decemberXbunny
Moderator
Joined: 03 Dec 2007
Posts: 3
Location: DECEMBERUNDERGROUND
|
 Posted: 03/12/2007 18:30 Post subject: About Straight-Edge Philosophy and Hardcore Punk |
 |
|
Straight-Edge refers to a lifestyle, a personal commitment, a philosophy, and a subculture that is closely associated with hardcore punk music. �sXe� is an acronym used for the Straight-Edge Philosophy. Other symbols include �the X�, �xXx� and �Edge�. Basically, it refers to abstinence from alcohol, drugs and promiscuous sex. It is centered around the issue of self-control, personal development and well being while encouraging fun and togetherness. sXe is the ONLY youth counter-culture to offer teenagers an opportunity to break out of the destructive cycle of peer-directed sensibility, enabling them to realize that they have the ability to control their lives and the responsibility to look out for those around them. Some straight-edgers even refrain from the regular use of painkillers and the intake of caffeine. Also, some are vegans or vegetarians. The philosophy was inspired by the hardcore punk community of the early 1980s and bands like The Teen Idles and Minor Threat who promoted the idea of Straight-Edge through their music. Its principles were outlined in the lyrics below, written by Ian MacKaye, vocalist of Minor Threat for the song �Out Of Step (With The World)�:
�Don�t smoke
Don�t drink
Don�t f**k
At least I can fucking think.
Can�t keep up
Can�t keep up
Can�t keep up
Out of step with the world.�
The name �Straight-Edge� is also related to a Minor Threat song. Initially, Ian wanted to call his band Straight-Edge but the other members didn�t agree so he just wrote the following song instead:
�I�m a person just like you
But I�ve got better things to do
Than sit around and f**k my head
Hang out with the living dead
Snort white shit up my nose
Pass out at the shows
I don�t even think about speed
That�s something I just don�t need
I�ve got the straight edge.�
While sXe does not identify with a particular �world view� on social or political issues, it has sometimes been associated with the precepts of anarchism, socialism and atheism. The philosophy has spread around the world but it is most popular in more economically developed nations. There are various reasons why people may choose to be Straight-Edge. Most believe it will allow them to be more involved with their own mental and physical health. Some are attracted to it as a counter-culture option to what they see as a widespread drug culture. The appeal of Straight-Edge has broadened beyond the initial scope of hardcore punk culture and has connected with youth of many cultures who eschew recreational drug use. sXe is considered to be a choice by many of its followers. In this sense, no one is born Straight-Edge or has been Straight-Edge all their lives. Labeling oneself sXe is a conscious decision that someone makes for themselves and is generally not seen as a label that is obtained by default. One is not Straight-Edge simply because they don�t drink, smoke, or do drugs; it requires an active decision and participation in the hardcore punk subculture. sXe is a philosophy, not a religion. Some straight-edgers think that having a clear mind is a better way to approach life and/or spirituality. Many, however, are atheists or agnostics who believe in personal responsibility, rejecting the idea of a deity or any divine moral law. Christians involved in the hardcore punk subculture sometimes consider themselves Straight-Edge as rejection of illicit substances, alcohol consumption (especially underage) and premarital sex are encouraged by many mainstream churches and their youth groups. Christian straight-edgers conține the ex-bassist of Throwdown, at least one member of Comeback Kid and at least one member of Stretch Arm Strong. However, there has also been criticism of Christians being involved within the sXe community. This is reflected in songs such as �This Ain�t No Cross On My Hand� by Limp Wrist and �Real Edgemen Hate Jesus� by XfilesX. The �X� is the most well known symbol of Straight-Edge Philosophy. Those who are sXe wear Xs on their hands to show that they are against alcohol and drug use. The practice comes from the old days when, at punk rock shows, it was common to mark Xs on the hands of under-aged concert goers to ensure that the bouncers would recognize a minor attempting to drink alcohol. Nowadays, adopters of the Straight-Edge lifestyle voluntarily mark their hands in the same way to show their commitment to alcohol abstinence. Sometimes they wear Xs on their clothing, pins and backpacks as well. The three Xs (�xXx�) have their origin in artwork created by Minor Threat�s drummer, Jeff Nelson, in which he replaced the three stars in the band�s home town flag (Washington D.C.) with Xs. The X symbol is considered both a mark of negation and identity. Attaching the X to one�s name or band name is common practice for straight-edgers. For example, John Doe would become johnXdoe or xjohnx. sXe grew out of the hardcore punk scene and the music plays an important role. The music is fast, powerful, with angry and thoughtful lyrics. It forms a vital outlet for rage and sadness against abusive and/or dysfunctional political, social and family structures. Hardcore is a style that began in the early 1980s, often applied to bands such as The Misfits, Black Flag, Minor Threat, Sick Of It All, Bad Brains, Rollins Band and Fugazi. They were sloppy punk bands that played with more intensity and heaviness than earlier