John Oliver and Facebook * Must Watch

School of Life Monday: The Children of Snobs

It can be deeply painful to be the child of snobs. That is, to be someone who received a kind of love in our formative years that was heavily dependent on our performance, not on our essence. It can be enough to make a mess of our lives, unless we realise - and get on top of - the dynamics.

FURTHER READING “Given how pejorative the term is, we’re understandably keen to locate snobs somewhere far from us. They are the people in the newspaper, or the ones who live in the other part of town or went to the school we didn’t go to – but it’s nice not to imagine them too near to home. Yet that’s to deny an obvious eventuality: snobs may lie closer to us. Snobs form couples; they have children. And we might be among them. However painful the unvarnished thought, we might be the children of snobs. It’s a situation it can be therapeutic to face up to and to try to make sense of…” You can read more on this and other subjects on our blog, here: https://goo.gl/cgQRoM

1981 Photo of Me Skating by C.R.Stecyk III from my IG act.

Yes that's me, glen, bank skating in 1981. This photograph was made by my good friend, and mentor of sorts, Craig Stecyk @crstecykiii at some remote schoolyard he took me to that i had never seen before. I needed a photo of myself for some book that asked me for a portrait. So i called Craig and asked the favor if he would honor me. CRS just asked me to bring a roll of film, after we finished the roll he popped it out of his camera, put it in its little black and gray plastic canister and just tossed it to me. He didn't need nor care, I don't think to see them. i asked him for a photo and i guess he knew he got it and just gave it to me to process, print and do as i needed. Simple. I know no one like him. If I could ever consider anyone a mentor it'd be him. The Godfather of skateboarding culture, period. Six months later he called and asked if I'd send one of my favorites up to Thrasher, he wrote an article he wanted me to be a part of, "Really? A photo of me IN one of your skate articles? Really?" I was fucking stoked! #pure #inspiration #artist #photographyAsArt #respect #SkateBoarderMagazine #theBible #punk #attitude #integrity #DIY #MyRules #FuckYouHeroes #blackANDwhite #BadAss #BankSkating #Bertleman #Bert #style #DoWhatYouLove #KeepItReal #thrashermagazine #photographersthatskate

A post shared by glen E. friedman Ⓥ (@glenefriedman) on Jan 29, 2016 at 8:22pm PST

Bad Brains from my IG

BAD BRAINS photo made back stage at CBGB's circa 1981, this photo appeared in the original MY RULES photozine i put out in '82 and i think its in the new MY RULES book as well. Also gave it to the Bad Brains to make a Tshirt, this is the design, i believe you can get it on their website. This show was during one of the Xmas week series they did in 81 and 82. #PMA #BADBRAINS #FVK #RIGHTBRIGADE #PUNKROCK #PUNK #WashingtonDC #NYC #inspiration #rockforlife #rockagainstracism #MyRules #GetTheNewBook

A post shared by glen E. friedman Ⓥ (@glenefriedman) on Jan 28, 2016 at 5:36pm PST

Shogo Kubo at Cherry Hill circa 1980 on my Instagram

Shogo Kubo at Cherry Hill skatepark circa 1978-79, last great days at that incredible park, where Shogo braved a tough winter and became the resident Pro. I made this photo with some silly screw on filter i put over the front of my lens, i used it just a few times, works well here, kinda... I was in 11th grade at the time. #SHOGO #DOGTOWN #Skateboarding #ZBOYS #newjersey #cherryhill #integrity #inspiration #OldSchool #OG #original #SkateBoarderMagazine #highschool

A post shared by glen E. friedman Ⓥ (@glenefriedman) on Jan 28, 2016 at 12:21pm PST

thought for the day meme

Henry Rollins of Black Flag Independent Trucks Ad in Thrasher Magazine 1982

Henry Rollins of Black Flag for Independent trucks - BLACK FLAG had no money, they all lived in one office room, under desks, etc. you can read Henry's "Get In The Van" or any of Joe Carducci's books for more on that. But i wanted to get henry some free skate stuff, i got some boards and wheels from Peralta, but still needed some hardware, might have even got him some cash, either way we were both stoked at the time to do this Indy ad for a Thrasher full page. We were in a parking lot just down the block from the office that they all called "the place where we live" (certainly not a home). #sst #skateboarding #punk #blackFlag #independent #inspiration #integrity #yeahIrideem #badass #henry #rollins #harDCore #skateboardingisnotacrime #skateboardingisnotasport #MyRules

A post shared by glen E. friedman Ⓥ (@glenefriedman) on Jan 28, 2016 at 8:07am PST

