In which I judge the youth of today.
By Jen | July 24, 2008
I was just reading on the Reason Magazine blog that emo kids in Russia are protesting a potential ban on emo because the Duma says it promotes antisocial and suicidal behaviors. This comes on the heels of widespread emo persecution and rioting in Mexico.
I wouldn’t go so far as to say that the music and fashion should be banned, but I would like to pass along some advice my mother imparted on me when I was in high school.
“When you’re older, you’re going to look back and be embarrassed by how stupid you looked.”
Of course I didn’t believe her at the time, being a tortured youth no one (besides probably everyone who’s ever been a teenager) understood. But as I observed an emo girl applying eyeliner on her boyfriend at the mall a couple weeks ago, I thought, “If only you could see how stupid you look right now. And that is so unsanitary.”
My mom, as always, was right. These kids’ parents should be telling them that your identity is defined more by your character than your silly Hot Topic outfits. Or better yet, that they’re not leaving the house until they change into something less ridiculous. I am all for making a statement with your wardrobe. But emo kids look about as unique as sugar cookies.
I would even venture to say that ten years from now, they’ll be embarrassed by the garbage music they listen to. I still listen to a lot of the same stuff I did in high school (Today, in fact, I listened to both Radiohead and Spiritualized just as I had in ninth grade). And I respect some older emo, like Cursive and Sunny Day Real Estate. But Panic! at! the! Disco! was on SNL last Saturday and not only was the screeching unbearable, I couldn’t imagine anyone over the age of 16 enjoying it.
I am a proponent of freedom of expression. And I think banning emo — which has evolved from, as some emo band guy said, “a psychological emotion,” into a contrived marketing ploy to siphon money from impressionable young adults — is going too far. Looking ten years from now at pictures of themselves at their most emo should be enough punishment for these kids.
3 Comments
Pingback: My emo is not your emo : black marks on wood pulp
Mark on 07.24.2008 at 6:03 pm.
The problem I’ve always had with the term “emo” is that it isn’t even a good *musical* term. I can think of no other genre that is distingushed by the content of the lyrics rather than the actual style of music. Punk, Pop, Metal, Country, all distinguished by the sound and instruments used. One might argue Folk or the Blues is distinguished by lyrics (protest songs; my baby done left me), but even they have very particular musical styles that a listener knows within a few notes (even without lyrics). But “emo”? How is it much different from Singer-Songwriter? Can you take away the lyrics and “tell” an emo tune? And if not, how are the things Elliott Smith and Conor Oberst are singing about all that much different from Paul Simon and James Taylor? It really is a completely useless term for me.
Kaedyn on 09.20.2008 at 11:08 am.
My issue with the word ‘emo’ is that it can be defined too many ways. Short for emotional, a genre of music, the way people look, a stereotype…etc. What IS the point of ‘emo’? To know bands that nobody else does? To look cool? To attract other ‘emo’ people? To be ‘different’? Well, I hate to break it to people that call themselves emo, but when you strive to look a certain way you really aren’t being different. And chances are, the reason that the boy across the street is ‘emo’ is to catch the attention of another ‘emo’ girl that probably is only ‘emo’ to get ‘emo’ guys. They say that they want to make a statement, but I really don’t get the point they’re trying to make. Honestly, here’s some advice for those people that want to make themselves ‘emo’: don’t. You’re not being different if you dress the same as thousands of others and also, wanting to be labeled isn’t cool.