This word has lots of meanings, but it is mainly used as a negative term for a fashion and music style that though perfectly acceptable is considered bad. This term has been used to stereotype people and deindividualise them(in particular teenagers) as something that in reality does not represent them at all.
Many people claim to hate "emo's" meaning they hate people they stereotype as emo. This makes very little sense, as it means they hate someone for the way they look and the music they like. This does not reflect their personality. Basically, if used seriously emo is a term used by pathetic narrow-minded losers who just have no respect for other peoples tastes and seem to think they know what everyone is like by how they are dressed. They are also stupid enough to think a fashion trend will make someone self-harm.
Most people who use the term emo negatively and seriously are people who can only see the surface of anything as if they actually thought about it they would realise that maybe emo kids are teenagers who were originally generally more emotional/thoughtful/sensitive than most and found the emo fashion and music to fit their taste.
If thats what they like wearing and thats what they like listening to then let them and bugger off!!! They wear it because they like it. Same reason you wear what you wear and you listen to what you listen to, you emo haters are not supreme beings who can decide what is and isn't good taste so get lost you socially conforming arseholes!!
Many people claim to hate "emo's" meaning they hate people they stereotype as emo. This makes very little sense, as it means they hate someone for the way they look and the music they like. This does not reflect their personality. Basically, if used seriously emo is a term used by pathetic narrow-minded losers who just have no respect for other peoples tastes and seem to think they know what everyone is like by how they are dressed. They are also stupid enough to think a fashion trend will make someone self-harm.
Most people who use the term emo negatively and seriously are people who can only see the surface of anything as if they actually thought about it they would realise that maybe emo kids are teenagers who were originally generally more emotional/thoughtful/sensitive than most and found the emo fashion and music to fit their taste.
If thats what they like wearing and thats what they like listening to then let them and bugger off!!! They wear it because they like it. Same reason you wear what you wear and you listen to what you listen to, you emo haters are not supreme beings who can decide what is and isn't good taste so get lost you socially conforming arseholes!!
Boy 1: Urgh look it's an emo fag
Boy 2: What makes you say he's a fag?
Boy 1: He's wearing makeup, how gay is that?
Boy 2: He's allowed to wear makeup isn't he? Doesn't make him gay, just means he doesn't conform to his gender stereotype.
Boy 1: Duuuh, what? Your gay... uuur i'm cleffer
Boy 2: Yeah... ok mate, bye!
Boy 2: What makes you say he's a fag?
Boy 1: He's wearing makeup, how gay is that?
Boy 2: He's allowed to wear makeup isn't he? Doesn't make him gay, just means he doesn't conform to his gender stereotype.
Boy 1: Duuuh, what? Your gay... uuur i'm cleffer
Boy 2: Yeah... ok mate, bye!
by Katieface April 13, 2007
Emo (an abbreviation of "emotional") is a term now broadly used to describe almost any form of guitar-driven alternative rock that expresses emotions beyond traditional rock's limited emotional palette of alienation and rage. It is also used to describe fans of this genre, most commonly teenagers. (e.g., emo kid). The actual term "emo" originated in the mid-1980s D.C. scene, with the band Rites of Spring. The term addressed both the way the band connected with its audience, as well as its tendency to deal more with topics of personal and relationship politics than with the standard themes of rock music.
History:
The roots of the emo style can be traced to two seminal bands of the post-punk era. In 1983, Mission of Burma's album VS did much to expand rock beyond its original constraints while still retaining its raw emotional punch. There are still emo bands around today, but most of them take on a full-on screaming approach (hence the name Screamo) like Circle Takes The Square and Saetia. In 1984, Hüsker Dü's album Zen Arcade established what is widely considered to be the definitive blueprint for emo: simple, raw guitar-oriented music with intense vocals and deeply introspective songwriting.
As the style caught on, bands such as Moss Icon, Policy of Three, Navio Forge and Indian Summer evolved the form into what became known as simply "emo", a style which intensified the dramatic aspects of vocal performances in order to achieve a cathartic breakthrough with the audience. Done well, the result was powerful emotional release that often left emo bands and their audiences crying or screaming at the end of performances. While effective, such open displays of emotion made many traditional rock fans uncomfortable, and caused much friction between the two camps.
