Straight edge emerged amid the mid-1980s hardcore punk scene. Since then, a wide variety of beliefs and ideas have been associated with some members of the movement, including vegetarianism,[4] animal rights,[4] and Christianity.[5] While the commonly expressed aspects of the straight edge subculture have been abstinence of alcohol, nicotine, and illegal drugs, there have been considerable variations on how far to take the interpretations of "abstaining from intoxicants" or "living drug free." Disagreements often pertain to the primary reasons for living straight edge. Straight edge politics vary widely, from left-wing and revolutionary, to conservative.[6]
While some straight edge groups are treated as a "gang" by law enforcement officials,[7] a 2006 study found the vast majority of people who identify as straight edge are nonviolent.[8] However, the public's overall perception of Straight edge has largely been negative.
While the early Washington, DC, hardcore punk scene is often praised for its commitment to positive social change, both the youth crew movement of the 1980s and the vegan movement of the 1990s have drawn criticism. Both movements have been accused of extreme male dominance, violence, and intolerance, while the latter is also criticized for its self-righteous militancy.
These perceptions have been reinforced by violent outbreaks between rival straight edge groups in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Reno, Nevada. The "gang" classification by these cities' police departments was exploited by the corporate media. For these reasons, straight edge has often been approached with skepticism, ridicule, and hostility, despite the ideologically less dogmatic and more multifaceted character of contemporary straight edge.[9]
Authors have adopted a variety of terms for the subculture as well as for individuals that have adopted the lifestyle.[10] Several permutations of the term have been adopted by straightedge,[5]straight-edge, and straight edge.
Straight edge grew out of hardcore punk in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and was partly characterized by shouted rather than sung vocals.[13]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.[11]
Straight edge sentiments can be found in songs by the early 1980s band Minor Threat, most explicitly within their song "Straight Edge",[14] first wave English punk band The Vibrators song "Keep It Clean" and Jonathan Richman's early band The Modern Lovers 1970s song "I'm Straight", which rejected drug use.[15] 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.[16]
Straight edge started on the East Coast of the United States in Washington D.C., and quickly spread throughout the US and Canada.[17] 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. Circumstances soon changed and the early 1980s would eventually be viewed as the time "before the two scenes separated".[13] Early straight edge bands included: the Washington D.C. bands Minor Threat, State of Alert (S.O.A.), Government Issue, Teen Idles and The Faith; Reno's 7 Seconds; Boston's SSD, DYS and Negative FX; California bands as mentioned above; and New York City bands such as Cause for Alarm and The Abused.[3][18][19]
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. Many youth crew bands had a strongheavy metal influence.[23] Notable youth crew bands included: Youth of Today,[23] Gorilla Biscuits,[23] Judge, Bold, Chain of Strength, Uniform Choice, and Slapshot.[24]
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.[25] Vegetarianism became an important theme in straight edge during this era,[26] starting with Youth of Today's 1988 song "No More", which contained the lyrics: "Meat-eating, flesh-eating, think about it. So callous this crime we commit".[27] This catalyzed a trend towards animal rights and veganism within the straight edge movement that would reach its peak in the 1990s.[26]
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar