How does Appearance Affect Protest?

This week we studied The Yes Men as well as the punk rock culture. Both groups, although very different in one sense, have similar means of rebellion. The Yes Men appear like real business men when in reality they are simply two men trying to rebel against the actions and words of the World Trade Organization. Because of the way they are dressed in business suits, people automatically treat them with more respect and authority. In this case, their appearance affects their ethos in a positive way. The punk rock culture appears as a group of adolescents who are always trying to go against authority and to rebel against any norms in society. They are usually seen wearing black clothes, jeans with holes in them, old looking t-shirts with inappropriate wording on them, dog tags, combat boots, khakis, and even camouflage gear. They also use their bodies as a means of rebellion by covering them in tattoos. This appearance was used as the main weapon to defy any authority in society. Their choice of appearance represents their values that people should all be independent and not afraid to do what is not considered normal. I feel that both of these groups represent accurate protests. The Yes Men protest against the WTO while the punk culture protests against authority.