Opinion: I Don’t Need to Listen to Punk to Be Punk

I’m a really angry person, and my preferred way to show my angst is by making snide remarks at strangers and through fashion. And what’s a better representation of unbridled anger than the aesthetic style of punk?

Ripped t-shirts, safety pins, and a sweet leather jacket always say, “I’m not here to be fucked with! I’m punk!” So what if I don’t even listen to punk? Punk is more than a music genre, it’s a state of mind! And, honestly, it’s music that I’ve always found to be too noisy and just not catchy enough. That is, if you can even call it music.

But while I don’t care for the bands, what I really am into are the band tees. Black Flag? Misfits? Five Seconds of Summer? Their shirt designs look tough while being affordable, plus they act like a signal flag that I’m one tough cookie who’s not to be messed with.

But not digging the tunes doesn’t stop me from approaching fellow punks I spot on the street. I love seeing people with a similar anti-conformist persona, especially since everyone’s more into rap these days, so I make sure to tell them to fuck off because they’re stealing my look so that they know I’m a real punk.

Other punk things I love doing are breaking shit and being loud in quiet places. That really riles people up because they weren’t expecting it! Then I go home after a day causing a ruckus and de-stress to my favorite musician, Post Malone.

Yeah, I’ve been called out for being a poseur, but isn’t breaking rules and not living by how other people say you should be the most punk thing of all? Isn’t not even liking punk but looking super punk really the most punk thing you can do?

I know, I’ve outsmarted you. You’re probably too caught up in labels to see the bigger picture here. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but punk died when Blink-182 broke up, so that means anything goes now. Punk rock can now only exist in our memories and imaginations, which means the doors are open to a whole new meaning of what it is to be punk!

And, thankfully, while we figure that out, there’s a new line of pre-ripped flannels on clearance at H&M and this gal thinks that deals are VERY punk rock.