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History of Straight Edge & Punk & The Spread of Straight
Edge into a Worldwide Philosophy
(This is a college paper submitted by Angela,
it was added to the site on Tuesday the 20th of May, 2003).
A 15-year-old skater in a confrontational and sparring spirit
approached an older punk ... The young one spoke, apparently meeting
this guy for the first time in a scrutinizing manner with a twist
of an East Coast surfer dialect, “Are you or aren’t
you?” “Am I or am not what?” the older punk said,
sort of smugly but puzzled... “Straight edge!” he answered
in a matter-of-fact way. “Well,” said the punk, “I
don’t drink, and I really don’t smoke or smoke pot or
anything, but I don’t know ...I really don’t label myself
as ‘straight edge’,” he said a little righteously
and maturely. “That’s way lame!” said the skater,
abruptly ending the inquisition and laughing at himself while
walking off. “This”, I thought, “is what killed
straight edge, and at the same time, this is what made it grow
into an enormous subculture worldwide- a punk attitude with conservative
principles” (Ray Cappo, Forward).
The punk lifestyle and Straight Edge beliefs seem so different,
like opposite ends of the spectrum but they’re not. Straight
Edge is a belief stemmed from a group of punk kids though already
in a rebellious lifestyle, wanting to go one step farther.
What is Straight Edge? What is Punk?” The Straight Edge
life [was] originally defined by the Washington, D.C. hardcore
band Minor Threat” (Batsell Online 1) and “Ian MacKaye,
lead singer of the band Minor Threat, is identified as the ‘founder’
of Straight Edge” (Irwin Online 2). The term Straight Edge
was first defined as the title of a Minor Threat song “(I)
Don't smoke, Don't Drink, Don't F*** ” (Minor Threat).
In my paper I will be giving the history of Straight Edge (sXe)
and punk and what they have to do with each other. I’ll also
be telling how sXe spread into a worldwide philosophy and the
bad reputation it has developed over time. Finally I’ll explain
were I take part in all this and what sXe means to me.
The history of sXe is well documented in punk music. Punk music
originated in the late 1970’s by The Ramones (a US band)
and Sex Pistols (a UK band), no one is sure who started punk music
but everyone knows it will never die. Punk music was not only
a new sound but it was new lifestyle for youth that was tired
of following the actions mainstream society had forced upon them.
As rebellion grew in the punk community alcohol and drugs were
commonplace. “At its conception, Straight Edge was a reaction
to the self-destruction of punk rockers. Artists like Sid Vicious
[Bassist of Sex Pistols], infamous for his fatal use of drugs
and alcohol, stood for everything a straight punk would be against.
Straight Edge provided the hardcore/punk scene an alternative
to the calamitous ‘drunk punk’ .... In essence, it became
a counterculture within a counter-culture“ (Helton Online
4-5).
“In the early 1980s the term ‘straight edge’ was
coined to describe a youth subculture within the punk rock scene,
a subculture that chose a lifestyle that abstained from alcohol,
tobacco and drugs as well as promiscuous sex” (Helton Online
1). Straight Edge is the ultimate form of rebellion. Many people
see sXe as a form of reverse rebellion (Batsell Online 4) because
the way of life mainstream had forced upon the youth was being
challenged. The rebellion against society is what created Straight
Edge. Vegetarianism (the absence of meat in one’s diet) and
animal rights has become closely related to sXe. “Earth Crisis
[a hardcore band], for example, has led to the development of
vegan [absence of all animal by-products from one’s diet
and absence of using products made with or tested on animals]
straight edge, with its evangelistic vegan lifestyle and strong
association with animal rights” (Helton Online 6).
“At first, it had no name, only a symbol” (McClelland
Online 2). “Xs are applied on the back of hands by a magic
maker. Straight Edge youths say they ‘X up’ for a show.
‘X’ became a symbol for Straight Edge participation
in the 1980s in Washington, D.C. ‘hardcore’ scene after
bouncers marked underage concertgoers. Straight Edge youth marked
themselves to signify they would not drink and were dr[u]g free.
