Punk turns 50: how a music revolution also impacted fashion, movies and more | members only

Punk turns 50: how a music revolution also impacted fashion, movies and more | members only


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Some bands that started in punk shifted to new wave, its less-aggressive cousin, to much success into the ’80s, including Blondie, Talking Heads and the Go-Go’s. Punk and alternative rock,


often on independent labels, still drew fans and critical acclaim throughout the decade, and then punk-influenced alternative rock broke big, starting with Nirvana in 1991. Doe points to


Green Day as a model of popular punk: “They took it to the teenagers, which is what the Ramones, Blondie and everybody else wanted to do. We were playing for our peers, which were people


that were outsiders, bohemians and artists. We didn’t really get to teenagers, except those who were runaways from a really bad home. Green Day made it OK for people to be themselves.”


Today, punk’s influence — short, punchy songs with energy and attitude — can be heard throughout pop music, from Foo Fighters to Olivia Rodrigo. And the music has helped so many listeners


feel accepted. “Punk rock leveled the playing field for women, people of color, LBGTQ [artists],” says Kathy Valentine, bassist for the Go-Go’s, “pretty much anyone in between or that may


fall through the cracks.” (Left to right) Madonna and Billy Idol Photo Illustration: Neil Jamieson (Fryderyk Gabowicz/Getty Images; Shutterstock; Roberta Bayley/Redferns/Getty Images)


FASHION From dayglow-dyed hair and extreme haircuts, to Chuck Taylors and Doc Martens, to skinny jeans, distressed clothing and leather jackets, punk fashions have been mainstream for years.


Designer Vivienne Westwood and her London clothing shop Sex played an instrumental role in punk fashion, as well as the launch of the Sex Pistols; the band was managed by her partner


Malcolm McLaren. The punk fashion aesthetic has been adopted by stars from other genres, including pop sensation Madonna, whose early look featured cutoff T-shirts, ripped fishnet stockings,


and spiked and rubber bracelets. “Madonna was influenced by punk street culture,” confirms Susan Seidelman, who directed her in the 1985 film _Desperately Seeking Susan_. More recent stars


such as Nicki Minaj, Rhianna and Doja Cat have adopted the brightly colored hair originally favored by punks. Sometimes those seeking the look have no idea about the origins. “They just pick


the [hair dye] numbers and colors,” says Arthur Viecco, a hairstylist in Beverly Hills, California. “They don’t even know that it’s a punk rock haircut. They see it as just a barber cut


with color.” DANCE You might equate crashing bodies with a wrestling ring or football field, but punk launched a new form of aggressive movement called slam dancing. To the relentless,


driving beat, concertgoers in an area in front of the stage — the pit — would do precisely what the name suggests: slam into each other. Spending a few minutes in the pit became a rite of


passage for many a young punk fan. Over the years, the practice softened and morphed into moshing. Starting in the ’90s, the mosh pit became a pulsating environment with constant movement.


Packed with people, the added density allowed for crowd-surfing and stage diving. (Left to right) Kate McKinnon in "Barbie," Ewan McGregor in "Trainspotting" and Gary


Oldman in "Sid & Nancy" Photo Illustration: Neil Jamieson (Alamy (2); Samuel Goldwyn/Everett Collection) MOVIES Punk rock has been featured in major films, including _Sid &


Nancy_ (starring Gary Oldman), _The Basketball Diaries_ (Leonardo DiCaprio) and _Trainspotting_ (Ewan McGregor). But a bigger impact is the punk spirit on filmmaking. “Indie film has got


the punk rock ethos,” says Doe, who also has worked as a film and TV actor. “Everyone says, ‘You shouldn’t do that,’ or ‘Don’t do that,’ or ‘You can’t do that.’ And the person who does it


says, ‘Watch me.’ ” Think of how independent directors like Quentin Tarantino, Richard Rodriguez and Sam Raimi changed how movies look and feel — becoming more raw and edgy. The punk DIY


spirit is easily seen in low-budget cult films like _The Blair Witch Project_ and _Clerks_. And even one of the biggest hits of last year has an unexpected bit of punk breaking through the


Day-Glo. In Greta Gerwig’s _Barbie_, check Kate McKinnon’s depiction of a beat-up doll dubbed “Weird Barbie.” Her quirky spirit, jagged and colored hair and bizarre makeup look every bit a


punk rock girl. THEATER Punk-inspired rock came to Broadway in 2010, with the musical _American Idiot_, based on the Green Day album of the same name. “I was listening to the CD a lot, and I


started to see a story form in my mind. I thought, _Wow, that would be an amazing thing to do on stage_,” says Tony-winning playwright-director Michael Mayer. “I wasn’t sure if Broadway was


ready for it, but I knew a lot of people were. Green Day was excited by it when I brought it to them and their manager.” The musical logged more than 400 shows, with Green Day singer Billie


Joe Armstrong occasionally performing in it himself. Mayer went on to direct a few other punk-inspired productions on Broadway, including Stephen Trask and John Cameron Mitchell’s _Hedwig


and the Angry Inch_ in 2014 and the Go-Go’s-inspired _Head Over Heels_ in 2018.