WHAT MY CLASS HAD TO SAY ABOUT "AFRO-PUNK": CONSERVATIVE PERSPECTIVE

This is from a discussion in my college english class after watching the documentary, "Afro Punk"

The teacher asked their thoughts on "Afro-Punk" becoming mainstream?

Here's a response from a very conservative minded, black female in the class:

"I do not think that the afro punk culture will ever become mainsteam. It represents basically not having goals in life, and being weird. Afro punks or sord off like hippies in the 80s which is out of style. People look down on them and this is why it will never be a main stream culture."

Another student: "Punks hate the Government"

My response:

"The people who have embraced Punk culture, have freed themselves of these man made systems, in order to experience true freedom as an indiviual. They do not value material or monetray success. The idea of living life on a subsistence level, is to free themselves from economic and monetary bondage. Many people have become economically enslaved, convinced that they must go to college, and then pressured to take out student loans which lead to debt. This debt then ensalves people to their jobs, because they must work in order to pay off these loans with increased interest. This allows employers to exploit their employees. Paying unfair wages and working them long hours. To be successful by mainstream society’s standards you must follows the rules of Capitialism which require competition. Competition leads to inequality. When businesses like Walmart drive out small mom and pop businesses, Walmart benefits while the other businesses suffer. Capitalism allows the rich to exploit the poor. The government allows this to happen because it is the Multination Corporations who are putting money in their pockets, financially supporting their companies, and giving them expensive bonuses. The government remains loyal to the people who financially supported them, the elite, not the majority and not the people. However, the governmenet has installed systems and institutions to make society believe this is okay, or that this is the way things should be. Those of the punk culture have seen the truth and have become disillusioned to the corruption and deception of capitalism and democracy. This is why they support an anarchist and subsistence lifestyle. To others this may seem odd, people may assume that Punks must be filled with anger, resentment and depression, but on the contrary, this is true happiness. They are free to pursue and do the things that make them happy instead of working a job they hate just to survive. They are free to dress and say the things they wont because they do not want or feel the need to be accepted by mainstream society. Many people in mainstream society have a false sense of happiness filled with material and temporary wealth. However, if every job paid the same wage, would you be working where you are? If you did not feel the need to be accepted by corporate America, would you express yourself more freely with you appearance with tattoos or piercings? Do you express low-self esteem because of a need to be accepted by mainstream society? These are the questions you must ask yourself, when determining what it really means to be free, an indiviual, and happy. Being free, is being able to dress, behave, and express yourself you want without feeling limited by society. Being an indivual is living up to your own standards and not the standards of others. Being happy is doing what you love, not what you are forced or pressured to do. This is the ideology of punk culture."

My College Professor posted a blog on the "Afro-Punk" documentary, for students to leave comments of their opinnions of the movie and afro-punk culture. The class is very conservative, so their opinnions were interesting... check them out here, http://walker1102.wordpress.com/2010/01/25/afro-punk-and-punk/

please don't respond on the link above. This is for students only.

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Permalink Reply by Fashionfreak on January 31, 2010 at 5:22pm

-_- that i s my response .

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Permalink Reply by Ghettopunkrocker on January 31, 2010 at 5:51pm

Well, that's their opinion. There was a time that I would be outraged and go on this tirade but alas that would be fruitless.

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Permalink Reply by CocoaPuss Zine on January 31, 2010 at 11:43pm

i'm excited that your class actually watched this and is having a discussion on punk and afropunk and the culture. that's kind of a big deal all by itself. my teachers were never that cool.

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Permalink Reply by Madamoiselle De Sade on February 1, 2010 at 7:21am

I showed Afropunk to my senior humanities class. They were all totally down with it because I went to a random hippie/liberal highschool where the students were all the misfits who didn't fit in. But there were some kids like that girl in the class who thought being punk/whatever was about "having no goals". In fact it was polarized, the non-black kids were totally blown away and the black kids were the negative ones. That instance right there made me put less and less stock into what people thought.

So poo-poo on them. If they're stupid enough to believe that leave them to their little world and go on with your secrets.

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Permalink Reply by Civilized Radical Films on February 1, 2010 at 9:11am

Here's my "non-biased" opinion about afropunk (from someone who uses their site as a launchpad for his crappy vids xD).....

""I do not think that the afro punk culture will ever become mainsteam. It represents basically not having goals in life, and being weird. "

Punk Rock in general has been a very "non-mainstream/conformer" subculture. Afro-punk, being the bastard child it seems just wants to have it's story told to the masses that they're are different people out there however in the process, you'd eventually have to be mainstream in order to do so or for people to care.

To say punk rock is all about not having goals and about being weird is a stretch. EVERY subculture/lifestyle has people who don't won't to move on or try to better themselves, that's everywhere. Punk rock just seems to look like that because they don't rely on materials to define themselves. They don't care what's in style or what's the cool new non-conformist thing to do. So therefore, someone with a conservative viewpoint, who looks at them punk rockers, will see people who don't care about goals or lack ambition.

As for being weird.....try surfing 4chan messageboard...:)

"Punks hate the Government"

.......Not true, to some degree. I think they just want it to truly represent them or the people....but chunk of their actions are kinda counterproductive.
Like likinng hardcore punk and being vegan isn't going to change the world, nor will your community benefit from it.

Afropunk at the end of the day, is just another subculture. IT's awesome, honest, "whatev", are just palin old fashion full of shit. It is what it is. I guess....

I mean shit, do we ignore our conservative brothas and sistas just because we would disagree what they think of our lifestyle?