Fugazi in Washington DC 30 years ago on my instagram

Shout out to WASHINGTON DC in the snow! FUGAZI posing for a shot they really did not want to do. circa 1989 ... By this time i was all about FUGAZI they were becoming an all time favorite. So we did this session walking around town and made a great bunch of photographs this day which you can see in several of my books. This one appears up front in my book "KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN - The Fugazi photographs of glen E. Friedman" with an essay by Ian F Svenonious - From their first year, to the last show played on US soil with all different types of photography experiments of light, texture, film stocks, techniques, clearly one of my favorites and best. Shooting good friends for no outlet to share in mind, just for the sake of capturing and portraying something that i knew was special, fantastic, groundbreaking and inspiring. There are some great FUGAZI photographs in MY RULES , but the reason there are not a ton more is becuase of this entire book devoted only to them. If you are a Fugazi fan there is no reason you shouldn't have or Love it. "Maybe the best visual of a single band ever" someone said. #FUGAZI #brendancanty #joelally #guypicciotto #ianMackaye @dischordrecords #integrity #idealism #inspiration #punk #WashingtonDC #photography #ianFsvenonius #GetTheNewBook @chainandthegang

A post shared by glen E. friedman Ⓥ (@glenefriedman) on Jan 24, 2016 at 5:03pm PST

School of Life Monday:One Reason Homes Cost So Much

Very high house prices aren’t an act of God or a fact of nature. They’re the result of all sorts of policy and design mistakes – which we should try to understand and correct.

"El Gato" at Cherry Hill skatepark circa 1978 On my instagram

Eddie "El Gato" Elguera at Skatepark Cherry Hill in the big Egg bowl circa 1979. Today with snow all around reminded me of the days of indoor skateparks, and Cherry Hill was the best of almost any skatepark built for that time and many years to come, indoor or out! "El Gato" was a trick skater, he did things that no one had even thought of until they saw him, and even I, a person who does not really care for the frills of a trick skater, could not deny the cat like prowess of a frontside rockNroll (not pictured here)... I think this is a frontside invert? He was one of the best contest pool skaters of the late 70's early 80's era. #skateboarding #cherryhill #elGato #varibots #hobie #vertical #tricksareforkids #tricks #SkateBoarder #80s

A post shared by glen E. friedman Ⓥ (@glenefriedman) on Jan 24, 2016 at 11:13am PST

Fat Boys are Back on my Instagram

The FAT BOYS circa 1985, somewhere in Hollywood on the set of a morning show of some kind. After shooting Beastie Boys, then UTFO, I think the Fat Boys were the next group i had an opportunity to make photos with. Sure they were a bit of a gimmick, but these guys were actually really talented. I saw them get on a shitty mic at a Roller Rink in South Central L.A. one evening, a mic that was so bad it could barely amplify a voice it was so whack and crackly (worse than a distorted style Beastie Boys mic from CYH) that when they were rapping not half the words could be made out. BUT when "Buffy", aka "Buff Love", aka "The Human Beat Box", "Kool Rock-Ski", and "Prince Markie Dee" started beat boxing and passing the one mike around or huddled all together around the one mic, it gave new meaning to "rockin' the house" , it was one of the top ten hip hop moments I ever witnessed, being my first time to a south central roller rink and literally being the only white person there while this whole place (over a thousand kids) started rockin' in unison was a mind blowing cultural experience that i'd never forget. I had my camera, but i believe it was so dark in there i couldn't even see well enough through the camera's view finder to focus and take a photo, so i just laid in the cut and observed the proceedings, it was a great and exciting time, by the time we left (i did come with them i believe) everyone was worn out and sweaty... Probably made this photo with them the next morning, they were in L.A. For a few days and i travelled with them for most of it, i got some other images if i find i will post over time. #hiphop #culture #hiphopbeginnings #southcentral #LA #FatBoys #HumanBeatBox #NewYorkCulture #RapMusic #theDisco3 #FatBoysAreBack #

A post shared by glen E. friedman Ⓥ (@glenefriedman) on Jan 23, 2016 at 10:00am PST

Keith Morris c. 1981 on my Instagram

Keith Morris and Greg Hetson of the CIRCLE JERKS at the Starwood (Hollywood) circa 1980. This was a great band to see at this time and at this place, seemed to be the center of it all at the time. Keith is one of four people who wrote an editorial for my original MY RULES PHOTOZINE in 1982 as well as a piece for my latest book MY RULES (the other three being Ian MacKaye, Chuck Dukowski, and Jello Biafra) the book is huge and something you need to see (ask at your local bookstore or worst case scenario you can get it at Amazon). #inspiration #integrity #photography #book #keithmorris #circlejerks #punkrock #punk #LAPunk #FrontierRecords #WestCoastPunk #RedTape #LiveFastDieYoung #GoupSex #Bud #GetTheNewBook #MyRules

