Is punk the most potentially problematic music genre

[TI92]

Listening to minor threat the other day, great group they are also pretty fundamental with being the creators of the straight edge movement among other things. But a song I'd never heard before came on called "guilty of being white" which was problematic to begin with. But often songs can be portraying a character in the lyrics and not they themselves being that person. But nope the song is literally from the singers perspective of being a white minority student in the Washington DC schools and how he felt blamed for everything terrible despite not being linked to it.

It's just like, with punk music it feels like you can fall down so many rabbit holes of potential racism and other awful things that aren't as prevalent in other music genres. Am I crazy or is that the case? And how do you deal with an artist having awful views if you enjoy things they produce?

 

[Mass Effect]

Metal seems to be worse given how it attracts white supremacist types.

 

[Dook's Revenge]

Only if you think GG was serious.

 

[TI92]

Metal seems to be worse given how it attracts white supremacist types.

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Yeah similar crowd and maybe why I also fell out of that style of music .Used to really love death metal and in particular the band death but ehhhh

 

[RichardHawk]

Depends on what kind of punk.

 

[CoolestSpot]

No?

The most problematic music genre would be Metal i'd think, over the rappity raps or rock n roll.

That or VaporWave for promoting shitty sampling

 

[Sub Level]

Songs are a way to express your frustrations, even if those frustrations are irrational.

See every love song ever.

 

[5taquitos]

There are progressive punk/hardcore/etc. bands and there are regressive ones.

Same for lots of genres, probably.

 

[Sinfamy]

Punk is usually anti establishment, depends what kind of punk are you talking about.
Rap on the other hand is extremely sexist and misogynistic, not all of course, but a lot.

 

[CoolestSpot]

Punk is usually anti establishment, depends what kind of punk are you talking about.
Rap on the other hand is extremely sexist and misogynistic, not all of course, but a lot.

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Music in general is, I'd say. Meghan Trainor is as problematic as some rap songs for example.

 

[LProtagonist]

I'd say punk tends to be more politically liberal and inclusive as opposed to the opposite, more of the time.

 

[Deleted member 32374]

So... how much punk have you listened too? Lol. Like any?

 

[TI92]

I'd say punk tends to be more politically liberal and inclusive as opposed to the opposite, more of the time.

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Often but there are a lot of exclusive groups within it feels like and with every punk band I discover it's like I have to search what their band stands for vs other genres you don't have to do that as often

 

[wenis]

All musical genres have the potential to be problematic. It depends on who is using it and how it’s being used.

 

[Pooh]

Punk is usually anti-establishment and there's been a lot of progressive history there.
If you're gonna find one song and blame a genre then really there isn't a genre out there that isn't "problematic."

 

[TI92]

So... how much punk have you listened too? Lol. Like any?

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I'd say a good amount being its my favorite genre next to hip hop but I don't like getting into mass subgenrefaction like everyone does these days

 

[davepoobond]

Often but there are a lot of exclusive groups within it feels like and with every punk band I discover it's like I have to search what their band stands for vs other genres you don't have to do that as often

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Anti-Flag is pretty blatantly liberal.

 

[Durger]

Don't blame music. Same reason why we don't blame films or video games.

Unless you're a GOP senator.

 

[LittleTokyo]

while it’s true in many respects the original poster really has no clue what he/she is on about when it comes to the counterculture that is, was and still is somewhat punk/hardcore. The genre has gone down those rabbit holes all throughout its history but said community has done an excellent job of self policing its own community. Collective responsibility for ones community, what a radical concept.

 

[RedMercury]

Male country is pretty bad as far as the net negative societal impact.

 

[sph3re]

That or VaporWave for promoting shitty sampling

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ＮＯ　Ｕ　ク羽怨

 

[SieteBlanco]

Punk isn't the genre where straight men loosely call women "bitches" and "sluts".

