I have long had my misgivings about Edupunk. I know the idea is pure in Jim Groom’s heart, and I have gotten a kick out of seeing how the idea has resonated in unexpected places. But too often the baggage associated with “punk” seemed to overwhelm and distract from what I thought was a fairly simple idea of doing it ourselves. Subsequent mutations such as DS106, and “reclaiming” have captured the spirit more usefully.

But I am nothing if not shamelessly opportunistic. When I was invited to spend a little extra time in Guadalajara with Tannis and Alan to pitch in on a keynote and some workshops on the idea of Edupunk, I immediately agreed. I was pleased with how our events went this past week, though my favourite bits were those that diverged from the punk idea. Like how Tannis reworked the idea as EduBauhaus, or when we focused the discussion on the continuum between “do it for me” and “do it yourself” (and how “do it ourselves” fills a gap between them).

A special treat was that Alan took it on himself to make a mockumentary of Edupunk, and while I have a hard time imagining how others will take it, I absolutely love the result: EDUPUNK: de dónde viene y hacia dónde se dirige ahora

I’m grateful to Alan not only for making a fun movie, but also for letting me ham it up in a couple roles I truly enjoyed inhabiting. We agreed my persona should be the self-aggrandizing nostalgist who is oblivious to how his current role as an LMS manager (sadly, art imitating life on that point) undermines his credibility as an edupunk. I tried to channel the vibe of one of those self-absorbed 60’s radicals who talk as if their youthful rebellion was the pinnacle of social resistance, and that subsequent movements don’t measure up.  Alan also invited me to indulge my love of doing horrible impersonations, this one of Jack Klugman in the legendary “punk” episode of Quincy, M.E.. (Though I was really doing Joe Flaherty’s take from Quincy: Cartoon Coroner).

And damn, doesn’t Jim look groovy and relaxed in his Italian digs? The Bava abides.

I was going to finish with the Rollins Band punk version of “Do It”.  But I’m more of a heavy psych kind of guy, and I much prefer the original version by The Pink Fairies. This song not only does it, it kills it.