A post shared by glen E. friedman Ⓥ (@glenefriedman) on Jan 20, 2016 at 5:27pm PST

Steve Olson c. 1983 backyard pool skating

Steve Olson at Dorris's pool, a photo we made circa 1983. #skateboarding #poolparty #poolskating #style #skatebarderoftheyear78 #gooddude #greatfriend #SOS #Thrasher #sunglasses #fronside This photo is an outtake similar to one in the MY RULES book, in the book is an awesome corner air, must see #GetTheNewBook #huge #book

A post shared by glen E. friedman Ⓥ (@glenefriedman) on Jan 18, 2016 at 4:43pm PST

Dischord Records office circa 1982

Here's a scan made from an 8x10 i made back in 1982 or 83 (quite possibly on the same roll of film as the original "Salad Days" porch photo on the cover of the infamous last recordings of Minor Threat.) Ian MacKaye and Jeff Nelson of Minor Threat in the small room off the kitchen of "Dischord House" where the record company functioned out of for many years. This was probably one of the first photographs of the company HQ from back then. I believe this photo may also have been used in Spin magazine at some point. Anyone following me should know the importance and the incredible ethic of @DISCHORDRECORDS if the don't already. #TeenIdels #SOA #MInorThreat #YouthBrigade(DC) #inspiration #punk #harDCore #washingtonDC #IanMacKaye #OldAsFuckAndStillKickingAss #original8x10 #integrity #skateboarding #HenryGarfield #backboneofacommunity #over30years #nonCorporateMusic

A post shared by glen E. friedman Ⓥ (@glenefriedman) on Jan 18, 2016 at 8:07am PST

The Two Joey's on my Instagram Joey "RUN" Simmons and Joey Ramone

TheTwo Joey's - Joey Ramone and Joey "Run" Simmons, Darryl "DMC" McDaniels, Jason "Jam Master Jay" Mizell .. I made this snap shot backstage at some horrible New York music awards show back in 1985... I wouldnt normally do these bullshit paparazzi type photos that everyone thrives off of these days. I did it with the Beasties during those few days they were in LA with the Madonna tour in 85 and occasionally with Run-DMC... As much as I can't stand them, i cant front, its kinda cool to have these guys together in a snapshot back then. #Ramones #RunDMC #JoeyRamone #jammasterjay #punk #hiphop #downtown #nyc #inspiration #OldSchool #1985 #rare photo©glenEfriedman

A post shared by glen E. friedman Ⓥ (@glenefriedman) on Jan 16, 2016 at 3:38pm PST

School of Life Monday: The Problem of Fame

It sounds so nice to be famous - from afar. But from closer up, there might be a range of problems that make anonymity preferable. This is a film for recovering fame addicts (there are quite a few of us out there...).

This was and still is a great exhibition working on more dates NOW!

This was the outside of the building where @atpfestival put on the first exhibition for THE MY RULES COLLECTION. It was amazing! Chime in if you were there. In Covent Garden in the middle of London, a year ago this week we closed after almost two months. We hope to come to other cities this year with the ATP folks. Hit them up if you can hook us up with any great locations... And if you didn't make the show, go to your local bookstore or Amazon to pick up the book. This book is a monster, 324 pages, 13wide x 11.5tall, weighs in at almost 8 pounds, indeed a heavyweight champion of the world. The best of FUCK YOU HEROES and FUCK YOU TOO + about 30% more you've never seen, all bigger and better than ever! Then there's the essays from 22 of my incredible subjects on what inspired them to get to that point in time when i worked with them. TOTALLY INSPIRING TOTALLY INCREDIBLE TOTALLY SOMETHING YOU WILL LOVE. #integrity #photography #lovewhatyoudo #LearningNeverStops #inspiration #punk #skateboarding #hiphop #politics #DogTown #GoldenEra #atp #london #MyRules #GetTheNewBook #exhibition

A post shared by glen E. friedman Ⓥ (@glenefriedman) on Jan 16, 2016 at 10:12am PST

