Emo is a genre of music which has been around since the 1980s or so and started with Emotive Hardcore or something.
Apart from a) in relevance to fans from that time period, or b) the musical history perhaps found in Kerrang! magazine or Wikipedia, the term "emo" is no longer widely used to describe this.
In definition the word "emo" is mostly heard on the streets, especially in "Great" Britain to define:
a) a style of music involving Dashboard Confessional or My Chemical Romance
-- and sometimes used prejudicedly by others who term anything containing a guitar and singing together as "emo" music (despite that what music is "emo" or not has become yet more blurred with the introduction of High School Musical which is supposed to be some mainstream form of pop or hiphop music but has been latched onto by "emos" as has it by "chavs")
b) a style of fashion which can include black or neon coloured skinny jeans, Vans or Converse trainers, black eyeliner and sometimes lipstick, black dyed hair, and fitted band-logo t-shirts/cardigans etc/band-logo hoodies, or any combination of these
c) a term used cheerfully by people who are involved with one or both of the above, to describe themselves, others and it
d) a derogatory term used disapprovingly by people who do not consider themselves or their style of music/dress "emo", perhaps because they are disgusted that others categorize things they like as "emo" and they personally do not know enough about the definition of "emo" to realise that this could be wholly or partly true, so they acquire a prejudice
In truth, people should stop being so offended about the use of the term "emo" because at the end of the day it's like when black people used to be referred to as "nigger" and besides that they still find this offensive but many happily refer to themselves as "nigger".
On that basis, it should be understood that if somebody does NOT refer to themselves, their style of dress, or their band or bands they like, as "emo", they will not appreciate somebody calling them as such - as also stood in the 1990s with "grunge" and has done with "goth" and "punk".
If somebody DOES refer to themselves as "emo", they are emo and proud because they say so. It is not something like sexuality that people generally hide from; usually teenagers are happy to express what they like.
BASICALLY SOMEBODY IS NOT ACTUALLY EMO UNLESS THEY SAY SO, WHATEVER EVIDENCE OTHERS MIGHT PROVIDE THAT THEY FALL INTO THIS CATEGORY.
So note to people who have found the other above definitions of "emo" offensive - just quit worrying about it because people ARE going to call you "emo" for those above reasons, and if you call yourself "emo" then you have to prepare for people to carry on like that. It means they are small-minded and don't know what it connotates to.
I know that sucks, but it's the sad truth. The gift of free speech in places such as Urban Dictionary is a brilliant thing; the fact that people use the anonymy of the internet to say abusive things from a safe distance holed up in their boring homes, when it proves they have nothing to do, is an unhappy truth in itself, but being offended by any of that just means that they have got what they hoped for - and proves their point about emo stereotypes.
If someone bullies "emos" about being "emo" then that shows what an idiot the person is. If the "emo" cries about it and gets all messed-up then the bully wins.
Hope that helps a lil. :)
Apart from a) in relevance to fans from that time period, or b) the musical history perhaps found in Kerrang! magazine or Wikipedia, the term "emo" is no longer widely used to describe this.
In definition the word "emo" is mostly heard on the streets, especially in "Great" Britain to define:
a) a style of music involving Dashboard Confessional or My Chemical Romance
-- and sometimes used prejudicedly by others who term anything containing a guitar and singing together as "emo" music (despite that what music is "emo" or not has become yet more blurred with the introduction of High School Musical which is supposed to be some mainstream form of pop or hiphop music but has been latched onto by "emos" as has it by "chavs")
b) a style of fashion which can include black or neon coloured skinny jeans, Vans or Converse trainers, black eyeliner and sometimes lipstick, black dyed hair, and fitted band-logo t-shirts/cardigans etc/band-logo hoodies, or any combination of these
c) a term used cheerfully by people who are involved with one or both of the above, to describe themselves, others and it
d) a derogatory term used disapprovingly by people who do not consider themselves or their style of music/dress "emo", perhaps because they are disgusted that others categorize things they like as "emo" and they personally do not know enough about the definition of "emo" to realise that this could be wholly or partly true, so they acquire a prejudice
In truth, people should stop being so offended about the use of the term "emo" because at the end of the day it's like when black people used to be referred to as "nigger" and besides that they still find this offensive but many happily refer to themselves as "nigger".
On that basis, it should be understood that if somebody does NOT refer to themselves, their style of dress, or their band or bands they like, as "emo", they will not appreciate somebody calling them as such - as also stood in the 1990s with "grunge" and has done with "goth" and "punk".
If somebody DOES refer to themselves as "emo", they are emo and proud because they say so. It is not something like sexuality that people generally hide from; usually teenagers are happy to express what they like.
BASICALLY SOMEBODY IS NOT ACTUALLY EMO UNLESS THEY SAY SO, WHATEVER EVIDENCE OTHERS MIGHT PROVIDE THAT THEY FALL INTO THIS CATEGORY.
