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Ultimately, it is the value that subcultures such as skate punk add to society through their mode of representation, their expression of an alternative to the hegemonic norm, the encouragement of self determination and awareness, the activation of socio-political thought processes and the encouragement to live the life that you want to live, which inspires countless people in society every day.

There is a propensity of subcultures to become commercially absorbed into mainstream ideology as examined by Adorno and Frith, making them less viable as an impassioned social and political voice. I believe that Suicidal Tendencies are in an even stronger position to live an authentic subculture due to their success as a skate punk entity, which has elevated them to a position of complete self sufficiency, the height of D.I.Y. achievement.

That is to say someone whose life may be considered authentic is always fully aware of both what they are doing and why they are doing it. The music videos of “Institutionalized” and “Possessed to Skate” uphold similar themes and values. Both are displaying an adult/youth binary that is reflective of mainstream/alternative understandings of American society. There was a distinct message being delivered, live the life you want, be self directive, challenge hegemonic norms...

During the 1970s, the Dogtown and Z-Boys skaters of Southern California created an inspired rebellion through their appropriation of Southern California suburbia. Youth unemployment was rife during this period due to the oil crisis (Chlorine, 2003) and there were many youths with spare time on their hands. The drought of the 1970s had caused many of the pools to be emptied and this offered bored youths some fun as well as a way to pass time through the activity of pool skatin

Why were Suicidal Tendencies rebelling against Reagan’s white middle class society of Southern California? The impact of Reagonomics, the Neoliberal philosophies espoused by the 40th President of the US (1981-1989) generated much dissatisfaction from the minorities of the country, including those that were a part of subcultures such as skate punk.

“Skaters have a completely different culture from the norms of the world’s society. We dress differently, we have our own language, use our own slang, and live by our own rules. People feel threatened by foreign attitudes. Everyone has his own views on different types of society and their own stereotypes…Please stop viewing us as a totally negative race of people.”

The importance of these videos as propagation of an authentic music subculture and indeed a way of life, are still just as popular and relevant in conveying meaning on an international scale in the present age. They are a visual representation of a time and a place, but include an attitude that still prevails to this day...[this band] as a representation of skate punk subculture, sustains its ideologies, whilst also challenging mainstream and conservative political and societ

These videos are a clear expression by Muir of the production and expression of authenticity and individuality which contributed to the understanding of skate punk being a form of middle class rebellion within the context of southern California suburbia.

The case study will generate an understanding of how Suicidal Tendencies has come to represent the subculture of skate punk, maintain longevity and authenticity, and contribute to the understanding of “the reflexive project of the self” which focuses upon freeing yourself from societal institutions and creating a life you wish to lead.

For the purpose of this thesis, the understanding of authenticity correlates with Giddens concept of “the reflexive self”, where “the self is ‘made’, rather than inherited or just passively static” (Giddens, 1991, p53). Self-identity is therefore created without being bound by the restrictions of tradition and culture.

Both subcultures were purveyors of innovative and unique methods in which to express, move and represent. Their culture and lifestyle morphed into creative aspects of corporeal movement, which involved both skateboarding and music. Living in the same locale in Southern California, those involved influenced others who were interested in colluding with this rebellious identity and not conforming to the hegemonic norm of mainstream society. When music and movement combined, skat

The subculture of skate punk as discussed in this thesis will be analysed within the theoretical understandings and frameworks of Gelder and Hebidge and the focus of essential musicologists, such as Frith and Grossberg to ascertain how the band Suicidal Tendencies promulgated the skate punk subculture. This occurred through the maintenance of authenticity, which continued throughout the creation of their music and their sustained representation of their beliefs and ideologies

This thesis aims to portray to the reader the complexities of authenticity within a music subculture and they way in which subculture is signified and represented to create meaning. The use of the music video as a form of mediation to society offers great insight into the understanding and comprehension of the subculture of skate punk, its ability to inform further ideological discourses within society, and it’s impact on sociological and cultural understanding.

In the early 1980s the subculture of skate punk became visually mediated in the new popular aesthetic form of music television (MTV). The music video, “Institutionalized” (Suicidal Tendencies,1984) was positioned between songs of David Bowie, Culture Club and the Rolling Stones but when this video played, people stopped to watch and listen – it made a statement as a representation of sociopolitical youth rebellion.