RAVES AND PACIFIERS

I have a weird fixation on pacifiers in rave culture. This interest began when I started to notice a trend of including iconography of and actual pacifiers on jewelry, clothing, and other gear sold at DOLLS KILL, which is you haven’t figured it out already, is my favorite retailer. As a so-called ‘new-school’ raver, this was my first introduction to them having only ever noticed one or two at an actual event. However, once I started looking for them when I went to events I started to notice more and more people with one little string around their neck as more than just a fashion statement. While the people sporting pacifiers were hardly in the majority, it was enough to get me wondering what exactly was going on. It was then that I started to look more into the practical uses of the pacifier.

My first instinct was to assume that it was some piece, like ears or a tail, and for some people, it definitely may be one, but further investigation proved that at least initially it was nothing of the sort. As I mentioned in the previous post “DITCH YOUR RAVE GUM FOR A LOLLIPOP OR TWENTY,” pacifiers became a tool for people rolling on ecstasy to lessen the pain that comes with clenching your jaw as a side effect of the drug. Sucking on a pacifier prevents your mouth from clenching because the act of suck on one forces you to use different muscles, taking the strain off your jaw. Once pacifiers took hold, it wasn’t long before they started getting a little bit more of stylish treatment. You can find ‘binkys’ in any color of the rainbow, some of them even light up. I have also spotted some bedazzled ones that are pretty neat. The customization and stylization of the pacifier are where the lines between it being a functional piece of equipment and a fashion statement started to blur.

Perhaps the biggest reason why pacifiers began to die out as a practical accessory was because there were so obvious. There are very few reasons why an adult would be using a pacifier, and one of them is that they are obviously on MDMA. The classification of pacifiers as obvious drug paraphernalia numbered their days pretty significantly as the government began to crack down on recreational club drug use. Like with most things, if politicians know what your pacifier is for, it's probably time to find something new. The pacifier was so blatant that schools started banning students from having them because it was seen as a symbol for drug use. Even today pacifiers are still banned from pretty much every music festival ever, meaning if you want to have one with you, you are probably going to have to sneak it in.

With the amount of scrutiny over the use of ‘club drugs’ at events, ravers started finding new solutions to the problem that didn’t involve having a baby toy in your mouth. Hard candy and gum were two viable options that were easy to bring in and far less overt than a 'binky.’ As gum began to take over as the dominant form of dealing with clenching, pacifiers were truly left in the dust by all but a few. Unlike a lot of trends though, pacifiers have seen a second life as a cool accessory for those who want to show their love of old-school rave culture. Companies like THE CANDY KIDS and DOLLS KILL have brought the ‘pinky’ back to life as a softcore emblem of raving. They are now pastel pink or baby blue, with little hearts worked into the design, small and more of a 'cute' look than anything else. They have completely moved away from practicality and now exists as a symbol.

The majority of people who decide to rock the pacifier trend may not even know the history behind it, which is why I wanted to try and shed some light on it. I don't want to say that it should only be worn by people who roll, but I think there is something to be said for understanding where it comes from, especially if you just looked at it as a cute accessory. Don't get me wrong, I think it’s great that the pacifier has been given a new life, but if we don’t know why we are wearing it as a choker or a super cute pair of earrings, then what’s the point?

So, because now that we are all in the know when it comes to the history and meaning behind the pacifiers, I will be compiling and posting a list (with shopping links) of my favorite uses of the 'binky' trend, from necklaces to septum rings very soon, because I love this trend and want it to get more attention.