Progressive Punk

The utilization of punk music.

Austin Crooker, Isabella Schrader, Nathan Chodera, Brandon Short

De-escalating from the war in Vietnam and the chilling pseudo war with the Soviet Union [Cold War], America now had the time and resources to focus their efforts domestically. Cable Television, the internet, the economy – they all boomed nearing the turn of the turn of the century. However the most impactful was the music culture. Ever since its conception music has been the greatest tool for expressing emotion and meaning. Melancholy, felicity, confusion; there are countless passions that have their own representation on music. Due to its fluidity music will mimic the needs of the time and as time changed punk arrived.

It originally had many early notes in the 1960’s but began to show promise and peaked in the early 1970’s. This innovative genre had origins in Britain however due to its relatable cries of rebellion it quickly grew popular amongst younger teens in the western hemisphere. The main premise of punk is there is no premise. It’s almost a pseudo anarchy where you become, “…disenfranchised from society”(Ingram,2022) and go against the establishment. Common ideals shared among these groups were active protesting, individual liberty, and not “selling-out.” Although as it gained more and more recognition the pioneers of punk accumulated more money. One of its biggest flaws and the question was, “‘…How does a rebel maintain his pose while earning $1 million a year?’”(Fraga 2021)1 Many icons of punk gained wealth and, although still true to their beliefs, grew significantly less extreme than their fans. Not soon after punk declined and eventually fizzled out in the 1980’s(FAM)

However, for a very short time, it saw a rapid increase again. This time a dominant force for women’s activism came to pave the way for the common woman. They were known as “punk-feminists”(Lottermoser) – Riot Grrrl. According to research done by scholars at Grinnell College the punk movement was primarily a male-dominated scene. Due to this enigma, “women’s influences declined (Rosenburg 1998)” To counteract this culture and give women a platform to express themselves in the hyper-masculine culture they started creating “free” magazines called “Zines”. The purpose of these zines were to provide a method of publication that was not owned or managed by a large corporation . The trend was quickly snagged by the rest of the nation as the usual weekly meetings eventually turned into massive congregations of progressive women. Women now had the ability to bond, discuss ideological stances, and promote progressiveness. Most commonly they shared negative concepts usually put down by mainstream media such as, “…as rape, incest, and eating disorders”(Lottermoser).

Following the massive wave in women feminism came the mass confusion. The lyrics and message this movement promoted was seen as vulgar and sensitive (Punk artists would write words like “Slut” and other language on their bodies). Paired with the media this branded the genre and those associated with them as violent, evil, and misguiding. To defend their beliefs, founders of the movements participated in interviews to try and give insight to the commonly non-discussed topics that were not typically discussed in the culture of that time(Lottermoser). Diving into the specifics of the most iconic pioneer, Bikini Kill, we can see how their point of perspective provided growth within the woman community. The group too originated from Olympia, Washington and were one of the largest instigators in the Riot Grrrl Movement(Bikini Kill). The four member band toured Europe, Australia, Japan, and the U.S and significantly increased their sphere of influence. Although they started the movement, the content of their music was slightly less radical(not entirely) than those to follow. One of their most famous tracks “Rebel girl – also known as the “definitive riot grrrl anthem” – details the opposition to the nagging parent, annoying boyfriend, and even the patriarchy (Vincentelli, McDonald) Bikini Kill has made a huge impact for feminist culture and, despite constant backlash, continued true to their character to pave way for the common woman.

Taking a step back from the music industry, we can dig into how the regular individual utilized punk as a tool for progressiveness. Throughout history music has been used to revolutionize and push mankind forward such as a drummer in a war, or revolutionizing exciting yet scary music (Paganini). Given the natural antiestablishmentarianism ideals of the punk genre it is no doubt that people used it to their advantage. Throughout the 90’s there were many protests incited from the confidence gained from punk music mixed with the poor quality of life of the common folk. Although the,“… economic performance during the 1990s was outstanding…”(Frankel, Orszag. 2001) after the war, gentrification(the wealthy pushing out natural inhabitants of poorer areas) also followed.

One of the more prominent protests happened in Tompkins Square, New York. The plaza was home to over 150 homeless individuals(NYU Journalism. 2017) Initially the denizens surrounding the square were concerned about their safety. This is a valid stance as the community was a homeless encampment that was known for frequent drug use. So the city and other wealthy individuals decided to try and get rid of the camp. Over the course of the night protesters gathered but so did a mini-militia of policemen with hidden badges. The slogan “GENTRIFICATION IS CLASS WARFARE” was present everywhere around the park. Eventually violence ensued. Over forty individuals were injured. Although good effort was shown, the protestors eventually subsidized as a result of the massive and oppressive police force. Although not directly related, punk and protest culture share heavy ties. The whole idea of going against the system appealed to a more malleable generation and gave them a platform to express their progressive views.

