The Punks Are Alright!

Punk Rock is defined as "a type of rock-'n'-roll, reaching its peak in the late 1970s and is characterized by loud, insistent music and abusive or violent protest lyrics, and whose performers and followers are distinguished by extremes of dress and socially defiant behavior," ("Punk Rock"). Before viewing the film The Punks Are Alright I would have never thought of Punk music as anything more  than music for people who felt misunderstood but in reality, Punk is so much more. Not only did the movie change my perception of youth culture of Punk but it also helped me find ways to relate to the artists portrayed in the film and finally it helped me find ways that my life intersects with the lives of those people and to see how we are connected.

Watching the movie The Punks Are Alright made me realize that people who identify as "punk" are so much more than the loud, abrasive people you my picture when you think of the movement. The movie features artists from Canada, Brazil, and Indonesia. Punk, as a movement, began in the 70's in factories around London, New York and Detroit and was used to protest the oppression they felt economically. The youth culture in this movement is especially prevalent. In Sao Paulo, Brazil Punk is used as an alternative to joining drug gangs, if the kids are in their basement playing music then they aren't out on the street surrounded by the drug war. In Indonesia where this is not only economic oppression but there is also a lot of religious conflict as it has the largest Muslim population in the world. The Punks in Indonesia use Punk as an escape from the oppression that they face daily. One of Indonesian men that was interviewed for the documentary named Dolly expressed that Punk is "the remedy for [his] sickness." Unfortunately for Dolly he lives in an oppressive capitalistic society where daily oppression is very real thing. It is amazing that even while so oppressed he can remain positive because of Punk and its culture. 

Although I am a white, American female who was born into the higher middle class and have never dealt with the intense economic oppression I have had moments when music has really pulled me out of myself and my troubles. The artists portrayed in the film all identified with Punk because it could be used to express their pain and suffering while still expressing their protest for a better life. 

Though it may seem unbelievable that my middle class American life could intersect with the lives of people in third world nations across the globe it is actually quite possible. Take an Indonesian man who, for example, works in a Nike factory. I, like many Americans, have purchased my fair share of Nike products. My money circulates through Nike headquarters and so on until about less than a penny reaches that Indonesian worker. While this may only be the slightest connection it is a connection none the less. I am connected to the artists in a very similar fashion. It is almost always a connection forged through the exchange of money. 

I am extremely glad that I had the opportunity to view The Punks Are Alright because it gave me a completely new view on Punk music and its culture. It is so much easier to understand Punk when you can look at it from this angle rather than dismissing it as something for ruffians who pretend to be misunderstood. It is truly wonderful to see that people can use music not only to protest the things that wrong them but to also express the way that they really feel. I feel that The Punks Are Alright  not only changed my perception of the Punk youth culture but also showed me that I could relate to these people and that my life really did intersect with theirs. 

Citation

“Punk Rock.” Dictionary.com. 2014. Web