Punk Rock is essentially all about sticking it to the man. That's right, the man. Who's "the man", you ask? The man is basically the force, (political, religious, economic, social) that causes problems, allows for fixable problems to keep occurring, and keeps us all in line. Not a very likable character, is he? Punk artists have made it their goal to disassociate themselves with "the man" as much as possible. This has led to many shocking ways of offending the commonly accepted language, actions, and attitudes of many in today's society.

To give you an idea of just how anti-establishment punk rock can be, picture this. In November of 2005, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced that it was going to induct the Sex Pistols, one of the UK's leading original punk bands. The Sex Pistols declined the offer, saying they wouldn't partake in the event.

As well as being anti-political, punk rock can also be seen as anti-musical, being a reaction against all the styles of popular music and the music industry. It holds very little or no ties toward the many sought after qualities of the music industry, such as talent, effort and commercial success. Qualities such as these have been heavily exploited by the music industry and have therefore become corrupted themselves, pressuring the artists to sell out, or move towards mainstream music.

So the next time you feel oppressed, disturbed, bothered, or angered by something, try listening to some punk music. The sound may take a little getting used to, but don't give up on it right away. Punk music is about doing whatever it takes to express yourself freely and to escape from the ordinary way of living; remember, if you don't want to let "the man" get you down, try getting into the punk revolution through music.