Cultural resistance never began with punk, however. This sort of rebellious music was seen a lot throughout the war against England and even The Civil war. Although it was seen as more patriotic, it doesn’t hide the core of the music around those times: to separate, then oppose the stances and ethics of another political powerhouse(England and the Confederate South). The Battle Cries of Freedom, one of the more popular songs of the Civil War, details the Union’s opposition to the South. Frederick Root applies similar concepts that we usually see in punk. There is a sense of bringing in the oppressed or just the minority: “And although he may be poor, not a man shall be a slave…”(Root, 1862). There is a sense of a common mainstream issue: slavery. Punk was initially used as a way to bring attention to the corruption or injustice of “the establishment” however as time ran on it was generalized into a podium the common folk could use to create a community and battle issues within society. Even though the Union was significantly larger than the Confederacy, the average person in the north had a problem with a mainstream trend: slavery.

It is important to note and recognize the importance of the esoteric meaning behind patriotic music. Patriotism is just protest music hidden in plain sight. Taking a few steps down the timeline reveals the impact punk had on the late 90’s to early 2000s. Nearing the end of its prime punk paved the way for the next generation of music: rap. Punk, not technically pioneering, normalized a rebellious culture among younger folk which gave rap its core. Originating from the Bronx rap was a great tool for those who were suffering from the economic crisis at the time. Without going in depth, we see the relation between punk and rap as we see tracks such as “Fuck the Police” by N.W.A. or “The Message” by Grandmaster Flash. One details the vices of the police towards African-Americans while the latter reveals to the nation the decrepit and crumbling environment that the government had failed to address. Punk, although not pioneering the genre, has taken what was already known and made protest music better and more accessible for future generations.

Punk is easily the most revolutionary music genre given what it has done for the future of music. As a society, and even as humans, growth is inevitable. It is important that punk has given us a stage so this process is easier and efficient. The advancement of women’s rights also owes a great debt to the Riot Grrrl movement. And as we age and view the scene in hindsight we recognize that the ethics have branched and generalized so that they can apply to a plethora of many scenarios whether it be on an individual or international level. Without it our world would be much more stifled and controlled. If not for punk would we ever get a genre that revolutionized progressive thinking the way it did?

References

Bikini Kill. (n.d.). Bikini Kill. Retrieved December 7, 2023, from https://bikinikill.com/about/

Fraga, K. (2021, June 29). Experience The British Punk Movement In 32 Wild Images. All That’s Interesting. Retrieved December 7, 2023, from https://allthatsinteresting.com/british-punk

Hutchings, R., Ingram, S., Sklar, M., Sykes, H., & Lazenby, R. (2022, July 1). What was punk – and why did it scare people so much? National Geographic. Retrieved December 7, 2023, from https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/history-and-civilisation/2022/07/what-was-punk-and-why-did-it-scare-people-so-much

Lottermoser, K. (n.d.). Riot Grrrl – Subcultures and Sociology. Subcultures and Sociology. Retrieved December 7, 2023, from https://haenfler.sites.grinnell.edu/subcultures-and-scenes/riot-grrrl-2/

Protest music: 1972 – 2019. (n.d.). First Amendment Museum. Retrieved December 7, 2023, from https://firstamendmentmuseum.org/exhibits/virtual-exhibits/history-of-protest-music/protest-music-1972-2019/

Retrospective on American Economic Policy in the 1990s | Brookings. (n.d.). Brookings Institution. Retrieved December 7, 2023, from https://www.brookings.edu/articles/retrospective-on-american-economic-policy-in-the-1990s/

Riot Grrrl United Feminism and Punk. Here’s an Essential Listening Guide. (Published 2019). (2019, May 3). The New York Times. Retrieved December 7, 2023, from https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/05/03/arts/music/riot-grrrl-playlist.html

Tompkins Square Park Riot of 1988 – Streets of New York – North Tompkins. (2017, April 18). NYU Journalism Projects. Retrieved December 7, 2023, from http://projects.nyujournalism.org/streetsofnewyork-northtompkins/2017/04/18/tompkins-square-park-riot-1988/

The battle cry of freedom. Song of America. (2018, February 17). https://songofamerica.net/song/battle-cry-of-freedom/