 

[Asator]

There are plenty of punk bands that are/were pretty hard left and antifa. So no, not really.

 

[Takyon]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CqXgs-7ico

I SHOW NO LOVE
TO HOMO THUGS

 

[detuned radios]

Often but there are a lot of exclusive groups within it feels like and with every punk band I discover it's like I have to search what their band stands for vs other genres you don't have to do that as often

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well, that's because punk is inherently and overtly politically charged in a way a lot of other musical genres aren't.

there are plenty of punk bands that are pretty far left - green day being probably the most mainstream example. but then you have "punks" that are really just shitty white dudes who think being counterculture means being an edgy racist shitlord like john lydon is these days. there's all types.

 

[Verelios]

Punk isn't the genre where straight men loosely call women "bitches" and "sluts".

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[EnlightenedMint]

I would consider punk to easily be one of the most left wing music genre.

Every genre is going to have some bad shit, metal certainly has some with skinheads and certain black metal bands.

Even some mainstream stuff like Pantera can certainly be bad.

 

[TI92]

well, that's because punk is inherently and overtly politically charged in a way a lot of other musical genres aren't.

there are plenty of punk bands that are pretty far left - green day being probably the most mainstream example. but then you have "punks" that are really just shitty white dudes who think being counterculture means being an edgy racist shitlord like john lydon. there's all types.

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I think this is what I'm getting at, I wasn't saying there are no left wing punk groups that would be stupid of me as probably 95% of them are but just... So many rough ones who actually make good sounding music until you listen a little bit closer and do the double take like hmmm

Maybe I didn't explain myself well

 

[GuessMyUserName]

 

[Conciliator]

while it’s true in many respects the original poster really has no clue what he/she is on about when it comes to the counterculture that is, was and still is somewhat punk/hardcore. The genre has gone down those rabbit holes all throughout its history but said community has done an excellent job of self policing its own community. Collective responsibility for ones community, what a radical concept.

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Yeah, there have definitely been white supremacist punk bands(and metal, and more), but they've never been representative of punk as a whole and were often called out


EDIT: lol, poster above me had the same idea

 

[Deleted member 1086]

 

[GuessMyUserName]

yessss my first ERA ninja post

 

[TI92]

If you guys haven't seen the movie green room yet it's so good and this scene so so good

 

[Alucrid]

I think this is what I'm getting at, I wasn't saying there are no left wing punk groups that would be stupid of me as probably 95% of them are but just... So many rough ones who actually make good sounding music until you listen a little bit closer and do the double take like hmmm

Maybe I didn't explain myself well

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what are the names of all these bands with very problematic songs you keep running into?

 

[Conciliator]

by the way, nice Punk thread going in Hangouts for my fellow punk lovers



https://www.resetera.com/threads/punkera-ot-you-bet-weve-got-something-personal-against-you.2924/

 

[Xiaomi]

Punk is generally pretty progressive. Bad Religion, Descendents, and Propagandhi got me into progressive causes when I was in high school. Nu Metal is much worse as far as toxic masculinity goes, and mainstream pop can be pretty bad in reinforcing certain ideas about gender roles.

 

[xbhaskarx]

Listening to minor threat the other day, great group they are also pretty fundamental with being the creators of the straight edge movement among other things. But a song I'd never heard before came on called "guilty of being white" which was problematic to begin with. But often songs can be portraying a character in the lyrics and not they themselves being that person. But nope the song is literally from the singers perspective of being a white minority student in the Washington DC schools and how he felt blamed for everything terrible despite not being linked to it.

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Didn’t he get beat up in school after they watched Roots?

What in the lyrics to that song is problematic?

Minor Threat were heavily influenced by Bad Brains. I seem to remember some documentary a few years ago that mentioned those DC bands collaborating to hold shows with parts of the local black music scene (it had a name, I don’t remember it)... also didn’t they hold shows against racism and apartheid in South Africa?

