Strike a Pose

The other day my wife and I caught bits and pieces of a documentary about punk rock. She was on the computer, and only half paying attention. She is old school punk rock and I am metal. The more I watched the more irritated I got. And this is why. The majority of those interviewed were a bunch of fucking poseurs. The more you go out of your way to explain why you are punk rock makes you less punk rock. When you over conform to fit in with your clique of non-conformists makes you less punk rock. You all look the same. You now belong to the TTH club. What's that you ask? Well, it stands for Try Too Hard. You see these people at concerts of every genre of music.

I would have no problem with these people if they would just be themselves. I want to hang with genuine people. I don't want to have to tear down the facade just to find that you are an insecure asshat who practices the art of douchebaggery.

The documentary showed these bands playing at houses with crowds of twenty or so people. I don't even know if that even constitutes a crowd. Anyway, that's fine for a band that is just starting out. Not for bands that have been together for five years. There is a difference between not giving a fuck about being famous and the whole do-it-yourself punk mythos, and just plain sucking and using those excuses as a badge of honor.

These attitudes, and the whole 'punk is an attitude' is another story, is not exclusive to punk rock. The music I love, metal, is just as bad if not worse. There is no such thing as 'more metal than you'. The bands you listen to are not heavier, or darker, or more evil, than the next guy's favorite bands. Because all of that shit is subjective and based on one's own opinions.

You know who is more metal and punk rock than most of the bands that claim they are? The rapper Tech N9ne. When he says fuck the industry what does he do? He starts his own music label and releases his own shit. He exudes all of the 'punk rock attitude' and all of the fuck you I'm badass of metal without ever claiming to do so. And that brings me to another point.

You cannot claim these titles. They are bestowed upon you. Once you claim these titles you lose your cred. The most punk don't claim punk, they ARE punk. The most metal don't claim metal, they ARE metal. Indie, alternative, gangsta, country, etc. etc.

The same kind of philosophy can be applied to sports fans. You are not a bigger fan of a team than the next guy. There is a fine line between fan and fanaticism. You are not viewed as a super awesome fan of your team, you are considered an obsessed weirdo. You might as well move into a four hundred square foot efficiency and get ten cats to go along with your crazy.

So love your music and remember that the more you go out of your way to look or act the part, you no longer seem like a real person. You are now a stereotype. You are a caricature. And people see right through that.