Tag: Devil in a Blue Dress

“Conformity quickly became the new cardinal sin in our society.”

Nation of Rebels, p. 30

”The idea that artists must take an oppositional stance toward mainstream society is hardly new. It has its origins in 18^th-century Romanticism, a movement that went on to dominate the artistic imagination throughout the 19^th century.”

Nation of Rebels, p. 16

“So where did the idea of ‘alternative’ come from? The idea that you had to be unpopular to order to be authentic?”

Nation of Rebels, p. 14.

“If anything, consumer capitalism has emerged from decades of countercultural rebellion much stronger than it was before”

Nation of Rebels, p. 8

“During the ‘80s, the same generation that had ‘tuned in, turned on and dropped out’ presided over the most significant resurgence of conspicuous consumption in American history. The hippies became yuppies.”

Heath and Potter, Nation of Rebels, p. 3

“September 2003 marked a turning point in the development of Western civilization. It was the month that Adbusters magazine started accepting orders for the Block Spot Sneaker, its own signature brand of ‘subversive’ running shoes. After that day, no rational person could possibly believe that there is any tension between ‘mainstream’ and ‘alternative’ culture. After that day, it became obvious to everyone that cultural rebellion, of the type epitomized by Adbusters magazine, is not a threat to the system—it is the system”

Heath and Potter, Nation of Rebels, p. 1.