Rare Adam Horovitz Beastie Boys photograph on my Instagram

The King Ad Rock of Beastie Boys (and also my pick up softball game organizer/teammate/equipment manager). Here's a rare image you probably haven't seen before. We made it back in early 1985 i believe during the Beastie Boys first visit to L.A. While opening for Madonna's "Like a Virgin" tour. Over by KXLU after an insane interview. Look it up on line. Lots of great images made this day. (Some in the MY RULES book) #boombox #adrock #beastieboys #OldSchool #earlydays #adamhorovitz #beasties #hiphop #PUNK #DefJam #graffiti #gratitude #softball #thePressure #GetTheNewBook

A post shared by glen E. friedman Ⓥ (@glenefriedman) on Jan 15, 2016 at 6:00pm PST

One of My Favorite Photographs I ever made on my early instagram

BLACK FLAG 1981 one of Henry's first shows as Black Flag's official vocalist (#4). This is one of my favorite pictures I've ever made. The intensity is captured perfectly without sparing any composition or character, which sweats and bleeds out of the frame at the infamous Cuckoo's Nest. #punkrock #RiseAbove #hardcore #HeavyBeyondWords #HenryRollins #DezCadena #ChuckDukowski #GregGinn #ROBO - #KeepItReal #OldSchool #cuckoosnest #HB #goofy #CostaMesa #PUNK #GetTheNewBook #MyRules ... did i forget to mention this photo is 11.5" tall in MY RULES

A post shared by glen E. friedman Ⓥ (@glenefriedman) on Jan 14, 2016 at 6:01pm PST

Lance Mountain by the "L" entrance in Williamsburg on my IG

Lance Mountain standing by the entrance to the "L" train stop at Bedford St. in Williamsburg, Brooklyn last month a few days before my book signing @pilgrimsurfsupply with MY RULES flyers they made, plastered all over the wall on the north side. It was Chris @pilgrimsurfsupply who finally got me over the hump to get on instagram (and loaned me his iPhone to snap this image)... Met some nice people over there and a ton of folks got books signed... Not bad at all, over a year after the first event a few miles away in DUMBO. Can anyone tell me if any of those flyers are still up? Or if you came by? #inspiration #integrity #photography #PMA #punk #hiphop #skateboarding #GetTheNewBook #ifYouAlreadyGotItPostAReviewOnAmazon

A post shared by glen E. friedman Ⓥ (@glenefriedman) on Jan 14, 2016 at 2:46pm PST

Fugazi - Early on my Instagram

From the first time i made photos with FUGAZI - at Maxwells in Hoboken, NJ - from my book KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN The Fugazi photographs of glen E Friedman with an essay by Ian F Svenonious - From their first year, to the last show played on US soil with all different types of photography experiments of light, texture, film stocks, techniques, clearly one of my favorites and best. Shooting good friends for no outlet to share in mind, just for the sake of capturing and portraying something that i knew was special, fantastic, groundbreaking and inspiring. There are some great FUGAZI photographs in MY RULES , but the reason there are not a ton more is becuase of this entire book devoted only to them. If you are a Fugazi fan there is no reason you shouldn't have or Love it. "Maybe the best visual of a single band ever" someone said. #FUGAZI #brendancanty #joelally #guypicciotto #ianMackaye @dischordrecords #integrity #idealism #inspiration #punk #WashingtonDC #photography #ianFsvenonius #GetTheNewBook @chainandthegang

A post shared by glen E. friedman Ⓥ (@glenefriedman) on Jan 13, 2016 at 5:03pm PST

One of my Early Instagram posts

TONY ALVA skating as he likes with Kent Senatore looking on... The best of my books FUCK YOU HEROES and FUCK YOU TOO now appear in MY RULES bigger and better than ever... #photography #skateboarding #integrity #inspiration #TonyAlva #DogTown #MyRules @thetonyalva1957 #turningpoint

A post shared by glen E. friedman Ⓥ (@glenefriedman) on Jan 11, 2016 at 1:32pm PST

School of Life Monday: Why You Can Change The World

Though it looks like the world is set in its ways, it is in fact eminently open to change by those who dare to swim into the stream of history.

Early post on Instagram

Three finger ring i treated myself to after shooting LL COOL J's 2nd album cover back in 1987 is my guess. During Hip-Hop's Golden Era ... #hiphop #original #OldSchool #AdRock #GlenEBBoyBlast #MyRules #GetTheNewBook 💯

A post shared by glen E. friedman Ⓥ (@glenefriedman) on Dec 10, 2015 at 2:56pm PST

Tony Alva and My Hall of Fame Trophy on my Instagram

Here's the 1st photo i ever took using a mobile device, old friend Tony Alva holding my trophy at the 2012 Skateboarding Hall of Fame Induction ceremony. #skateboarding #life #brother #zephyr #OG #DogTown #honor #oldasfuckandstillkickingass #halloffame #oldschool

