Editorial: Green Day is a Gateway Drug to the History of Punk

[Fuzz]

We have a new editorial on GDA written by Tanya (GDM), you should all go read it here.

http://www.greendaya....com/news/3673/

Here's the first couple paragraphs:

A few years ago, I was talking with a fellow Green Day fan about the countless arguments people have over whether Green Day is "punk," is "punk enough, is "power pop," is "pop punk," is "rock" or "punk sellouts." Musically difficult to place, whatever 'genre' you put them into, certainly doesn't stop people who attempt to place them into a neat and tidy box. Comments and conversations about the topic over the Interwebs and in person boggle my mind, as do the constant arguments people have over what defines punk (Unique lifestyle? Cutting-edge community? Extreme individualism? Blood, sex and booze? Straightedge? Distinctive political ideals, fashion?), who is eligible to be called punk (Live the lifestyle to its fullest? Is professing an affinity enough?), or who is qualified to listen to it or even attend shows. A punk once told me that punks don't even call themselves punk anymore!

I continued talking with my friend as I got hotter and madder and more animated about the topic, and I said: I don't understand why people dissed Green Day so much in regards to their "punkdom." The band professes love for an eclectic variety of music, but as people, it's obvious that they are Northern California punks at heart. I harped, "these guys are punk to their soul, and because of them, fans of Green Day are exposed not only to the band's back catalog--whose foundations are punk and pop--but also hundreds of bands that they express deep, undying 'bro-love' for. They're like... like... a gateway drug to the history of punk!!!" She chuckled at that phrase and I had to laugh because I said it so adamantly.

Read the rest over on GDA and leave your thoughts below

[Todd]

Green Day is a gateway to Punk. If it wasnt for Green Day, I wouldn't know about and love Operation Ivy, Rancid, Ramones, Misfits, The Clash, not to mention Emily's Army, Pinhead Gunpowder, Frustrators....etc

[Mandy_PunkRock]

Great editorial! That was very well-written!

[Guest MadeInRatCity]

Well written. I wish punk to go below the radar again.

[Clockwise]

Green Day was my gateway to pretty much everything.

[braverpunk22]

Green Day inspired alot of great punk. Then they became, well, not so punk (or good). The band Braver from minneapolis reminds me of what Green Day used to be and what could've continued had they not chosen their.. well, "current" route.

http://bravermpls.bandcamp.com

and the albums free. treasure this shit before it blows up, kids.

[mbk]

It's nice to see a phrase I coined getting so much traction!

http://nothingwrongw...t-save-my-life/

"Green Day was my gateway drug into punk."

(It's the very last line.)

[mbk]

Last night I thought it was pretty funny, but now that I've had time to think about it, I'm really kind of pissed. I coined a phrase that is unusual and insightful ("Green Day was my gateway drug into punk") and then it gets used as a centerpiece of an editorial.

I don't think that Tanya did it intentionally, but if this were printed in a book or magazine, it would be considered plagiarism.

[Fuzz]

I don't believe Tanya plagiarized anything. To be quite honest, I don't believe a phrase like this is that unusual as many people are able to associate a gateway drug with how Green Day affected their taste in music. She wouldn't lift something like that. Sorry if you feel cheated in some way.

[braverpunk22]

It's not that clever, dawgy. Dillinger 4 has a song titled "Minimum Wage is a Gateway Drug". That's one I'd hold on to. I wouldn't worry about plaigarism... since this is a green day page and all. All they do is rip people off, but in a good way! I'd take it as a compliment.

http://www.bravermpls.bandcamp.com

[GDM]

Last night I thought it was pretty funny, but now that I've had time to think about it, I'm really kind of pissed. I coined a phrase that is unusual and insightful ("Green Day was my gateway drug into punk") and then it gets used as a centerpiece of an editorial.

I don't think that Tanya did it intentionally, but if this were printed in a book or magazine, it would be considered plagiarism.

Sorry you feel this way. I will make sure it's never published so that you won't sue me for a phrase that two people the same age have heard for most of their lives wrote when it comes to "gateway drugs."

But it's also funny that you never mentioned that when I first published this piece on my blog in 2010. But, cie la vie. It's all good. It's a good phrase and does well when it comes to Green Day.

I don't believe Tanya plagiarized anything. To be quite honest, I don't believe a phrase like this is that unusual as many people are able to associate a gateway drug with how Green Day affected their taste in music. She wouldn't lift something like that. Sorry if you feel cheated in some way.

Thanks, Andres. Thank you also for putting the piece up about the band, which is really all that matters. It's a piece dedicated to Green Day, but I think a lot of people can feel the same way about their music.

[mbk]

I don't believe Tanya plagiarized anything. To be quite honest, I don't believe a phrase like this is that unusual as many people are able to associate a gateway drug with how Green Day affected their taste in music. She wouldn't lift something like that. Sorry if you feel cheated in some way.

I'm sure that the phrase has been used elsewhere in other occasions, but this instance is a little close to home. Anyway, ces't la vie, as it's actually spelled.

[AlissaGoesRAWR]

Very well-written editorial! I'm taking a rock music subcultures class right now and the first subculture we talked about was punk rock. My teacher hates Green Day. He didn't discuss any of their early stuff in the lecture... just a very quick mentioning of the American Idiot era and how it "was kind of punk but not really." I'm glad to read something so informed from someone who appreciates what Green Day can do and has done in the punk community, regardless of if they're "really punk anymore." It's a tired argument with no end in sight and I'd rather just focus on the music, which has helped me and countless others expand our musical tastes.