With the mass-market acceptance of alternative music in the early 1990s, a new derivative style variously called "chaotic emo", "screamo", and "Emo Violence" emerged featuring a blend of the more aggressive parts of bands like Rites of Spring, mixed chaotic rock music and with abrasive, emotional screaming vocals. The record label Gravity from San Diego, California was a major influence in releasing many defining records of the style in the early 1990s. Significant emo bands include Heroin, Angel Hair, Antioch Arrow, Swing Kids, and Mohinder. Many of these emo bands, such as Antioch Arrow, were significant to a blossoming scene on the west coast of the United States. After the decline of the significant bands in this movement, the focus on emo has shifted to the east coast instead. Focus on Screamo has shifted to Europe.
Later in the 90s, bands such as Sunny Day Real Estate, Elliott, Christie Front Drive, Get Up Kids, Cap'n Jazz, The Promise Ring and Mineral explored a more moderately paced form of emo that mixed the early emo sound of Rites of Spring with the post-hardcore innovation of Fugazi and Quicksand. This style is sometimes referred to as "midwestern emo", due to many of the bands coming from midwestern American cities like Chicago or Kansas City.
Today, the term "emo" is increasingly ambiguous. With the success of such power pop bands as The Get Up Kids, Jimmy Eat World and The Promise Ring, the music industry has eagerly appropriated the term "emo" as a marketing tool. Consequently, the emo label is now wrongly applied to a wide assortment of many diverse guitar-pop bands, such as Thursday, Senses Fail, Hawthorne Heights, the New Amsterdams, and more recently to quieter, acoustic-driven bands such as Dashboard Confessional. Bands such as Bright Eyes are often mistaken for emo but are not.
Recently, as emo has edged its way into the public consciousness, non-fans of the genre (and even some ironic fans) have taken to using the term as a condescending insult, representing the stereotype of the angst-filled and overly-dramatic teenager. Examples include "cheer up, emo kid" or "I hate emo-fags".
Emo fashion:
"Emo fashion" seems to be directly derived from pre-existing rock fashion and retains staples from it, including the tendency for dyed, flat matte black hair and multiple piercings; in particular, labrets and ear "plugs" are prominent. Rolled-up (and often times form-fitting) jeans and t-shirts displaying sarcastic slogans or images of old-time cartoons are popular as well. Also band t-shirts, buttons for bands, and converse all-stars tend to be worn. More recently, many aspects of emo fashion have become mainstream and are regularly sold at stores like Hot Topic. Emo fashion, according to its proponents, is deeply rooted in a "being proud of who you are", anti-consumer subculture. Critics of the fashion point out that it has become so mainstream that it has become shallow and antithetical to this notion. To this extent, various websites and magazines have taken to poking fun at "emo kids" and stereotypical emo fashion, some offering guides to "making yourself emo".
History:
The roots of the emo style can be traced to two seminal bands of the post-punk era. In 1983, Mission of Burma's album VS did much to expand rock beyond its original constraints while still retaining its raw emotional punch. There are still emo bands around today, but most of them take on a full-on screaming approach (hence the name Screamo) like Circle Takes The Square and Saetia. In 1984, Hüsker Dü's album Zen Arcade established what is widely considered to be the definitive blueprint for emo: simple, raw guitar-oriented music with intense vocals and deeply introspective songwriting.
As the style caught on, bands such as Moss Icon, Policy of Three, Navio Forge and Indian Summer evolved the form into what became known as simply "emo", a style which intensified the dramatic aspects of vocal performances in order to achieve a cathartic breakthrough with the audience. Done well, the result was powerful emotional release that often left emo bands and their audiences crying or screaming at the end of performances. While effective, such open displays of emotion made many traditional rock fans uncomfortable, and caused much friction between the two camps.
