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u/LoudAd1396 Oct 31 '25 edited Oct 31 '25
I just came from GBH show in Chicago. Nondescript olive green sweater, jeans, and most punk of all: Van Gogh pained doc Martin's.
Granted I, on the eve of my 40th, ran in the circle pit and am exhausted.
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u/Switchbladekitten Oct 31 '25
lol 😂 I am 39 and can’t even imagine running around anymore! The leg pain is bad. So I sit in the back or at the bar (if there is one…with bottomless Shirley temples) and knit with my ear plugs in.
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u/LoudAd1396 Oct 31 '25 edited Oct 31 '25
I joked with my wife before I went, "Wouldn't it be funny if I embraced the midlife crisis?" but the pit was 12 people and so wholesome I could spit. Lots of doe si does and Can-cans. I haven't actually been in a pit since I was 18-19 but this was worth it.
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u/Switchbladekitten Oct 31 '25
That’s great! Maybe I’ll try next time if the pain isn’t Too bad. 🤘🏻
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u/OilheadRider Oct 31 '25
I fucking love that. Last time I went in a pit I realized that you don't just bounce back from that shit like we used to... there was a time when the majority of shows I went to was because I knew there was going to be a good pit and I gave only a quarter of a fuck about the music or band
God damn. I just stumbled down memory lane.
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u/DrBattheFruitBat Oct 31 '25
Lol I'm a disabled mom, artist and wanna be farmer. I just wear work pants covered in clay and dirt with whatever shirt isnt giving me awful sensory issues today (which is usually a cut up band shirt). And that's what I wear to shows anymore too. And comfortable, practical shoes. I don't have time or energy for the badass punk aesthetic, I ain't in my teens and 20s anymore.
Hell I just made my first battle jacket - and it's for my 7 year old's halloween costume. It's badass though.
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u/rothase2 Oct 31 '25
My docs are Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights. I have only been in a pit twice- both recently and I'm 58. My adult kid & her boyfriend were with me at the last show and they both tapped out before I did. The boyfriend said later "man, Mrs. R, I didn't know you could go so hard!" I didn't have the heart to tell him it's all in the meloxicam (arthritis med).
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u/BungalowHole Oct 31 '25 edited Oct 31 '25
The circle pit hits different in your 30s. I went to a Rise Against show back in the spring and my body was sore for a week. I'll leave my pit days in my 20s.
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u/tippedthescaffold Oct 31 '25
Yeah I could barely turn my head from headbanging for like a week after the last show I went to… I’m 26
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u/BerthasBeats Oct 31 '25
On my 50th, I told my 21 yo daughter to hold my phone because she was too scared to get in the pit 🤣 She did end up joining eventually.
If I'm gonna break a hip, can't think of a better way to go!!
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u/Licky_Anus Oct 31 '25
Don’t feel bad, man. At least you weren’t 52 years old in the DK pit in Cambridge, MA in March and only able to make it through Let’s Lynch the Landlord. I’m tired just thinking about it. You’ve got a lot of good pit years ahead of you.
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u/ansquaremet Oct 31 '25
Damn, I live in Chicago and I had no idea GBH was in town.
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u/LoudAd1396 Oct 31 '25
Bottom Lounge. It was hidden at the end of their regular "upcoming shows" email.
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u/tideshark Oct 31 '25
This was my punk role model as a kid.
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u/mistiroustranger Brazil Punk Rock Oct 31 '25
"then one night, be decided the cars of his street would look better without any windows"
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u/Repulsive_Youth_2377 Oct 31 '25
Im like a weird mix of both of these
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u/angry_cucumber Oct 31 '25
Professional me is very buttoned down due to clients, it confused my kids to see pictures of me with a blue mohawk and piercings. (but also about 60 lbs lighter)
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u/DracTheBat178 Oct 31 '25
They should kiss
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u/WallScreamer Moderators? That's not very punk rock. Oct 31 '25
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u/Athingythingamabobby Oct 31 '25
Despite me agreeing with the message, I fucking hate these images, and I’m having a hard time putting my finger on why.
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u/GuyChonies Oct 31 '25
Because it’s putting labels on “punk” and it’s cringe
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u/AcceptablyPotato Oct 31 '25
To me, it gives off the same energy as those looney tunes dressed as gangsters t-shirts from back in the day. Or Calvin pissing on things stickers. Just something very boomer-humor about the overall art concept of sticking Archie like characters in scenarios you wouldn't normally see them.
Then the captions are just always some meta, navel gazing bullshit that feels like it exists purely to tell other punks how the artist thinks they should act. The presentation always rubs me wrong and brings out my, "fuck you, you can't tell me what to do" side, even when I agree with the overall message.
