Is CM Punk giving Straight Edge a bad name? Straight Edge gets a lot of bad press already because of hardline edgers that have formed gangs and fight people that smoke or drink. Young Straight Edge kids act beyond proud by proclaiming their edge following via obnoxious attitudes and raucous behavior. And now with CM Punks Straight Edge Society his fans are chanting that they are better than everyone else because they are Straight Edge.
To me Straight Edge is a personal choice. If someone else isn't Straight Edge I am not bothered or offended or upset in any way. I simply choose not to drink or smoke. But to others it has become a banner to wave in peoples faces. It is now a new way to offend people.
I was originally happy when I heard about CM Punk the Straight Edge wrestler. I figured it would be a possible positive way to introduce the philosophy to many new people that otherwise would live in what is commonly a non-edge lifestyle. But his arrogance (yes I understand it's an act, wrestling is fake and is entertainment) has spread to his followers.
How long will their interest last? Do they even understand the philosophy behind Straight Edge? Do they know the history and the culture of its origins? Not that one needs to know who Ian MacKaye is or even listen to hardcore, but I think it's important to understand what Straight Edge came from, to understand its origin as a rebellion against the typical drunken and drugged punk lifestyle.
If you're SxE and you became it because of CM Punk, please comment here and let me know.
Feel free to also comment on twitter, You can find me as @phreekk and you should tagyour Edge tweets with #StraightEdge or #SxE
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
23 comments:
Love the post. I would add that I wonder if the people who are learning about the Straight Edge lifestyle via wrestling are not coming in with a tainted mindset.
Wrestling has always been notorious for not only drug use (steroids) amongst it's fold, but tainting the message the wrestler's characters adhere to. Even if your preaching the correct message, in order to do that you have to expose the people hearing it to a world that inherently rewards drug use with recognition and rewards.
By over exaggerating the wrestling characters message, be it Straight Edge or any other lifestyle, does it not cheapen the message overall? Is it something akin to when the KKK sides with a legitimate group or mindset and the association alone is a catalyst to attack or trivialize it?
And what if at the end of the day it's just a character. What if CM Punk is not truly edge and is a steroid user. Undoubtedly to maintain his physical condition he has a regimented diet. But what if he (much like in baseball or any other sport) is taking supplements that skirt the line between healthy natural food and something akin to a drug.
This doesn't even touch on the sexualization aspects of the "sport". Promiscuity and the inference irresponsible sex are rife through out wrestling. How many Soap Opera sex triangles will his character be involved in or even has been involved in already.
At the end of the day it would probably be better for the wrestler not to identify as straight edge and to maintain the high standards edge holds, than to call him self edge and skirt the line of being it. Better people get the message without the label than to get the wrong message.
A lot of people know straight edge only from CM Punk... That's a fact... And right know with him play a heel persona that could be "bad publicity"...
However people need to understand that CM Punk is a character played by Phill Brooks, nothing else. I strongly believe Phill Brooks doesn't share the type of message that his character is spreading.
It's not because Anthony Hopkins played Hannibal that you are going to run from him if you see him on the streets, understand me?
Punk has been doing this all his career, when he plays a face (a good guy) he sends a positive message about sXe, when he is bad guy he does the opposite...
Just for the record I don't believe he uses steroids, he would be much bigger if he did...
And it's a little hard for him not to play a straight edge character since he has "straight edge" tattooed across his stomach. :)
I am going to be honest with you. I know straight edge because of CM Punk. I did my research and I decided it was the right choice for me. The ones who join the movement just because of the wrestler are stupid. sXe is way more deep than everything punk said or done inside the ring during his career so far...
I came to know about StraightEdge around 3years ago and it was because of CM Punk. At the time he was a good guy and a newbie on WWE grounds. It's via him that I came to know of the sXe following. And I strongly disagree with protoaddict. I've been an avid WWE fan for over a decade now and they've really cleaned-up their act. They've never really promoted drugs either. CM Punk (or Phil Brooks) is genuinely StraightEdge and isn't playing a character. With the internet, it's hard to keep something like that a secret for long. And I think the publicity Edge is getting is good. Knowing how the business works, let me tell you that in about a year or two, CM Punk will turn face and will have a legion of followers. The message will ultimately turn positive. It always happens, always has.
I haven't pledged Edge, but I'm pretty glad I came to know about it via Punk. Right now he's one of my faves and I think he's doing an awesome job as a heel. It's just fun, and in time when he turns face, people will respect and cheer him (and his principles) as they did before.