With the mass-market acceptance of alternative music in the early 1990s, a new derivative style variously called "chaotic emo", "screamo", and "Emo Violence" emerged featuring a blend of the more aggressive parts of bands like Rites of Spring, mixed chaotic rock music and with abrasive, emotional screaming vocals. The record label Gravity from San Diego, California was a major influence in releasing many defining records of the style in the early 1990s. Significant emo bands include Heroin, Angel Hair, Antioch Arrow, Swing Kids, and Mohinder. Many of these emo bands, such as Antioch Arrow, were significant to a blossoming scene on the west coast of the United States. After the decline of the significant bands in this movement, the focus on emo has shifted to the east coast instead. Focus on Screamo has shifted to Europe.
Later in the 90s, bands such as Sunny Day Real Estate, Elliott, Christie Front Drive, Get Up Kids, Cap'n Jazz, The Promise Ring and Mineral explored a more moderately paced form of emo that mixed the early emo sound of Rites of Spring with the post-hardcore innovation of Fugazi and Quicksand. This style is sometimes referred to as "midwestern emo", due to many of the bands coming from midwestern American cities like Chicago or Kansas City.
Today, the term "emo" is increasingly ambiguous. With the success of such power pop bands as The Get Up Kids, Jimmy Eat World and The Promise Ring, the music industry has eagerly appropriated the term "emo" as a marketing tool. Consequently, the emo label is now wrongly applied to a wide assortment of many diverse guitar-pop bands, such as Thursday, Senses Fail, Hawthorne Heights, the New Amsterdams, and more recently to quieter, acoustic-driven bands such as Dashboard Confessional. Bands such as Bright Eyes are often mistaken for emo but are not.
Recently, as emo has edged its way into the public consciousness, non-fans of the genre (and even some ironic fans) have taken to using the term as a condescending insult, representing the stereotype of the angst-filled and overly-dramatic teenager. Examples include "cheer up, emo kid" or "I hate emo-fags".
Emo fashion:
"Emo fashion" seems to be directly derived from pre-existing rock fashion and retains staples from it, including the tendency for dyed, flat matte black hair and multiple piercings; in particular, labrets and ear "plugs" are prominent. Rolled-up (and often times form-fitting) jeans and t-shirts displaying sarcastic slogans or images of old-time cartoons are popular as well. Also band t-shirts, buttons for bands, and converse all-stars tend to be worn. More recently, many aspects of emo fashion have become mainstream and are regularly sold at stores like Hot Topic. Emo fashion, according to its proponents, is deeply rooted in a "being proud of who you are", anti-consumer subculture. Critics of the fashion point out that it has become so mainstream that it has become shallow and antithetical to this notion. To this extent, various websites and magazines have taken to poking fun at "emo kids" and stereotypical emo fashion, some offering guides to "making yourself emo".
emo: The Hated, Native Nod, Indian Summer, Sleepytime Trio, Evergreen, Embassy, Moss Icon
emocore: Rites of Spring, Gray Matter, early Lifetime, Samiam, Hot Water Music, Ignition, Jawbreaker, Kerosene 454
post-emo indie: Sunny Day Real Estate, Promise Ring, Mineral, Getup Kids, Jets To Brazil, Cap'n Jazz, Joan of Arc, Braid
nu-emo: The Used, Taking Back Sunday, Hawthorne Heights, My Chemical Romance, Thursday, Finch, Thrice, Senses Fail, Machbook Romance
emocore: Rites of Spring, Gray Matter, early Lifetime, Samiam, Hot Water Music, Ignition, Jawbreaker, Kerosene 454
post-emo indie: Sunny Day Real Estate, Promise Ring, Mineral, Getup Kids, Jets To Brazil, Cap'n Jazz, Joan of Arc, Braid
nu-emo: The Used, Taking Back Sunday, Hawthorne Heights, My Chemical Romance, Thursday, Finch, Thrice, Senses Fail, Machbook Romance
by Jadyn June 24, 2005
its basically described by society as a type of person or is basiclly a insult all together but in real cases its a type of music evolved from punk rock just like many other that evolved from punk rock as well. In Standards emo is dead well not nesicarly dead but lets just say is not
so "easy" to find a REAL emo band now a days. If you people didnt know before Hawthorne Heights isnt emo and all the other bands out there such as like my chemical romance and what not are also not emo MCR is post punk or pop punk so is HH basically because most/all of there lyrics are sad or deperessing were in real life emo is about the instrumentals yes there a some emo music with no lyrics yes i know its ODD~~~~ the genre of emo orignated in the 1980s time period 1986 is basically the most accurate time period and died out in the early 1990s and pop punk is suppose to be there so called "resurrection" the whole clothing thing has nothing to do with emo. Emo was basically all about the music they basically did have a clothing to go with it but it was basic and not focused on the clothing was basically solid pocket tees and no brand clothing with earth colors black ,white, brown ect.
