The Punks are Alright

What is punk music? Many people describe punk music as angry and aggressive, but does that make it a bad thing? The documentary The Punks are Alright follows three groups of punk musicians in Canada, Brazil, and Indonesia. The documentary shows what punk music represents to the people in these different countries. The Punks are Alright tells the stories of these punk musicians and how punk music has changed their lives. It shows how each one of the artist are connected to each other despite being thousands of miles apart. They all go through similar struggles with religion, politics, economics, tolerance and other barriers in their lives.

            In America today, punk music is often frowned upon. Many see punk music as a genre of music that consists primarily of angry shouting accompanied by aggressive drumming and repetitive guitar chords. Punk music in America has evolved into something far less aggressive and more structured to please modern, western society. The youth in America use punk music as a way lash out and protest the thing around them. In Brazil and Indonesia, punk music is used in the same way. The difference between the two is what they are lashing out against. Brazil and Indonesia are both third world countries that are polluted with corruption and poverty. The problems faced by the youth in these cultures are far more extreme than the problems with which American youth typically deal.

 The documentary follows a young punk artist from Brazil named Henrike. Henrike lives in one of the most dangerous places in the world. The daily life there is centered on drugs and violence. The county is overcome with poverty. The citizens of Brazil are extremely poor and have next to nothing. Drugs run rampant through Brazil and cause extreme violence throughout the country. People die every night as a result of this extreme violence. The people of Brazil have no money, no jobs, and no way to stop the violence that surrounds them. As a result they spend their whole lives feeling powerless. These conditions greatly influence the outcome of Brazil’s youth. The youth of Brazil all want something more. They want money and most of all that want a sense of power over their life. Many of the young people in Brazil insert themselves into the on-going drug war in search of money and power over their lives. Henrike grew up in the same conditions as most of the young people in Brazil that join the drug war; however, he was able to find a different source of power in his life. Henrike used punk music as his way to find power. Henrike, in true punk fashion, rebelled against society by performing music that encouraged sobriety and spoke out against violence. .  He became a punk artist and started protesting against capitalism and globalization. Finding empowerment through punk music helped him with many of his problems in life but it also created new ones. Henrike was raised Catholic and lived in a very religious place. Punk music created conflict between him and his religion. He was also faced with intolerance from the religious community because he was a punk artist. Despite the troubles that came with being a punk artist in Brazil, Henrike maintains that punk music is the best thing that could have happened to him. It is what brought him his wife, his kids, and his happiness.    

The documentary also follows the young punk artist Dolly, from Indonesia. Indonesia is another third world country that suffers greatly from poverty. There is also a great amount of violence that surrounds the people of Indonesia, though it is not through drug wars. Indonesia is often the victim of religious fundamentalist attacks. Dolly grew up in a poverty stricken family like most of the people in Indonesia. The economic conditions in Indonesia have greatly affected Dolly’s life. He continues to live with his parents because he cannot make enough money to go out and live on his own. Dolly must make a two hour commute to his job where he is treated terribly and makes very little money just to support his family. Despite working in an abusive environment and making next to no money, Dolly still considers himself lucky. Having a job of any kind is considered a blessing, and he works very hard to keep it. Dolly uses punk music as a way to escape from the hardship around him. Dolly also uses punk music as a way of empowering himself. Dolly uses punk music to fight against the fundamentalist religion that attacks his country.

The stories of Dolly and Henrike have definitely changed my perception of youth in Brazil and Indonesia. I would not have thought that the youth in such poor countries would have much of their own identity or influence at all. The stories of Dolly and Henrike are evidence that this idea is wrong. I was shocked at how optimistic both Dolly and Henrike were despite the conditions they live in. The youth in both these countries have had to overcome incredible and scary barriers in their lives in order to express themselves and make a difference. After watching this documentary, I see them as brave and incredible groups of young people. Witnessing the struggles and the hardship that the youth in Indonesia and Brazil go through makes it hard for youth in America to relate to them. Despite differences in their society and culture, the youth in Indonesia and Brazil are actually quite similar. The youth in America and in Indonesia and Brazil all share a similar need to express ourselves. One of the best ways we do that is through music. We use punk music as a way to rebel against society. We also share a similar desire to change the world around us. Youth culture, around the world and throughout history, acts as the driving force in political, cultural, and societal movements. 

Globalization plays a large part in the lives of both Dolly and Henrike. Globalization has both positive and negative effects. Through globalization, western culture has begun to dominate the world. This results in the cultural “gray outs” of other countries such as Indonesia and Brazil. On the positive side, globalization can also cause cultural empowerment. Punk music began in white labor factories and through globalization reached other countries such as Indonesia and Brazil. Punk music is a symptom of cultural gray out as well as cultural empowerment. Globalization is part of what connects my life and the things I do back to Brazil and Indonesia. The choices we make in western society have the power to change cultural values in other countries. The factories for western products that are run through third world counties like Indonesia are a large part of what ties us together economically. We are able to buy goods such as shoes at a lower price in the U.S. because the cost of making them in countries like Indonesia is so small. These factories cause part of the economic problems in Indonesia because they pay such low wages but they are also part of what helps the economy by providing jobs. Politically we affect these other countries through our global policies, which are determined by the people we elect into office.    

Many people describe punk music as angry and aggressive screaming which requires no talent. These people would be right. Punk music is aggressive and often angry, and you don’t need talent to do it, but that does not make it a bad thing. Punk music is not about talent or even sounding good. Punk music is more or less about protest. It is first and foremost a means of expressing how you feel and making a statement. Punk music may not be the nicest or have the best sound but it is powerful. Punk music has been a tool of empowerment since it was created. The best thing about punk music is not the way it sounds but the way it influences, and changes people.