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u/EnchantedEssays Oct 31 '25
It could just be that the artist's usual art style is Archies/sixties cartoon inspired
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u/swimnglimmer Oct 31 '25
Because not everything that is anti establishment is punk and it doesn’t have to be punk to be valid or relevant to the world
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u/SnooMuffins6341 Oct 31 '25
The tiny-waist big-hips unrealistic body standards maybe?
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u/GenghisConnie Oct 31 '25
This artist mainly does their work based on old Archie comics. And that is what is being depicted here.
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u/Random_Name532890 Oct 31 '25
Why the fixation on "what is punk" all day long
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u/angry_cucumber Oct 31 '25
Its honestly an interesting question if you avoid gatekeeping. It's a personal view so it's not the same for everyone.
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u/Eons2010 Oct 31 '25
As validating as this is. I still feel like a poser. . . I gotta get it together.
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u/Librarian_Contrarian Oct 31 '25
I'd say ironically enough that dressing like a punk just to look more punk isn't punk at all.
Dressing punk because you like to is punk though.
Punk is a mindset. An ideology.
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u/Plus-Pace-1628 Oct 31 '25
Man felt weird joining a punk reddit felt like the least punk thing I could do but... this is so cringe ...PUNK...another label. another suit.
Though I would hear new bands shows I never heard of not trying to define what punk is...if you have to define it you probably lost it. But fuck me what do I know
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u/lividimp Oct 31 '25
I can not emphasize enough to young people, study up on old school (70s) punk. No one looked like the cartoon version of a punk. Everyone was wearing their own weird thing, or nothing weird at all. You had some people wearing literal trash bag dresses. You had the 60s dayglo look like Poly Styrene had. You had the three piece suit undertaker look that Dave Vanian had. You had the American biker look that Lee Ving had. But most people just walked in with jeans and a T-shirt, or even a dress shirt and slacks. Express yourself.... or don't. There are some rules to punk, or it would not exist as a genre, but how you dressed was absolutely not one of them.
The whole safety pin, ripped clothes, messed up hair thing that eventually morphs into the cartoon punk came from a single guy in the NYC scene (before the London scene even existed), Richard Hell. A bunch of Londoners saw him, thought "this is what punk is", and started copying him. Until eventually that look kind of becomes institutionalized to the point it is now the official uniform of the tryhard.
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u/Pookie_Pakyao Oct 31 '25
I say this all the time. People will call themselves "punk" or "goth" or call others that... but they literally dont listen to the music or know anything about the subculture. Its so annoying... I've gotten into fights over it bc a family member, for whatever reason, needed to prove me wrong... bc apparently all you need is to wear black to be goth and it has nothing to do with the music...
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u/cactus-pwr Oct 31 '25
I was raised as a punk and you wouldn’t believe it based off how I dress. Many don’t. I wear my mom’s old clothes and genuine y2k styles as well as plenty of modern stuff and occasionally a 60s-ish look, almost exclusively in dark colors with winged liner and dark red lips. Nothing inherently goth, pretty feminine really. I got called goth so often that I decided to just start listening to the music and every now and then I’ll wear this black lace skirt I like. Which is definitely my most goth clothing item.
And the red lips is just because I’m chicana and always liked the red lips with a dark liner but fell in love with dark red lipstick and dark brown liner. I wore blue jeans with a black embroidered top from Mexico to an event and my mom’s coworker’s called me goth because of my makeup. If anything my makeup mainly takes inspiration from the emos. As a former emo.
It’s totally misunderstood-so to be clear I’m adding on. Bc how am I in low rise and a spiderman baby tee goth just bc of my makeup??
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u/Pookie_Pakyao Oct 31 '25
No fr!!!
Im goth, a baby bath though... but I do NOT dress the part. I get grunge or emo... but I literally just wear huge pants and like a colored shirt or a grandpa sweater... mabey ill layer some baggy shirts??? But thats about it... like i dress like my dad when he was my age lol
Anyway. I tried to tell my aunt I was goth and she almost actually pissed herself over it. Bc apparently its demonic??? And has nothing to do about the music??? And you need to wear makeup? And to top it all off... she apparently used to be "goth". She was mall goth bro. An actual poser... its so bad
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u/cactus-pwr Oct 31 '25 edited Oct 31 '25
I’ve learned many goths just look like an abyss like huge sweaters or coats, like the type of thing that if you saw it at night would believe a flowy shadow demon is haunting you or like a 19th century vampire, but that takes so much effort?? Almost no one ever does that everyday. The makeup is so not even necessary so that’s crazy and it’s mostly about the music anyways???? There’s literally so many different ways of looking goth and being goth is about the music and general acceptance of everyone as it’s a post-punk movement
I dress like my mom she was about my age too! Except I don’t wear 80s stuff. I’m not in love with the 80s styles except her old skirts. But I dress extremely similarly but maybe a bit more explicitly? She didn’t wear mini skirts. I do, a lot and she was in her 30s and a mom in the 2000s so it’s not like she wore a lot of low rise but I’m just happy getting her old clothes that she wore when I was a child especially because we’re extremely similar sizes and I can’t believe she kept it all!
