Les Blousons noirs, amateurs de rock’n’roll et de violence

With the phenomenon of the 'Blousons noirs' of the 1950s and early 1960s, the media seemed to discover a phenomenon of extreme violence among young people whose antics regularly made the headlines or were the subject of reports. In fact, in their search for identity, some of them tried to resemble some of the viril figures conveyed by the cinema (Marlon Brando, James Dean) or rock and roll music, from Johnny Hallyday to Elvis Presley, by adopting their appearance, their hairstyle, a language and an attitude that echoed their revolt against society. They go out late at night and sleep in cellars and are sometimes familiar with prison. They like to play with knives and to go out with friends, where alcohol and fights are the order of the day during concerts, balls and dance halls, especially when two gangs, each very attached to defending their territory and honour, clash with each other using bicycle chains, knives and headbutts. Our article thus seeks to decipher the links between the 'Blousons noirs' phenomenon and rock music, the manifestations of violence by these youth gangs during their outings and the echo of this phenomenon within society and the media