Re: Emo? USA V UK...
My opinion on emo is that, infact, it is a genre. Emo is not sitting on your bathroom floor and cutting your wrists; it has nothing to do with suicide. Nor is it kids with long hair that cover their face or boys who kiss other boys. It has nothing to do with wearing tight clothes, or wearing makeup that stands out; girls and boys both. It is not having a hairstyle that is somewhat.. abnormal. Well, to everyone else. I believe that emo in reality is emotion, which all music is. So, if you're going to talk shit about people who listen to "emo music" because you listen to metal, rap, punk, or pop.. just know you're completely oblivious to what you're saying. All in all, just know that if you disrespect me because of my musical tastes I won't want anything to do with you. I will think you are ignorant and hopefully one day you'll realize it. If you would like to argue with me about what I just said, be my guest.
For all you "hardcore" people out there....Emo is short for emotional. But isn't all music emotional? Well, yes, or at least it should be. Originally, emo was short for "emocore," a strain of hardcore punk that was notable for its obsession with feelings (as opposed to politics, anger, and smashing stuff up). Then it started to be applied to bands that weren't punk, to fashion trends, to sad-eyed kids in the back of class.
The following text was written by a man named Andy Greenwald. Take the time to read it. Then, maybe you'll stop being a critic, and you'll think about what you're actually saying to people.
"The word has survived and flourished in three decades, two millenniums, and two Bush administrations. It's older than four baseball teams, six basketball teams, four football teams, and two soccer leagues. It's older than five former Yugoslav republics, the last seven national spelling champions, and Avril Lavigne. It's older than most of its fans.
It's been a source of pride, a target of derision, a mark of confusion, and a sign of the times.
It's been the next big thing twice, the current big thing once, and so totally over millions of times.
And yet, not only can no one agree on what it means, there is not now, nor has there ever been, a single major band that admits to being emo. Not one.
That's pretty impressive. And contentious. And ridiculous. Good thing too--because so is emo.
It's always been mildly derisive, a term used by haters and critics to dismiss something that's overly weepy, self-indulgent, or unironic. Every generation that loves emo bands simultaneously rejects the term while claiming owership of it--meaning even if they won't admit they love emo, they certainly will say how much they hate everything that's been called emo since them. But still, no one knows what it is."
-Andy Greenwald
