What is emo?

[derdeutschmachine]

The kind of People I'd put a gun to and they'd cry for mercy cause they really don't want to die. They are a bunch of overly emotional cunts who can't put a lid on their own angst. If I could go back and smack the shit out of my own EMO phase I'd pistol whip myself out of the stupor that emo is.
Emo is the sad bastard child of goth and punk that no one really wants around. If you claim to be emo, get over it. If you have a REAL reason to be sad, deal with it. If you're still sad, kill yourself and shut the fuck up about it... christ, no one but you gives two shits about your life.
Seriously though, get help if you REALLY want to die, I've lived through family doing that shit and it fucks with the people you leave behind.
Emo must go, that is all.

 

[JUMBO PALACE]

It's supposed to be short for Emotional. But half of the "emo's" i come across are all attention whoring idiots.

They're probably scene then. Scene kids/people dress similar and listen to the same kind of music but aren't depressed/emotional. Emo contains a much darker connotation.

 

[Arawn.Chernobog]

OP: Emo is a subgroup of the main goth culture, I think. Emo people are generally looking for attention, just like almost everyone else that dresses in that fashion, and I think that's why a lot of people don't like them. And the whiny, self-pitying attitude and poetry that is associated with them.

Sir, that is INCORRECT!

Emo is actually older then Goth, dating back to the 70's, but having remaining virtually unknown to the public eye (and later suffering commercialization). It originated in the United States.

Goth is a derivative of Punk (like Emo) but dating to the late-70's, early-80's as a response to what is called the "Post-Punk Music Scene" that followed the "downfall" of Punk Rock, it originated in England (with Joy Division, Bauhaus and other bands leading the fray).

Allow me to underline this once more:

Emo and Goth both derive from different versions of Punk, but are most certainly NOT the same thing or EVEN SIMILAR (not even to Punk, actually), however the Mainstream Commercialized version (particularly in the United States) of said "cultures" is a false-display of posers who would not be able to differentiate one from the other and follow whatever trend MTV tells them to (See: People actually shopping at Hot Topic, the store that killed the Goth Scene in the US and replaced it with an easy-cheap-pseudo-rebellious style that utilized Goth as a name-tag)

 

[Therumancer]

OP: Emo is a subgroup of the main goth culture, I think. Emo people are generally looking for attention, just like almost everyone else that dresses in that fashion, and I think that's why a lot of people don't like them. And the whiny, self-pitying attitude and poetry that is associated with them.

No. No, no, no. Emo is not a subset of goth and I wouldn't advise raising that with a goth because that's considered fighting talk. Seriously, I used to be int he goth scene and there are two killing insults for a goth; calling them a church-burner and calling them an emo. It's weird I guess, the goths I know have been called trannies and Marilyn Manson but emo sets them off. I think it's the difference in approach between the two cultures, emos reflect on death whereas goths embrace and depower death.

Emo is actually an offshoot of punk, specifically hardcore. It tends towards introspective lyrics. The reason emo catchs so much flak is that generally metalheads don't like to admit their feelings or wear their emotionality openly, emo looks 'weak' or even, God forbid, 'gay' next to other metal subsets.

The fans don't actually tend to be any more depressive than any other subgroup, they are quite similar to old school goths in dress and manner. Old school goths are distinct from the newer ones, liking synth music and softer music. Modern gothic subculture is informed by the influx of death and black metal from Europe. The stereotype about emos being depressive is the same as the ones about punks being nazis and metalheads being school-shooters. Emo is the current designated fair target for insults because the lyrics concentrate on guilt, regret and mortality and it's really easy to tie that to weakness, self-harm and submissiveness.

Basically emos just look depressive because all the other subcultures are so focussed on looking emotionless.

If you'd notice, I used the word 'mostly' and 'generally.' I know the examples I gave aren't the main stipulations to being an 'emo,' but they are what the majority of emos-poseurs, I would imagine-do and act like. Just like the punk, goth, and every other scene out there, most of the participants pervert the main tenants of the culture and dilute the meaning of it.
And I've heard that goths don't like to be compared to emos before, wasn't aware they were an offshoot of the punk culture, thanks for bringing that to light.

I think your wrong, and I've been watching this since it started to appear. The term "Emo" hasn't been around all that long to be honest. I explained earlier in this thread how it got started, because I remember when that label was first coming into usage and hardly anyone was using it. Basically someone being "emo" is when they are trying to emulate angst to get attention or positive sympathy. Those who are emo can in many cases be aping goth, punk, or even both stylewise as both subcultures have angst-based stereotypes that have caught on at various point and are being imitated. Emo is not a movement, but could be consider more akin to FAILING to be part of a movement while going for the "oh look at how cool and dark and angst driven I am".