Now a days what you see tellum haircuts and multi colored hair and skinny jeans and stripped leggings and billions of more other things people call "emo" are actually "scene" Scene is a type of fashion that again originated from punk and has some of its aspects and like i said is called EMO by stupid people that have no knowledge at all and try to make people feel low and bad about them selfs.
Emo is also a stereotype which is not a true because a music can not be a person or anyother thing cause its impossiable. The Stereotype is that most of people that are apart of 3m0 are typically sad all day hate there life are gay cross dress and so on when in real life all this is untrue people just make up these fibs to make people or mad or just because they dont like the style or w.e and try to cause other people to hate that w.e thing it is and other people to harm it.
Some people actually try to make emo w.e a cult or something thats just stupid it is the real ordeal is its music that has died out and some other thing ressurected from and is totally different i think its wrong to separte your self from sociey yes it good to be different but separting your self or trying to be in a cult is wrong because with or with out the clothes or hair or acsessories your still a human being.
i personally like some real emo bands and i have my share of pop punk bands that i like i like all kinds of music i think theres good in all music but im just sick of these little groups or w.e that are trying to be created trying to dress in a particaller style and listening to only one type of music or w.e gets boring, limits your you fun intake ability and everything there are no phiscal border that says NO DONT GO INTO HOT TOPIC YOUR NOT LIKE THAT OMG ITS SOOO WRONQ people made clothes to sell they dont give a shit if you it likes right on you they just sell it to get money and if you think it really looks wrong on you then dont fucking wear it all clothes are the same just the fabric and design and how you wear it is different and creating group and such are ruining peoples choices and basically life because they are limiting people clothing choices and mixing clothing is bascially POSERISSHHH :| come on thats stupid im just really pissed off and amazed how this is a big fucking deal wear what you want and talk to the people you want listen to music you want and stfu if you want to be cool you wont waste fucking 600000000 dollars on clothes just to talk to angelina or micheal or just to be cool its just pointless.
For all you stupid people out there get your shit straight before you start talking and care about yourself and other fucking stuff that matter, and posers if being cool is fucking importaunt and following fashion and stuff is a need go ahead and waste 90343254235323255 dollars your just wasting your time
so "easy" to find a REAL emo band now a days. If you people didnt know before Hawthorne Heights isnt emo and all the other bands out there such as like my chemical romance and what not are also not emo MCR is post punk or pop punk so is HH basically because most/all of there lyrics are sad or deperessing were in real life emo is about the instrumentals yes there a some emo music with no lyrics yes i know its ODD~~~~ the genre of emo orignated in the 1980s time period 1986 is basically the most accurate time period and died out in the early 1990s and pop punk is suppose to be there so called "resurrection" the whole clothing thing has nothing to do with emo. Emo was basically all about the music they basically did have a clothing to go with it but it was basic and not focused on the clothing was basically solid pocket tees and no brand clothing with earth colors black ,white, brown ect.
Now a days what you see tellum haircuts and multi colored hair and skinny jeans and stripped leggings and billions of more other things people call "emo" are actually "scene" Scene is a type of fashion that again originated from punk and has some of its aspects and like i said is called EMO by stupid people that have no knowledge at all and try to make people feel low and bad about them selfs.
Emo is also a stereotype which is not a true because a music can not be a person or anyother thing cause its impossiable. The Stereotype is that most of people that are apart of 3m0 are typically sad all day hate there life are gay cross dress and so on when in real life all this is untrue people just make up these fibs to make people or mad or just because they dont like the style or w.e and try to cause other people to hate that w.e thing it is and other people to harm it.
