Why Johnny Can't Write

John Lydon, that is...

In response to an offered induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Sex Pistols posted the following image on their website:

Wow. I mean, WOW. Punk ethos aside, that's just some damnedly horrible grammar, spelling, and punctuation. I have a lot of trouble, I mean a lot of trouble respecting someone who can't even use the right form of "your/you're." Does the writer of this message also confuse "their," "there," and "they're?" Yeah, they're punk (premanufactured punk, but nevermind that bollocks...) and yeah, they're angry. But that the author couldn't even distinguish between "you're" and "your," let alone construct a comprehensible sentence, just dumbfounds me.

I suppose I shouldn't be shocked at this. I suppose I should realize that the world is full of idiots, and that as someone who managed to attain at least menial competence with written language, I am actually part of an intellectual elite. And I also shouldn't be surprised that a celebrity has proven themselves to have less-than perfect writing skills - modern pop-culture figures regularly reveal themselves to be flaming idiots. No, what really bothers me here is the exposure of idiocy coupled with the punk ethos... I can accept punk thought and actions when seemingly coupled with intelligence. Someone who's smart and pissed comes off as respectably cool. It sells the whole movement as righteous and respectful. Henry Rollins, anybody? But someone is pissed/punk and stupid? They just seem juvenile, and they make the whole movement seem juvenile and dismissable. Now, because of the fact that I have seen someone from one of punk's seminal bands do this very thing, it's just that much more troubling.

Honorable Sex Pistols, I think you just have done punk a disservice...