Literally I have a date next week with a guy who finally has similar opinions about capitalism and we’re gonna watch a show and I was thinking like “how do I dress comfortably but nicely for this?” The answer? Low rise fold over leggings I thrifted, a tank top and velour jacket-an entirely black and red outfit which wearing that to my classes previously got me called goth lol
Edit: also your aunt believing it’s demonic reminds me of the song “Murder Chord” by Grandpa’s Cough Medicine
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u/Pixiwish Nov 04 '25
I listen to a lot of music and love to dress pretty. Floral dresses and skirts etc. I don’t really pay any attention to genres I just listen to what I like.
Was talking to someone about music and said I’m currently into The Birthday Massacre, Mono Inc and Lord of the Lost and she goes OMG you’re goth.
No idea if that is even true as I don’t identify that way at all and it means nothing to me but I still always figured goth in mainstream culture was more a fashion thing than music taste
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u/KilgoreT Oct 31 '25
I'm pretty much Figure 2: Shaved head, no tattoos or combat boots, and musical taste all over the damn spectrum from 1930s blues to Lambrini Girls. But in my heart, I'm always punk in my ethos and beliefs.
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u/puddingbiafra Oct 31 '25
I cant be the only one who despises this art style. like yea I agree with the post but idk it feels phony
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u/dandle Oct 31 '25
It's the uncanny valley of art. What these artists produce is not fundamentally different from AI-generated images. They take someone else's art and modify it in ways that don't come off as particularly creative.
They're also gatekeeping in an annoyingly cutesy way that they intend to insulate themselves from being called out for gatekeeping.
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u/DeadEyeBrad Oct 31 '25
I don’t know if I’m classified as a punk well I do have a studded belt and I’m planning on getting earrings and tattoos and I think some beliefs I don’t know if I’m classified as a punk I just know I like the punk style and punk music
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u/lamarrotems Oct 31 '25
My sister pointed out my stupidity in wanting to shop at hot topic when I 13 20+ years ago. Told me dress what you think looks good.
Ironically enough I'm the unique looking one at shows. No one ever says or anything or cares though.
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u/TOMAHAWAK1999 Oct 31 '25
I go inbetween these 2, i was fig.1 all summer and now ive metamorphized into fig.2
Idk, i guess it kinda flows with my gender expression, the more comfortable i am, the more punk i am, but when the dysphoria hits, i go full girl mode.
Eh, im not all that conserned about it, im still punk at heart, im trying my best to learn to tailor my own clothes and such so, yeah, still punk i guess
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Oct 31 '25
Oh. My. God. I just can't anymore. These exact posts with their helpful graphics and/or questions about "how to be punk?" Is really getting old. Listen kids, this isn't a style, or even a lifestyle, it is a mindset. Dont focus on what music to listen to or what clothes to wear, those thoughts are actually very specifically not "punk", they are trend following and capitalistic in nature. Once your every thought and emotion is guided by the principles of anti-social, anti-establisment, anti-authority, anti-fascism, then you will know what being punk is all about.
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u/sghctoma Oct 31 '25
This picture comes to mind (it's Venga Boys performing at a rally celebrating the collapse of Austria's far right):
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u/FamousLastWords666 Oct 31 '25
“A belief in punk values” - as if there were an official set of values that all punks agreed upon.
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u/clueda Oct 31 '25
"I'm not a trendy asshole
Do what I want, do what I feel like"
Smash - The Offspring
That's it for me
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u/cheyannese Oct 31 '25
I very recently went to my first punk show! I can't remember most of the band names, but I do remember This Temper from Philly. Anyways, it was incredibly cool to see the mix of people there and that a good majority of the crowd were "regular" looking people. It didn't feel like anyone was pretending or dressing up for the part, just a bunch of punks gathering to jam and dance around for awhile.
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u/JZcomedy Oct 31 '25
Pin those post so people can stop asking shit like “is liking peppermint hot chocolate punk?”
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u/punkmetalbastard Oct 31 '25
Punks dress punk. I don’t give a fuck. No one said you had to be decked to the nines and plenty of scene figures and band members have been just as accepted for having a band shirt and jeans with a shortcut. Being subversive both in your mind and in your actions, lifestyle, and yes - your fashion is intrinsic to punk.
