Punk is not about a certain hair colour, style, or music, although music does take a large part in most punks lives.
Punk is about liking what you like, being yourself, saying what you think and FUCK ALL THE REST.
You don't need a two foot high red mohawk to be a punk, although that is wicked cool.
You don't need sleeves, a backpiece, or any tattoos at all to be punk.
You don't need a Misfits, Casualties, Sex Pistols or any band like that jacket to be punk.
You don't need anything to be punk except for awareness, self respect, respect for others and an open mind.

PUNK IS NOT DEAD.
I don't care if you wear drainpipes or not, you're a punk cos you're not some dumbass prat who's a fucking loser poser who needs to get his shit straight!
by Parker.:) May 28, 2007
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According to a 1950's slang dictionary the true root for the label "punk" was "a young male companion of a sodomite."
That boy in the red light district on the corner is nothing but a punk.
by Genii January 11, 2008
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Pre-Sid Vicious, pre-any stringy young male, "Punk" referred to the passive or "bottom" partner in a male-on-male prison sexual relationship. (The dominant or "top" man was called the "jock" or "jocker".) Since the punk was usually the scrawnier and younger of the two, that meaning of the term escaped into the general culture and eventually became attached to young, rebellious men fronting kick-ass rock bands.
(Description of a prison killer in Truman Capote's IN COLD BLOOD 1966): "Just two jockers fighting over a punk."
by al-in-chgo June 12, 2010
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"A guy walks up to me and asks 'What's Punk?'. So I kick over a garbage can and say 'That's punk!'. So he kicks over the garbage can and says 'That's Punk?', and I say 'No that's trendy!
npunk is ot emo, not pop, not poop.
by loserksjfdfds September 11, 2005
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A) Music movement started in the 70's with multiple reasons and causes. There was an Americn and British Punk movement. Proto-punk bands such as Iggy Pop and the Stooges, the Motor City 5, and the Velvet Underground were influential in setting the stage for taking the risks bands like The Ramones, The Dictators, The New York Dolls, and Blondie did.

The British movement supposedly was started by one of the following: The ecnomic disaster that occured in the mid seventies, and the youth's lack of patience with the british government. A movement made out of boredom by Johnny Rotten, lead singer of the Sex Pistols.

This Movement caused the creation for most genres of music today, it's even represented in the roots of such types as hip hop, rap, pop, modern rock, goth, electro, two-tone. It did not create these genres, but it certainly kicked down the door for them.

B) Culture started in the 70's by the same music movement. The point of the culture was like the music, be yourself and disregard the angry emotions it may stir up. No longer a real culture, only a burned image with the values behind it lost, you can see it in stores such as Hot Topic. People No longer understand it was always about being yourself and not being anyone's shadow.

C) Modern Movement, characterized by some bands that have actually kept the movement alive, some by giving off the image, and pop-punk bands that are, regardless of what people want to say, in way of the Ramones and even the Misfits. Pop Punk is a very melodic form of punk, it's not " pop" because it's popular, it's pop because of the style of playing. Bands that try to sell an image alone with no true love for the music are the ones made fun of the most, with little or no time together before being popularized by mainstream tv. These are the same bands that promote a pre-made image that's ready to sell to a pre-teen to early adult demographic. For the most part it works, and this entire culture has been reffered to as " Mallcore" or " mallxcore," because these are the same people that have never heard of the Ramones or Sex Pistols but think they're punk because they shop at hot topic and listen to MTV's Flavor of the week " band." feel free to laugh at these people, most people who know what the music is about do.

The Current culture is in a sad state because it's focused on replicating the 70's instead of being itself. There are a few who understand it and refuse to subscribe to the image mold.

