EMOism

“I think emo is fucking garbage, it's bullshit. I think there's bands that unfortunately we get lumped in with that are considered emo and by default that starts to make us emo.”

- Gearard Way, lead singer and frontman of My Chemical Romance

(Go Gerard!)

EMO.

How often have you heard this... Miserable word being used?

Emo is being associated with a stereotype that includes being emotional, sensitive, shy, introverted, or angsty. It is also associated with depression, self-injury, and suicide.

The term "emo" is sometimes stereotyped with tight jeans on males and females alike, long fringe brushed to one side of the face or over one or both eyes, dyed black, straight hair, tight t-shirts which often bear the names of rock bands, studded belts, belt buckles, canvas sneakers (mostly Converse brands or cheaper imitations) or other black shoes (often old and beaten up). The shoes usually have random words scrawled on them, like "pain" and "death". Then there's the guitar playing, eyeliner and masacara on both sexes, writing poetry, black nail polish etc. etc. And of course, the kind of music you listen can also classify you as "emo". For example Linkin Park, Green Day and MCR.

I just hate stereotypes. Especially emo.

If you like MCR, it means you have a great taste in music. (No comments on Linkin Park and Green Day, I don't listen to them that much.) Spending $98 to see Gerad Way live on stage does not mean you're EMO, you're just a big fan.

As for the hair, skinny jeans and converse sneakers part? You're a conformist. And if you're a guy, you have a lousy dress sense. Seriously. I think you know what I mean, a guy can't wear skinny jeans. Wear black, use eyeliner or black nail polish? You're vain. Especially if you're still a student.

Draw on yourself? You lack paper. Or you're too scared to get a tattoo. Can't anyone draw on their selves without being called EMO? Don't smile often? You've got a serious view on life. Mutilate yourself? You're either an attention-seeker, or you're suicidal. If you like sulking in a corner, you're either an angsty teenager or just anti-social.

Apparently, I am labeled emo because:

- I've got pale skin

- Dark hair (I don't even HAVE a fringe.)

- I play guitar

- I write dark poetry (Or at least used to. All I can write about these days are happy lovey dovey poems. Argh.)

- I listen to MCR, Linkin Park and the occasional Green Day

- I tend to wear dark colours (But it's not BLACK. It's maroon, khaki, various shades of brown, but NOT black.)

- My need for alone time every once in a while

I really don't get this label. So wearing black is supposed to mean that you're emo? My grandmother wears black all the time. My mother wears black when she hasn't been to gym for some time and feels fat. Do people call them emo?

Then there is playing guitar. Guitar's (or at least their 'ancestors) have been around since the 15th and 16th century. I highly doubt people were called emo then. Emma Roberts (Nancy Drew 2007 movie) can play guitar. Is she called emo?

Pale skin and dark hair. Granted, it's a little unusual to have pale skin in Singapore, but dark hair? Excuse me, just about every Asian out there has dark hair.

Writing poetry like:

A flash of light (What is it that shines so bright?)

A swish, a slash

And then the blood (It gushes as a crimson flood)

A girl falls over dead (But where in the world is her head?)

A scream, a yell of fright

But no one is too sad this night (Now I wonder why is that?)

does NOT mean I'm emo. It's a way of venting out my anger, is there anything wrong with that?

Of course, I have to defend MCR. Just scroll up and look at the quote above. MCR is not emo. Is something considered emo when they tell you it's okay to live? Look at "Famous Last Words" - "I am not afraid to keep on living / I am not afraid to walk this world alone " Linkin Park is yes, slightly more angsty. But please, let's look at the original definition of emo.

"Emo is a style of hardcore punk which describes several variations of music with common roots. In the mid-1980s, the term emo described a subgenre of hardcore punk which originated in the Washington, D.C. music scene. In later years, the term emocore, short for "emotional hardcore", was also used to describe the emotional performances of bands in the Washington, D.C. scene and some of the offshoot regional scenes such as Rites of Spring, Embrace, One Last Wish, Beefeater, Gray Matter, Fire Party, and later, Moss Icon. (In more recent years, the term "emotive hardcore" entered the lexicon to describe the period.)

Starting in the mid-1990s, the term emo began to refer to the indie scene that followed the influences of Fugazi, which itself was an offshoot of the first wave of emo. Bands including Sunny Day Real Estate and Texas Is the Reason had a more indie rock style of emo, more melodic and less chaotic. The so-called "indie emo" scene survived until the late 1990s, as many of the bands either disbanded or shifted to mainstream styles. As the remaining indie emo bands entered the mainstream, newer bands began to emulate the mainstream style. As a result, the term "emo" became a vaguely defined identifier rather than a specific genre of music."

Emo

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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

There. Emo was a style of hardcore punk. Linkin Park is most definitely NOT hardcore punk. A mix of rap rock and metal maybe, but punk? No.

And as for alone time. Don't all of us need that every once in a while? Just some time to ourselves to think, read or write something. Can't we do that anymore without being labeled emo?

Stop using the label EMO, people, if you’re not even sure what it means. Thank you.

Signing off,

Natalie