| By examining Punk bands' lyrics, the writing in Punk zines, the messages in Punk art and the Punk aesthetic, one will find that the underlying foundation is an anti-authority, antiestablishment political fervor. While it would be wrong to say that all Punks subscribe to one strict ideology, it is clear that they all have a tremendous dislike of authoritarian establishment, and thus tend to be extremely radical, often anarchists. And while the means to that end vary from one individual to another, and tend to be unique, Punks continue to work collectively not only to question authority, but to resist it, even 25 years after Punk was first recognized by the mainstream as a new musical genre. While most people identify Punks by their "funny" haircuts and colors, ripped T-shirts, safety pins, bondage pants, fishnet stockings, piercings and tattoos, there is more to Punk than meets the eye. There is a Punk that's more than skin deep, and it is found in a number of political causes, in which Punks have come to the forefront, not to mention Punk's connections to previous Left movements. (Abstract shortened by UMI.). |