That said people will point fingers both at goths and punks and say "emo" nowadays and miss the point. "Emo" has negative connotations because it was invented as an insult, you'd point to the nerd, trying to be goth or something, and going through all the stereotypical motions and call him an "Emo".

For someone who is outside of the subcultures in question, or doesn't know much about them, seperating the real deal from the failures can be difficult because they go by the clothing and such. A good indication is whether or not people from the movement in question accept the person or not.

While mis used, perhaps to the point of the definition changing a bit through use, the term "Emo" was created to label something very specific.

Agree or disagree, that's how I see things, and definatly how they tended to develop.

You are correct though that Emos are not a sub-set of Goths since by definition they were never Goth or accepted as Goth to begin with. If they were, then they wouldn't be Emos.

 

[Sacman]

And I think that most emos live by the statement "Haters Gonna Hate".Seeing as most people I know dislike them for no good reason.

You mean like this? [http://www.hatersgoingtohate.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/haters-gonna-hate-eagle.jpg]

OT, while I can't stand whiny emo kids who won't stop complaining for no reason nor the stupid fashion sense of all black and tight fitting clothing, I still can't stop thinking emo girls are kinda hot...

Yeah, I find that sexy for some reason.

as do I...

 

[Dango]

Yeah, I find that sexy for some reason.

Hey! I have a friend that looks a bit like that (except for the ridiculous amount of make-up on her eyelids), and she doesn't act emo at all. Emo is hard to describe, it's just something that you know when you see, though.

 

[TheLaofKazi]

I don't know, everybody's definition of it is different.

Maybe we could let good ol' Wikipedia step in here?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emo

Original, it was a form of punk with melodic musicianship, and expressive, often confessional lyrics.

you're all wrong. all of you.
this is emo. nothing else is.

Or this. Nice song by the way. I shall go and download their stuff.

and here's some screamo:


Although I don't really care about genre's or anything like that. I can hear the different different styles, movements and influences, but they all have so many different names to the point where I stopped caring and prefer to not name it.

 

[oppp7]

Wikipedia doesn't have a page on the people from high school so the word doesn't exist. Neither did those people from high school. Fucking senses calling Wikipedia a liar!

 

[InnerRebellion]

Emo is a term I cannot stand because people pin it on me all the time. Yes, I have emotional issues. Yes, I did cut my arms at one point. Big fucking deal, don't pin that term on me. I miss when it described music.

Oh, and to all the people who say Scene kids are just whiny, attention whores, I take offense to that, because I see myself as Scene, as do many of my friends.

 

[dillinger88]

you're all wrong. all of you.
this is emo. nothing else is.

THIS! This is what emo is.

Now it's used as a label for what I can only describe as people who attempt to look individual, but tend to look like EXACTLY like each other.

Off Topic: I guess you listen to The Death of Anna Karina then? Freakin' quality band.

Soooo much good screamo comes out of Italy - The Death of AK, La Quiete and raein to name a few.

 

[RanD00M]

but how do you tell them apart from the emo BOYS?

Hair,clothing,amount of make-up,style of make-up,and the fact that women have breasts.These things are all different between the genders in emo culture.

 

[Davey Woo]

Everything that is emo is described perfectly in the following song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibsv1qrHGVE
(Yes I'm joking)

 

[Jark212]

Now I am not emo myself.But I find emo girls to be hot

Agreed.

Everyone should learn to tell the difference between emo and goth, emos tend to dye their hair multiple colors and ware tight pants, while goths just dye their hair black and often makeup...

 

[Gxas]

I don't even know why I still come to threads like these... Its just a bunch of people who listen to heavy metal bashing on music they don't like and using media stereotypes as definitions of people they'll never take the time to understand.

Oh, and, My Chemical Romance is, in no way, emo. Jimmy Eat World is emo. ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead is emo. Are they similar to MCR? Not in the slightest.

 

[Yureina]

"Emo" is style, like so many others, that I won't berate but also have no desire to pick up for myself. Besides.... something does bother me about someone who seems to have an obsession with personal pain, especially if they know little about it. On that level, it does bother me a bit, but I otherwise do not care to comment on those people when they are around.

 

[EightGaugeHippo]

Emo(tional)

AKA Sad people.

 

[MorteSphere]

Emo is what whiny, annoying, moronic, soft skinned teenagers call themselves.