybe Scott Goddard would dispute that.
The implications of "punk" in society has left its mark in society.
No doubt about that. Let's slice it up into different categories, shall we.
Punk-a-loco: The lowest form. Has the look. Has very little brains.
Acts before thinking. Usually from a poor background, and has little common sense.
Punk-a-boo: Has the look, and that's all. Just wants attention.
Could be the man or woman that has so many
metal piercings, but that is just for self-expressionism.
Punk-ability: Has a realism about them, and maybe the look.
Maybe not. But the attitude is in check.
Punka-alicious: The true punk. Has the look in their eyes.
Is bright, has a 'tude, and make no mistake, taken seriously.
Oh, that would be me. lol
A true punk is considered a "bad boy" in society's eyes. Many women
love them. Many clean cut men despise them.
"Bad boy's" from Robert Mitchum to Sean Penn and so many more
are adored by the mass appeal audience in film.
Shaving your head into a mohawk like DeNiro did in "Taxi Driver"
didn't make him punk, although for looks it had a point, it just made him a wacko.
Punk doesn't mean that you have to prove a point to anyone or everyone.
On the other hand, punk is most definitely a lifestyle. Be it looks or attitude.
My belief is that as a true punk, I really don't even know it. It is just pointed
out to me over and over, how punk I am. Not just punk rock. That is just
an expression. Example. "He's so punk rock". Now that doesn't mean
I sit around and dwell on the music from the early days of punk.
Of course not. Dig it. I like all styles of music. Okay, so maybe
I'm a bit hard edged in my tastes. That's just me.
The Southern California so called "Pop Punk" of the 90's which still is
remarkably around today, led by Blink 182, Green Day, etc
originally, was never my cup of tea, but the masses
ate it up and are still lapping it up today.
To me, someone like New England white boy rapper Sage Francis is
much more punk, musically, then 90% of the musicians trying
to recreate the old sound in 2010.
He is a wordsmith. His prose and style is so punk. Believable.
Punk is very much a state of mind. The thousands that recently converged
in the small town of Duisburg, Germany went under the guise
of a festival called "The Love Parade". Many were trampled to death due to
a poor setup in security and a tunnel that was a death trap.
The music they went to see was not what you would call
punk rock, it was an electronic music festival instead.
But, very punk in the whole scheme of things. The promoter, who could
not do the festival anymore in Berlin, after years of leaving rubbish in the
streets, took his caravan to a city that had a mayor Adolf Sauerland who
okayed it so the town could make money.
Most likely according to report's, this was the last festival.
As an observer, this was absolutely 'punk rock' from the beginning to the fatal end.
The new punk, is to not drink, not do drugs, and eat healthy, so you will live
longer and your views will be heard for many years to come. Yes my friends,
being self destructive is now the norm.
Hope I have put some of the pages back in for you. Now it is time for me
to take a nice long walk. Come home and drink der wasser, eat some fruit,
and crank some Rammstein loud.
Note: I wrote this piece for an upcoming reborn issue of
Howard Salmon's SLIT MAGAZINE.
Howard is an accomplished author and writer.
He began SLIT MAGAZINE in the early 80s in Tucson, Arizona.
The last issues were incorporated in my magazine NEWSREAL.