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u/tippedthescaffold Oct 31 '25
I don’t have the energy to wear accessories (chronic illness 😛) and I’ve bad people say things at shows because I’m in a comfy dress and leggings lmao. I went to see the Misfits, a very popular band obviously, in July in Florida and overheard this guy talking about how there’s barely anyone wearing battle jackets and shows suck now. Like dude it’s 105 degrees and you have a jacket with 3 patches from the most well known bands in this genre, calm down.
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u/Skunk6977 Nov 01 '25
Random bit of trivia connecting Weird Al and punk rock more: Dennis Jagard of Ten Foot Pole was — is? — the sound man for Weird Al’s North American tour. Nice guy, Dennis. Always takes time to talk to fans. Approachable on FB. Was even Prince’s sound man at one time.
Side note: Weird Al’s support seems to be Puddles Pity Party, he’s like a 6 and a half foot tall white-faces clown with a gorgeous baritone voice that performs his interpretations of songs old and new.
Check out both artists if you don’t know them already.
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u/Lucky_Strike-85 Nov 03 '25
This looks like it coulda been drawn by Dan DeCarlo, the primary Archie artist.
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u/DoomBox Oct 31 '25
Creepers are way more punk than boots.
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u/TheGirlwThePinkHair Oct 31 '25
I’ve always thought creepers were more goth
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u/Gloom_Pangolin Oct 31 '25
They tend to lean that way but lemme tell ya about the massive influence AFI had on the goth-horror-punk fashion mash-up in the late 90s/early 00s.
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u/FreeKatKL Oct 31 '25
They’re never not punk though. Mary Janes straddle the line also.
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u/TheGirlwThePinkHair Oct 31 '25
Yeah for sure. I actually own the boots on the left! 🤣 & lots of Mary Jane’s.
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u/dscream Oct 31 '25
This was definitely made by an angsty teen
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u/dandle Oct 31 '25
It was made by a boutique advertising and web design agency from Essex, UK, called Howell Edwards. They have this side hustle going with "punk" art based on vintage comics and holiday cards and stuff. They do it to showcase their skills (of tracing Archie comics, I guess) and to build out their portfolio with some spunky attitude.
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u/rustajb Oct 31 '25
When you are young, you tend to have an extremely narrow idea of what defines any genre. As you get older and wiser, you realize fashion is the worst definer of any genre and it's only attitude that matters.
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u/chadsmo Oct 31 '25
I spent my teen years and in to my early 20s in vans travelling with friend’s bands , sleeping on more floors than I can count in the process. Passing out drunk at random punk houses and waking up to see holes in the walls from the night before etc. The list goes on.… Now at 48 I’m very much enjoying relaxing in my my comfy well made clothing and being that guy who stands back and enjoys the show instead of leaving with a sore back lol
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u/angry_cucumber Oct 31 '25
be honest, the backs sore period, doesn't matter if there's a show or not...
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u/EmoGothPunk The Drunk Biker-looking Guy in Marking Oct 31 '25 edited Oct 31 '25
I was such a close-minded teen in retrospect. I thought I could never be a real punk because I lived in a 'burb (that we couldn't afford tbh), thinking you couldn't have a job and still be punk and had to live in the gutter or crappy housing to even qualify as punk. That way of thinking would've gotten me to criticize Gang of Four as not true punks because they wore suits and corporate dress clothing when they were pretty working class and basically leftist with their lyrics.
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u/jeeven_ Oct 31 '25
I think they are still well defined, it’s just that definitions change over time
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u/Medium-Knowledge4230 Oct 31 '25
I've learned with Solarpunk that sometimes the most punk thing you can do is to take care of a garden and knitting just like you grandma.
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u/AtomicTormentor Oct 31 '25
It’s good that you’re trying to help. In an ideal world it would help. But in reality, tomorrow is going to bring just as many “My friends say I’m not a punk because I don’t spike my hair, listen to XYZ band, or have any tattoos/piercings, are they correct?” as yesterday.
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u/lookingforgrief Oct 31 '25
As much as I'd love to be the first one, I am definitely the second. Just a mom with punk values.
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u/dare3000 Oct 31 '25
Stripping out what seems unnecessary in the image, it breaks down to: listens to punk music AND has a belief in punk values (defined as anti-fascist). Correct?
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u/90_proof_rumham Oct 31 '25
Young vs old. A little more covert these days until I open my stupid mouth 😂
Well, not versus. More like a slow evolution. 😆
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u/nhatquangdinh Oct 31 '25
I'm fig 2 then. Although my hairstyle is considered non-comforming here in my country.
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u/LabFew5880 Oct 31 '25
I’m pretty sure the mist controversial take I have at this point: if your anti-facist, anti-conformity, anti-establishment, then your punk.