What Punk Rock Taught Me About Masculinity
“At the same time, the scene told me a lot about what was considered appropriate male behavior. We were supposed to slam dance, to run wildly into people (all people) without consideration, it was OK to be aggressive in the pit (not doing so was “weak” and or meant I just “couldn’t take it”). Occasional fights were to be expected and nobody saw anything really wrong with it. We (men) should be up front yelling the words, we should be in the bands writing the words, and we should be doing the shows. The punk scene taught me this. It pretty much taught me that it was men running the show (often times, quite literally). Similarly, sharing our feelings and emotions—beyond song lyrics—was generally frowned upon and often mocked as being ‘emo.’”
note: the last sentence reminded me of how so many people mocked folk punk as being for “sissies” in my home town. our folk punk was coincidentally a scene with much more females and more radical values about accepting each other and being considerate (which are considered to be more feminine traits).
This article was about patriarchy and sexism manifested in the punk scene. You totally took this out of context and turned it into something that it isn’t supposed to be.
oh u mean like how the overall punk scene is a masculine environment made by hommes, for hommes? because dats wut da article says. and dats what that quote sayz. and i put it dere because i think that is the strongest part of the article. k.
Seriously? Read the entire article. It’s about male privilege in the punk scene. It’s about how “patriarchal values manifest themselves in the punk scene.”
i did, or else i wouldn’t have posted it. you obviously need to reread it beyond the first two paragraphs because the author makes it clear in the third paragraph that part of that male privilege and patriarchy manifests itself by making a masculine environment:
“I have been thinking about how patriarchal values manifest themselves in the punk scene. Lots of folks see them just as the residue of mainstream culture or somehow indicative of the misogyny and male supremacy that exists in U.S. society. And while that is certainly part of the problem, a lot of it also has to do with punk itself.” the author then goes on to describe how the punk scene is masculine in the next paragraph, from which i lifted that large quote that i did not edit at all.
third paragraph bro. my reading skills aren’t the problem here.
I read the entire article. There is nothing inherently masculine about punk or the punk scene.
“However, I’d say that for most men, the punk scene teaches them a form of male supremacy that ultimately upholds patriarchy. It’s our job to take responsibility for our actions, to identify ways in which our own behavior upholds patriarchy, and to call other men out for their actions (and inactions).” Male supremacy is not good, nor is the patriarchy. The final lines, which I have included, sum up the entire piece.
The punk scene is masculine, but the article is about how that isn’t how it should be.
you do realize you just said “The punk scene is masculine” and “There is nothing inherently masculine about punk or the punk scene” right? and you do realize those sentences contradict each other? you are so wrong that you can’t even decide if you’re wrong or not
and then lol patriarchy is bad. NO. REALLY? IT IS? I THOUGHT IT WAS FUCKING AWESOME????? THANKS 4 KEEPING MY POOR FEMME BRAIN EDUCATED.
Ya’lls scene must suck, the LA and South bay scene there a chicks who will beat the fuck out of you and if you hit someone and they dont like it thats doesnt mean their wimps jsut dont fuckign hit em. here in long beach if your being to rough in the pit towards the opposite or same sex then you get told stop it if you dont then you get your ass kicked, whatever scene you guys belong to better learn how to regulate on that shit and the female punks should step up.