Edit: “local Go-Go music bands (the drum-inflected music born in the streets of black D.C.)”

 

[ghostemoji]

I think that your analysis of Guilty of Being White lacks context, and the song itself lacks nuance. While most people in punk revere Minor Threat and Ian Mackaye, I don't think many people would identify him as much of a word smith.

The song is about him living in a majority black neighborhood and getting bullied and beaten up for being a white kid. He's also explains that he never foresaw a scenario where people would be talking about this song decades later because he was a kid in a punk band playing songs for his few friends in Washington DC. He's expressed a lot of frustration with people co-opting the song and re-interpreting in the years to follow.


The punk and hardcore community on a whole is way more progressive than any other subculture I've ever been a part of, but it doesn't mean the people in it are always on point, or very forward thinking.

 

[TI92]

what are the names of all these bands with very problematic songs you keep running into?

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Bad brains is another, MDC can be problematic as well if you don't know their message as well as raegan youth

There's quite a few others as well but I try and get them out my mind pretty quick. Especially groups from the East coast and Boston specifically it seems not sure why ?

 

[Sgtpepper89]

Id say the mainstream pop & rap does a better job on being sexist, promoting drugs etc to a much bigger crowd.

 

[TI92]

I think that your analysis of Guilty of Being White lacks context, and the song itself lacks nuance. While most people in punk revere Minor Threat and Ian Mackaye, I don't think many people would identify him as much of a word smith.

The song is about him living in a majority black neighborhood and getting bullied and beaten up for being a white kid. He's also explains that he never foresaw a scenario where people would be talking about this song decades later because he was a kid in a punk band playing songs for his few friends in Washington DC. He's expressed a lot of frustration with people co-opting the song and re-interpreting in the years to follow.


The punk and hardcore community on a whole is way more progressive than any other subculture I've ever been a part of, but it doesn't mean the people in it are always on point, or very forward thinking.

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I'll have to watch this interview today and maybe his explanations will make it better. Really don't like that song though

 

[affeinvasion]

Considering current punks are some of the most active anti-fa participants, I'd say no.

 

[Deleted member 15326]

Most good punk anyway is anti-racism/fascism etc

Punk is usually anti establishment, depends what kind of punk are you talking about.
Rap on the other hand is extremely sexist and misogynistic, not all of course, but a lot.

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I bet money with someone that this would be said, thanks lol

 

[Sei]

Punks have always been pretty liberal.

 

[Deleted member 13496]

I dunno. Modern hardcore scene doing okay as far as being anti-fascist goes.

Good Dead Kennedys shout out as well in this song.

 

[CoolestSpot]

ＮＯ　Ｕ　ク羽怨

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Like the asetheic but not much else

 

[ghostemoji]

Bad brains is another, MDC can be problematic as well if you don't know their message as well as raegan youth

There's quite a few others as well but I try and get them out my mind pretty quick. Especially groups from the East coast and Boston specifically it seems not sure why ?

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There was definitely a scene for right wing and nazi punk in the 80s and early 90s, but Nazi punks were literally beaten out of existence by the larger punk and hardcore community. The communities that survive and exist today's by and large have no ties to those scenes though.

You have to remember that you're talking about bands from 30 years ago. Things evolve.

 

[Big One]

Nah punk is liberal as fuck, more-so than most other genres. Being punk is basically about thinking for yourself outside of the establishment norm.

 

[TI92]

There was definitely a scene for right wing and nazi punk in the 80s and early 90s, but Nazi punks were literally beaten out of existence by the larger punk and hardcore community. The communities that survive and exist today's by and large have no ties to those scenes though.

You have to remember that you're talking about bands from 30 years ago. Things evolve.

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I think that's another issue for me I don't know any modern punk groups. It feels like a genre that is better experienced live as well so not sure where to start. Do you have any suggestions? I can't think of anything new and modern that I've listened to :p

 

[Slipknot666]

A lot of them are satire