In a series called Mondo Appropriato, Culled Culture examines how “on the nose” something is in the pop cultural and/or political landscape.
Although punk has long been dead, some cruel spirit apparently wanted to take an additional shiv to its already well-mutilated corpse. For, as Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen turned in their graves (and as Gary Oldman and Chloe Webb proceeded to vomit), Travis Barker and Kourtney Kardashian gleefully dressed in their most “punk”-oriented homage yet by emulating the “star-crossed” (read: doomed) couple for the Halloween season.
The ability of quintessential poseurs such as Travis and Kourtney to romanticize this duo to the level of a twentieth century Romeo and Juliet is emblematic of their entire performative romance. Someone even wants to sort of set them (especially Kourtney as she happily plays Nancy) aside and ask for certain, “Do you actually know what happened to these two? Or have you just seen their names and images bandied so often and thought it would be ‘cool’?”
If they did have some larger awareness of the Sid and Nancy story, it wouldn’t seem the best couple to want to embody, even though it’s evident they were simply doing it for the sartorial cachet. It’s all about aesthetic with the Kardashian Klan, after all (#Balenciaga). And that seems to be at least part of the reason why Travis has entered so seamlessly into the fold (no sexual innuendo intended).
In costume as part of the NoCap x Travis Barker House of Horrors “show” a.k.a. a “PPV fright fest featuring performances from Machine Gun Kelly [obviously], Avril Lavigne [and] Mark Hoppus,” among others, the newly engaged caricatures were being as unironic as possible in their getups. As for the musical lineup (noticeably, Tom DeLonge didn’t seem to want to show up), could it get any more punk? Or rather, the 00s’ Hot Topic interpretation of punk? Probably. Which is perhaps why Trav and Kourt felt obliged to bring more “cred” to the event by dressing as two people who were actually punk before it could be commodified and bastardized beyond all believability.
The caption Kourtney offered beneath a series of eight photos of the pair in various “strike a pose” moments intended to mimic the personae in question was almost too laughable: “Till death do us part.” Yes, a reference to their impending nuptials, Kourtney also appeared to overlook the very gruesome detail that Sid was charged with Nancy’s murder. A single stab wound to the stomach that could have been part of a drug-addled rage or a drug-addled promise to commit murder-suicide. Not exactly the benchmark to want to set for an engagement period, but Kourtney is clearly running with this “I’m goth now” meets “I’m Angelina circa Billy Bob” shtick with more conviction that Travis. And truly, them dressing up as Angelina and Billy Bob might have actually been a better idea.
On another note, there are speculations that a third party entered Room 100 of the Chelsea Hotel to kill Nancy as part of a robbery. Likely a drug dealer, of which many orbited around the Vicious/Spungen premises. Some have even said it was overweight downtown scene “queen” Rockets Redglare (who is perhaps best known in the present for a cameo in Desperately Seeking Susan as the overly chatty cab driver). A man briefly “employed” as Vicious’ bodyguard…but if he really did kill Nancy, it would seem he epitomizes more of a Kris Jenner role—stirring up drama just to keep their names in the press while he pulls the strings.
As for Travis and Kourtney, the two have been together for less time than Sid and Nancy as it stands, and, from the looks of how deeply their “passion” is burning now, it’s bound to fizzle out sooner rather than later—especially without the benefit of a suicide pact to ensure that their love really will last forever before it fades away in life.
