"OUT OF STEP WITH THE WORLD": Ian MacKaye, Minor Threat, and the Performance of Hardcore Subversive Masculinity.

This article analyzes the impact of Ian MacKaye, singer of the hardcore punk band Minor Threat, on the redefinition of subversive masculinity in Washington DC in the 1980s. MacKaye, a central figure of the hardcore movement and founder of the Dischord label, popularized the straightedge ideology, advocating abstinence from drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and casual sex, in opposition to the hegemonic masculine norms of the time. Through abrasive music, intense stage performances, and lyrics marked by anger and violence, he created a collective space where masculinity is constructed both in individual rebellion and violent communion with the audience. This phenomenon takes place within a particular socio-political context, that of Washington DC, the symbolic capital of American power, where MacKaye expressed the resentment of a disaffected white, middle-class youth. Today, his influence endures, recognized both in punk culture and in academic studies. [Extracted from the article]