Reference disley21 Today at 14:36:
I'm thinking she's done it to be 'cool' in one of those 'I've got this cool straight edge tattoo but my day to day existence totally contradicts the ideals behind the straight edge lifestyle in every conceivable way' kind of things......
Well, that's the natural assumption with anything regarding Shabby, but I'm not so sure in this case. It may well be linked to her punk band, but if it is then an affectation (to some extent), then it's a risky one.
Exponents of Straight Edge tend to regard it as a very serious lifestyle choice, and don't take kindly to people affecting it to look cool.
Also: we don't know when Shabby had it done, but if it was a while ago (say, in her teens/early 20s), she'd have been around when there were still remnants of militant SE, and they
really wouldn't have been happy about such an affectation.
I can't help wondering if the tattoo is, in a very real sense, a vestige of something she went through when she was younger, but has now grown out of?
BTW: leaving aside Shabby's very non-sXe attitude to smoking, alcohol and sex, it also may bring into question her behaviour towards Sunshine. Although it's not a "core" part of the philosophy, a
lot of those involved in Straight Edge tend to be vegetarian/vegan...