How To Look Punk
April 16, 2010 9:24 AM Subscribe
A call to The Best Show on WFMU about Michael Jackson changing his name to Mike Jackel and forming the band 'Punk'.
posted by wcfields at 9:52 AM on April 16, 2010
posted by wcfields at 9:52 AM on April 16, 2010
Amazing. Also THE LEAST PUNK THING I HAVE EVER SEEN.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 10:04 AM on April 16, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by Potomac Avenue at 10:04 AM on April 16, 2010 [2 favorites]
This is their example of LA Hardcore:
LOL
posted by Potomac Avenue at 10:14 AM on April 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
LOL
posted by Potomac Avenue at 10:14 AM on April 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
"Punk" written in safety pins might be about as unpunk as you can get ("work it out on paper first").
posted by Slack-a-gogo at 10:14 AM on April 16, 2010
posted by Slack-a-gogo at 10:14 AM on April 16, 2010
Dude is that Belinda Carlisle on the cover?
Yes, it is. In the days before she married one of Ronald Reagan's staff.
posted by R. Mutt at 10:16 AM on April 16, 2010
Yes, it is. In the days before she married one of Ronald Reagan's staff.
posted by R. Mutt at 10:16 AM on April 16, 2010
aka how to look poseur
posted by MXJ1983 at 10:17 AM on April 16, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by MXJ1983 at 10:17 AM on April 16, 2010 [2 favorites]
I remember a local t-shirt shop in the mall carrying an "Instant Punk" kit around 1980. It had a ripped t-shirt, safety pins, "punk make up", bracelets, and a chain. I vaguely recall it said something like "Here are the clothes, YOU SUPPLY THE ATTITUDE!". I felt so sorry for anyone that bought one of those. I didn't quite understand punk at the time, but I was pretty sure that wasn't it.
posted by Slack-a-gogo at 10:20 AM on April 16, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by Slack-a-gogo at 10:20 AM on April 16, 2010 [3 favorites]
shit, I forgot my wrap-around girl-watcher glasses
posted by punchdrunkhistory at 10:29 AM on April 16, 2010
posted by punchdrunkhistory at 10:29 AM on April 16, 2010
I think those other two would have kicked Belinda's ass if they could have known about "Heaven is a Place on Earth."
posted by stinker at 10:31 AM on April 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by stinker at 10:31 AM on April 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
Quincy, M.E. - The classic 1982 "Punk Episode".
posted by R. Mutt at 10:33 AM on April 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by R. Mutt at 10:33 AM on April 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
This is great. I now have my wardrobe all planned for next week at work!
posted by sandraregina at 10:44 AM on April 16, 2010
posted by sandraregina at 10:44 AM on April 16, 2010
Yeah, that's Belinda alright. Before they adopted a more wholesome, fresh-scrubbed look, the Go-Gos were a little bit more rough. I recall, though I cannot quickly find a cite for, one of the band members talking about how they used to engage each other in gross dares, in the vein of "Go into this men's restroom in a truckstop and lick the corners" and such. Punk rock, Belinda. Keep your immune system scrappy!
Oh, geez. Pogoing.
posted by adipocere at 10:46 AM on April 16, 2010
Oh, geez. Pogoing.
posted by adipocere at 10:46 AM on April 16, 2010
Oh, so saved to disk.
posted by Devils Rancher at 10:56 AM on April 16, 2010
posted by Devils Rancher at 10:56 AM on April 16, 2010
My punk name is Ben Vomit.
posted by BeerFilter at 11:04 AM on April 16, 2010
posted by BeerFilter at 11:04 AM on April 16, 2010
Was it wrong to close the window immediately after noticing it was a .PDF from .ru?
posted by unixrat at 11:04 AM on April 16, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by unixrat at 11:04 AM on April 16, 2010 [2 favorites]
Let's not forget the man who made it all possible.
posted by invitapriore at 11:16 AM on April 16, 2010
posted by invitapriore at 11:16 AM on April 16, 2010
I can think of only one reason for this to be a PDF, and it's not good.
posted by sanko at 11:18 AM on April 16, 2010
posted by sanko at 11:18 AM on April 16, 2010
Where there's no future there cannot be fashion.
posted by Astro Zombie at 11:24 AM on April 16, 2010
posted by Astro Zombie at 11:24 AM on April 16, 2010
I've always thought that "being" punk is like "being" a nihilist.
posted by cmoj at 12:16 PM on April 16, 2010
posted by cmoj at 12:16 PM on April 16, 2010
Belinda Carlisle isn't her real name anyway. It's Dottie Danger.
