Strike a Pose

At the risk of waxing reactionary (or employing "the great man" theory) every time I hear a current artist refer to themselves as "punk" I pull out the '77 yardstick ('77 was the year punk broke) and check the watermark. Let's use Avril Lavigne as an example. Would her current hit "Girlfriend" have sounded out of place on, say, "Never Mind The Bullocks" or "Young, Loud and Snotty"? If the answer is "yes" (ding ding ding ding ding) then – let's check the stick – nope, she not a "punk". Oddly though I could imagine The Ramones covering it, albeit twice as fast and thrice as loud. And I'd probably buy it.

I believe that if you have to TELL people what you are then you're probably not really what you think you are, that your image is contrived. If someone TELLS you that they are cool, zany, or intelligent then you should in no way believe it. Do you know why David Bowie is still probably the coolest guy on earth? Because he doesn't have to TELL you he's cool, he just IS.

At any rate it's too late for punk, the farm has been sold, the cows and sheep are pimping GAP and Old McDonald ate the cold barrel of a Glock 9.

"And blind acceptance is a sign/of stupid fools who stand in line…" John Lydon/"EMI"