What actually is an Emo?

[Milo v3]

Thought that I may as well after the Hipster thread. JSYK, I am emo

[Tebryn]

Emo's understand that the universe is a cosmic swirling pain and that fitting in makes you a drone, man. Any color other than black just hides your fear about your eventual death and only My Chemical Romance on your 8 Track Tape player can show you how life really is.

[Lord Raziere]

The poor man's goth.

[supermonkeyjoe]

I thought an Emo was a large flightless bird native to Australia?

[Milo v3]

I thought an Emo was a large flightless bird native to Australia?

No, the Emos of Australia are fortunate enough to not have beaks :smalltongue:

[Dienekes]

Generally a reasonably well off (usually middle class and above) individual whose life is just so damn tough, what with their car, decent cloths, and comfortable living conditions. They potentially will ramble on about life being meaningless and spout some bastardized middle school level philosophy to get their point across. Others just cannot understand their pain, because in all honesty they have it pretty well. And instead of using their ideas of inequality and the generally cruel nature of the world to actually change things and make it better for those who do have it bad, they are content to sit amongst friends in a circle of "pain."

Now notably, emo is different than actually being depressed. Depression is a mental condition that should not be taken lightly. Emo is a fashion statement.

[Finlam]

I feel like this (http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/154323/a-beautiful-sadness) is relevant, though not 100% on target.

[The Succubus]

Now notably, emo is different than actually being depressed. Depression is a mental condition that should not be taken lightly. Emo is a fashion statement.

Worth emphasizing, although it's worth adding that some folks adopt "emo" expressionism as a way of coping with depression.

[Morgarion]

It's a furry, little red guy that enjoys being tickled. He lives on Sesame Street. That's all I know about him.

[The_Admiral]

I find this old thing very relevant. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pK4bLMd0avU)

[ArlEammon]

Emo is a little red fured halfling on Sesame Street.

[Hattish Thing]

Uhh. Most common example: Teenage girl, fan of Tim Burton... Plenty of piercings... Dyed hair... Usually black...

Basically if you take the somewhat sexy goth style and dumbed it down. A lot.

[Kalmageddon]

It's an attention-seeking subculture made for teenagers.

[Tylorious]

It's a distant cousin to hipster.

[JoshL]

Snark aside (for a moment anyway). Emo came out of the 80s hardcore scene. "Emotional Hardcore" or "emocore" was music that stylistically was similar to the hardcore punk of the time, but instead of politics and social issues, the lyrics were personal and emotional (thus the name). So angry music about the guys and girls that didn't like them. As a subculture, it was still pretty similar to the hardcore scene, just as early goths came out of the punk/post-punk scene.

As emo grew in popularity, the fans seemed more akin to the indie rock scene than the goth scene. Not that the goth scene (or any scene) wasn't and isn't still filled with people clinging to the fashion and the perception of a lifestyle rather than individual taste, but that's another rant. Any subculture tends to be judged by its loudest members, and those are usually the ones that are trying too hard, and focused on the superficial aspects of it. Musically, the bands seemed to lose a lot of the hardcore anger with the exception of the screamo bands, but that's a taste I never acquired.

Sunny Day Real Estate still rocks.

Back to Snark, can't search youtube here at work, but the mc chris song "Emo Party" is worth a few giggles. And relevant to the other thread, "Hipster Hunter" as well.

[TheThan]

Emo is a little red fured halfling on Sesame Street.

I think you mean his tortured angst ridden teen cousin (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7IxliAPjAk)

[sktarq]

A culturally sanctioned response to learning that even if you parents are capable of feeding and clothing them life still involves work and pain. Pain for many they had been largely protected from by the "you are special" culture of their grammar school days. And are very prone to whine about it. Proclaiming such problems intellectually being socially dubious in said group (for reasons I don't get-possibly generational?) the main way to show ones ability to deal with such realities is to proclaim how dark and aware of such problem they are in stylistic ways. Namely tight clothing, usually black, self blinding hairstyles, and often makeup that is "dark". As opposed to gothic styles there is generally less Victoria influence and less death or purposely "upsetting" imagery.

[Morgarion]

Sunny Day Real Estate still rocks.

That's truth, too!

[Thunderfist12]

...

Ahem.

I would count as one of them, and no, I do not have any of the things people often use to say that we're all bastardized depreesed people who have no idea how lucky we are. Nope, there are other parts of the picture. Good day.

... Or does that technically make me goth?

[Milo v3]

...

Ahem.

