(Verdant/Weird World)
Reader Question Kleber Ruiz, Sao Paulo, SP
Illustrates Raphael Mortari
Edition Felipe van Deursen
It is a movement that preaches total abstinence from alcohol, drugs and cigarettes. It emerged in the early 1980s as a response to the excesses of another resistance culture, punk. More than a musical style, the straight edge it is a philosophy of life that preaches against excessive consumerism and hedonism. The biggest symbol of the movement is an “X” – tattooed, shaved on the head or stamped on clothes. But, despite preaching a healthy life and without addictions, the straight edge it also has its controversies. In Brazil, the movement gained strength in the 1990s, when the event Verdurada appeared in São Paulo, SP.
In the illustration above, five maxims of the movement:
- Don’t take advantage of animals
- Don’t have promiscuous sex
- Do not smoke
- Do not use drugs
- don’t drink alcohol
Music
The sound of pioneering bands is pure hardcore: screaming, screaming, short and direct songs. In 1981, the band Minor Threat released the song “Straight edge“. His 45 seconds laid the groundwork for the movement
Positives
One of the characteristics of the movement is known as positivity. In it, young people help each other to have a life away from addictions, such as drugs and alcohol, but without forgetting to have fun
Radicals
For a minority, pursuing a pure life is not enough. From the 1980s onwards, gangs emerged in the US to attack those who did wrong, such as drinking beer. With these radicals, the straight edge became a police case
various flags
In recent years, the movement has split into several causes. There’s room for vegans, anarchists, right-wingers and Christians, each defending their vision of purity
SOURCES Documentary inside the Straight edge (National Geographic); timeline