D) Music Structure. Many like to characterize this genre with Power chords only and simple drum beats. These People are complete and utter idiots and should be regarded as imbecils. They more than likely know nothing about music in the first place, or are just that type of idiot that doesn't understand other types of music can be good, and that music, like other things, is all about opinion. Punk has had it's fair share of complicated guitar solos, insane drumming performances, all while keeping a melody, which most " jam bands" sorely lack, along with talent and lyrical prowess. Many of the early punk bands did utilize simple chords and beats, but like all types of music, it branched out and has many styles, from simple to complex, traditional to exotic, it all has to do with where you're looking.
by iamsolidsnake March 15, 2005
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The wide-spread basic understanding/definition of “punk” includes a basic wanting to be different, is who is different.

A “real punk” will never stereotype themselves. To put this in perspective, have you ever heard a cheerleader say “Oh my god, I’m SO prep, that girl over there dressed in all pink is SUCH a wannabe poser.” … I doubt it…if you have, I pity you…greatly….for even knowing OF such a person. When someone’s says “Oh my god, look at that POSER!!!!” Does that honestly make them “punk” and therefore “cool?”

The name also came from punk rock. A form of hard-driving rock 'n' roll originating in the 1970s, characterized by harsh lyrics attacking conventional society and popular culture, and often expressing alienation and anger. Rock music with deliberately offensive lyrics expressing anger and social alienation; in part a reaction against progressive rock. (there are other definitions of this on this site way better than this one) This is what started the whole thing. But punk rock goes AGAINST stereotyping, (that would be the conventional society and popular culture) and calling oneself “punk” is just that.

There are “real punks” and posers. They ARE two separate categories. The above just proves that there are a LOT more posers then there appear to be.

First of all: “real punks”
“Real punks” are technically punk rockers.
A performer or follower of punk rock music.
However, in today’s hypo-heterogeneous music gene pool, there is hardly any real punk music, as a definition. It’s always “punk rock,” “punk pop” whatever. They all count. Punk (as defined above) is a type of music defined by LYRICS and ATTITUDE.

This means that punk rockers are listeners of punk music, with punk music categorized by the message the band is sending.

This is how we get posers.

Punks” tend to dress a little crazy (crazy to “normal” people, the rest just think blue hair is cool) but it never really became a “fashion” until certain celebrities started calling it that. (Avril, Hilary)

Yes. Sadly, all those old school, before it became popular, punks were screwed over by, you guessing it, POPULAR CULTURE. Suddenly it became “cool” to be “punk.” To dress different, and do crazy things with ones hair and makeup.

This is not to say that everyone who does this, even younger people (and by younger I’m referring to people who couldn’t possibly have been punk rockers before, as in they weren’t born in the 1970’s,) are posers. You are a punk rocker if you listen to punk music. It doesn’t matter what you dress like.

How you DRESS has NOTHING to do with being punk. It means that either A) you honestly like the clothing style that has been termed “punk” and you wear it because of that or B) You’re a POSER trying to be cool and you think your clothes will do that for you and you’re no better than preps who obsess with clothes to become popular and think that other people’s clothing defines them just like it will define you as “punk” and “cool.”

Punks by definition, both above and social don’t WANT to be cool. They want to be themselves and rebel against anything they feel is suppressing them.

Posers are much easier to define them punks. Posers are people who pretend to be “punk” because they think it’ll make them “cool”

What I really want people to see is that by calling yourself a “punk” how much of a loser that makes you look. Claiming to be “punk” and calling other people “posers” does NOT mean you are a poser, I never said that, but if you think that it makes you “cool” to be “punk” and call other people “posers”, then you are. Realize that punk is NOT A FASHION STYLE, AND CLOTHING MEANS NOTHING WHAT-SO-EVER. Anyone who basis any judgment what someone is wearing and labels them from that is either a poser themselves or just a fucking rude and ignorant person.

The determination of punk vs. poser is not in CLOTHES or anything like that, but someone’s TRUE music preference and mindset regarding society and life.
Someone who likes music like that of the Ramones and/or the Casualties (punk music) and dresses however they want, doesn't care what people think of them, and who could care less about being famos and just wants to live.
by rurouni September 4, 2005
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