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The point I post about this article s not as glorifying western culture, but only as general information.
Straight edge refers to a subculture of hardcore punk which was a direct reaction to the sexual revolution, hedonism, and excess associated with punk rock In its simplest form, straight edge is a philosophy of staying clean and sober: meaning refraining from using alcohol, tobacco, and recreational drugs. For some, this extends to not engaging in promiscuous sex, following a vegetarian or vegan diet, not using caffeine or prescription drugs. The term was coined by the 1980s hardcore punk band Minor Threat in their song "Straight Edge."
Since the late 1970s, straight edge has been a part of the punk scene. During that time, a wide variety of beliefs and ideas have been incorporated into straight edge including violence, vegetarianism, animal rights, communism and Hare Krishna beliefs.In many parts of the United States, straight edge is treated as a gang;however, recent studies suggest that only a small minority of the people who refer to themselves as straight edge are violent.
History
In 1999, William Tsitsos wrote that straight edge had gone though three eras since its founding in the early 1980s.Later analyst have identified another era that has taken place since Tsitsos's writing.
1970s and early 1980s
Originally, straight edge was most closely associated with hardcore punk which developed in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and was partly characterized by shouted rather than sung vocals.Straight edge individuals of this early era often associated with the original punk ideals such as individualism, disdain for work and school, and live-for-the-moment attitudes.
Straight edge sentiments can be found in songs by the early-1980s band Minor Threat, most explicitly within their song "Straight Edge."An additional example of what may be considered a proto-straight-edge song is "Keep It Clean" by first wave English punk band The Vibrators. Singer-songwriter Jonathan Richman's early band The Modern Lovers also made a proto-straight-edge stand in the song "I'm Straight," which rejected drug use and first appeared in the compilation Troublemakers (1980). As one of the few prominent 1970s hard rock icons to explicitly eschew alcohol and drug use, singer/guitarist Ted Nugent was also a key influence on the straight edge ideology.
Although straight edge started on the East Coast of the United States in Washington D.C. it quickly spread through the US and Canada. By the 1980s, bands on the West Coast of the United States, such as America's Hardcore (A.H.C.), Stalag 13, Justice League and Uniform Choice, were gaining popularity. In the early stages of this subculture’s history, concerts often consisted of non-straight-edge punk bands along with straight edge bands. However, circumstances soon changed and early 1980s would eventually be viewed as the time "before the two scenes separated. Early straight edge bands included: the Washington D.C. bands Minor Threat, State of Alert (S.O.A.), Government Issue and Teen Idles; Reno's 7 Seconds; Boston's SSD, DYS and Negative FX; Californiabands as mentioned above; and New York City bands such as Cause for Alarm and The Abused.
Bent edge
Bent edge was formed at a counter movement to straight edge by members of Washington, DC hardcore scene who were fed up with the rigidness and intolerance in the new-upcoming straight edge scene. This idea of a counter movement quickly spread through out the country. On Minor Threat's first tour in 1982, people would approach the band telling them that they were bent or curved edge.The counter-movement was short lived and faded away by the end of the 1980s.
Youth crew (mid 1980s)
During the youth crew era, which started in the mid 1980s, the influence of music on the straight edge scene seemed to be at an all-time high. The new branches of straight edge that came about during this era seemed to originate from ideas presented in songs. Notable youth crew bands included: Youth of Today, Gorilla Biscuits, 7 Seconds, Judge, Bold, Chain of Strength, Uniform Choice, and Slapshot.
Starting in the mid-1980s, the band Youth of Today became associated with the straight edge movement, and their song "Youth Crew" expressed a desire to unite the scene into a movement. The most identifiable theme that arose during the youth crew era was an association of straight edge with vegetarianism. In 1988, Youth of Today released the song "No More", which initiated this new theme within the subculture. Lead singer Ray Cappo displayed his vegetarian views in the lyrics: "Meat-eating, flesh-eating, think about it. So callous this crime we commit."This catalyzed a trend towards animal rights and veganism within straight edge that would reach its peak in the 1990s.
1990s
By the early 1990s, militant straight edge was a well-known presence in the scene—the term militant meaning someone who is dedicated and outspoken, but also believed to be narrow-minded, judgmental, and potentially violent.[21] The militant straight edge individual was characterized by less tolerance for non-straight-edge people, more outward pride in being straight edge, more outspokenness, and the willingness to resort to violence in order to promote clean living. It was also around this time that veganism would become a major part of the lives of many straight edge individuals; it was also reflected by bands such as Earth Crisis and Path of Resistance that promoted militant straight edge and animal rights messages. From this view on militant straight edge came a more extreme variant called Hardline.
In the early to mid 1990s, straight edge spread from the United States to Northern Europe, Eastern Europe, the Middle East,and South America.Straight edge spread around the world because of the touring of youth crew bands and the fact that albums could be easily ordered by mail.In the mid-1990s, a number of bands advocating social justice, animal liberation, veganism, and straight edge practices displayed a stronger metal influence. Bands from this era include Mouthpiece,Morning Again, Culture, Earth Crisis, Undertow, and Strife.
2000s
After the 1990s, some of the more controversial aspects that surrounded straight edge began to disappear, partly in response to media reports portraying the movement as a type of gang.[ In a 2003 study on straight edge, one out of
the twenty participants interviewed advocated some form
of violence. In the 2000s, there is a growing amount of tolerance of people who do not follow the straight edge lifestyle by straight edge individuals. Many bands now range from a variety of styles, some having a more classic hardcore punk element, while others have a more metallic style. Some of these new era Straight Edge bands include Allegiance, Casey Jones, Champion, Down to Nothing, Embrace Today, Eyes To The Sky, Have Heart, Liferuiner, Righteous Jams,Stick to Your Guns, and Throwdown.
X symbol
Italian straight edge band To Killperforming live The letter X is the most known symbol of straight edge, and is sometimes worn as a marking on the back of both hands, though it can be displayed on other body parts as well. Some followers of straight edge have also incorporated the symbol into clothing and pins. According to a series of interviews by journalist Michael Azerrad, the Straight Edge "X" can be traced to the Teen Idles' brief U.S. West Coast tour in 1980. The Teen 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 would be denied entry to the club. As a compromise, management marked each of the Idles' hands with a large black "X" as a warning to the club's staff not to serve alcohol to the band. Upon returning to Washington, D.C., the band suggested this same system to local clubs as a means to allow teenagers in to see musical performances without being served alcohol. The Teen Idles released a record in 1980 called Minor Disturbance with the cover shot being two hands with black X's on the back.The mark soon became associated with the Straight Edge lifestyle. In recent years, more venues and clubs have begun adopting this system. A variation involving a trio of X's (XXX) is often used in show flyers and tattoos. This can be used to show that an adherent is extremely straight edge.Also, it can be ironic based on the fact that three X's are a cartoon way to signify alcohol or poison. The term is sometimes abbreviated by including an X with the abbreviation of the term "straight edge" to give "sXe". By analogy, hardcore punk is sometimes abbreviated to "hXc". The X symbol can be used as a way to signify a band or person is straight edge, by adding an 'x' to the front and back, for example, the band xDEATHSTARx.
