[PREV - GOTHIC]    [TOP]

PUNK

                                June 18, 1992 

These were the superficial trappings of punk:
Fast, noisy, music, ripped t-shirts, safety pins,        Richard Hell
sometimes worn as crude self-destructive piercings.      says that the
A nasty, rude, obnoxious attitude.                       idea was it was
                                                         supposed to be
                                    NEOPUNK              cheap, a game
                                                         anyone could play.
                        A freind of mine described       As opposed to
                        one her boyfriends as            the expensive
                        being a "real Punk".  He         outfits sported
                        refused to say "hello" to        at 70s Discos.
                        anyone, "Because he
                        thought it was bullshit."                    By this
                                                                     logic,
                                                                     you could
                                                                     argue
But what's the essence of the punk esthetic?                         that
                                                                     leather
A big part of   There's an        The punk                           jackets
punk is being   early Melody      factions of the                    are not
willing to      Maker Patti       Havering seem                      punk.
look closely    Smith             to think that    
at the things   interview         a crucial                          FASHION
that other      where she         element is                                                           
people think    argues that       political and                  Not that
are ugly and    technical         social                         this is any
turn away       virtuosity is     commentary, as                 news to todays
from as         irrelevant in     compared to the                flannel suited
quickly as      the face of       endless, vapid                 grunge punks.
possible.       true passion.     pop songs about    
                                  "relationships".            But back in    
                                                              the early 80s  
                                                              people         
                                                              associated     
                                                              black leather  
                                                              and black      
                                                              stuff in       
                                                              general with   
                                                              punks.         
                                                                             
                                                           There wasn't 
                                                           any separate 
                                                           "gothic"          
                                                           subculture yet, 
                                                           nor was there 
                                                           much like an 
                                                           S&M chic.         
                                                                          
                                                                 
                                                                          
         A complaint I heard:
         "Punk just seems
         like an excuse for    WORD
         ugly people to look
         ugly."

         I would say: It's about people
         who have been condemned as
         being ugly, refusing to crawl
         into a corner and hide.
		    
                          MONSTERS
             	    
One punk I                                               Once, in       
knew, used     (we all called                            the streets    
to hang        him "Existential                          of Manhattan,  
around the     Death and                                 I saw a guy    
student        Decay", I dunno                           in standard    
union          what he called                            black punk garb
listening      himself.  Ask                             walking with   
to the         the Birdman                               an extremely   
static         sometime if you                           obese woman    
between        see him)                                  dressed in     
stations                                                 a tight,       
on his                                                   white leotard. 
box: "It's                                               You could see  
the best                                                 every little   
thing on."                                               quiver of her  
                                                         fat as she     
                                                         moved.         
So by a                                                                 
certain                                                  Certainly not  
logic,                                                   pretty... but  
maybe                                                    fascinating:   
annoying                                                 how could you  
TV commecial                                             not look?      
jingles         A punk => kitsch                                        
have a          connection?           
certain   
punk                                  
quality.                              

--------
[NEXT - GHOST]