Steampunk isn't Punk...

[arcane]

I made a Steamcrunk picture for my avatar 

[Josh of Vernian Process]

That is awesome! 

[OHebel Wring]

Oooh kay,

I just finished sifting through 9 pages of posts on this one and thought that I might want to chime in.

I saw a lot of people posting back around page 4 or 5 about “when I was running in ______ circles, I had this conversation."  I had the same conversation when I was running around with the kids that called themselves punks, the kids that called themselves goths, etc. etc.  But it wasn’t until I started teaching high school and seeing the alternative kids have the same conversations where I had the epiphany that I did.

1.)   To label yourself is dangerous.  By doing this, you are putting your faith in the understanding that the label you use will not be misinterpreted by the listener.  The reason language works (sometimes) is because I move my mouth and utter sounds (or insert typed-analogies here) and you are able to listen, evaluate, and interpret those sounds to have meaning.  If the word “punk” is used, you had better be sure that the listener knows exactly what you mean or else you will have a problem.  And self-labeling ALWAYS causes this problem, whether you use “Steampunk”, “Goth”, “Christian”, “Libertarian”, etc.  All labels have connotations that may or may not be what you are going for.  So be aware of what it means to label.
2.)   The Ramones and the Sex Pistols never actually labeled themselves “punk”.  They were labeled by those around them.  They just had a style of music and dress that allowed them to be labeled together by a 3rd party.  When I was into the punk thing, that was just it.  I wasn’t a punk, but I was into punk music, into punk dress, etc.  The tougher punks I knew would never actually say that they were punks.  The 3rd party did.  The ones that actually labeled themselves were the posers... and were disrespected by those that actually were into the thing.
3.)   On or around page 2, someone used the phrase “Steampunk enthusiast”.  I think this is probably the most appropriate label if you need a label.  You are people that have an interest in some aspect of this genre, be it the literature, the films, the modding, what have you.  It’s not that you are steampunk, it is that you are into the steampunk thing.  So dress the way you want to dress, and if you meet others like you… Cool, mod the way you want to mod, if you have some personal rebellion against technology or whatever, fine.  But just know that you are not a steampunk, you are just a person who is into the steampunk thing.

Hopefully that doesn’t make too many people mad…..


-Patrick

[Jake von Slatt]

Welcome! and great post!  It really expresses a lot of my own sentiments better then I fear I have.

I'm going to suggest that this would be a good point to lock this thread.

I am not saying that we should end the discussion, but there have been so many different things expressed here that the thread in it's entirety has become a great muddle.

What say you all ?

[fmra]

Hopefully that doesn’t make too many people mad…..

We were quite mad to begin with, you needn't worry about making us angry   I agree with you and I agree with vonSlatt.  I think this topic may be nearing the end of useful debate, if it has not already passed it.

[OHebel Wring]

it DID take an awefully long time to read through 9 pages....

but I feel that I am a better man because of it.

And thanks!  Hello everyone.

P

[Josh of Vernian Process]

Ok since I started this thread, can I have the last post?? 

I totally agree with OHebel Wring, and that's kind of the point I was trying to get at all along.

It isn't a Steampunk scene, it's a genre that pertains to a variety of things from Literature, Film, Art, and Music, to Fashion, Tinkering, and Inventing.

Those that enjoy it are indeed Steampunk entusiasts. In fact might I be so bold as to suggest we add this definition to the FAQ Andy and Amanda posted?

Cheers all! Lovely to have a community with such passionate, insightful, and well mannered members!

[Datamancer]

Christ is this thread still going? I lost it somewhere around page 3.

Let's all stop bickering and get back to what's really important.

SteamFUNK!!



And let's not get into a Steamfunker-than-thou debate, because Bootsy beats you all.

[Josh of Vernian Process]

Dagnamit

I wanted the last word on this thread 

Bootsy is the shizzle fo rizzle. But I'm always partial to Parliament myself.