Middle-class refusal actually states a truth that cannot now be spoken

Evidence

In histories of punk, much is made of the role of the middle classes, but the crucial catalytic role of that particular kind of middle-class refusal remains under-thought. The middle-class defection from reproductive futurism into scarification and tribalisation did nothing more than state the obvious — middle-class careers and the privileges they bring are empty, tedious and ennervating — but, now more than ever, it is this obviousness that cannot be stated. — Mark Fisher (edited by Darren Ambrose), K-Punk, 166

Categorization

• DEFINE: Introduces ‘reproductive futurism’ and the claim that punk’s middle-class defection was a stating of the unstatable obvious.
• XREF: connects to: People can no longer unambiguously say yes or no. — Dirk Braunstein, Adorno’s Critique of Political Economy, 1005; Authentic refusal rejects the terms of the question itself. — Jenny Odell, How to Do Nothing: Resisting the…, 332; Refusal can refuse the terms of the question rather than just saying no

Broader Connections

• Refusal can refuse the terms of the question rather than just saying no #expands (0.88)
• Authentic refusal rejects the terms of the question itself. #qualifies (0.85) — Jenny Odell, How to Do Nothing, 332
• People can no longer unambiguously say yes or no. #expands (0.82) — Dirk Braunstein, Adorno’s Critique of Political Economy, 1005