DOWDESWELL

Assignment 2

Article Precis

Humn326

Insructor:

Gerry Kisil

Written By:

Sean Dowdeswell
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StyleinRevolt:RevoltingStyle,DickHebdige:Subculture:Themeaningof
style(1979)

ExaminingthesocialandculturalimportanceofpostwarBritishyouth
cultures

Styleasatoolfordisruptionandrevolt.

WearegoingtoreviewtheselectedarticleStyleinRevolt:RevoltingStyle
writttenbyDickHebdigetakenfromadocumentpublishedin1979titled
Subculture:TheMeaningofStyle.Theselectioncontainstheimportanceof
postwarBritishyouthandhowstylewasusedtoundermineeveryrelevant
discourseofthetimeperiod.

Openingonpg.246beforeMr.Hebdigeselectionwehaveanintroduction
informingusofwhystylemattersandhowithasbeentrainedonAmerican
youthtodistinguishbetweencorporatebrandnames.Whichbrandsare
better,whichbrandswillcreateatheimagewewantforotherstosee.Its
allaboutthemessageaboutwhoweare.Howweidentifywithour
appearancemakingaconsciousorunconciousdecisionaboutourselfandthe
wayweappeartoothers.

Goingintothedifferentsocialandeconomicclassesthatstylesare
associatedwith,theintroductionfillsusinonculturalcodesand
subcultures.Whatpeoplemakejudgementbasedupononesstatusbywhat
typeofstyletheyareportrayingtoothers.Listingwhatthearticlebelieves
aretheexpectationsofAmericansandthewaytheythinkpeopleshouldbe
lookingforwhateversocialstatustheyareclassifiedin.Statingthatnot
everyonewillnotalwaysconformtothesegroupingsanditopensuptothe
indicaitonthatstylecarriesculturalmeaningsbeyondindividuallikesand
dislikes.

Styleandidentitygohandinandithasbeenshownbydesignersfromevery
spectrumofvariousindustries.Researchseemstoprovethateventhough
humanshaveanoptiontofreelymaketheirownpersonalchoices,humans
arestillcontainedwithinalargersystemofculturalcodes.
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StartingtheselectionoffwithquotesfromTheSexPistolsandGeorgeGrouz
comparingDadatoPunkwearetakentoawordsconjuringupimagesof
offensivelanguageonclothingthatdefinedastylecalledpunkjuxtaposing
itwithanartstylethatwasfamouslymadepopularbyMarcelDuchamp
calledreadymades.Readymades,manufacturedobjectstakingtheroleof
artbecauseanartistsaiditwasart.Themostunremarkableitemscould
beturnedwithorwithoutreasonintoartbecausetheartistchosetocallthe
itemsart.Thisideawouldqualifyanythingasartwithorwithoutreason.
choicegivingacommentfromVivianWestwoodstatingwhatshecallsis
confrontationaldressing.Thismakesitso,thatifyoudosomethingthatis
notnaturalthatthecomparisonsarebroughtforthsayingthatanything
withinorwithoutreasoncanbeturnedintoart.Thepunksensembleswere
foundobjects,cheapclothingandDIY.Thisiswhathelpedtoassistsin
Punk.Conventionalidealsofprettynesswerethrownoutthewindow,
hairstyleswerebleachedanddyed.Hebdigestatesthattheperverseand
theabnormalwerevaluedintrinsically...continuingontoexplaintheillicit
iconographyofsexualfetishismandpornographicfilmswereexhumedfrom
theboudoirandplacedintothestreets.

Afterexpressingthedeviantnatureofpunkattire,Dancingwasthenext
tocomparetotheintrinsicrespectableworkingclassritualofSaturday
nightatalocalclub.StatingtheusualexpressivemediuminBritishrock
andmainstreamcultureswasturnedintoadumbshowofblankrobotics.
Theinteractionoftwoofthesamesexwereregardedwithsuspicionsof
beingawimp.Thedancingwasverysingularexceptforadancecalledthe
Posewhereparticipantswouldtakeaclichefashionposewhiletheotherfell
intoaclassicBaileycrouchtosnapanimaginarypicture.Notmuch
interactionwasmadepossiblebyadnacecalledthepogo.Goingintoabrief
historyofantidancingoftheLeapnikswhichresembledotherformsof
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dancingcalledtradboom.Allofthedescriptionsmadeitcelarthatthe
dnacerswerejumpingupandrepeatedly.Changesintheredundantnature
ofthedancingwouldhappenonlyintempochanges.Speakingfurtherabout
anotherformofdancingsimilartolookinglikefrankensteintakinghisfirst
steps,twitchesoftheheadandhandsthatpeoplecalledtherobot.
ComparingittoartistsGilbertandGeorgeandactingasautomataorliving
sculptures.

Musicwasnexttobeputonthechoppingblockanddissectedlikeafrogin
scienceclass.Hebdigestatesitwasuniformlybasicanddirectinitsappeal
whetherthtoughintentionorlackofexpertise.GivingquotesbyJohnny
Rottenwhosuccintlydefinedpunkspositiononharmonics:Wereinto
chaosnotmusic.Furtherdefiningthisstyleofoutcaststatusthat
characterizesthewholepunkmovement,withbandsnamedtheworst,the
clashandthesexpistols,alongwithtitlesofsongssuchasIWannaBeSick
onYou,orIfYouDontWanttoFuckMe,FuckOff.Thiswasawayfor
thebandstobethelanguageofthecommonman.Withtacticsbringingtheir
audienceclosertotheperformers,Hebdigegoesontosaytheboundary
betweenartistandaudiencehasoftenstoodasametaphorinrevolutionary
esthetics(Brecht,thesurrealists,Dada,Marcuse,etc.)Punkwasaplacefor
rowdy,rebelliousbehaviourwithablatentdisregardforballroometiquette.

Fromtheirclothinganddancingthatwerecreatedbytheyouthofthe70s,
welearnthatasubcultureiscreatedwhenaneedforchange,something
otherthenthestatusquo,welcomedinbyyouthwhoneedaplacetorevolt.
Adoityourselfphilosophy.Anarchicidealscharacterizingasubcultureas
villansandrotten.Withalltheseexamplesweseethatthestatusstructure
ofthetimewasquestionedandrebelledagainstandcreatedanewcultureof
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communitythatdidntneedorwanttofollowtherules.Punktrulycreateda
newidentitythathaditsownstyleforthetheyouthofthelastfewdecades.