Style
      Report:
      Another
      Nail
      in
      the
      Coffin
      of
     
     
      Accessible
      Discourse
      or:
      Quick,
      Where’s
      My
     
     
      —
      Part
      2
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Having
      more
      or
      less
      adequate-
     
     
      ly
      described
      the
      hardcore
      fashion
      phe-
     
     
      nomenon,
      I
      would
      now
      like
      to
      under-
     
     
      take
      some
      analysis
      of
      the
      parallels
     
     
      between
      hardcore
      subculture
      and
     
     
      mainstream
      attire.
      What
      with
      the
     
     
      omnipresent
      concerns
      within
      any
      sub-
     
     
      culture
      about
      its
      co-option
      by
      “the
     
     
      mainstream,”
      the
      first
      question
      one
     
     
      must
      ask
      is
      whether
      this
      is
      an
      example
     
     
      of
      the
      mainstream
      being
      informed
      by,
     
     
      and
      profiting
      from
      a
      style
      pioneered
      in
     
     
      the
      underground,
      or
      whether
      it
      indi-
     
     
      cates
      more
      generally
      the
      commercial-
     
     
      ization
      of
      this
      particular
      musical
      sub-
     
     
      culture.
      Whether
      or
      not
      this
      question
     
    

    
     
      _
      is
      even
      answerable
      short
      of
      an
      (essen-
     
     
      tially
      impossible)
      empirical
      study
      of
     
     
      the
      time-line
      to
      trace
      the
      emergence
      of
     
     
      the
      trends
      in
      each
      arena,
      it
      is
      important
     
    
   
   
    
     
      to
      recognize
      that,
      like
      many
      20th
      cen-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      tury
      (and
      perhaps,
      foreseeably,
      215¢
     
     
      century)
      fashion
      trends,
      hardcore
      chic
     
     
      borrows
      liberally
      from
      a
      number
      of
     
     
      different
      eras
      and
      areas
      of
      fashion
     
     
      (punk,
      metal,
      rockabilly,
      60’s
      mod,
     
     
      50’s
      nerd
      attire,
      even
      goth
      to
      a
      certain
     
     
      extent),
      and
      in
      this
      respect
      it
      repre-
     
     
      sents
      a
      sort
      of
      pastiche
      of
      different
     
     
      styles,
      perhaps
      in
      the
      process
      of
      con-
     
     
      gealing
      into
      an
      accessible,
      easily
     
     
      packaged
      format
      for
      the
      mainstream.
     
     
      It
      seems
      most
      likely
      that,
     
     
      rather
      than
      one
      necessarily
      prefacing
     
     
      and
      informing
      the
      other,
      this
      style
      is
     
     
      the
      result
      of
      a
      feedback
      loop
      of
      sorts,
     
     
      illustrating
      the
      give
      and
      take
      which
     
     
      occurs
      as
      underground
      fashion
      sensi-
     
     
      bilities
      inevitably
      find
      their
      way
      into
     
     
      the
      mainstream,
      and
      likewise,
      more
     
     
      “mainstream”
      individuals
      and
      aspects
     
     
      of
      identity
      enter
      into
      the
      subculture.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      This
      might
      simply
      be
      a
      matter
      of
      the
      |
     
    
   
   
    
     
      increasing
      permeability
      and
      transience
     
     
      of
      the
      boundaries
      which
      define
      the
     
     
      subculture
      and
      separate
      it
      from
      the
     
     
      dominant
      culture,
      for,
      especially
      in
      the
     
     
      case
      of
      subcultures
      that
      do
      not
      explic-
     
     
      itly
      define
      themselves
      in
      contrast
      to
      or
     
     
      defiance
      of
      the
      dominant
      culture,
      the
     
     
      shared
      participation
      of
      individuals
      in
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Jargon?
      I
      Have
      a
      Public
      to
      Alienate
     
    
   
   
    
     
      by
      Jonah
      CAMPBELL
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      underground
      and
      mainstream
     
     
      eventually
      leads
      to
      the
      blurring
      of
     
     
      such
      distinctions,
      and
      some
      would
      say,
     
     
      the
      complete
      absorption
      (if
      not
      total
     
     
      assimilation,
      in
      that
      the
      subculture
      has
     
     
      also
      influenced
      the
      constitution
      or
     
     
      appearance
      of
      the
      mainstream
      in
      the
     
     
      process
      of
      it’s
      own
      consumption)
      of
     
     
      the
      subculture
      into
      the
      dominant
      cul-
     
     
      ture.
     
