Can a desire for greater authenticity, motivated by an idealistic worldview, curdle into a nihilistic worldview that shapes? We can all look at the world and see the very real flaws of capitalist modernity, after all and want better for us and ours. We can think about, discuss, debate, and demand something better, more in line with society’s stated values and with our own sense of the real and just. We can even make choices as citizens to demand better. These demands drove youthful countercultural arguments from the 1950s to today. However, often these demands were channeled into consumer culture rather than into political processes. From the beats to punks, the second half of the twentieth century saw attempts to drive political change via rebellious countercultural art. Consciousnesses might have been raised, but how effective were they in creating political change? Sometimes, yes, changes have been made for the better, and people got politically involved thanks to the music that they consumed.
But political advocacy via art did not always translate into political action. The above documentary shows a group of politically engaged young people, but the dark side is there as well. The racist skinheads they sometimes fought were also Gen X. Youth culture could drive a sense of anti-establishment nihilism, too. We saw that in the history of punk rock. If punks sometimes became more political aware and active, in some cases, people embraced more problematic messages from the music that they made an important part of their lives. Many white Gen Xers into punk culture embraced the anti-establishment messages of rejecting institutions, paving the way for some to embrace a bomb thrower like Donald Trump. The ironic, eye-rolling pose of the early 1990s alternative culture that was influenced by punk foregrounded the nihilism of rejection rather than being actively engaged in political transformation. For some nihilism was the primary message of punk, becoming the heart of their understanding of “authenticity.” They got the message of “reject everything” rather than “work to transform what is unjust.” The outcome of the recent election should indicate to us that an embrace of “outsider” culture does not necessarily mean a progressive mindset. Trump, despite coming from wealth and privilege, ran as an outsider and that was convincing to some voters, especially white men. People take away what they want out of culture, especially that which reinforces their world view. As Gen X came to reject institutions that no longer seemed to be working for them, some sought to destroy those institutions by voting for the person who promised to destroy them. They took inspiration from the culture they grew up with, which told them that institutions will let you down. They’ve seen the truth of that with their own eyes, though. But that’s because one political party has been working to dismantle those institutions and make them far less responsive to the needs of the public. And around we go.