What They Talkin Bout, Willis?

There aren't too many people out there who are, per say, out to "get" the Edgies. At least not any more, however, there was a big controversy surrounding the emergence of the Straight Edge subculture. Perhaps it was the charismatic, mohawk-sporting leaders that Edgies had during the era of Punk Rock that caused such a ruckus. If that's the case then the mohawks have now gracefully fallen into what we call the "emo swoop", symbolizing, if you will, a new era of respect between schools of thought.

Despite there being no arguable objection to the Straight Edge lifestyle in itself, there is always the topic of drinking for me to discuss. Often times when my friends are conversing about alcohol and such, they ask why I do not drink. Upon telling them that I see no point to it, I time and time again receive the same reply.

"But it helps you loosen up, and you are able to talk to people better."

Standard Straight Edge beliefs revolve around the prospect of "the clear body and mind" so obviously the opposing point will come from the fact that alcohol intoxicates individuals and impairs the mind. The socialization that those who drink associate with the behavior does not register when compared to the pursuit of "the clear body and mind."

As individuals we pursue different things in our lives, so therefore neither side of this argument can be considered correct at any point. It's all a matter of what is believed personally.

A Bit of Housekeeping

Often as I write my posts, I grow frustrated at the constant use of the phrase: "those who live a Straight Edge lifestyle." There are other awkward variations as well such as: "Straight Edge people." I find it redundant to have to rely on a phrase to describe a group of people so often. We do not say, "those who follow a Vegetarian diet" whenever we talk about Vegetarians, we say, "Vegetarians."

So without further to do and for lack of a better word, I present to you what I will now be using in place of all the meticulous phrases (drum roll, please): "Edgies!"

Will this word one day become the standard term, thus eliminating the red underline of bad spelling? Probably not, but for this Blog it will work just fine!

Ethnocentrism

"Drugs are bad, mkay."

The utterances of "South Park" character, Mr. Mackey, seem to amount fairly to the beliefs held by some of those who live a Straight Edge lifestyle. That is if we take into account Mr. Mackey's disdain for anyone who thinks contrary to him.

Often I find that when Straight Edge people describe their lifestyle to others, they tend put on a mask of superiority. Such is the case in Kiriakos Vilchez's article, The Straight Edge Lifestyle. From the beginning, Vilchez makes the statement, "I am Straight Edge. Period." The underlying message in these five words is one of defiance to all opposing views. If Vilchez wishes to raise an argument on why his generation would benefit from being Straight Edge, then he should at least provide the opportunity for discussion. His views will be less easily received because he portrayed himself in such a closed manner.

Once Valchez stated the message of the subculture, he follows himself up with, "Unfortunately, my generation fails to hear the message." By focussing on his choice of the words "fails" and "unfortunately" we see that he looks down upon those who live different lifestyles. As stated, we know that Valchez is in a college environment, so he finds himself faced with a more amplified version of the culture he is arguing against, so it is somewhat understandable his argument will be amplified as well. However, in my opinion, placing himself above anyone else is a poor decision. He is asking for a challenge of his authority rather than a constructive challenging of his ideas. If he wishes to obtain the change he desires, he needs to bring himself back down first.

Valchez offers a cut and dry argument for a Straight Edge lifestyle that is strongly supported with facts, but he lacks the ability to create an open environment for discussion. Being Straight Edge does not make you better than anyone, it is simply a lifestyle - something personal that affects no one other than yourself.

XblogX

Have you ever seen a user on any given website where they have strategically placed Xs on either side of their username? Or have you noticed the three Xs tattooed on the forearm of that one guy who works at Grill Works in Top Dog? What exactly is all the hubbub concerning these Xs?

The fact of the matter is these people and many others are "Straight Edge." This is a lifestyle in which those who practice it abstain from abusing alcohol, drugs, and tobacco. There are many variations and interpretations of this lifestyle, all of which will receive further examination in future posts.

The Straight Edge lifestyle is of interest to me because as I grew more and more fond of Post-Hardcore music, all of the intricacies of its underground culture became apparent to me. Suddenly, things expanded. Throughout life we are propagated with famed images of alcohol, drugs, and tobacco (in recent times some more than others) whether it be through our advertisements, music, or other media outlets. All the while there exists a subculture that has values contrary to those who willingly participate in the mainstream society. Furthermore, this lifestyle is fronted by its artists. Straight Edge is derived from the early Punk Rock movements, while cultures and subcultures that hold similar values tend to stem off of Religious or Political affiliations. Another intriguing part of the Straight Edge lifestyle is its application to society and where exactly it fits in to everyday life.

In conclusion, there is more to Straight Edge than what we read as the definition. With this blog I hope to accomplish an insightful investigation and evaluation of this subculture, bringing to light what usually goes unseen.

About Me

My name is Dudley. Despite the practice I've received filling out "About Me" sections on various social networking sites, I have yet to know exactly what to say or know where to begin.

I decided I would post my facebook "About Me" and critique it in a way that would have the end result being the fact that it is terribly outdated and I've changed a lot since filling that out. However, upon the retrieval of said "About Me", I found that I no longer have a legitimate one. Instead there was a solemn greeting that read, "Hello person" in its place. Touche to myself.

So I am back to square one, debating which miscellaneous facts I should pelt my readers with.

To begin with, I love music. If you were one of the individuals who earned brownie points for picking out the A Day To Remember reference in my Blog's title, then you have also probably figured out my favorite genre is Post-Hardcore. I consider live music to be an incredible experience, and playing music is just as enthralling.

Another passion of mine is drawing. My realistic drawing style has so far been limited to police sketch pranks my friends have me partake in. Otherwise, I exclusively draw cartoons. My first published comic strip was called Rock'in Comics (only a few of the comics made it online), and it ran in the Virginian Pilot newspaper every other Friday for two years. I hope to revive the comic and have it published in The Breeze sometime before I graduate.

I really enjoy laughing and humor is a big part of my life. Conan O'Brien, Simon Rich, and Nick Thune are among my favorite comedians. One day, I too wish to be involved in the entertainment business, hence my major being Media Arts and Design.

This is me very simply put. I hope you all enjoy reading my blog posts to come!