Look up the segment where JBL challenges CM Punk to gulp down some whiskey to prove he has what it takes. The whole arena goes crazy with boos, telling Punk not to. It comes to show that this whole sXe bad press issue is nothing but simple fun. People won't take it to heart. Any common wrestling fan knows that.
Honestly, I think that he is in the right direction but people have taken edge the wrong way with the way he delivers it.
It kinda gives off a bad messiah vibe and all the people who are straight edge are looked at just as worse as the people who trash it. Some people have even said they still pledge but left the scene just to not be associated.
Personally, you dont even have to proclaim (or even know) you are SxE to be it (or hardcore)
Hi! My namie is Adrianna Dominiak, I have 19 years, I am coming from Poland and now I live as the Straight Edge. This road isn't straight but I am proud since I don't have addictions. When I had 16 years I started smoking cigarettes and drink to alcohol. When I had 17 I started watching wrestling and I saw the CM Punk. My first thought - he is crazy and not serious! After a few weeks I understood that he had been right. Easily I stopped drinking, I wasn't very fond of alcohol, but I smoked cigarettes as the dragon! ^^' It was hard to throw smoking. But it came off, I am not smoking from three months, I am not drinking from eleven, I never held drugs. Perhaps it is not serious but the CM Punk helped me. He convinced me that addictions were bad and they are for weak people. Quite a lot of friends of mine, the family has addictions and they won't leave rather them, when I am telling them about the CM Punk and about how he helped me they are mocking me, they are saying that they don't have a problem. It is saddening me, I would like to help them, but they don't want my help, they aren't listening to me. I am proud of my life, of my change, of my choice.
Thank You CM Punk!
I'm sorry for my english.
i'm sick of "i'm better than you" SES bullshit.. this is not what I chose.. also I would say that hardcore subculture is important for straight edge... you can't be straight edge without hardcore.. you can perfectly be drug free of course..
I just recently found about CM Punk, mostly because wrestling is the lamest thing ever. But I find it so odd to heard the "straight edge warrior" on the radio ad for some PPV. Sxe is just a personal thing, and it really sucks the WWE is trying to commercialize it. It's not going to work because the audience for wrestling is being drowned by commercials for Budweiser and Stone Cold attitudes.
If people are looking for a "poster child" for straight edge they should look at C.J. Wilson. Probably the most sincere human being and an outstanding talent.
What did you think of Edge the movie?
I heard about sXe when I was 17 by watching ROH matches starring CM Punk. After some searching on Wikipedia, I found out he is Straight-Edge and looked for more info on sXe.
I felt that this is who I am, and a few months later, I "pledged" Straight-Edge on my 18th birthday (the legal age of buying liquor and weed in Holland).
Now, I'm 22, still got the Edge and writing a thesis for my Bachelor's Degree about representations of sXe in American television, using CM Punk, James from Big Love and Lauren from Judging Amy.
This is my theory about Punk's representation of sXe as a heel.
A possible reason for using Straight-Edge in the WWE, is to teach the audience lessons like in a moral play. CM Punk tries to teach people aspects of the Straight-Edge philosophy through his heel character. In his feud with Jeff Hardy, he is against the nihilist, self-destructive lifestyle for which Jeff Hardy stands for, like the sXe movement goes against the nihilistic punks (Haenfler 36). CM Punk warns the audience not to make the same mistakes as their hero. In his battle against the Undertaker, he warns the audience not to be fooled by the smokes and mirrors of society. The Undertaker uses lights, smoke and magic tricks to scare or play mind games with his opponents. Punk claims that by adopting the sXe lifestyle, one will have a clear mind (Haenfler 4). Therefore, CM Punk can see through the illusions. One wonders that if the lessons are right, why does the WWE Universe see CM Punk as a heel? First of all, Punk criticizes two crowd favorites which makes a wrestler a bad guy. The other reason is that Punk states again and again that the audience supports these faces because they are drunk, high or addicted.
Another reason is the use of "deviance amplification".
In other words, a deviant act gets media attention and often the first that are reported, are just the tip of the iceberg. This implies that there are more like them but the media only shows the side that frightens the public. This fear makes the public curious about further news on this subject. The media attention can lead to glamorizing and normalizing the deviant act. Haenfler also grasps this and says: “Negative press may actually make subcultures more attractive to some kids while overexposure and commercialization undermines a movement’s resistance potential (qtd. in Moore 187).