And the Go-Gos were originally called The Misfits!
posted by battleshipkropotkin at 12:38 PM on April 16, 2010
And the Go-Gos were originally called The Misfits!
posted by battleshipkropotkin at 12:38 PM on April 16, 2010
And the Go-Gos were originally called The Misfits!
Glen looked much better before the operation.
posted by Pollomacho at 12:46 PM on April 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
Glen looked much better before the operation.
posted by Pollomacho at 12:46 PM on April 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
You know who could have used this guide? Spike Lee, when he was making Summer Of Sam. The film has a sub-plot where some of the characters get into the New York Punk scene, and while I think they got the general vibe right, the look was wrong, wrong, wrong. I wasn't there, but I am pretty sure that no one at CBGBs was wearing nose studs and rainbow dreadlocks.
And yeah, Belinda Carlisle. One day you're peeing into ice cube trays and making "lemon" popsicles to hand out to unsuspecting passers-by, and the next you're standing on a video set in a Rockettes costume singing "Vacation". Funny ol' world, innit?
posted by spoobnooble at 2:00 PM on April 16, 2010
And yeah, Belinda Carlisle. One day you're peeing into ice cube trays and making "lemon" popsicles to hand out to unsuspecting passers-by, and the next you're standing on a video set in a Rockettes costume singing "Vacation". Funny ol' world, innit?
posted by spoobnooble at 2:00 PM on April 16, 2010
I've always thought that "being" punk is like "being" a nihilist.
I always thought being punk was like being women or men, or like liking grilled cheese sandwiches or social democracy. It's an aspect of your personality that sort of happens.
posted by dunkadunc at 2:30 PM on April 16, 2010 [2 favorites]
I always thought being punk was like being women or men, or like liking grilled cheese sandwiches or social democracy. It's an aspect of your personality that sort of happens.
posted by dunkadunc at 2:30 PM on April 16, 2010 [2 favorites]
that was pretty punk, grobstein.
posted by Fraxas at 3:20 PM on April 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Fraxas at 3:20 PM on April 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
I feel way punker than most of the punks out there, but I don't really dress like one. I always figured that if you had to play dress-up you were a fake.
posted by dunkadunc at 3:27 PM on April 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by dunkadunc at 3:27 PM on April 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
suck it, haters. i absolutely love that look & used to rock it whenever i went out to a show. punk--as in rock--is like anything else: commodified as soon as a name is put to a movement. punk--the attitude--will never die & was alive long before cute little belinda carlisle figured out how to make a living off it.
in 1977, the sight of safety pins & 'forked hair' page 15, 2nd sentence made parents fall to their knees & pray for the salvation of their children's souls. and if that ain't punk, i don't know what is.
posted by msconduct at 4:16 PM on April 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
in 1977, the sight of safety pins & 'forked hair' page 15, 2nd sentence made parents fall to their knees & pray for the salvation of their children's souls. and if that ain't punk, i don't know what is.
posted by msconduct at 4:16 PM on April 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
I feel way punker than most of the punks out there, but I don't really dress like one. I always figured that if you had to play dress-up you were a fake.
For me, the dressing up was almost as much fun as the music. It's my misfortune that I was about fifteen years too late for this guide and came up in a punk rock scene that was predominately baggy panted, earnest, earth toned and apt to remind you how many animals had to die to make your leather jacket.
posted by thivaia at 5:24 PM on April 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
For me, the dressing up was almost as much fun as the music. It's my misfortune that I was about fifteen years too late for this guide and came up in a punk rock scene that was predominately baggy panted, earnest, earth toned and apt to remind you how many animals had to die to make your leather jacket.
posted by thivaia at 5:24 PM on April 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
Alice Bag has a nice gallery of pics from that era, LA 77.