A post shared by glen E. friedman Ⓥ (@glenefriedman) on Dec 7, 2015 at 9:28pm PST

Jay Adams, Get Yours First on my Instagram

My 1st published photo. Taken in the fall of 1976. JAY ADAMS at the Tear Drop, a tiny pool with almost no shallow end shaped like a tear drop... Up in Brentwood, not far from Kenter Canyon School ... Bastardized by cropping and all the true colors taken away by the magazine folks ... reminds me a little of instagram. Look forward to seeing where this goes. #jayAdams #zboys #zephyr #inspiration #integrity #DogTown #OG #inspiration #original #WLA#1976 @jboyadams

A post shared by glen E. friedman Ⓥ (@glenefriedman) on Dec 7, 2015 at 7:49pm PST

We Are In Trouble

Flying an American flag upside down is not necessarily meant as political protest. The practice has its origin in a distress signal; displaying a flag in this manner is "a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property"; It can also be viewed as an act of desecration.

Adolescents Steve Soto R.I.P. story from my instagram

(These two images above are the only two I made of Steve Soto when we did the photos for the Adolescents 1st album cover)

the ADOLESCENTS - Tony B. (Cadena) and STEVE SOTO when you swipe. The photo of Tony is at one of their very first shows, it was in a bowl at the Marina Del Rey skatepark, you can even see the TurningPoint ramp in the background. They were one of the great bands to first emerge from Orange County, certaily NOT where they wanted to be from, and that angst came out incredibly in most of their songs. When i heard their first demo on “RODNEY on the ROQ” i was blown away. It was at least five or eight songs and Rodney would play the tape all the way through at once (i wish i could find THAT exact tape he would play - the one released is NOT the same, it’s missing WORD ATTACK). After i heard that they were working on an album i reached out to Lisa Fancher at FRONTIER Records who was putting out the LP, i told here i had amazing photos of the band that should be used on the LP, she loved what i had and asked me/hired me to shoot a band photo for the back cover! My first LP cover, i was 18. Well getting that group photo would not be easy or even possible that night after the Black Flag show they opened. Casey the drummer was wearing a swasitka spray painted on his red turtleneck (pure shock value, nothing else) Tony was so disgusted he refused to pose with him, so i had to make individual portraits of each of them and hope Lisa would go for it, she and everyone loved them, more personality in the individual photos. Sadly STEVE SOTO one of the original members of the ADOLESCENTS passed over the weekend. I dug through my old proof sheets to scan this photo from that 1st LP shoot, only one or two frames of each guy, maybe a couple more of Tony. I was hanging out with Tony back in May, he’s really an incredible person. Besides still doing the band thing every once in a while he’s a school teacher. (The most noble profession!) #Adolescents #SteveSotoRIP #WordAttack #KidsoftheBlackHole #PunkRock #OC #WreckingCrew #Frontier #TonyCadena #MarinaSkatepark #MarkAlva #SlamDancing #inspiration #integrity #Abandoned #1980

A post shared by glen E. friedman Ⓥ (@glenefriedman) on Jul 3, 2018 at 3:30pm PDT

‘A NEW PARADIGM FOR FEMALES’: THE SLITS SMASHED EXPECTATIONS AND HAD FUN DOING IT (a Dangerous Minds premiere)

from Dangerous Minds:


Formed in 1976, the Slits were one of the earliest all-female punk bands—if not the first. The fantastic, feature-length documentary on the group, Here to Be Heard: The Story of the Slits, was recently released in theatres. It’s about to come out on DVD, and we’re happy to say we have our favorite segment from the doc to share with you.



Here to Be Heard combines archival clips with new interviews of the surviving band members and notable admirers to tell the story of the Slits. The segment that’s getting its web premiere here features exciting early live footage and a spunky band interview excerpt. There’s also a look at how the Slits was covered in the media, and the ways Londoners reacted to a group of females who were smashing societal expectations on how young women presented themselves. As punk journalist Vivien Goldman puts it, “They were provocative, they were outrageous, but also they were having fun,” and doing it all on their own terms.



July 6 is the date Here to Be Heard: The Story of the Slits will be released on DVD, which will include 20 minutes of bonus content. Pre-order your copy through MVD or get it on Amazon.

School of Life Monday: First World Problems

Many issues are nowadays dismissed as mere 'first world problems'. But the problems of the first world are deeply important and need to get addressed - as the whole planet will eventually have them.

A Closer Look: Trump’s South Carolina Rally; Travel Ban Upheld

WHAT A PIECE OF SHIT.