    

    
     
      Accordingly,
      I
      would
      suggest
     
     
      that
      the
      hardcore
      scene,
      as
      it
      currently
     
     
      stands
      (as
      a
      home
      to
      hardcore
      chic)
      is
     
     
      such
      a
      subculture
      that
      does
      not
      attempt
     
     
      to
      define
      itself
      against
      or
      in
      rejection
     
     
      of
      the
      mainstream.
      As
      such,
      it
      is
      not
      a
     
     
      counter-culture,
      and
      so,
      returning
      to
     
     
      the
      beginning
      of
      this
      article,
      I
      would
     
     
      not
      deem
      the
      term
      co-option
      as
      appro-
     
     
      priate
      to
      describe
      this
      adoption
      of
     
     
      some
      elements
      of
      hardcore
      style
      by
     
     
      the
      mainstream.
     
    

    
     
      Some
      explanation
      of
      terms
      is
     
     
      needed
      in
      order
      to
      clarify
      this.
      Co-
     
     
      option,
      as
      it
      is
      commonly
      used,
      refers
     
     
      to
      the
      appropriation
      of
      something
      (be
     
     
      it
      imagery,
      language,
      etc.)
      and
      subse-
     
     
      quent
      draining
      of
      it’s
      original
      mes-
     
     
      sage,
      meaning,
      or
      radicalizing
      poten-
     
     
      tial,
      for
      use
      by
      and
      integration
      into
     
     
      another
      body
      (usually
      one
      which
     
     
      stands
      in
      non-accordance
      with
      the
     
     
      original
      message
      of
      whatever
      has
      been
     
     
      subjected
      to
      co-option).
      Since
      hard-
     
     
      core
      does
      not
      feature
      as
      one
      of
      its
     
     
      essential
      characteristics
      this
      radical
      or
     
     
      anti-mainstream
      perspective,
      it’s
      asso-
     
     
      ciation
      with
      the
      mainstream
      is
      less
      an
     
     
      example
      of
      co-option
      as
      it
      is
      one
      of
     
     
      integration,
      or
      even
      co-operation.
     
    

    
     
      Some
      individuals,
      (perhaps
     
     
      myself
      included)
      might
      argue
      that
      the
     
     
      existence
      of
      hardcore
      as
      an
      apolitical
     
     
      subculture
      is
      testament
      to
      the
      ongoing
     
     
      co-option
      and
      assimilation
      of
      the
      cul-
     
     
      ture
      by
      the
      mainstream
      which
      has
     
     
      already
      been
      occurring
      for
      quite
      some
     
     
      time.
      While
      this
      is
      entirely
      possible,
      it
     
     
      seems
      to
      rely
      on
      a
      definition
      of
      hard-
     
     
      core
      which
      is
      not
      amenable
      to
      the
     
     
      hardcore
      subculture
      which
      is
      being
     
    
   
   
    
     
      dealt
      with
      here,
      ie:
      that
      which
      accom-
     
     
      panies
      the
      style
      of
      dress
      described
     
     
      above
      (the
      very
      fact
      that
      I
      am
      defining
     
     
      a
      subculture
      in
      terms
      of
      what
      accords
     
     
      to
      its
      fashion
      is
      probably
      questionable
     
     
      in
      itself,
      as
      opposed
      to
      focussing
      on
     
     
      the
      fundamentals
      of
      the
      culture
      and
     
     
      considering
      fashion
      only
      as
      it
      is
      repre-
     
     
      sented
      as
      an
      essential
      part
      of
      this,
      but
     
     
      dammit,
      this
      is
      a
      fashion
      column
      after
     
     
      all,
      Jesus
      Christ).
     
    

    
     
      This
      might
      be
      made
      clearer
      by
     
     
      contrasting
      it
      with
      the
      example
      of
     
     
      punk
      fashion
      and
      it’s
      relationship
      to
     
     
      the
      mainstream.
      In
      the
      case
      of
      main-
     
     
      stream
      fashion
      adopting
      elements
      of
     
     
      punk
      attire,
      I
      would
      suggest
      that
      the
     
     
      concept
      of
      co-option
      is
      applicable.
     
