The Punk Edit Phenomenon: Yay Or Nay? : Noda Luka

The Punk Edit Phenomenon: Yay Or Nay?

at Aug, 24 2015

If you are not familiar with this Twitter phenomenon, the Punk Edit is the name given to that trend that consists in editing photos of celebrities or pop culture icons with Photoshop or online softwares, to add them tattoos, piercings and alternative looks.
If many Disney princesses and political leaders have had the punk treatment already, the coveted subjects are mostly teenagers’ crushes, youtubers we adults barely know, as well as the stars of gossip pages. But the internet community is irritated by the term. “Punk? Really, kiddo ?” they say.
Does our young generation really believe that tattoos, tunnels and Ramones t-shirts are making you a punk?
Look at Miley Cyrus and ~~her twin sister~~ Justin Bieber. They think that with tattoos, provocative behaviours and “badass” looks they can pretend to be punk and, in their mind, cool. Even with punk tattoos, they could not erase the fact they are products of the system and thus, totally not punk.
Punk is protesting. But let’s go back to the Punk Edit trend. Back then, we used to doodle on the magazines, adding moustaches and blackenning teeths of the then celebs. It is the social network, digital tools version of our teenagers’ graffiti.
And now, it is even considered as art. Cheyenne Randall became famous by photoshopping ancient icons of Hollywood. The goal is to give a more badass, sexy and nonconformist look to recognizable role models. It could be punk only if it was not trendy, and used to reject these celebs. But basically, it’s celebrating them. Again, the internet community is divided.
Cool, not cool?
Perhaps we could just call that the Tattoo Edit or the Fun Edit, because it is what it is. A guilty pleasure. And also a wish to see more tattooed celebs, preferably with good tattoos…
Until we see that happening, what we prefer is real tattoos (and if you want, of celebrities)…