Selling Out
 

I saw in the Ian Mackaye Interview thread a mention about breaking edge, and recently a few people I know (who are complete idiots and have x's burnt into their arms) started smoking weed. I am wondering if their were any Straight Edge kids on this forum and what they think about kids who sell out and start smoking/drinking.. ect.

Personally (sadly), drugs are a big part of my life, I'm just curious.

Ian Mackaye didn't quit straight edge because he wanted to start shooting up or anything he quit because he hated the whole elitist crew attitude that surrounds it. Just to clarify this for everyone.

So he never actually started doing drugs? I was about to say, quitting the scene and doing drugs just to make a statement would be 10 times worse than quitting for the thrill of the drugs. ha.

He might do drugs I don't really know but I know his main reason for dropping the edge thing was because he hated the scene.

Nevermind, he probably did it for both reasons now that I think about it.

Straight Edge is stupid. I hate it, its dumb. Why do you have to be labeled something just because you choose not to drink or do drugs. These kids want attention.

Well I' straight edge and people I know who do drinka nd smoke call themselves straight edge. I mean I don't get all hyped up or anything when I see people with X's on their hands and smoke, all I know is i'm edge and proud of it....I have reasons why I am that way, and it's just so weird how now it seems like edge is frowned upon because we choose to not do something. It's also weird how kids use the X on their hands as a symbol for something tehy don't stand for. I agree with Ian MacKaye for hating the scene but it's gotten alot worse.

the concept of 'selling out' affects just about every cultural scene out there. jazz cats, hippies, punks, metalheads, you name it, any creative outlet that allows for independent development has dealt with it. if you associate yourself with any label besides your own name you will get crap about 'selling out' eventually.

i think a lot of it stems from an emotional attachment to the first independent ideals an individual develops for themselves in their youth and the natural dislike of getting older once you hit legal age.

i'm always reminded of this saying when it comes to discussions about the selling out of ideals - if your ideals aren't front and center when you're 20 then you don't have much of a heart. if they're still front and center when you're 30 you don't have much of a brain.

that's not to say people should simply abandon their ideals, but placing them front and center generally creates conflict and strife since most ideals are personal opinions on how other people (be it cultural groups, governments, art scenes, etc.) should behave. and when's the last time anyone here enjoyed being told how to think or act? (regardless of the direction of the change in behavior)

a friend of mine used to be strait edge and we would try and get him to smoke and drink alot, cause he was strait edge. after he decide he wasn't strait edge and just didn't do drugs we didn't bug him very much. the worst thing was when he decide to smoke rarely thus resulting in a social breakdown every time someone passed him a bowl. it was annoying as all hell but hes kinda gotten pass that stage, thankfully

ian?