kevin
04/30/03, 02:14 PM
The blare of my alarm clock jostled me from my state of slumber and I rolled off the left side of my bed onto the stinging cold tile floor. I made my way to the bathroom, relieved myself in the closest stall, and then proceded to half-sleep through my shower. As I was towl drying myself off a good fifteen minutes later - I looked up and found myself staring into my reflection from the wall mirror. All of a sudden, without warning I thought to myself: Am I a Punk?
I stood there half naked and pondered it. I look pretty clean cut: short spiky hair, no piercings, no tattoos, no leather jacket, and no studs for my clothes. What kind of punk music fan am I?
It was about this time where I looked at myself, and just said, "you know, scew it!" And this is when it all hit me. I am a fan of some popular punk music. I like blink182, I like sum41, and I consider myself a huge MXPX and NFG fan. Does this make me any less of a punk fan then the guy that only listens to the Decendents and the Ramones? When at the same time I am just a big a fan of those "real punk" bands as the next guy?
The answer is a big huge NO.
Now, as far as I can tell from everyone out there the big thing about the punk lifestyle is rebellion. This is where the monster idea came: I am rebelling against the "punk mold" when I say I like blink182, so - doesn't this make me follow their whole lifestyle to a whole new level?
I am here to say that I don't care what you dress like, look like, how many colors your hair is, how many buttons you have on your clothes, or how many different underground bands you may listen to. Why is it that the punk crowd are the only losers that get down on people for being less "punk" then they are? It seems that the only people that really care about this whole thing are a bunch of 16 year old pricks who can't deal with the fact that more than three people have a good taste in music.
How many NSync fans do you see cussing at each other and telling each other they aren't "pop" enough .. or aren't "hip" enough to listen to that genre of music? What is it saying when a bunch of boy bands have a better following and crowd then we do!
What I have always loved about the punk community is the entire sense of community. When you are at a show and rocking around in the pit - if you fall down, you have thirteen hands in your face right a way trying to pick you up. When you are there, it is a total sense of family. You get the occasional dick head that throws punches.. and this is the same guy that will be on his computer late at night trashing the band he just went to see on all the message boards. Now, what the heck is up with that?
When it comes down to it.. am I punk enough? Prolly not. Do I really care? Not at all. I am fine with who I am, and I am totally fine with the fact that I don't have to spend six hours trying to put on my tight torn pants in the morning. I am completly happy that I have yet to get myself tangled up in an array of chains around my body. And I have never had a picture taken that some day when I am 70 years old I am going to want to burn to the ground because it is me with a big "FUCK LIFE" tattoo on my forehead.
I don't care how punk you are. Or why your "music" is so much better then mine? Specially when it is the exact same freaking song or band. People honestly need to lighten up, realize that people can have different tastes, styles, or ways of doing things. Now, before someone jumps on my back and says that I am supporting teenyboppers; realize I am not talking about someone that goes to a blink182 show three nights after attending the Christina & Britney show. I am talking about the fans that actually like, LOVE, feel, the music.
Everyone is way to quick to jump on a fellow fans back, and some day you may be at a show where some dick decks you in the face - don't you want some friends behind you to back you up?
Or are you too punk for that?
Tell me what you think.
I stood there half naked and pondered it. I look pretty clean cut: short spiky hair, no piercings, no tattoos, no leather jacket, and no studs for my clothes. What kind of punk music fan am I?
It was about this time where I looked at myself, and just said, "you know, scew it!" And this is when it all hit me. I am a fan of some popular punk music. I like blink182, I like sum41, and I consider myself a huge MXPX and NFG fan. Does this make me any less of a punk fan then the guy that only listens to the Decendents and the Ramones? When at the same time I am just a big a fan of those "real punk" bands as the next guy?
The answer is a big huge NO.
Now, as far as I can tell from everyone out there the big thing about the punk lifestyle is rebellion. This is where the monster idea came: I am rebelling against the "punk mold" when I say I like blink182, so - doesn't this make me follow their whole lifestyle to a whole new level?
I am here to say that I don't care what you dress like, look like, how many colors your hair is, how many buttons you have on your clothes, or how many different underground bands you may listen to. Why is it that the punk crowd are the only losers that get down on people for being less "punk" then they are? It seems that the only people that really care about this whole thing are a bunch of 16 year old pricks who can't deal with the fact that more than three people have a good taste in music.
How many NSync fans do you see cussing at each other and telling each other they aren't "pop" enough .. or aren't "hip" enough to listen to that genre of music? What is it saying when a bunch of boy bands have a better following and crowd then we do!
What I have always loved about the punk community is the entire sense of community. When you are at a show and rocking around in the pit - if you fall down, you have thirteen hands in your face right a way trying to pick you up. When you are there, it is a total sense of family. You get the occasional dick head that throws punches.. and this is the same guy that will be on his computer late at night trashing the band he just went to see on all the message boards. Now, what the heck is up with that?
When it comes down to it.. am I punk enough? Prolly not. Do I really care? Not at all. I am fine with who I am, and I am totally fine with the fact that I don't have to spend six hours trying to put on my tight torn pants in the morning. I am completly happy that I have yet to get myself tangled up in an array of chains around my body. And I have never had a picture taken that some day when I am 70 years old I am going to want to burn to the ground because it is me with a big "FUCK LIFE" tattoo on my forehead.
I don't care how punk you are. Or why your "music" is so much better then mine? Specially when it is the exact same freaking song or band. People honestly need to lighten up, realize that people can have different tastes, styles, or ways of doing things. Now, before someone jumps on my back and says that I am supporting teenyboppers; realize I am not talking about someone that goes to a blink182 show three nights after attending the Christina & Britney show. I am talking about the fans that actually like, LOVE, feel, the music.
Everyone is way to quick to jump on a fellow fans back, and some day you may be at a show where some dick decks you in the face - don't you want some friends behind you to back you up?
Or are you too punk for that?
Tell me what you think.