In Punk’s case, it may be different since being drug free is not exactly a deviant act but the role of faces and heels in professional wrestling can aid in explaining Punk´s heel character as a “role model.” If Punk stayed a face, the public would feel bad about itself since they see someone who leads a better life than they do. This lifestyle is good but since there are no explicit flaws in Punk’s face character, it will be harder for sympathize with Punk. For example, Rey is popular among kids since he is small yet can defeat the bigger men / bullies, thereby inspiring these children. But how can someone be fan of someone who is better than them?
The villainous side of CM Punk preaches about his clean life, claims the audience has a weak will and even started a cult-like group. This suits the (im)popularity of Punk more because the public has a reason to boo him; CM Punk lives a better life than everyone else and uses every possibility to belittle the audience for the choices they make. The SES is the “tip of the iceberg” as the WWE only shows four members and the commentators wonder how many Straight-Edge Society members there are. Since the promos constantly focus on superiority feelings and a drug free lifestyle, sXe becomes a normal part of everyday life. Adolescents who watch the WWE may choose to imitate Punk to rebel against their parents and society.
I heard of sxe but cm punk inspired me to look it up. I use to have 100 ppl to hang with nowbi have 3 and 2 cousins kuz i stopped going around bad influences. I have been drug free and a vegetarian for over 2 years now. I love the lifestyle. Problem is i cant claim sxe in my area kuz a youth movement...there are young sxe gangs here that make u join if u are going to claim. Yea gay but i and those im around know the life i live and cm punk preaching helped me find my identity i guess. In a way and remember he is an actor doing his job
Ok, a little back story:
I'm 26, and I've always had a love/hate relationship with Wrestling, I loved it as a kid, then I "grew out" of it during my teenage years, until about 3 or 4 years ago when I started watching it again, and discovered a local training school, and began to train as a pro wrestler, even appearing on a few local independent shows. I discovered CM Punk at this time, and really dug the idea of an edge wrestler, even using an edge gimmick for my own character. I only stopped the training as I moved house to go to University, and was too far away from the training school to continue.
I claimed edge in 2005, during the phase of my hatred of wrestling, so I didn't become aware of CM Punk as an edge wrestler until I'd already claimed edge for 2 years, so he had no influence over my claim whatsoever (Nope, it was the kids I was hanging out with during a short spell living in California who first introduced me to the lifestyle), but he has certainly piqued my interest, he's a great wrestler, and a great ambassador for the lifestyle. Phil Brooks, Punks real name, is legitimately edge, and has been since he was 12, due to having an alcoholic father who he didn't want to grow up like, and he uses the claim as his wrestling gimmick. In an DVD interview, he tells a story of fracturing his skull in a wrestling match, and even refusing morphine in the hospital so he wouldn't break edge. There are other straight-edge wrestlers, such as MDogg 20 and Josh Prohibition, and even vegan guys who don't claim edge but live by the same principles, such as Bryan Danielson (AKA Daniel Bryan in WWE). CM Punk's current gimmick, "I'm straight-edge and I'm better than you" is simply a parody of certain hard-liners who claim to be the true edge, even beating up fellow edgers who don't share the hard-line ethos, and he has been doing so since he first started wrestling.
CM Punk is 100% edge, He just works a job he loves in a controversial business.
I see my Punk action figure as much a declaration of my claim as I do both of my edge tattoos.
Ok, a little back story:
I'm 26, and I've always had a love/hate relationship with Wrestling, I loved it as a kid, then I "grew out" of it during my teenage years, until about 3 or 4 years ago when I started watching it again, and discovered a local training school, and began to train as a pro wrestler, even appearing on a few local independent shows. I discovered CM Punk at this time, and really dug the idea of an edge wrestler, even using an edge gimmick for my own character. I only stopped the training as I moved house to go to University, and was too far away from the training school to continue.
I claimed edge in 2005, during the phase of my hatred of wrestling, so I didn't become aware of CM Punk as an edge wrestler until I'd already claimed edge for 2 years, so he had no influence over my claim whatsoever (Nope, it was the kids I was hanging out with during a short spell living in California who first introduced me to the lifestyle), but he has certainly piqued my interest, he's a great wrestler, and a great ambassador for the lifestyle. Phil Brooks, Punks real name, is legitimately edge, and has been since he was 12, due to having an alcoholic father who he didn't want to grow up like, and he uses the claim as his wrestling gimmick. In an DVD interview, he tells a story of fracturing his skull in a wrestling match, and even refusing morphine in the hospital so he wouldn't break edge. There are other straight-edge wrestlers, such as MDogg 20 and Josh Prohibition, and even vegan guys who don't claim edge but live by the same principles, such as Bryan Danielson (AKA Daniel Bryan in WWE). CM Punk's current gimmick, "I'm straight-edge and I'm better than you" is simply a parody of certain hard-liners who claim to be the true edge, even beating up fellow edgers who don't share the hard-line ethos, and he has been doing so since he first started wrestling.
