Pre Class response to Dick Hebdige

The part of the reading that I enjoyed the most was the section about the ideological form. It is explained that certain sub-cultures seem dangerous, but at the same time have been co-opted into our culture to be accepted. A good example of this is the punk culture. Punk culture originates arguably in New York City, in a pre 1977 scene in Andy Warhol’s doll factory (practice space for The New York Dolls). It is often perceived that punk culture started in England, because the punk culture in England caught on a lot faster there. The fact that it is understood by most that this music scene started in England is a great example of how the counter-culture has been co-opted into a society that needed it. In the mid 1970’s kids in England were fed up with police brutality, and the treatment of the lower middle class, which is why angry punk music caught on so well for them. Today, we see that punk music has been co-opted into our mainstream society, with the induction of The Sex Pistols into the rock and roll hall of fame, and The Who having a huge contract with CBS’s nighttime dramas (as well as their multi-million dollar deal with the super bowl in 2010). Stuart Hall has a few pieces about the co-optation of counter-culture. Because counter culture will always be co-opted into our mainstream society (due to big business seeing it as a commodity i.e. $$$), counter culture will always change. Take the music scene in Seattle Washington in the early 90’s. No one could have ever guessed that a band like Nirvana (so rebellious) would ever appeal to 15-year-old kids living in the suburbs across the world. The fact that it did made grunge music (and culture) commodified. The counter-culture will always change, but will always end up being bought out by big business, and eventually lose its cultural aspects.