Sticker #019: Punk Rock: Quality Marketed Rebellion since 1977

Sticker #019Punk Rock: Quality Marketed Rebellion since 1977

by Joe Biel Author

Punk's origins in commercialism persist, even if the DIY, anarchic spirit of its adherents can rise above corporate attempts to co-opt and cash in. All we can do is keep it in perspective, keep making music, and keep holding each other up while the world tries to tear us down. 

(Sturdy vinyl sticker with black or pink print on a white background. Reads: "Punk Rock: Quality marketed rebellion since 1977")

Comments & Reviews

1/20/2007

Embrace "punk", take it back and make it your own. Eventually the mainstream will get tired of it. They will always STEAL from the DIY scene but perhaps it won't be as obvious as the past 10 years. I still call myself straight edge despite being a 33 year old female who hates the typical sxe scene. I won't have bastards steal it from me... Push on folks!

1/20/2007

Gosh. I agree completely, Michelle. Trade hugs? :)

1/17/2007

Personally. I believe it is who's saying it. You can argue all day about what "punk" is. To a corporation it is an opportunity to get more money... BUT coming from kid who had nothing but her feet to look up to... it was a community that saved her life. So, I think we get very up in arms about the word PUNK but the real kids and communities that IT exists in are hard to find because they are hiding from the rest of the harsh mean world. At least that is what I believe. And I really agree... historically it was a marketed bull shit scheme...

But it isn't that for me. (And I love the sticker)

12/20/2006

You mean to say that because the concept of punk has to do with the sort of person who's likely, among other things, to do the whole DIY bit and be somewhat against commercialism in general, having a word and an idea that appeals to these types and being able to attatch it to products allows for easier selling to that crowd? Daaaaaaamn.

There's gotta be something fo greater value in there too though. Look at the old RAR protests, and the activits bands and fans across the world living their lives deliberately without supporting expolitation and prejudice, and being themselves with barely any slavery to the norm (fashions within various parts of the scene aside.

9/30/2006

It's not even that the label has been "whored-out." The point seems to be that the label has almost exclusively been used for profit since its beginning. How much money has been made from the Clash and the Ramones? More than I've eveer seen. There's also the fact that the Sex Pistols were conceived in order to promote Malcom McLaren's Sex Pistol line of t-shirts. Punk has always been commercial. The word "punk" is not dead, as it is what it has always been.

3/13/2006

Don't be afraid to embrace your inner poseur, cos everyone has one.

3/7/2006

Why is it that only the groups of people that all have to dress a certain way call everyone else posers? Unless you're into opera and symphonies, you listen to pop music. Listen to what you like, and shut up about everything else.
But I do like the sticker.

1/15/2006

Words are words...Sure I think it's silly when someone comes up to me and tells me she likes 'My Chemical Romance Punk rock' *smirks* But I simply give her a MTX vinyl instead and ask her to shut up.

To some its a way of life. To some it's a hair style. But to each their own.

1/2/2006

This one actually made me laugh out loud. Zing.

7/22/2005

There's definately too much (though any would be too much) money-based corporate shit happening in the name of punk, there is still a bunch of people doing punk stuff and calling themselves punks, as well as people fiting the ideology and *not* calling themselves it. The label isn't dead Spike, it's just been whored out.

6/21/2005

No, the real word used to sell merchandise is not punk but EMO

5/11/2005

This is beautiful! It really says it all. Pierce your face, shave half your head and color the rest red and you can be different...just like everyone else... ;) brilliant!!!!

1/8/2005

no shit, spike. isn't that kind of the point of the sticker?

12/24/2004

Except punk rock has become a label used to sell merchandise for big corporations who opposed it in the first place. The word "punk" is dead.