Commercialization of Punk and the Question of Ideology

The commodification of any subculture or movement that is threatening or different than the mainstream culture, is almost always inevitable, ultimately dulling their social resistance. They are turned inside out and exploited for a profit as they grow in popularity and become marketable. The defining look of punk DIY fashion has often been incorporated into luxury designer brands. The punk style can now be bought at retail stores like Hot Topic or Dolls Kill, a style that specifically advocated against corporate consumerism and for individualism and the ability to make your own clothing. The music industry has exploited the movement for profit, furthermore helping to commercialize punk and strip it of its root values. Essentially everything that the punk ideology was (DIY, individualism, anti-capitalism, anti-establishment and non-conformity), has now been reduced down to nothing but a product of popular consumption. 

But is this entirely true?

There's an argument that the domestication of the punk movement hasn't completely nullified the movements ability to disturb and disrupt. Punk bands that have gained global commercial success by signing to big record labels like Rage Against the Machine, Green Day, and Chumbawamba, are often credited for their political lyrics and activism. By gaining a larger platform, it becomes easier for punk bands to spread their message and involve those around the globe. It becomes easier for bands to raise money for different causes. Boff Waulley, guitarist for Chumbawamba said in an interview: "We know what we are doing. It's not as if we are naïve. We understand the relationship between band and label. We are trying to use them to sell whatever message we have and the music we make, and they use that to make a profit... If they are good at getting our records widely distributed, we acknowledge their role."

Overall, it begs the question of whether or not the commercialization of the punk movement has left it for dead. Was the punk ideology abandoned entirely? On one hand the entire movement itself is exploited for profit and is made for popular consumerism. On the other hand, it allows for punk bands to take advantage of the large platform given to them in order to spread their message and contribute to social issues.

Link:

Vogue: The Punk Trend: 10 Stylish Pieces to Invest in