CM Punk is 100% edge, He just works a job he loves in a controversial business.
I see my Punk action figure as much a declaration of my claim as I do both of my edge tattoos.
Where I come from, everyone that drinks and smokes weed already thinks they are better than you if you don't. It's not a personal choice they keep to themselves, they wear it proudly on their sleeves like a code of honor. Ian MacKaye is the reason I claim straight edge and I do think I am better than people that think drinking and doing drugs is cool. If I didn't what kind of society would we be living in?
theres no such thing as straight edge without hardcore.
otherwise youre just some loser.
and if you take offence to that youve completely missed the boat.
hardcore is about being a loser. straight edge is about being a loser. theres nothing cool about not drinking or doing drugs. try meeting girls or making friends without the social convention and bonding that goes along with recreational body abuse.
straight edge isnt a philosophy. it isnt a lifestyle. its just what it is. its for life. if youre not edge youre whole life you never were. and that doesnt mean what some washed up rock star like james hetfield thinks, it means from your point of claiming edge until you die.
cm punk is a total idiot.
publicity is the opposite of what straight edge needs.
if youre looking for a bandwagon to jump on then you probably should just drink and do drugs.
@Anonymous: You're a tool. Straight Edge started in hardcore, but it can exist outside of hardcore. I believe that people that claim Edge should learn about the history and roots to Straight Edge and hardcore but by no means to they need to be hardcore.
Straight Edge is a lifestyle, it's a set of choices for how you live your life. You don't need to be SxE your whole life to be Edge now. People are people and people make mistakes and people can make choices to do whatever they want.
I believe that claiming Edge should be a commitment for life and should be well thought out before jumping into it.
That said, you're a loser and a tool for acting like you are better than everyone because your hardcore and you were always Straight Edge.
Straight Edge is a personal commitment and a community. So as a community there is a commitment to embrace others and be posi. As far as I'm concerned you are not part of my community.
C.M Punk is establish straight edge to world.
I knew about the movement before, and have thought about claiming sXe. However, I've never truly seen the point behind it.
Now I do, and I can't say that it's w/out the influence of Punk.
all though when I first heard straight edge it was in WWE.It was interesting to know that a wrestler name CM Punk was the first Straight Edge wrestler to be in a WWE ring,but my interest for being straight isn't because of CM Punk but what I've been through.I would like to know whole meaning of straight and what's not straight edge.
Seeing what CM Punk is now actually made sad because now I know why people are worried of young people being straight edge.
Beating up someone because of use of drugs,blowing a MC Donald's, stuff like just to send a message is wrong. I would love to know what is the meaning of straight edge.
I drink red wine one cup a week only for the reason of that the fact that their is healthy benefits for wine.
I don't know much about straight.I only know that it's a life style that is a commitment to change lifes.
eddie: Straight Edge forbides the consumption of any alcohol, so red wine would be out even if it is considreed by some to be healthy. There are other ways to get the healthy benefits you may receive from wine without the negative effects from alcohol as well. If you are interested in living a poison free life it is in fact a life commitment as we as a community feel the purpose of being Straight Edge isn't a fad or something to take lightly. So if you choose to become Straight Edge think hard on it and decide what you will gain from this lifestyle.
Hi I'm Byron from CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA. I'm 24 and have recently decided to look into sXe because of Phil Brooks, and I'm glad I did CM Punk has introduced me to understanding and clarification. I intend to pledge straight egde because I believe I can better myself and a sober mind is what is needed in this day and age. I've done research on sXe and I'm glad that young people back then was able to realise there is a better way of living. I'll be getting my first X tattoo soon as a commitment to myself that my path of sXe has began!!!
Hey their using him well in wrestling now :) He's the most popular guy in the business and reping straight edge :) Always thought the time he was a "bad guy" was a bad idea for the straight edge message
oh and protoaddict, I'm a wrestling fan and its what i plan to do in life. Happy to say it doesnt mix the mindset tho :) It's what introduced me to straight edge
i'd never even heard of straight edge before CM Punk so he is the one who brought it into the light for me
To the people that belive that CM being strait edge is just part of his act...your wrong...like most wrestlers CM punk got his wrestling persona from real life, he grew up with an alcoholic father that lacked being an actual father because of alcohol. CM punks best friend came up with the "im better than you because im strait edge" persona LONG before he was a famous WWE wrestler
Post a Comment