Straight edge

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The album cover of The Teen Idles' Minor Disturbance showing straight edge symbols
The album cover of The Teen Idles' Minor Disturbance showing straight edge symbols

Straight edge (also known as sXe, and xXx) refers to a lifestyle, a personal commitment, a philosophy, and a subculture that is closely associated with hardcore punk music. Straight edgers abstain from recreational drugs, including tobacco and alcohol. Some followers of the straight-edge philosophy also abstain from promiscuous sex, the regular use of painkillers, and the intake of caffeine. Some also practice vegetarianism or veganism. Many have claimed to be deeply spiritual, while still more associate themselves with atheism, seeing religion as much of a mind-altering substance as drugs and alcohol.

Contents

[edit] Etymology

While many of the precepts can be traced to earlier ideas, the term "straight edge" comes from the 1981 song "Straight Edge" by hardcore punk band Minor Threat. The lyrics, written and sung by Ian MacKaye, condemn recreational drug use. The song begins:

“ I'm a person just like you/But I've got better things to do/Than sit around and fuck 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 ”
 
— Ian MacKaye, Straight Edge

The chorus is the phrase "I've got the straight edge" repeated several times; MacKaye says [1] that he meant by abstaining from drugs and alcohol, he had an advantage, or an "edge", when compared to those who indulged too heavily.

[edit] Overview

There are various reasons why people may choose to be straight edge, and there are various interpretations of the practice and various applications of the precepts. Some use the lifestyle as a stepping stone because they believe it will allow them to be more involved with their own mental and physical health.[citation needed]

Straight edge is considered to be a lifestyle by many of its followers. In this sense, no one is born straight edge or has been straight edge their entire lives. Labeling oneself straight edge is a conscious decision that someone makes for oneself and is generally not seen as a label that applies to anyone who does not partake in drugs. The label "straight edge" generally implies an acceptance of the philosophy and reasons for avoiding drug use posited by at least one segment of the straight edge community.[citation needed]

[edit] Attitudes towards spirituality

Straight edge is not a religion; it is a philosophy. Some straight edgers feel that having a clear mind is a better way to approach spirituality. Many are atheists, or agnostics, often believing in personal responsibility and rejecting the idea of a deity or any divine moral law. In many circles, the lifestyle has associations with spirituality—some straight edgers are Christian, and there were at one time significant Hare Krishna straight edge movements as demonstrated by the bands 108, Shelter and Baby Gopal.

Christians involved in the punk/hardcore subculture sometimes consider themselves straight edge; indeed, the rejection of illicit substances, alcohol consumption (particularly underage) and premarital sex is commonly encouraged by many mainstream churches and their youth groups. Prominent self-identified Christian straight edgers include the ex-bassist of Throwdown, at least one member of Comeback Kid, and at least one member of Stretch Arm Strong. There has also been criticism of Christians being involved within the straight edge community—reflected in songs such as "This Ain't No Cross On My Hand" by Limp Wrist, "Real Edgemen Hate Jesus" by XfilesX, and "Straight Edge Punks Not Christian Fucks" by Crucial Attack.

[edit] The 'X'

An 'X' on the back of the hand is a common straight edge symbol.[citation needed]

According to a series of interviews conducted by journalist Michael Azerrad [2] the straight-edge "X" can be traced to the Teen Idles' brief U.S. west coast tour in 1980. The Idles were scheduled to play at San Francisco's Mabuhay Gardens, but when the band arrived, club management discovered that the entire band was under the legal drinking age and therefore should be denied entry to the club. The band insisted on performing, and as a short-term compromise, management marked each of the Idles' hands with a large black "X" as a warning to bartenders and bouncers not to serve alcohol to the band (this was largely unnecessary, as most of the Teen Idles avoided alcohol). Upon returning to Washington D.C., The Idles suggested this same "X" gambit to a few D.C. clubs as a way to let teenagers see musical performances, yet not be served alcohol; the practice was never widely adopted by D.C.-area music venues[3], but the "X" mark soon became associated with the nascent straight edge lifestyle.

Three X's (XXX) have their straight edge origin in artwork created by Minor Threat's drummer, Jeff Nelson, in which he replaced the three stars in the band's hometown Washington D.C. flag with Xs. Some people interpret this as a symbol of Ian MacKaye's perceived "don't smoke, don't drink, don't fuck" ethos, supported by the song by Minor Threat, "Out of Step"

Many adopters of the "straight edge" lifestyle voluntarily marked their hands in the same way to show their commitment to the ethos. Also widespread is the tattooing of the X symbol on other parts of the body or wearing it on clothing, pins, et cetera. The X is considered a mark of 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'. "Straight edge" is sometimes abbreviated sXe (pronounced as three letters: ess, ex, e) following much the same logic by which hardcore is sometimes abbreviated "hXc".[citation needed]

[edit] Backlash and criticisms

A subset of straight edge—hardline—had a more militant mentality and was involved in physical assaults in the United States during the 1980s and up to the mid 1990s.

Police in some communities—such as Salt Lake City and Reno—have classified straight edge as a gang due to violence associated with militant straight edge groups in these cities.[1][2]

Straight edgers sometimes encounter mockery from others within the punk scene for various reasons, including their perceived elitism, uptightness, or around substance use. The actions and attitudes of militant members of the straight edge scene also draw heavy criticism, including from more tolerant straight edgers.[citation needed]

[edit] Straight edge groups

See Category:Straight edge groups

[edit] Straight Edge Clothing

There has been a big push by independent clothing companies to serve the straight edge community. A few names to metion are XclothingX, Until Industries, 1981, and many other. Plase add to this list as you discover more.

[edit] In media

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Azerrad, Michael Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground 1981-1991;Back Bay Books, 2002
  2. ^ Azerrad, Michael Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground 1981-1991;Back Bay Books, 2002
  3. ^ Azerrad, Michael Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground 1981-1991;Back Bay Books, 2002

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