PLUR
Peace Love Unity Respect Responsibility, commonly shortened to PLURR, is the credo (see mantra)[1] of the rave, goa trance, and Electronic Dance Music cultures. Originating from early online discussions about rave culture conducted on Usenet, it's usage has been commonly used since the early 1990's where it became "de rigueur" [required by etiquette or current fashion] on club flyers and especially on club paraphernalia advertising underground outdoor trance parties.
It may be interpreted as the essential philosophy of life for ravers and clubbers, at least insomuch as it relates to interpersonal relationships, with basic directions on how people are expected to behave at a rave gathering. This universalist philosophy underpinning the tribal dance culture which began circling the globe with the rise of the internet, theoretically takes precedence over any chemical or musical aspects of the rave scene.[2] Raves represent a modern ritualistic experience, promoting a strong communal sense, where PLUR is considered an ideology.[3]
Defined
- Peace – Hostility typically serves no purpose other than to defend an ego that is lacking inner peace. It is a common belief among the rave culture that violence is never the answer.
- Love – Acts and feelings of goodwill towards others. The exchange of gestures such as hugging occurs in immense amounts at any rave, and is considered a way of "spreading the love."[4]
- Unity – We are all united in the human condition.
- Respect – A person must show regard for the feelings of others through their actions and inactions, and one must have respect for oneself and the environment.
Origins
PLUR is an aggregation of ideas synonymous with the earlier hippy and hip-hop culture, with the peace movement being an essential starting point to any be-in encounter or rave.
Use of the term 'PLUR' dates to the late 1980s and early 1990s rave scene in the UK which incorporated House and Acid House music that originated in Chicago during the 1980s. The term began as an informal discussion on usenet lists alt.rave and alt.culture.zippies. SF-raves mailing list archived at hyper-real also noted the use of the term, and there is a flyer archive which might contain evidence of the existence of the term.
One of the earliest uses of the term outside the internet, most anecdotal, appears to be DJ Frankie Bones in June 1993. Supposedly in response to a fight that broke out at one of his epic Storm Raves in Brooklyn, New York, Bones is said to have got on the microphone and yelled: "If you don't start showing some peace, love, and unity, I'll break your faces."[5]
Current music festivals containing 'PLUR' culture include Electric Daisy Carnival, Tomorrowland, Ultra Music Festival, Nocturnal Wonderland and Defqon.1 Festival.
Variations
Later incarnations and variations of PLUR can be seen in the adoption of Pronoia and also Ubuntu, with PLUR and Pronoia often being interchangeable terms, depending upon one's company.
References
- ↑ Jessica Kowal (2006-03-30). "Seattle's Shattered Rave 'Family'...". nytimes.com. Retrieved 2007-11-27.
- ↑ St. John, Graham (2004). Rave Culture and Religion. Routledge. p. 149. ISBN 0-415-31449-6.
- ↑ Marshall, Douglas (2002-11-01). "Behavior, Belonging, and Belief: A Theory of Ritual Practice". Sociological Theory. American Sociological Association. 20 (3): 360–380. Retrieved 2014-07-21.
- ↑ "How Frankie Bones Storm Rave Birthed The PLUR Movement".
- ↑ Steve Powers. "The Graffiti Kids Who Became Raver Kings". The Daily Beast.
External links
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Look up PLUR in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
- PLUR acronym definitions