The Importance of Punk Part 1

The general populace of this country has a nasty habit of self-medication. But in this case I'm not referring to pain relievers and narcotics. I mean people have a habit of turning their brains off and sliding into a state of comfortable numbness. Life is stressful, so the most restful thing a person can do sometimes is turn of their brain. But many people refuse to snap out of that cozy veil; they choose to live with their brains set on snooze. And that is something that mainstream media is all to happy to help with.


Whether it be film, TV, or music, most branches of media are full of meaningless drivel. They just work to keep your mind in a state of sedation. The clearest example of this is in action is the standard Hollywood style of editing. That is to say Hollywood works to keep everything flowing smoothly and not cause the audience to question anything. For example, if a man was to walk into a store, it would show him walking through the door from the outside and then cut to the inside of the store to show him complete his entrance. Everything in the Hollywood style of editing makes visual sense, so the audience winds up shifting their brains to idle. And as I've said in other posts, that's when dangerous things can be slipped into the subconscious.

So, considering the towering mountain of media that's trying to abuse us, I've come to respect those branches that aren't. And near the top of that list is punk rock. Sure, the anti-establishment lyrics giving the man the middle finger found in the genre are nice, but that alone does not an awakening make. After all, if the lyrics are just the opposite of what is found in mainstream music, then that's playing the same game but for the other team. What is necessary is to change the style of the music; not just the substance. And punk rock also delivers in this.

Breaking away from the soupy guitar soloists found in the early 70s, John Holmstrom, the founding editor of Punk magazine, said punk rock was seen as the genre for musicians that weren't very talented but still felt the need to express themselves through music. This resulted in a shift from the very orchestrated music at the time to a more raw, frenetic style.


This uprising of untrained musicians perfectly embodies the Do-It-Yourself ethic that is at the heart of punk. And it is that DIY ethic that truly fights back against the mainstream media. Instead of allowing those who are trained in the field to do a job for you, you rise to the occasion and take action yourself. After all, with a little bit of know how and effort, what's to stop you from doing as good of a job, if not better? Most of the public loves the idea of having others do stuff for them, which is exactly why businesses like fast food chains do so well. It's quick and easy and there's no fuss. But as a result, you clog some arteries, raise your cholesterol and blood pressure, and, well, generally become less healthy.  And that's exactly what I think most of mainstream media does to your mind.

So, over the course of the next few weeks I'm going to be highlighting and thanking a director, a TV show creator and a musician for their work in pushing forward the DIY ethic and trying to free our minds of the filth so many others try to jam in there. So, stay tuned!