Mimi Nguyen presents an argument
that an American ethos can be found even in the counterculture, supposed unification,
punk rock community. She contends that the evasion of confronting white
hegemony in the genre simply reproduces power dynamics within the musical
community under the guise of inclusion, regarding race, gender, and sexuality
as assumptively included and punk as “transcending” these issues (Nguyen). Nguyen
provides that the aspiration of “common culture” in punk does little to recognize
the implicit neutrality of whiteness and the otherization of race. Providing
one’s racial, gendered, or sexual identity is therefore considered issue
surfacing rather than truly common in the “supposedly democratic communities.”
There then becomes tension in the promotion of individuality within the punk
community, as some forms of individuality are promoted and celebrated within
the “common culture” while others are not. She argues that this is due to the whitestraightboy
hegemony that “organizes punk,” and is thus central to the character of punk
and the identity of its adherents.
Nguyen continues to liken the
hegemonic promotion of “rugged individualism” as teetering toward neo-conservative
ideals of equality, rather than providing a referendum on demographic equity. “The
idea of transcendence obscures oppression.” Mimi Nguyen continues to recognize
and confront the inherent privilege within a community that attempts to “extract
[themselves] from the context of social relations.”
I chose to feature “The Way I am” by
Eminem. Eminem has an interesting place in the history of hip hop, incorporating
many anti-establishment tenets of the punk rock community and of course being
the most famous white rapper of all time. It is arguable that his whiteness is
central to this song’s critical reception, having gone platinum while featuring
a dark, emotional, and introspective lyrics, some of which he derived from hip
hop legends Eric B and Rakim on their song “Rhyme Goes On.” The hip hop
elements allow Eminem to diverge from some of the issue surfacing problems that
punk rock experience.
“Sleep Now
in the Fire” by Rage Against the Machine offers an honest critique of the power
dynamics that Mimi Nguyen is arguing often get lost due to the centrality of
whiteness in punk. The group recognizes that these issues are central and have
not been transcended.
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