Never the less I wanted to learn more about the film so I trotted on over to YouTube and found the trailer.
Edge The Movie: Perspective on a Drug Free Culture - Documentary Trailer
I think my generation is familiar with the Straightedge concept. It's a term that has faded however, it is still alive and well within punk circles.
The idea is very simple, however, it has varied and expanded throughout the decades, depending on the individual. No drugs, no booze. That's the basics of it. Others have taken it further and have adopted a vegan diet and/or a celibate or non-promiscuous sex life.
Some how the concept turned into a movement which was never the goal. Ian Mackaye of Minor Threat (1980 - 1983), Fugazi (1987 - present) and Evens (2001 - present) coined the term.
In 1980 Minor Threat released a song entitled Straight Edge. The punk band was one of the many hardcore bands that came out of Washington D.C.. Those who took it upon themselves to create a movement took a symbol that was originally used to identify kids as being too young to drink so that the bartenders would know not to serve them. Kids would come to wear a big black X on both hands which they felt set them apart from others who partook in drug use.
Straight Edge - Minor Threat
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
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
I've got the straight edge
But I've got better things to do
Than sit around and smoke dope
'Cause I know I can cope
Laugh at the thought of eating ludes
Laugh at the thought of sniffing glue
Always gonna keep in touch
Never want to use a crutch
I've got the straight edge
Straight Edge by Minor Threat
Once upon a time I used the Straightedge label. I never felt connected to a movement or community as I didn't know a single person who abstained from drugs and alcohol during my high school and college years. I used the term loosely as it was a quick and easy way to reject drugs or booze whenever anyone offered. It didn't invite a lot of questions. Once I told a peer that I was Straightedge I'd get a response of "oh okay" and that was it. The term worked for me so I continued to use it.
It wasn't until my senior year of college that I came to realize that the Straightedge movement had become a trend. Or rather a trend for some. I'm not sure why I was surprised. Anything and everything can become popular and well liked and anything popular or well liked can evolve into something that is worn like an ornament on a sleeve.
During my junior year of college I transferred to a liberal arts and science school called The Evergreen State College, located in Olympia, Washington. It was not only a liberal environment but a very hippie environment. I suppose hippie is yet another label however it seemed to fit. I enjoyed my experience at Evergreen and it was a far cry from Los Angeles, California which was a nice break.
In addition to the repeat of Beatles, Marley and Dylan records that could be heard throughout the dorms, there was also a heavy flow of pot use. During my first year I lived with persistent weed smokers. Sure there are those who are just the occasional user but the roommates I lived with smoked all the the live long day, every day. When they smoked pot they talked about how much they loved it, when they ran out of pot they spoke about how great it would be when they got their hands on some more.
That being said, I loved my dear roommates. They were great company and they contributed to my growing process as a human being. They knew I didn't use and eventually became accustomed to it. I was able to spend time with them even while they were drunk or buzzed and they accepted me as the sober one.
It was at Evergreen that the Straightedge label was no longer an easy get out of jail card. Gone were the days that I was met with the "oh okay" response. Now, I was met with great pause, a flabbergasted look, and then a....."but WHY??!"
It was a question that I had to answer time and time again. I grew sick of it and I could never put forth an answer that would satisfy the questioner.
So, here's my story. Living a drug free life was never a difficult choice to make. I used to joke that those D.A.R.E. programs must have worked really well on me when I was a kid.
I had my first sip of alcohol when I was eleven years of age. I had been a flower girl at a wedding and at the reception, champagne was served. I asked my mother if I could have a sip and to my surprise she said yes. I took my little sip and immediately wished I hadn't done so. An awful taste. I looked up at my mother with an expression that glared, "Why did you let me do that?"
It wasn't until high school that I was suddenly surrounded by kids smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol and smoking pot. I witnessed people falling all over themselves, puking in trash cans, slurring their words, jumping off of high platforms and skateboarding into night time traffic. Not only did I find their behavior dangerous but also unattractive.
An additional turn off was when a young attractive guy would approach me when he was drunk but wouldn't engage with me when sober. This kind of thing happened repeatedly. I never viewed these interactions as a case where inhibitions were lowered due to the alcohol and therefore men had the nerve to approach me. It was more like the persons were not only drunk but sloppy and horny and therefore they decided to make a crude advance.
Eventually I got to the point where I didn't have a problem hanging out with friends who drank and smoked. It was a part of their lives but not a part of mine and despite our polar opposite viewpoints we were able to coexist at parties or at local hangouts.
During my senior year of college a friend came up to me gleefully and shrieked, "I met someone who's Straightedge like you!" I was in shock as that didn't seem possible in the land of hippies. She took me to his dorm room and upon his door was a fastened plaque with three X's across it. I couldn't keep my eyes from rolling.