Some people actually try to make emo w.e a cult or something thats just stupid it is the real ordeal is its music that has died out and some other thing ressurected from and is totally different i think its wrong to separte your self from sociey yes it good to be different but separting your self or trying to be in a cult is wrong because with or with out the clothes or hair or acsessories your still a human being.
i personally like some real emo bands and i have my share of pop punk bands that i like i like all kinds of music i think theres good in all music but im just sick of these little groups or w.e that are trying to be created trying to dress in a particaller style and listening to only one type of music or w.e gets boring, limits your you fun intake ability and everything there are no phiscal border that says NO DONT GO INTO HOT TOPIC YOUR NOT LIKE THAT OMG ITS SOOO WRONQ people made clothes to sell they dont give a shit if you it likes right on you they just sell it to get money and if you think it really looks wrong on you then dont fucking wear it all clothes are the same just the fabric and design and how you wear it is different and creating group and such are ruining peoples choices and basically life because they are limiting people clothing choices and mixing clothing is bascially POSERISSHHH :| come on thats stupid im just really pissed off and amazed how this is a big fucking deal wear what you want and talk to the people you want listen to music you want and stfu if you want to be cool you wont waste fucking 600000000 dollars on clothes just to talk to angelina or micheal or just to be cool its just pointless.
For all you stupid people out there get your shit straight before you start talking and care about yourself and other fucking stuff that matter, and posers if being cool is fucking importaunt and following fashion and stuff is a need go ahead and waste 90343254235323255 dollars your just wasting your time
Jim: -sees kid in a MCR shirt- EMOOOOO!!!
Kim: wow your stupid do you know wtf emo is you retarted
Jim: ITZ LYK WEN U WER BLACK AND BEH SAYD
Kim: guess you didnt gradiuate kindergarten yet huh gtfo -curb stomps-
Kim: wow your stupid do you know wtf emo is you retarted
Jim: ITZ LYK WEN U WER BLACK AND BEH SAYD
Kim: guess you didnt gradiuate kindergarten yet huh gtfo -curb stomps-
by LAWLCANOO August 14, 2008
Emo is a way of life. (my way of life) not all emo people cut themselves and write music. the hair is washed and guys with eyeliner are hot. we listen to Panic! At The Disco, Fall Out Boy, Evanescence, Good Charlotte, Simple Plan, and many other bands. Our clothing may be dark, but it looks but on us than pink does on you.
God I wish people would shut up and stay out of my life, just because I'm emo doesn't mean anything.
by Eric's girl April 8, 2007
Metalheads, preps, jocks, punk rockers and goths all put aside their differences and agree on one thing: they hate emos.
by andrea- July 3, 2006
EMO - is more fashion than anything else, the fashion is mainly wearing black, jet black hair (covering half the face), lip piercings, eyeliner. Sadly emo get stereotyped to being kids who sit and cut themselves which is crap. That is NOT emo thats just a sad thing called depression (get help!) and infact many "emos" disagree with self mutalation completely. Emos are said to be moody, dark and have bleak outlooks on life but most are happy and comfortable with their own styles.
Many bands are also considered to be emo such as My Chemical Romance, From First To Last, Hawthorne Heights, 30 Seconds To Mars etc as they sing on moody and sometimes death related themes.
Last note, dont judge or stereotype "emo" people especialy if you dont know them. You wouldnt want someone to judge you.
Many bands are also considered to be emo such as My Chemical Romance, From First To Last, Hawthorne Heights, 30 Seconds To Mars etc as they sing on moody and sometimes death related themes.
Last note, dont judge or stereotype "emo" people especialy if you dont know them. You wouldnt want someone to judge you.
An "emo" guy might wear - black skinny jeans, black "band name hear" t-shirt, hair in his face, eyeliner.
by "insert my name here" November 28, 2006
Emo was once a negative connotation on the new style of music created by such bands mentioned already (Fugazi, Rites of Spring, etc). Now it is an overly-hyped money making process, and has flooded the mainstream radio/tv stations. Trend following kids everywhere have adopted the "emo lifestyle" because it is the newest fad.
by pissoff November 25, 2003