Making a Statement

           Doc Martens are notorious for those who push the limits and even further. From the anarchist punk band the Sex Pistols, to rock star Marilyn Manson and popstar Miley Cyrus, Doc Martens have being part of the message that the dreamers, thinkers, and misfits are trying to illustrate. The message can often be hidden behind aggressive lyrics and sounds, and lewd costumes, but with open ears and an open mind, teenagers and young adults have found the meaning.

      This message that I keep referring to varies amongst the musicians I have listed above. Marilyn Manson, for example his message is always to be yourself, and it’s okay to think differently and to embrace it. Miley Cyrus’ message is to express yourself in any you feel most confident and it’s okay to show vulnerability. The Sex Pistols’ message is freedom and going against the mainstream.

     Often times when you’re making a statement, it can be misunderstood. The aesthetic choices made by these musicians, often make people feel uncomfortable and carry the presumption that these people are bad. Their look is too far out there, too sexual, too dirty, too grungy and etc. Thus Doc Martens are associated with being ‘bad’.
     However, wearing leather pants, being topless, and wearing big Doc Marten boots, doesn’t make someone a bad person, the aesthetic choices made are based upon self-expression, not morals. The Sex Pistols, for instance, though people in England thought they were reviled, but the band played at charity gigs and raised money on Christmas to give families of underpaid firefighters presents and festivities.  Miley Cyrus has a charity for homeless trans-youth, and is the spokesperson for MAC, where they a have an AIDS fund and have created awareness program. Marilyn Manson works with charities, such as Music for Life and Little Kids Rock, which provide musical instruments and training to low-income children. Also, works with Project Nightlight, which encourages kids and teens to speak out against physical and sexual abuse.

      Perhaps, the real statement being made with the 'villains' of music is not everything looks as it seems. You may associate Doc Martens, dog collars, and ripped skinny jeans to an angsty punk, but that ‘angsty punk’ could also be the thoughtful poet. The girl who wears short tight dresses, Doc Martens, and a lot of makeup could be assumed to be a ditz looking for attention, when in fact, she could be writing a thesis on Astrophysics and be a straight A student. It is often said, that to assume is to make an 'ass' out of 'u' and 'me'. If you feel empowered by what you wear and Doc Martens are part of your statement to the world, lace them up and keep on interrupting presumptions and stereotypes.