The punk anthology I just received for Christmas includes a book with the usual critical puffery.
In it, however, is this observation: that when “punk” considered itself a “movement”, it allowed for a great range of individual styles and expressions under its umbrella; but when it began to act like a “genre” it ossified, and you end up with pop punk and Maximum RnR fanaticism.
It strikes me that it’s not the most original insight, but that doesn’t make it less valid; it also strikes me that you could comfortably insert the word “slam” in place of “punk” and not damage the truth of the statement too much.
Dark Matter 
January 19th, 2004 at 6:36 pm
Re: I had.
It’s the second part for me…although I’d like to think that there’s more to learn there…
I think we overestimate slam’s mainstream popularity. We’re a subculture, one that beleives in its own universality, whereas the truth is I have to explain a poetry slam to the larger proportion of the people I mention it to.
January 19th, 2004 at 6:32 pm
Yeah, I think so too…
and I guess the only thing I’d be looking to say about it is this: that its antithesis may breed its next phase.
I’m not sure what that means yet.
January 19th, 2004 at 1:50 pm
I’ve been thinking about this too Tony. When it becomes genre, that means that there will be tropes, expected affectations of style and then it defeats itself, especially if what the “genre” is espousing is self-expression.
January 19th, 2004 at 1:26 pm
I think it’s a valid point, vis a vis both punk and slam, but it’s hard to articulate any feeling beyond that.
January 19th, 2004 at 8:26 am
I had.
A similar thought occured to me while working tonight which lead me to the question…Is it inherent in every movement (for lack of a better word at 3am) to lose its truth and honesty, and thus it’s integrity, once mainstream popularity is becomes apparent, or is it that those involved in said movement grow disillusioned not so much by it’s mass appeal but more by the idea that they have learned what there is for them to learn?
Stuck in the middle of the question itself.
love~dawn