Grunge, But Make It Trendy

Remember when grunge meant thrift-store chaos and a middle finger to fashion? Now it’s a TikTok eyeliner tutorial with affiliate links. In this episode, I rant about how subcultures lose their bite once they’re fed into the algorithm, from Nirvana cardigans at H&M to “clean grunge” at Sephora. Theories on deck: Hebdige’s subcultures, Baudrillard’s simulacra. Spoiler — rebellion has never looked this brand-friendly.