The underground is an umbrella term for a variety of subcultures that are not or do not want to be associated with the mainstream. Their characteristics include locality, personal connections with their audience/members, open-mindedness, intimacy, and most importantly, a DIY (do it yourself) work ethic. The DIY aspect is one of the most telling signs of an alternative culture and is extremely valued by its members. In this article, I will explore the relationship between this DIY philosophy and underground culture, how it has been implemented in our course materials, and what the implications of this relationship are as presented in these course materials. Say no to plagiarism. Get a Custom Essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get an Original Essay To begin with, most people who belong to the underground scene place a lot of importance on originality and authentic content. People who don't produce or create themselves and sign deals with labels or songwriters are not considered underground and are generally frowned upon. This is why the DIY aspect is so important. This means that one is "real", creative and passionate enough to put a huge amount of effort into a project that will not generate any profit and will most likely result in a loss of money. This means that there is a message, an idea behind the project that has real meaning and that was not created just to make money. The DIY philosophy also allows people to express themselves without anyone else's input, making them free to share their ideas however they see fit. One of the best examples of this free expression analyzed in class is the existence of zines. Zines are a type of publication usually written, assembled, and published by a single person. They have no set theme and are usually a collection of what the author finds interesting, whether essays, images, reviews, or a collection of favorite song titles. What makes a zine a zine and not a professional magazine is the DIY aspect of it all. They must be self-published, self-assembled, and not corporate-funded. Stephen Duncombe discusses this topic in depth in his essay "Zines", explaining their theoretical side, describing the most popular types of zines and how they have influenced alternative and mainstream culture over the years. Zines were also the focus of our class field trip to Quimby's, where Liz Mason, the bookstore manager and also the creator of the "Kaboose" zine, talked to us about the reality of creating and selling a zine and why the DIY aspect is important. so important throughout the process. Another great example of this relationship was given to us in class by our guest speaker Liz Panella. As she herself is actively involved in the underground punk scene, she has the authority to speak out on issues concerning it and its functions. Liz mentioned the DIY aspect and its importance in the underground music industry. If a person wants to create music and release it, they have to do everything themselves every step of the way, from writing the song to editing and mastering the record. If he can't do this, he has to call friends, ask for favors, and try to get people to help him, because he usually has no way to pay for their services. That's why underground music has that real, raw feeling and why it's so important to the people who love it - it means the original idea was there every step of the way.process and has not been altered by someone who wanted to change. in order to make it more profitable. However, the punk scene is not the only one to value the DIY philosophy. Underground rap can be seen as even more relentless when it comes to artists who sell out or aren't "real" enough. As guest speaker Add-2 mentioned, the lyrics, beat, and even videos are usually created by just one person, sometimes with the help of their friends. This allows the artist to fully express themselves and create exactly what they want. Staying true to content helps a rapper gain exposure and popularity, connect with the people who listen to them, and spread their message to the world. It's a way to move agendas forward and get people to pay attention to things they never noticed. For example, social issues, inequality, classism, and racism were common topics on which rap first emerged as a genre. Marshall Berman talks about this in his essay “‘Justice/Just Us’: Rap and Social Justice in America.” These rappers were taken seriously and helped divert attention to these pressing social issues. If they hadn't done it all themselves, gone through it all, and just hired a songwriter to create the lyrics for them, their songs wouldn't carry as much weight and sound authentic, so they wouldn't be. being able to attract so much attention and help their cause. Another subculture that lives according to the DIY principle is that of graffiti artists. It's easy to guess why they have to do everything without intervention from the general public: most of their work is illegal or at least frowned upon. Our tour guide Tony from Grimetime Magazine explained the intricacies of graffiti art and the dangers of creating it. The same could be said of guerrilla art. The DIY aspect is crucial because it is used to express the point of view of a specific person (our group) on an issue that they believe needs to be addressed, for example discrimination, abortion, minimum wage or poverty. These messages can be controversial and difficult to communicate to the masses through conventional means, such as billboards or advertising. This is why people are turning to more alternative forms of expression, like posters and homemade graffiti. But what effect does underground culture have on the world? Socially, it allows people to express themselves more freely than any large corporation would, and in doing so, diverts the attention of the masses to issues that would otherwise receive no media coverage. Achieving this may require extreme measures, such as displaying illegal and offensive posters, but it is a noble goal. Hoss Jooten talks about this topic at length in his essay “Taking It To The Streets.” Economically, the DIY aspect allows you to generate profit for things that are not mass-produced. It also benefits local businesses and other underground spaces where people gather to perform shows or discuss projects. Sometimes underground culture is appropriated by the media and used to make money for big companies, as Thomas Frank writes in his essay "Commodify Your Dissident", or to decide what will be trendy and cool, as Malcolm Gladwell describes it in his book. article “Cool Hunting”. Politically, the underground has proven to be a powerful force demanding change and protesting inequality. Once ideas from the underground spread to the masses, it's only a matter of time before they become popular.