Politics[edit]

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Many early hardcore punk bands took far left wing political or anarchist stances and were vocal against Ronald Reagan, who was the Republican United States president from 1981 to 1989, and/or Margaret Thatcher, who was the Conservative British prime minister from 1979 to 1990. Reagan's policies, including Reaganomics and social conservatism, were common subjects for these bands.^[19][20] Jimmy Gestapo of Murphy's Law, however, endorsed Reagan and called Jimmy Carter a "pussy" in a 1986 New York Magazine cover story.^[21] Shortly after Reagan's death in 2004, the Maximumrocknroll radio show aired an episode composed of anti-Reagan songs from hardcore punk bands including Dead Kennedys, Government Issue, DRI, Youth Brigade, Crucifucks, Wasted Youth, Dayglo Abortions, Reagan Youth, T.S.O.L. and The Fartz.^[22]
During the 2001–2009 United States presidency of George W. Bush, a number of hardcore bands expressed anti-Bush stances. During the 2004 United States presidential election, artists and bands including Brian Baker, Jello Biafra, Mike Watt, Bad Religion, Rise Against,^[23] Circle Jerks, Ensign, Sick of It All, The Unseen, Western Addiction and Youth Brigade were involved with the anti-Bush political activist group Punkvoter.^[24] A minority of hardcore musicians were more right wing, such as the band Antiseen, whose guitarist Joe Young ran for office as a North Carolina Libertarian.^[25] Former Misfits singer Michale Graves appeared on an episode of The Daily Show, voicing support for George W. Bush.^[26]

Hardcore dancing[edit]

The early 1980s hardcore punk scene developed slam dancing and stage diving. A performance by Fear on the 1981 Halloween episode of Saturday Night Live was cut short when slam dancers, including John Belushi and members of a few hardcore punk bands, invaded the stage, damaged studio equipment and used profanity.^[27][28] Those band members included John Joseph of Cro-Mags and Ian Mackaye of Minor Threat.^[29] Other early examples of American hardcore dancing can be seen in the documentaries Another State of Mind, Urban Struggle, The Decline of Western Civilization, American Hardcore, and "30 Years of northwest punk.
The UK punk band Hacksaw came out against moshing after an incident at a 2006 gig caused several fans to suffer serious injuries. This resulted in a song on their 2007 album, Vote Hacksaw, titled "Amateurs in the Pit", wherein they condemn some moshers as "brain dead morons who wanna stamp on kiddies".^{[citation needed]}

Clothing style[edit]

Many hardcore punk fans adopted a dressed-down style of T-shirts, jeans, combat boots or sneakers and crewcut-style haircuts. Women in the hardcore scene typically wore army pants, band t-shirts, and hooded sweatshirts.^[30] The style of the 1980s hardcore scene contrasted with the more provocative fashion styles of late 1970s punk rockers (elaborate hairdos, torn clothes, patches, safety pins, studs, spikes, etc.). A scholarly source states that "hardcore kids do not look like punks", since hardcore scene members wore basic clothing and short haircuts, in contrast to the "embellished leather jackets and pants" worn in the punk scene.^[31] Another scholarly source, however, claims that the standard hardcore punk clothing and styles included torn jeans, leather jackets, spiked armbands and dog collars and mohawk hairstyles and DIY ornamentation of clothes with studs, painted band names, political statements, and patches.^[32] Another scholarly source describes the look that was common in the San Francisco hardcore scene as consisting of biker-style leather jackets, chains, studded wristbands, pierced noses and multiple piercings, painted or tattooed statements (e.g. an anarchy symbol) and hairstyles ranging from military-style haircuts dyed black or blonde, mohawks, and shaved heads.^[33]
Circle Jerks frontman Keith Morris wrote: "the ... punk scene was basically based on English fashion. But we had nothing to do with that. Black Flag and the Circle Jerks were so far from that. We looked like the kid who worked at the gas station or submarine shop."^[34] Henry Rollins echoes Morris' point, stating that for him getting dressed up meant putting on a black shirt and some dark pants; Rollins viewed an interest in fashion as being a distraction.^[35] Jimmy Gestapo from Murphy's Law describes his own transition from dressing in a punk style (spiked hair and a bondage belt) to adopting a hardcore style (shaved head and boots) as being based on needing more functional clothing.^[30]