SKU: 76473327251

We're Not Here to Entertain: Punk Rock, Ronald Reagan, and the Real Culture War of 1980s America

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We're Not Here to Entertain: Punk Rock, Ronald Reagan, and the Real Culture War of 1980s AmericaMany remember the 1980s as the era of Ronald Reagan, a conservative decade populated by preppies and yuppies dancing to a soundtrack of electronic synth pop music. In some ways, it was the "MTV generation." However, the decade also produced some of the most creative works of punk culture, from the music of bands like the Minutemen and the Dead Kennedys to avant garde visual arts, literature, poetry, and film. In We're Not Here to Entertain, Kevin

Many remember the 1980s as the era of Ronald Reagan, a conservative decade populated by preppies and yuppies dancing to a soundtrack of electronic synth pop music. In some ways, it was the "MTV generation." However, the decade also produced some of the most creative works of punk culture, from the music of bands like the Minutemen and the Dead Kennedys to avant-garde visual arts, literature, poetry, and film. In We're Not Here to Entertain, Kevin Mattson documents what Kurt Cobain once called a "punk rock world" --the all-encompassing hardcore-indie culture that incubated his own talent. Mattson shows just how widespread the movement became--ranging across the nation, from D.C. through Ohio and Minnesota to LA--and how democratic it was due to its commitment to Do-It-Yourself (DIY) tactics.

Throughout, Mattson puts the movement into a wider context, locating it in a culture war that pitted a blossoming punk scene against the new president. Reagan's talk about end days and nuclear warfare generated panic; his tax cuts for the rich and simultaneous slashing of school lunch program funding made punks, who saw themselves as underdogs, seethe at his meanness. The anger went deep, since punks saw Reagan as the country's entertainer-in-chief; his career, from radio to Hollywood and television, synched to the very world punks rejected. Through deep archival research, Mattson reignites the heated debates that punk's opposition generated in that era-about everything from "straight edge" ethics to anarchism to the art of dissent. By reconstructing the world of punk, Mattson demonstrates that it was more than just a style of purple hair and torn jeans. In so doing, he reminds readers of punk's importance and its challenge to simplistic assumptions about the 1980s as a one-dimensional, conservative epoch.


Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Published: 08/06/2020
ISBN: 9780190908232
Pages: 416
Weight: 1.55lbs
Size: 9.20h x 5.90w x 1.40d
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SKU: 76473327251

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Bertha
Bozeman, US
★★★★★ 5
Great jacket 🤩
Size: Medium, Color: Bright Purple
This jacket really impressed me🤩the material is feel good and the fit is perfect 😘the stylish is gorgeous 😘the color is a nice vibrant good quality true to size 🤩good fabric perfect for any occasions wedding party birthday church etc🤩absolutely worth the price 🫶
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Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2025
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Mellissa
Phoenix, US
★★★★★ 5
Perfect for Prom, the satin detail elevates the look
Size: Medium, Color: Black, Size: Medium, Color: Black
This sport jacket was a great item for prom. We had it altered and taken in a little to be more form fitting. It was lightweight enough to be comfortable and the color was a nice black with satin collar. It was a great value for the money and this is the second one I've bought. The first one was red for freshman homecoming. Fits true to size as this is a medium but we did want it a little more form-fitting.
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Reviewed in the United States on August 20, 2025
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zeesmum
Houston, US
★★★★★ 5
well made
Size: Medium, Color: Black
My son looked SO handsome for Prom. This suit was surprisingly well-made for the cost. After pricing tux rental, this was a no-brainer.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2026
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Geoffrey Wilson
Pawtucket, US
★★★★★ 4
Jr
Size: Large, Color: Royal Blue
Nice jacket but sleeves run small. My son is 6'1.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2026
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Michael Buterbaugh
Houston, US
★★★★★ 5
Much better quality than I expected
Size: X-Large, Color: Black
Better than I expected, actually a quality jacket. I'd wear it every day. The fit is perfect and exactly my style. I can't say much about washabiity due to having mine drycleaned
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Reviewed in the United States on December 10, 2025

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