ones like The Sex Pistols and The Clash. Today�s hardcore bands are tighter and much heavier, and can be divided into two general types: East Coast and West Coast (depending on where the band is from but it�s not always consistent). The first type is smoother, with heavy grooves that flow, with a vocalist that sings or shouts. The second type is heavier, with tight stop-and-go rhythms and harsh vocals that are a crossover between shouts and low screams. D. O. A. popularized the term �hardcore� as applied to punk rock music with the release of Hardcore �81, a pivotal record from the early West Coast hardcore punk scene. The first hardcore punk band is often considered to be Chrome, who recorded undoubtedly hardcore LPs in 1976. However, the first Straight-Edge band was The Teen Idles, an early 80s Washington DC hardcore band sometimes viewed as a precursor to Minor Threat. The message of sXe bands was anti-addiction, animal-friendly, gay-positive, pro-feminist, anti-racist, anti-fascist and pro-life. Some view these as a sort of rules but the truth is that straight-edgers choose this way of life because they believe in it. Although most see being sXe as a serious lifetime commitment, there will always be kids who will stray away from it as they grow up. Karl Buechner of Earth Crisis said �There�s definitely a high turnover rate, but there�s a true core of people who always stay, and that�s what matters�. Hardline Straight-Edge is a somehow different movement from the autentic hardcore punk subculture but which has its number of supporters. It is a belief system guided by one ethos:�All innocent life is sacred, and must have the right to live out its natural state of existence in peace, without interference. [�]Any action that does interfere with such rights shall not be considered a �right� in itself, and therefore shall not be tolerated. Those who hurt or destroy life around them, or fabricate a situation in which that life or the equality of it is threatened shall from then on no longer be considered innocent life, and in turn will no longer have rights. [�]The true hardliner must strive to liberate the world from its chains � saving lives in some cases, and in others, dealing out justice to those guilty of destroying it.� (Hardline Creed). This subset of sXe has been involved in physical assaults in the United States during the 1980s and up to the mid 1990s. Because of this, police in some communities � such as Salt Lake City and Reno � have classified Straight-Edge as a gang, which is a mistake. Most straight-edgers believe Hardline has nothing to do with sXe. However, some say Hardline is just an extension of DIY, something people who are part of the Straight-Edge Philosophy promote. DIY stands for do-it-yourself. Straight-edgers depend on themselves to get things done because they have to take action themselves in order for something to happen. While this is an idea focused on being self-reliant, there are people who have taken it as far as using it as a justification for hardliner actions. Non-violent ways of promoting sXe, aside from wearing an X, are tattoos. Many straight-edgers tattoo slogans of their beliefs on their bodies. This signifies the loyalty they have towards those ideals, which like tattoos are a lifetime commitment. Also, tattoos and piercings are part of the hardcore punk subculture so it is going to be found in Straight-Edge as well. However, from the point of view of some, injecting ink into your skin is not very sXe. Of course, the number one way to let people know about the Edge is and will always be hardcore punk music. As such, bands like AFI play an important role in promoting sXe. Davey Havok and Jade Puget have often spoken very sincerely about the subject at numerous interviews. In fact, Davey shared that he first learned of the Straight-Edge Philosophy from the hardcore punk scene and bands like Minor Threat. �Personally I have never found the practice of recreational drug use appealing. In fact, I have always found the lifestyle and the people who surround it to be abhorrent. I never quite understood why anyone would risk sacrificing their bodies, minds, and relationships at the expense of a quick damaging high. I grew up in a small town and at my high school, like every high school, everyone's recreation of choice was drug abuse. I never understood it. I never took part and always felt quite alone in this decision. Then one day I discovered a band called Minor Threat and realized that there were more people out there who thought like me. I was very excited to say the least, and what was more encouraging, these people were part of the oh-so self-destructive punk scene. From that day on I claimed the X. I continue to do so today because I believe the Straight-Edge Philosophy is a very positive one that many people, especially young people, can benefit from greatly if they have the desire�. (Davey Havok). The thing to remember about sXe is that it is not just about being into contemporary punk music acts and being against drugs. It goes deeper than this. The movement wishes to attract people away from dependency lifestyles and unhealthy and exploitative eating and general living habits common in modern cultures. Being sXe is about living your life the way you feel regardless of what everyone else does. This is very important as straight-edgers sometimes encounter mockery from others within the punk scene, because they are not the run of the mill punks, and because they are a counter-culture.
_________________
3, 4.. |
|