I would count as one of them, and no, I do not have any of the things people often use to say that we're all bastardized depreesed people who have no idea how lucky we are. Nope, there are other parts of the picture. Good day.

... Or does that technically make me goth?

I believe individuals like us are why JoshL said:

Any subculture tends to be judged by its loudest members, and those are usually the ones that are trying too hard, and focused on the superficial aspects of it.

Though, I don't see why being depressed is hated upon.... Seems like it just makes things worse IMO.

[Jaycemonde]

Though, I don't see why being depressed is hated upon.... Seems like it just makes things worse IMO.

Because most people who aren't depressed don't get that it's literally your brain refusing to fire on all cylinders and not just an attitude, and the aforementioned LOUD SUBSECT OF THE SUBCULTURE draws all the attention and quickly becomes the universal stereotype, and--no offense meant with this, of course--many emo people try too damn hard to show just how depressed they are. Even if they're not depressed.

[No brains]

Snark aside (for a moment anyway). Emo came out of the 80s hardcore scene. "Emotional Hardcore" or "emocore" was music that stylistically was similar to the hardcore punk of the time, but instead of politics and social issues, the lyrics were personal and emotional (thus the name). So angry music about the guys and girls that didn't like them. As a subculture, it was still pretty similar to the hardcore scene, just as early goths came out of the punk/post-punk scene.

As emo grew in popularity, the fans seemed more akin to the indie rock scene than the goth scene. Not that the goth scene (or any scene) wasn't and isn't still filled with people clinging to the fashion and the perception of a lifestyle rather than individual taste, but that's another rant. Any subculture tends to be judged by its loudest members, and those are usually the ones that are trying too hard, and focused on the superficial aspects of it. Musically, the bands seemed to lose a lot of the hardcore anger with the exception of the screamo bands, but that's a taste I never acquired.

Sunny Day Real Estate still rocks.

Back to Snark, can't search youtube here at work, but the mc chris song "Emo Party" is worth a few giggles. And relevant to the other thread, "Hipster Hunter" as well.

I'm glad to see an actual history of the emo culture rather than people just making fun of it. It makes me a little sad when people are glazed over even when their style or beliefs are seemingly silly. I've noticed there is a lot of balkanization in music groups, and these divisions usually give us maligned groups like Hipsters or Emos. It's as though someone's favorite tune can really say everything there is to know about them. I wonder why that is.

Per me, I like movie and game soundtracks. Their lack of lyrics let me imagine different meanings to the songs.

[Elemental]

In my experience, emos are people who wear certain styles of clothing and style their hair in a certain manner. They're not particularly different to any other group of people who wear certain styles of clothing and style their hair in a certain manner...

[AceAwesome96]

One of my friends can be qualified as emo, but he doesn't wear the fashions that most emos would wear. From what I've observed from him, I can tell you that they thrive on attention that they pretend to hate and can be overemotional over some trivial things. *EDIT: Think Teenagers*
The thing I truly find irritating about emos is their terrible photography skills. Even on Instagram could I find better pictures (pictures, may I remind you, are taken via phone cameras)!

Overall, it's nothing too interesting, and I don't know too many of them to go into further detail. If you want to take that path take it, but it sure isn't mine to take.

[No brains]

One of my friends can be qualified as emo, but he doesn't wear the fashions that most emos would wear. From what I've observed from him, I can tell you that they thrive on attention that they pretend to hate and can be overemotional over some trivial things. *EDIT: Think Teenagers*
The thing I truly find irritating about emos is their terrible photography skills. Even on Instagram could I find better pictures (pictures, may I remind you, are taken via phone cameras)!

Overall, it's nothing too interesting, and I don't know too many of them to go into further detail. If you want to take that path take it, but it sure isn't mine to take.

The remark about teenagers is a pretty accurate one, I think. I've never met someone over 19 who could be identified by themselves or others as an emo. Likewise, I'm pretty sure I haven't seen any teenage hipsters in my days. Maybe emomon is the rookie form of Hipstermon.:smalltongue:

[sktarq]

Personally I think why they became so hated was that the loudest of them-the ones "trying too hard" were trying to be "depressed" as a fashion or statement of self identity. And that just sets off both people who don't deal with depression well and those who do for trivializing it.

[Milo v3]

The remark about teenagers is a pretty accurate one, I think. I've never met someone over 19 who could be identified by themselves or others as an emo. Likewise, I'm pretty sure I haven't seen any teenage hipsters in my days. Maybe emomon is the rookie form of Hipstermon.:smalltongue:

Apparently I am a hipster and I am still a teen.