posted by cazoo at 6:04 PM on April 16, 2010
posted by cazoo at 6:04 PM on April 16, 2010
PUNK 1977:
She was a girl from Birmingham
She just had an abortion
She was case of insanity
Her name was Pauline, she lived in a tree
She was a no one who killed her baby
She sent her letters from the country
She was an animal
She was a bloody disgrace
Body! I'm not an animal
Body! I'm not an animal
Dragged on a table in factory
Illegitimate place to be
In a packet in a lavatory
Die little baby screaming
Body screaming fucking bloody mess
Not an animal
It's an abortion
Body! I'm not animal
Mummy! I'm not an abortion
Throbbing squirm,
gurgling bloody mess
I'm not a discharge
I'm not a loss in protein
I'm not a throbbing squirm
Fuck this and fuck that
Fuck it all and fuck a fucking brat
She don't wanna baby that looks like that
I don't wanna baby that looks like that
Body, I'm not an animal
Body, an abortion
Body! I'm not an animal
Body! I'm not an animal
An animal
I'm not an animal.....
I'm not an abortion.....
Mummy! UGH!
PUNK 2010:
"Send "Bodies" ring tone to your cell!" - pop up inflicted on me while searching for lyrics.
God help us all.
posted by crazylegs at 7:45 PM on April 16, 2010 [2 favorites]
She was a girl from Birmingham
She just had an abortion
She was case of insanity
Her name was Pauline, she lived in a tree
She was a no one who killed her baby
She sent her letters from the country
She was an animal
She was a bloody disgrace
Body! I'm not an animal
Body! I'm not an animal
Dragged on a table in factory
Illegitimate place to be
In a packet in a lavatory
Die little baby screaming
Body screaming fucking bloody mess
Not an animal
It's an abortion
Body! I'm not animal
Mummy! I'm not an abortion
Throbbing squirm,
gurgling bloody mess
I'm not a discharge
I'm not a loss in protein
I'm not a throbbing squirm
Fuck this and fuck that
Fuck it all and fuck a fucking brat
She don't wanna baby that looks like that
I don't wanna baby that looks like that
Body, I'm not an animal
Body, an abortion
Body! I'm not an animal
Body! I'm not an animal
An animal
I'm not an animal.....
I'm not an abortion.....
Mummy! UGH!
PUNK 2010:
"Send "Bodies" ring tone to your cell!" - pop up inflicted on me while searching for lyrics.
God help us all.
posted by crazylegs at 7:45 PM on April 16, 2010 [2 favorites]
A lot of people are hating on this, but they have no idea what it was like to be a punk in 77. Zines like this were like reading Vogue Magazine for Punks. Are you going to hate modern women for reading how to do their makeup and clothing?
But more to the point, you think this was just a bunch of teens playing dressup? It was harder than it looks. Punks were regularly beaten, even killed just for dressing like this. Johnny Rotten got cut up with a razor. Bob Geldof was beaten and had his front teeth knocked out. Even I once got chased by rednecks who tried to run me down repeatedly with their pickup truck. Go read Please Kill Me (e.g. p315), there are tons of stories like that.
So go ahead and sneer. We were used to it. That's what made us punks, the only thing we had in common was that everyone else rejected us, we were united in only one thing, a common enemy: everyone. I always loved that Sham 69 lyric,
We're the people you don't want to know,
We go the places you don't want to go.
We're angels with dirty faces..
posted by charlie don't surf at 11:05 PM on April 16, 2010 [8 favorites]
But more to the point, you think this was just a bunch of teens playing dressup? It was harder than it looks. Punks were regularly beaten, even killed just for dressing like this. Johnny Rotten got cut up with a razor. Bob Geldof was beaten and had his front teeth knocked out. Even I once got chased by rednecks who tried to run me down repeatedly with their pickup truck. Go read Please Kill Me (e.g. p315), there are tons of stories like that.
So go ahead and sneer. We were used to it. That's what made us punks, the only thing we had in common was that everyone else rejected us, we were united in only one thing, a common enemy: everyone. I always loved that Sham 69 lyric,
We're the people you don't want to know,
We go the places you don't want to go.
We're angels with dirty faces..
posted by charlie don't surf at 11:05 PM on April 16, 2010 [8 favorites]
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posted by invitapriore at 9:51 AM on April 16, 2010 [1 favorite]