Punk’s Not Dead! It Just Sold Out

In many ways, walking down St. Marks today feels like the 1970s. Kids with mohawks, studded denim vests and combat boots, hang out on the corners, and stores like Trash & Vaudeville post signs that say “Punks Not Dead.” At the same time, tourists wearing Ramones shirts, while eating Pinkberry and Papaya Dogs, have taken over what was once the birthplace of punk rock in the U.S. The infamous CBGB music club – where bands like The Ramones, The Velvet Underground, and pretty much every other New York City punk band got their start – was recently turned into a John Varvatos store. While 2014 seems like a good time for punk, it has definitely been co-opted.

Punk was born in England in the 1970s as an anarchistic reaction to establishment and authority. Due to political constraints, lack of opportunity, and a growing lower class, bands like The Sex Pistols became the voice for the youth generation. With songs like “God Save The Queen,” The Sex Pistols mocked The U.K.’s political structure and coined the phrase “No Future,” which became a slogan for punks everywhere. And although it centered on music, punk was much more than that – it was an attitude, a set of beliefs, a style of dressing, and a way of life.

Today, new punk bands like New School alumni The Dirty Fences are lighting up the New York music scene, while leather jackets, Doc Martens and studs, have taken over fashion storefronts and catwalks these past few seasons. With the recession, the War on Terror, and political turmoil, the anger and ideologies of punk are more relevant than ever. We are the most educated generation ever, yet we have the least amount of job opportunities. Last year, a New York Times article presented data collected by a research study from The Urban Institute that suggests we have little to no chance of ever making as much money as our parents. Even though our country has started to pull itself back up, our age group has made less money than our parents did at our age, and our chances of ever making as much money as them, are slim to none. Our generation has been characterized by a sense of apathy, but I think it’s really that we’ve just given up. The political revolts and social movements of our parents seem useless in a time when no one is listening and everyone is struggling. It’s no wonder that youth is embracing the style and ideals of punk’s most influential bands. The sentiments of anger, boredom, and disillusionment, are as relevant today as they where when Iggy Pop sang “No Fun.” The difference now is that everyone can relate. In a time where “No Future” rings truer than ever, punk has become mainstream.

Becoming mainstream or “selling out” has always been the biggest faux pas in the punk scene. Because the ideals of punk are more pertinent to more people, it has become somewhat of a trend. Urban Outfitters is selling ripped denim vests, held together by safety pins. Doc Martens can be seen on the streets daily. This insidious irony defies everything that punk is all about. In the 70s, punks wore only second-hand clothing, and purposefully tore their clothes, safety-pinning them back together, in an attempt to defy materialism and to make a statement about how broke they really were. Sid Vicious is rolling over in his grave because they sell his face on a shirt at Urban Outfitters. Joey Ramone’s ghost is haunting everyone who shops at the John Varvatos store on Joey Ramone Way – the corner of Bowery and East Second Street. According to New York City officials, that street sign is the most stolen sign in all of New York City. They keep replacing it, and it keeps getting stolen. This is a testament to how real punks feel about the popularity.

The paradox presented by punk’s emergence as a mainstream trend defies the essence of punk at its core. As long as punk continues to be mainstream, it’s not really punk at all; or at least, not the authentic, non-conformist, anti-consumerist attitude with which it was built upon. Like most trends, punk will probably come and go, and in a few seasons, Urban Outfitters will stop selling Sex Pistols shirts. While punk seems appealing and relatable to many different people right now, most of those people will have moved on to the next trend as soon as Urban Outfitters tells them to. Once punk goes out of style, it can return to what it is meant to be – a lifestyle for the disenfranchised to express their anger over mainstream society.