Author: Emily McClellan
Photo: Dmitriy Frantsev
It’s 2025, decades have passed since Dead Kennedys and Bad Brains, and punk is being sold back to us; soullessly stripped of all its’ raging essence. We often see creators using the look of counter-culture as both a style of clothing and, seemingly, a marketing ploy. The basis of punk rock is not style, but rage. You don’t need spiked hair, tattoos, or a denim jacket with a backpatch that says, “fuck fascists” to be punk. The only way to move into the future of punk is this: Know Your Punk History.
To understand punk, we should first take it back to the beginning of Rock and Roll with the Gospel singing, guitar-shredding Sister Rosetta Tharpe. A queer woman who broke boundaries for what gospel could be; melodic and electric. She was loud in her faith and challenged the status quo. She drafted the blueprint for Rock, which led to Punk’s creation. Then came Elvis, the “King,” who popularized the same songs and persona of the founders, such as Little Richard, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, and Big Mama Thornton, to the white masses. I note this because I believe Elvis was the original poser. The skeletal core of Elvis and modern punk influencers showcases the exploitation of cultural shifts for personal gain, all without properly crediting those who came before.
One person who showcased appreciation routinely was Kurt Cobain. His famous cover of Where Did You Sleep Last Night by Lead Belly was precluded by crediting Lead Belly and speaking with admiration. Furthermore, paying it forward to female rockers such as Kathleen Hanna by seeking permission to name their single, Smells Like Teen Spirit, after Hanna wrote “Kurt Smells Like Teen Spirit” on his wall. Cobain utilized his platform to highlight underrepresented people, from blues covers to releasing an anti-rape song. His platform was based on uplifting punk’s core. He routinely expressed his beliefs through action, not PR statements. That is proper punk etiquette: raw and genuine respect based on goodwill without seeking personal gain.
It’s rage bait dressed as antifascism.
Poly Styrene, Founder and Lead Singer of X-Ray Spex, witnessed a Sex Pistols concert in 1976. Sex Pistols were arranged by manager and boutique co-owner, Martin McLaren. Martin was influenced by the rise in punk style and recruited people who fit the vibe of the subculture from the boutique he ran with Vivienne Westwood, Sex. Then came Poly Styrene. She placed ads in music papers looking for fellow punks, encapsulating punk’s DIY ethos.
While the Sex Pistols were wild, they were heavily managed. True punk comes from authenticity of self, not just fashion or collaborative efforts to market fury. While the Sex Pistols did help popularize a distinct sound within the history of Rock, we now view them as more of a boy band than a true punk group, likely due to the details of their formation. When a band is created in pursuit of fame instead of spreading a message, you lose the basis of what counter-culture is. Unfortunately, when we think of 70s punk, we remember a set-up group like the Sex Pistols instead of a ground-up band like X-Ray Spex. Perhaps it’s because McLaren knew the world would fall for the bait of change.
Today, after around a decade of over-produced stream-bait songs, most modern punk influencers, such as Tara Yummy on TikTok, showcase digestible punk. With Tara going as far as to do one Fashion Nova haul while wearing a GG Allin tee! How could it be, GG Allin, such a hallmark anti-establishment lunatic, is front and center on a clothing haul? So, what’s punk about underpaid workers mass-producing products that last only a few years? Oh yeah, nothing.
What about the lack of substantive conversation about issues like abortion rights or sexism from influencers such as Jake Webber and pop-punk band Tramp Stamps (a group with members signed by Dr. Luke, a now-disgraced alleged rapist)? Or the songs that gain traction that people dance and lip-sync to, like Sorority Girls by Mommy Long Legs. Some posts try to educate users on the song’s meaning. Others are obsessed with it… while completely missing the point. Speaking about missing the point, Machine Gun Kelly also misses the entire board. He speaks for himself (or what his PR team wants him to say).
Worse yet, ignoring the trailblazers who paved the way for your platform is blatantly disrespectful to the culture you stylistically represent. Most despicably, disillusioning young audiences, even if done ignorantly. Do adequate research. In 2025, there’s no excuse.
The 2020s are an odd time in entertainment. All signs point to a punk return, but the return is only aesthetically borrowing from a subculture that’s against every damn thing influencers spew out. Plus, since punk is making a comeback primarily through influencers, it’s as if a corpse is aimlessly walking in a never-ending circle to a snippet of a punk song, unable to listen. So, let’s call it what it is: punk cosplay. How could these personalities become successful? To understand the reason for their success is obvious: exploiting anger. It’s just rage bait dressed as antifascism.
In 2025, Trump’s second presidency began, and youth focused on social issues are utterly pissed. Influencers with a punk aesthetic take advantage of this fact, without doing the bare minimum to show they hold the same beliefs. Clothing hauls, comedy, and relatability are their goals to keep the bank accounts flooding and collaborations coming. Because the only place youth can find a sense of fresh counter culture is online, it’s from influencers, the zombies, and cosplayers.
Young people are flocking to rebel against Trump on social media, mistaking fashion for substance. Without proper knowledge of the history, they are likely duped into thinking all punk entails is a look. I urge online creators to practice what they pose as and showcase their beliefs on their platform. Your aesthetic is not enough.
If you won’t risk your paychecks and payouts to send a message, you’ve failed what you represent.
To cash in without giving kudos to those who created that style, these influencers are getting rich without the real painstaking work. Meanwhile, LGBTQIA+ and people of color who are demonstrating what needs to change are being drowned by these so-called “punk” creators, while catering to those with no idea of what punk is at its core. But hey, in today’s economy, money is money, and these creators probably know that. In some odd way, I can respect the hustle business-wise. Then, the complexities of overshadowing true punks paving the way come to mind, and poof, all admiration vanishes. Hypocrisy should not be respectable.
Punk is a lifestyle that advocates for those who are marginalized and underrepresented. That is the essence of punk. Dressing as a punk doesn’t make you a punk. It’s living the life of what you associate yourself with. Stop pandering to those disillusioned by style or who have nowhere else to look for fresh rebellion.
The essence of punk is inherently political and selfless. If you won’t risk your paychecks and payouts to send a message, you’ve failed what you represent. You possess the title of creator but lack the boldness to deserve it. You’re a product for the algorithm with no substantive message. Don’t be an Elvis or McLaren. Be a Rosetta, Cobain, Hanna, and Styrene. Be a creator, not a personality. Be punk, or stop selling your bullshit.
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About the Author:
Emily McClellan is a 20-something from Texas who loves rock music, dogs, and vintage fashion. She smokes like a chimney and cusses like a sailor. She’s typically either thrifting, listening to Funkadelic, or watching a John Waters film.
She runs a second-hand clothing business, PYROAVA, exclusively on Depop. She writes at a near-religious level, identifies as a (confusingly) hopeful pessimist, and does not like menthol cigarettes.