Devin McGinnis: Pop Punk Catharsis!

In modern Freudian psychoanalysis, catharsis refers to the act of expressing, or more accurately, experiencing the deep emotions often associated with events in the individual's past which had originally been repressed or ignored, and had never been adequately addressed or experienced before.  I find the argument that catharsis can be found through art very easily made.
Let us examine music for our example, more specifically the genre of pop-punk.  The artist that takes part in this genre usually has an overall theme of angst.  The angst comes through in his music and allows the viewer to address and experience their own angst that they had previously repressed.  The catharsis is found in expressing the angst in a safe and healthy manner.  It is the art that allows this.  Ultimately it is the artist that allows this.  Through his music the artist invites the view to take part in their ritual, i.e. music, through the re-presentation of their emotional journey that they are trying to portray.  The ability of the observer to experience the re-presentation of beauty and thus catharsis has much to do with how strongly they feel this invitation.  The stronger the invitation, or the more genuine the art is, the easier it becomes for the viewer to hear this invitation and thus respond by way of catharsis.