Superman, Noah & The Whale, and how kindness is the new punk rock
Punk rock has always been quite difficult to define. Billie Joe Armstrong tried his best do so once, when he gave this helpful analogy: “A guy walks up to me and asks, ‘What’s punk?’. So I kick over a garbage can and say, ‘That’s punk!’,” he explained, “So he kicks over a garbage can and says, ‘That’s punk?’ and I say, ‘No, that’s trendy’.”
Punk rock, as we know it, started back in the ‘70s as bands such as Sex Pistols took to the spotlight with their aggravating style of music, which poked holes in then-current political and societal systems. It gave rise to a whole new movement, as other artists tried to bottle and sell the same thing the Sex Pistols had, perfectly personifying the rage of a nation that was fed up over a backdrop of music that perfectly highlighted said frustration.
John Lydon called these people “copycat wankers” and attested that nobody ever came close to what he originally did. Whether that’s the case is up for debate, but what’s not up for debate is that the concept of punk existed long before Lydon scribbled “I hate” on his Pink Floyd t-shirt. Rage and rebellion have always existed in music; it just did so before the label of “punk” had been created.
If you listen to the likes of noise music and free jazz, these are styles that also house the same quality we recognise in punk music. What they do is they help us better understand the definition of the movement, as what Armstrong was referring to is leaning against the grain of the mainstream. This could mean the mainstream in music, society or authority. As such, what we label as punk in the modern age might not be wholly correct.
I’m someone who strongly believes that modern punk music has lost its edge. Bands are less rebels and instead SEO marketers, scouring social media, digging up keywords for what people are angry about and putting them over some kind of shit distortion-heavy instrumentation. You might be able to describe the Sex Pistols like that, but at least they had the decency to make such music during a period when it was cutting-edge. Now, we have a music industry dominated by the upper class, pretending to be working class, and feeding us condescending dribble in the process.
We can’t describe this modern iteration of punk as punk because it’s so popular and overdone. You know the outcome of a punk track before it has even started, as the genre has been done to death, and yet these artists insist on continuing to beat that dead horse like the click machine it is.
The new Superman seems to have sparked plenty of conversations about politics and the hidden meaning behind the movie. I stand by the viral Vulture headline that has been floating around social media, which is that Superman isn’t trying to be political; we just live in a world where there are now real-life super villains. This isn’t necessarily a political article, but if your ideologies align with those of Lex Luther, it may be time for a rethink.
There is a conversation between Clark Kent and Lois Lane in this film that sparked a string of thoughts surrounding the modern interpretation of punk rock. Lois Lane describes herself as a punk rocker, meanwhile, Kent tries to do the same, which she dismisses. Firstly, Lois, I hate to be pedantic, but describing yourself as punk is very un-punk. Secondly, the reason why she dismisses Kent as punk, may be the very reason he fits the category so well in the modern age.
I’ll be honest, I didn’t go into this film with the intention of writing about it, so I don’t have a direct quote for you, but her rationale is essentially that Clark Kent can’t be punk because all he ever is is kind, good-natured, and someone who likes to trust others. If we stick with our original definition of punk being whatever is anti-mainstream, then there couldn’t be a more punk rock mindset right now than Kent’s. It feels as though hope and kindness are hard to come by, and therefore, living life with both of those qualities at the forefront of your mind in 2025 is akin to saying “cunt” on Top of The Pops in 1977.
Where does it stop? If Superman is punk, does that also mean one of the bands to have a resurgence out of this movie, Noah & The Whale, are equally so? Potentially. Their ideology of life going on despite how difficult times might get, over a sweet-sounding backdrop that inspires peace and calmness, could well be the new punk movement finding its feet. You want to stand out in this modern age? Leave your nihilism and rage at the door. We subscribe to the ideologies of peace, love, kindness and hope here.
Punk can never die; the label mainly changes hands. And in this modern age, as self-described “punk” bands are the furthest thing from relatable, and the world is littered with rage, that well-known label is now held by Superman and Noah & The Whale. May they use it well.
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out Punk Newsletter
All the latest Punk content from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.