I Guess Those Were Different Times.

Rock and Roll in any incarnation has always had the element that existed just to shock and provoke.   Regardless of the artistic merit in the music, the promotion of shock is as old as the genre.  The shock image was played up in the press as a way to sell the music.   Elvis hips, Little Richard flamboyance, Beatles long hair, Rolling Stones bad behaviour, Bowie androgyny all played a part in the marketing.  (I'm not dissing any of these artists, their music has endured). 

Enter punk rock - a genre heavily influenced by The Rolling Stones and the British Invasion.  It started in the garages in the late '60's and had a lot of attitude.  It was not groomed by the industry.  The bands were raw and real.  We'll start with The Stooges.  Move on to The New York Dolls.  In the late '70's punk emerged as an alternative to snoozy arena rock which was force fed to us via corporate FM radio.  I'm looking at you REO Speedwagon.

Punk was no stranger to shock value over substance.   This is what caused punk to be ridiculed by mainstream music fans.  I'll give the following as an example and let the photo speak for itself.