I turned around to my friend and said, "How much you wanna bet this guy's got XXX tattooed somewhere on his body? Either across his stomach or upon his back." I met that man and he was decked in Straightedge gear. Straightedge hat, Straightedge gloves, Straightedge hoodie and yes, a Straightedge tattoo across his stomach. It was all so sickening and immediately I wanted nothing to do with him.
Even so, my friend sat us down together. He looked far into my eyes and asked, "So, how long have you been Edge?" Edge? I think this is why I feel uncomfortable with the Straightedge documentary title "Edge." This man seemed to think that being Straightedge was the coolest thing ever and he proceeded to tell me how he was very much into the hardcore scene. He again asked me how long I had been Edge and I said plainly..."um, all my life." His eyes widened and he stuttered, "Uh, uh, well that's..cool. I've been Straightedge for about a year." He was visibly embarrassed as if some how I had upstaged him being that I had never experienced a problem with drugs or casual use of drugs.
I found it unfortunate that this guy delved so deeply into the concept that is Straightedge and so quickly. He had been sober only a year and previously had a intense drug problem. I do not underestimate or take for granted his process of becoming clean whatever it may have been. A year of sobriety is a huge accomplishment. Ask almost any addict and they'll tell you. A day, three days, three weeks is a huge accomplishment!
Even so, in the grand scheme of things, a year did not seem long enough to begin sporting huge triple X's across his stomach. I don't want to speak for this guy, but from the outside looking in, it really seemed that he was not only viewing Straightedge as something he could relate to and lean on for support, but rather it had become another identity to replace the old.
Despite the fact that Straightedge was never meant to become a movement or a trend, it did. And the reason it did is because there were plenty of people who could relate to the desire to live a drug free existence and being that the choice is a rare one, many found it helpful to be involved with a supportive forum or community. There was a real camaraderie that many found useful.
Ian MacKaye Speaks About How Straightedge Was Never Meant To Be A Movement - Clip from Edge
At the end of the above clip Mackaye speaks about an instance when a kid noticed that he was drinking iced tea and proceeded to tell him that he had heard from a friend that caffeine was a drug. This is an example as to how Straightedge has become something that it was never intended to be. An example of how some have taken Straightedge further than just an exclusion of drugs and alcohol.
Some changes are very much minute and detailed. For example, Straight Edge was originally separated into two words. Now the term is often used as a single word. That is how I have been presenting it in this post. Also, the double X's marked in black marker have morphed into a logo which consists of three X's. In our culture the triple X often represents something that is "X-rated" or highly sexualized. Even so there has been a marketing of the Straightedge XXX that exists on t-shirts, bumper stickers, jewelry, and tattoos. I find that to be unfortunate as it is a form of bumper sticker politics.
And yes, some have taken it further to the point where veganism has become a part of Straightedge and some will harshly criticize others who eat meat or consume caffeinated beverages.
Eventually out of Straightedge came the spin off "Hate Edge". Hate Edge folks would either scold you or attack you if they witnessed you smoking a cigarette. Suddenly every person who didn't fit an individual's personal adaptation of Straightedge was subject to an ass beating.
Then came the war between the Straightedgers and the Hateedgers. Those who are reading this may have their own take and version of what I am relaying. The weavings of these movements can be debated.
Although, I enjoyed and still enjoy punk music I never considered myself "a punk". In high school I wore thrift shop clothes and dyed my hair various colors. I never gave myself a label. I eventually moved onto wearing darker clothing and various hair coloring but never labeled myself as "goth". Later on I grew pink dyed dreadlocks and I never gave myself the label of "hippie." My point is this - can a person be considered Straightedge if they don't immerse themselves in the punk or hardcore punk scene?
What I came to see is that if you weren't drug free, it was rarely a cool or uncool concept to live drug free. But among Straightedge kids, some found it very cool to be drug free. Among this group it became even less cool if you didn't fit the hardcore punk aesthetic.
Frustrating, no? There were so many tight knit circles within circles. As frustrating as it was, it made sense that large groups of people would grasp a general concept in their own way and then gravitate or even cling to those who saw things as they did. What we were left with however, was a round about definition that was never concrete. I see that as okay as long as no one gets hurt. As stated earlier, that hasn't always been the case. There is a lot of arrogance, ignorance and militance that can come along with Straightedge culture and that is something I have never wanted to be associated with.
Today I do not refer to myself as Straightedge and I haven't used the label for years. I am drug free but to put it simply and non-eloquently, I don't make a big deal about it. It's nothing to toot my horn about and I don't feel that I'm taking this great brave stance. I do not feel that I am bold or daring despite the fact that there isn't a single person in my life who doesn't use some kind of substance, whether it be nicotine, alcohol, marijuana or harder drugs.