[The ‘X’] often appear[s] as a part of the elaborate
tattoos sported by Straight Edge youths” (Irwin Online 17).
One Straight Edger said, “I love tattoos and I think sXe
is like a tattoo in your mindset, so why not get it inscribed
on you for life” (Helton Online 8). Becoming sXe is thought
to be a life long commitment (Helton Online 8) “True Till
Death”. Singer Bif Naked states, “It’s a commitment
not to do these things [drugs, alcohol, & promiscuous sex]
for the rest of my life. Every passing year I have Straight Edge
under my belt, I have more conviction about it” (McClelland
Online 1). Many people don’t take sXe as serious as it needs
to be taken and many people “lose the edge” as it’s
called. When people break the edge it is considered a disgrace
and a term has been coined in making fun of people that stop being
Straight Edge, “Straight Edge until 21” (Irwin Online
13).
Straight Edge has developed a bad name with help of the media.
“Consequently, all of these media reports were widely criticized
by those within the straight edge movement as biased, distorted
and wrong” (Helton Online 2). In some places Straight Edge
is known as a dangerous and violent movement.
“That is in reaction to the fact that a few Edgers are militantly
intolerant of non-believers. Andrew Moench, a 19-year-old from
Salt Lake City, has been charged with murdering a 15-year-old
youth who, police allege, did not respect Moench’s Straight
Edge point of view. “I’ve got to die some time,”
Moench told the U.S. network TV show 20/20. “I might as well
be dying standing up for what I believe in. If it resorts to violence,
yeah, then I don’t have a problem with that” (McClelland
Online 3).
I myself, have only been Straight Edge for a few months now,
but I’ve known of the movement for the last 7 years. When
I was younger, as many youth think, that I would never do drugs,
drink, or have promiscuous sex. I was sure of it! But as time
rolled on and I got older my views changed and I followed the
path of my peers. Most of my teen years were spent in an intoxicated
state of bare consciousness. My life was heading down hill and
when almost failing to graduate high school, I knew I had hit
bottom. I had to turn my life around, so half-hearted, I began
my new life.
The vass amount of drug use, drinking and sex has slowed but
never fully stopped. I just drifted along through life, not making
an impact on anything, until I met the love of my life, Jay. Jay
was amazing and the most moralistic person I had ever met. He
knew what he wanted in life and knew he couldn’t do it with
out being “straight” minded. After many falls in my
life I had finally found my lift! In Jay I found everything and
he showed me that even a small amount of wrongs was life crushing.
I thought long and hard and quit using drugs and committed myself
to only one person.
I still felt the pull of my past and finally found Straight Edge
to be my guide. Many people see sXe as a label, just another way
for people to stereotype, but I see sXe as a life long goal. Straight
Edge is not something a person just becomes one day. sXe takes
a lifetime to achieve, and it is something I can positively look
to, to give me strength and courage to stand up for myself and
what I believe is right.
Cappo, Ray. Forward. All Ages Reflections on Straight
Edge. Ed. Beth Lahickey. California: Revelation Records, 1997.
Batsell, Jake. “Straight Edge: Kids Who Look Wild,
Live Clean.” Knight-Ridder Newspapers Online ( July 21,
1996).
EBSCOhost CD-ROM. [October 24, 2002]
Irwin, Darrell D. “The Straight Edge Subculture:
Examining the Youths’ Drug-Free Way.” Journal of Drug
Issues Online ( Spring 1999).
EBSCOhost CD-ROM. [October 24, 2002]
McClelland, Susan. “Straight, But With an Edge:
A Philosophy Born of Punk Rock Has Some Young Adults Choosing
to Live Without Sex, Booze and Drugs.” Maclean’s
Online (May 17, 1999). EBSCOhost CD-ROM.
[October 24, 2002]
Helton, Jesse J., and William J. Staudenmeir Jr. “Re-imagining
Being ‘Straight’ in Straight Edge.” Contemporary
Drug Problems Online (Summer 2002).
InfoTrac Web: InfoTrac Onefile CD-ROM. [October 24,2002]
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