     
      This
      is
      defensible
      even
      avoiding
     
     
      entirely
      the
      political
      rhetoric
      and
     
     
      ideals
      of
      punk
      (the
      uniformity
      and
     
     
      even
      existence
      of
      which
      are
      debatable
     
     
      in
      the
      first
      place)
      and
      focussing
      entire-
     
     
      ly
      on
      the
      fashion
      element.
      Punk
      rock
     
     
      had
      an
      undeniably
      significant
      fashion
     
     
      component,
      which,
      both
      implicitly
      and
     
     
      explicitly,
      through
      its
      rips
      and
      tears,
     
     
      patches,
      pins
      and
      spikes
      and
      generally
     
     
      fearsome
      (or
      to
      many,
      loathsome)
     
     
      appearance,
      constituted
      an
      attack
      upon
     
     
      conventional
      norms
      of
      beauty,
      propri-
     
     
      ety
      and
      order.
      Even
      if
      the
      style
      was
     
     
      adopted
      for
      shock
      appeal
      alone,
      or
     
     
      worse,
      trendiness
      alone,
      the
      shock
      was
     
     
      effected,
      and
      the
      rebellion
      against
     
     
      contemporary
      mores
      was
      successful,
     
     
      so
      long
      as
      the
      offence
      was
      made.
     
    

    
     
      The
      repugnance
      with
      which
     
     
      the
      mainstream
      viewed
      punk
      fashion
     
     
      makes
      its
      eventual
      appropriation
     
     
      thereof
      all
      the
      more
      frustrating
      to
     
     
      punk
      rockers,
      and
      further
      illustrates
     
     
      how
      this
      constitutes
      an
      instance
      of
      co-
     
     
      option,
      rather
      than
      integration.
      The
     
     
      punk
      appearance
      was
      intended
      to
     
     
      shock
      and
      offend,
      and
      ultimately
      the
     
     
      particulars
      of
      the
      style
      were
      articulat-
     
     
      ed
      less
      in
      pursuit
      of
      a
      certain
      ideal
     
     
      than
      they
      were
      engineered
      to
      operate
     
    
   
   
    
     
      as
      the
      antithesis
      of
      British
      conser-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      vatism.
      As
      such,
      when
      a
      fashion
      such
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      author
      in
      his
      salad
      days.
     
     
      as
      this
      is
      employed
      as
      a
      part
      of,
      or
      in
     
     
      support
      of
      the
      system
      which
      it
      origi-
     
     
      nally
      sought
      to
      disrupt,
      it
      has
      been
     
     
      effectively
      co-opted.
     
    

    
     
      As
      a
      closing
      note,
      it
      might
      be
     
     
      said
      that
      any
      fashion
      which
      seeks
      as
     
     
      its
      primary
      aim
      to
      offend
      against
      order
     
     
      and
      mainstream
      sensibilities,
      must
     
     
      necessarily
      be
      flexible
      enough
      to
     
     
      change
      and
      adapt
      as
      the
      mainstream
     
     
      becomes
      more
      familiar
      with,
      and
     
     
      hence
      is
      less
      shocked
      by
      the
      counter-
     
     
      culture’s
      appearance.
      Essentially,
      the
     
     
      spirit
      of
      rebellion
      residing
      in
      the
      style
     
     
      must
      be
      able
      to
      separate
      itself
      from
     
     
      preoccupation
      with
      aesthetics
      if
      it
     
     
      wishes
      to
      continue
      to
      be
      cutting-edge
     
     
      and
      upsetting,
      for
      if
      there
      is
      too
      much
     
     
      connection
      to,
      or
      fondness
      for,
      the
     
     
      clothes
      themselves,
      then
      it
      will
      be
      dif-
     
     
      ficult
      to
      separate
      the
      essence
      from
      the
     
     
      artifice
      when
      fashion
      loses
      its
      shock
     
     
      appeal.
     
    

    
     
      Thus,
      any
      stylistic
      expression
     
     
      of
      resistance
      must
      constantly
      renew
     
     
      itself,
      lest
      it
      become
      too
      concerned
     
     
      with
      the
      material
      and
      fall
      into
      obsoles-
     
     
      cence.
      It
      seems
      strange
      that
      rebellion
     
     
      must
      then,
      in
      a
      sense,
      strive
      to
      be
      like
     
     
      the
      mainstream,
      which
      constructs
     
     
      itself
      in
      service
      of
      the
      popular
      or
     
     
      trendy,
      donning
      and
      doffing
      outfits
      as
     
     
      they
      go
      in
      and
      out
      of
      favour,
      for
      if
      the
     
     
      mainstream
      dwells
      too
      long
      on
      partic-
     
     
      ular
      styles,
      it
      too
      eventually
      grows
     
     
      unpopular
      and
      recedes
      into
      obsoles-
     
     
      cence.
     
    

    
     
      Boy,
      am
      I
      pretentious.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      [7]