Quincy Core: No Scum Like the Human Race

"Why would you listen to music that makes you hate, when you can listen to music that makes you love?" This was the question posed by Jack Klugman's famed Quincy character to Dr. Emily Hanover in the now-legendary Next Stop Nowhere episode in 1982. Yes, network TV's depiction of the relatively new phenomenon of punk rock remains one of the more hilarious moments in dated cultural observations, but as Jay Hinman's Agony Shorthand blog points out, it was only one of quite a few instances of the mainstream media looking at punk through skewered goggles. Giving the goofball punk band Mayhem from Quincy a run for their money was the aptly-titled Pain, who made a mortifying showing on an episode of CHiPs (documented a bit here), where apparently Erik Estrada gets the crowd to stop moshing when he sings Kool and the Gang's "Celebration". Jay's piece on the media's view of punk rock also reprints a great Time Magazine article from 1977 that served to introduce Mom & Dad's America to punk, and also cites LA intolerant TV ranter Wally George for doing punk a good service by adding fuel to the fire with guests like the Mentors' late El Duce. But without doubt, the Quincy episode reigns supreme, with some Quicktime video and Real Audio clips for the uninitiated here, as well as an article written by an actual extra from the episode. I also throw in a vote for the punk club scene in Valley Girl with Nicholas Cage  (people slam to the Plimsouls?) and Dennis Hopper's great Out of the Blue (where his delinquent underage daughter takes up with a Rollins-looking meatheaded drummer). SCTV's Queen Haters performance of "I Hate the Bloody Queen" is without a doubt my all-time fave. And don't forget Nelson (above), ready for that upcoming Misfits show at CB's.

Comments

[robin]

The two tv moment in particular that more or less introduced the concept of "Punk" to myself in the rural midwest were the "punk episode" of the muppet show (Debbie Harry was the guest, all the muppets go punk trying to impress her) and the "punk episode" of Bosom Buddies in which they have to make an advertisement for a "punk store" (something like Canal Jean circa 1980? or Fiorucci?) and all the characters (Tom Hanks included) dress punk for yuks. It was LATE bosom buddies, which means it's even worse than, well, early bosom buddies.