I am the minority but I do not believe that I have earned a badge of honor. I don't use drugs, straight and simple. It's just not a part of my life. In fact it is so absent from my life that I rarely take pause to think about how different I may be from my peers. And really I'm not all that different. I get along with friends and the bond we carry has nothing to do with drug use.
There have been moments when I've been curious as to what type of drunk I'd be. Happy? Sad? Loathing? Silly? Crying in the corner? Vague curiosity is as far as I have ever taken it. As I mentioned earlier in this post, it has been very easy for me to remain sober. It was never difficult to resist and it wasn't something I felt I needed to defend with brute strength.
I simply do not have an intense desire to experience what a high or buzz must feel like. A casual drink or a casual hit would not be potentially harmful. I know this. Even so, I am a person who likes to be in control of my senses and surroundings. I think when I use the word "control" a red flag climbs a poll in the minds of most. Wanting control of my senses does not equate to existing as a control freak.
If I came to enjoy drugs I wouldn't want to get to a place where I might self-medicate. How often have you heard someone exclaim, "Man, I need a drink!" I don't ever want to need a drink. While I do not have an addictive personality, I wouldn't want to depend on that drink or high whenever I am stressed or aching.
Believe you me, I've had plenty of painful experiences in my life and plenty of opportunities to reach for an available substance. This is not to say that individuals who use drugs are incapable or do not utilize other methods to get them through the tough times. I simply do not wish to take the risk of dependence.
There is nothing wrong with wanting to feel good. There is nothing wrong with wanting to escape. We do it all the time whenever we choose watch TV, view a movie, spend time with friends, attend a concert, visit an art gallery and so on. Drug use is another option in the plethora of possible benefits. Definitely one with consequences but just as I choose to avoid the risk of health hazard, those who use measure their own risk of potential health hazard.
Being female is another factor in my choice to remain drug free. This is not to say that intoxication is an invitation to take advantage of a woman. In no way does a state of inebriation invite sexual abuse. Despite this logic, I have heard the horror stories of too many women who have been assaulted, who have been raped, who have woken up in the middle of a rape, after a drinking binge. While no woman "asks for it", I find it important to recognize that some settings are safer than others. Be amongst those you trust.
As a woman I am not in a place of privilege. I'm almost certain that I check my surroundings more than most men. At any crowded social gathering I make certain I have a friend with me. I make certain that I have a safe way of getting home and if I have brought my own car I look into the backseat before getting in. I watch for shadows behind me when I walk into the night and I lookout for any woman who may be tagging along so that I can make sure that she is safe as well. These are things one must do as a woman.
Ask anyone and they'll give you pros and cons to using drugs or steering clear of them. It comes down to individual choice. There is no need to "get him/her drunk" or to push someone to stay clean unless they are in danger of considerable damage or consequences.
Straightedge. Is it a label that fits for you? Do you despise labels? Use it or don't use it. My take is this - I understand that high school is a time when everyone wants to fit in. As you get older more than likely fitting in isn't so much a priority. If you are anywhere in your mid-twenties or above, I think that allowing oneself to be consumed by definition can be exhausting.
Ian Mackaye is now 49 years old. The documentary was released in 2009. His sense of Straightedge has not left him and it seems that it's not going anywhere anytime soon. One might argue that he continues the label (not necessarily the way of life) as he coined the term and feels that he must continue to carry the torch.
Or, maybe the man truly believes in the song that he wrote long long ago. Somehow it became something more than he expected. For better or for worse it had an impact and that's pretty impressive.
From the website:
Ian MacKaye (Minor Threat, Fugazi), Ray Cappo (Youth of Today, Shelter) and Karl Buechner (Earth Crisis, Freya) give witness to their perception of the history of Straight Edge, why it was so important to them and what it changed in their personal and professional careers. But they also address problems like violence, sexism and intolerance that emerged within Straight Edge, and how it changed the ‘scene’ as well as its public image.
Furthermore, EDGE explores the lives of 9 individuals, that identify as Straight Edge. Their reasons range from negative experiences with drugs to maintaining a healthy lifestyle to political reasons. Through a very close and personal look into their daily lives, we see how their decision to live ‘poison free’ has changed the world for them.
But how do people discover Straight Edge? How do women experience Straight Edge subculture? What social backgrounds are shared by people new to the scene and what makes someone turn Straight Edge? How does mainstream culture perceive this movement?
EDGE is looking for answers to these questions on a road trip behind and beyond the scenes of the Straight Edge subculture.
To purchase Edge the Movie: A Perspective on a Drug Free Culture click here.
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