So note to people who have found the other above definitions of "emo" offensive - just quit worrying about it because people ARE going to call you "emo" for those above reasons, and if you call yourself "emo" then you have to prepare for people to carry on like that. It means they are small-minded and don't know what it connotates to.
I know that sucks, but it's the sad truth. The gift of free speech in places such as Urban Dictionary is a brilliant thing; the fact that people use the anonymy of the internet to say abusive things from a safe distance holed up in their boring homes, when it proves they have nothing to do, is an unhappy truth in itself, but being offended by any of that just means that they have got what they hoped for - and proves their point about emo stereotypes.
If someone bullies "emos" about being "emo" then that shows what an idiot the person is. If the "emo" cries about it and gets all messed-up then the bully wins.
Hope that helps a lil. :)
"My Chemical Romance is an emo band"
(example of opinion)
"Kerrang! magazine is only read by emos"
(example of small-mindedness)
"That kid is an emo"
(example of stereotype)
"That kid SAYS he is an emo"
(example of justification, which is needed before somebody makes a comment like "That kid is an emo")
(example of opinion)
"Kerrang! magazine is only read by emos"
(example of small-mindedness)
"That kid is an emo"
(example of stereotype)
"That kid SAYS he is an emo"
(example of justification, which is needed before somebody makes a comment like "That kid is an emo")
by XxPureMourningxX March 6, 2009
Get the Emo mug.the emo kid that sits in the back of the room and constantly complains how sad or depressed they are
by lolleon February 27, 2009
Get the emo mug.Usualy a prep that feels like they need more attention so they make themself more noticable(aka cutting wrists and wearing different clothing) and talk about how much they hate themselves.
Also have destroyed all other styles that are dark in some way.
Also have destroyed all other styles that are dark in some way.
A.I'm so ugly...
B.No your not
A.Yes i am i should just kill myself right now
A.God, did you see that kid with a long hair and a black t-shirt on?
B. Yeah hes so emo
B.No your not
A.Yes i am i should just kill myself right now
A.God, did you see that kid with a long hair and a black t-shirt on?
B. Yeah hes so emo
by Metalhead312 April 5, 2009
Get the Emo mug.Middle-class to rich white people, between the ages of 14 to 27 who listen to gay bands such as taking back sunday ans bullet for my valentine,in an attempt to express their individualism with something that everyone else does, who think that the whole worlds against them, even though nothing in their life justifies their emo-ness.
"The world hates me because I'm Emo!"
"Friends are only people who have not stabbed you in the back yet.Other Emo's understand."
"Friends are only people who have not stabbed you in the back yet.Other Emo's understand."
by Habibaliscious April 17, 2009
Get the Emo mug.a softer, less hard-core version of goth and punk. an emo kid typically wears mainly black with neon brights and styles their hair in sweeping side bangs across their face.
by haleyy123 April 24, 2009
Get the emo mug.emo is like a kiddy version of goth. most emo kids have their hair parted to one side completely covering one eye and they listen to "My chemical romance". and they right bad poetry and are huge drama queens. They may secretly listen to air supply whereas I listen to air supply openly and proudly. lol
that is so emo.
by angela lines angela April 29, 2009
Get the emo mug.queers who have normal lives but they think their life is the worst. They live in caves and cast spells. The male species wear tight pants and tight shirts that show their out of shape arms. 95% of the time you can only see one of their eyes because they have hair over one of them. These are referred to as "cyclops emos." All of them deny their emonallity. The female species are very bitchy and will snap if you call them emo. they generally all cut their wrist to "relieve their eternal pain and suffering." All emos say people don't understand them and say they have had a crisis happen to them such as molestation and or rape. Emos are usually born nerds who can't seem to mutualize with anybody as friends so they join the emo clan. Emoism usually begins for rejects at around age 13 and usually ends around age 17, but can last much longer.
<<<darkslayer93>>Hey Charlie wut u up 2?
<silentassassin666> Just workin on my spell casting dude wbu?
<<<darkslayer93>>nm im cutting my wrist rite now
<silentassassin666>sweet dude need help? wat 4?
<<<darkslayer93>>some jock today called me emo! can u believe it? if only the world understood my problems!!! but yea u shud come on over
<silentassassin666>aite man ill ttyl
<<<darkslayer93>>make sure u bring some condoms
<silentassassin666>i already got em dude
<silentassassin666> Just workin on my spell casting dude wbu?
<<<darkslayer93>>nm im cutting my wrist rite now
<silentassassin666>sweet dude need help? wat 4?
<<<darkslayer93>>some jock today called me emo! can u believe it? if only the world understood my problems!!! but yea u shud come on over
<silentassassin666>aite man ill ttyl
<<<darkslayer93>>make sure u bring some condoms
<silentassassin666>i already got em dude
by carolinagcock007 July 6, 2009
Get the emo mug.