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Punk, or what became punk rock in Britain, was a product of American sources, with roots varying from Bill Haley and his Comets' first chords of rock music to the self-centered poetry of the beat generation's best authors. These cultural artifacts influenced American punk, which in turn influenced Britain's. Punk's impact on America was isolated, but its impact on Britain exemplified rock music's pattern of cultural mimicry. British punk was a recreation of America's best offerings modified to suit British tastes. Punk business man, Malcolm McLaren sensed America's influence on British punk. After the New York Dolls broke up in 1975, McLaren gave Sex Pistols' guitarist, Steve Jones, one of the Doll's old guitars (Savage, 97-99). McLaren studied rock and its history and knew that rock music thrived on cultural thievery. Today, nearly twenty years after punk's reign on the New York scene, punk is still considered a British creation. It is no surprise that a conflict arises concerning punk's origins. Cultural creations are always being modified, and fickle pop audiences are more likely to grant authenticity to the latest output, rarely seeking out its origin. To add to the confusion, Britain's Sex Pistols and the Clash looked more punk than America's Patti Smith or Television. During Britain's adoption of punk, New York audiences and music critics saw record companies losing interest in American bands. This caused the critics to wonder what was so special about the British. American writer Alan Betrock criticized the rock media's attention for being prone to "malcolmization," and noted that "New York has been historically maligned." Betrock documented New York's origination of such musical styles as the 1960s girl sound to the City's Greenwich Village folk scene, and pointedly asked why New York did not get credit for the discovery (New York Rocker 43,46). He added that British punk became more popular because the only American that truly looked punk were the Ramones.