Issue #16: "Poser"

Subcultures are built on rebellion and rule breaking. So when someone ‘fakes’ being in one, the word “poser” gets thrown around a lot. But who gets to draw the line between authenticity and artificiality?

Poser (originating from the french word poseur, ‘someone who poses’) is a word that is used to refer to people that adopt a subculture’s aesthetic but not the values, and the whole concept of poser culture (as we know it today) dates back to the 70s.

Why does this term exist in the first place?

Most subcultures have roots in music, lifestyle, ideological statements or even fashion, and in these spaces, there often are ‘unspoken rules’ that, if you follow them, identify you with said subculture (e.g., a skater cannot dislike skating). You’ve got to understand that when people start to treat a subculture as “aesthetics”, this is when it's appropriate to call someone a poser. At times, though, people call “posers” someone who is just starting out, and that discourages said “posers” to keep on interacting with the subculture, or worse, they might just abandon it.

In my opinion, people who call other people out aren't any better than the posers, because if you really care about the “integrity” of your subculture (argument that gets thrown around a lot when talking about posers) you'd want to put in your best effort to teach these people better, isn't it?
Instead, it seems like these people prefer gatekeeping. And it's not because of an actual reason, but most of the time it's just: EGL fan wears an Angelic Pretty dress without a blouse underneath? Poser. Skater boy tries their best to skate but isn't perfect on day 1? Poser. You just got into a specific niche artist but don't know their entire discography? Poser. It's always poser. Poser. Poser. Poser. It's annoying, right?

Gatekeeping isnt’t going to solve anything, people are just going to be confused on what’s right or wrong in the subculture. “Wrong” advice is going to be carried forwards (without meaning to), like "you can be punk/goth only if you listen to the music". While music does indeed play a big part in these two subcultures, it is not the most important thing to do to be part of it. (Or like when I read a comment somewhere saying that “to be a gyaru, you have to listen to the music”. ???)

Another phenomenon that I think is deeply tied to poser culture is sellout culture: ‘selling out’ (especially in music) is used to talk about an artist contradicting their values for commercial success. Popularised by the notion that “musicians should be completely independent of commercial influences” of 70s punk, where bands (usually) refused to sign with major recording labels, and when the opposite happened, said bands were scorned for selling out, even if by the 80s the core of ‘selling out’ shifted to advertising. Isn’t it similar to being a poser?

If I have to be completely honest, I think that most “poser” arguments boil down to “I (think) am better than you”; insecure people will project their insecurities on others and then call them out for something the “poser” wasn't even aware was wrong or not, or by calling them “cringe”. But is it really the subculture’s problem if a teen wears the wrong band tee, or is it the problem of whoever gets triggered by it?

After all, I think that everyone should be free to do what they like without being called a poser or being judged in general. This whole entry might just be a follow-up to “How 'Cringe' Culture Is Killing Your Personality”, so if you enjoyed reading this, you might like that one as well.

-Dam