Poser this, poser that. Everybody thinks somebody is a poser. Or so it seems if you read internet message boards. Even ours... For example, you've probably heard someone say, "Avril Lavigne is such a poser," meaning she's not really punk, but she pretends like she is. Calling someone a poser is the same thing as accusing them of being fake or inauthentic. They may talk the talk, but they don't walk the walk, whether they're trying to be "punk" or "skater" or something else entirely.
People began using the word "poser" to refer to someone who "affects an attitude" in the late 19th century. It comes from the French word, "poseur," literally "one who poses"--like for a picture or an artist.
The term became popular within British and American punk subculture during the 1970s. Punks were defined by their anti-corporate values and they worked hard to maintain their outsider status. Ostensibly, they didn't want a mainstream "poser" casually adopting their look because it could dull the punk edge. They were afraid punk could become--and some would argue that it has--just a style of dress and music. Even if no one can agree what punk is--check out gURL's feature "What is Punk?" and you'll see what we mean--a lot self-identified punks feel like they know what it is not. And it's not, they argue, something that can be represented by a popular singer like Avril Lavigne.
These days, it's not just punks who use the word "poser." Goths use it, skaters use it, and lots of other groups who are worried that the statements they're trying to make with their alternative lifestyle are being commodified and reduced to a style of dress.
