emo Emo. Short for emotional. Emo. A genre of punk rock. Emo. A dress code of tiny t-shirts and horn-rimmed glasses. Type the word "emo" into your average search engine and you'll get over three million results that will encompass nearly that many different opinions of what emo actually is. The general approach to the term is a lot like the approach to pornography, "I can't tell you exactly what it is, but I'll know it when I see (or hear) it." The history of emo is somewhat less ambiguous than its current meaning. "Emo" music developed out of the D.C. punk scene in the '80s. In its original incarnation, emo was short for emocore, or emotional-hardcore. The name was applied to hardcore punk rock bands who distinguished themselves from their peers by adding an emotional component to their music, dealing with sadness and love and angst in their lyrics. The music was also characterized by particularly dramatic vocals which, at best, left the audience in an emotionally charged state, crying or screaming. These days, emo has been popularized and sent into the mainstream through bands like Dashboard Confessional, Taking Back Sunday and Saves the Day. Emo music has even inspired its own subcultural style. Take your average Rites of Spring fan and you get someone who looks a lot like Weezer's Rivers Cuomo--nerdy glasses, vintage tees, cuffed jeans, Converse sneakers and slightly shrunken tops. Black hair and straight bangs, tight hoodies and thrift shop attire are also associated with emo. And while emo devotees are notoriously upfront about their feelings, instead of wearing their hearts on their sleeves, they tend to favor ironic slogans and band logos. Lately, labeling someone as "emo" is something of a put-down, a stand-in for "overly emotional" or "melodramatic." The implication is that they are excessively moody and angsty, prone to crying jags and plagued by a love of bad poetry. Hot Topic even issued a patch that read, "cheer up, emo kid!" But for those who call themselves emo, the term means something more pure. At its core, emo is all about being upfront with your emotions. Or, as one "expert" defined it, "emo is like being Goth, but much less dark, much more Harry Potter."

Comments

[Maddie]

a cutter is what makes an emo an emo..that's how emo even came alive lolo if u dress emo then you're not exactly "an emo" till u cut urself..but still..its not something to be proud of. i ended up in mental hospital 4 about 2 months cause of my attempt of suicide. it's not the best place 2 b in, but yet again the emo style is the best style alive to a lot of us..oh btw..to the preppy blondes who think their emo..
we dont go into ur holistterrr or ammerrican eagle so stay out of OUR HOTOPIC

~*M@D3lIn3*~

[Cheyenna]

Yea, I'm emo. I hate how everybody thinks that if your emo : you cut yourself. Yes plenty of emos do, but its like being scene without always wearing skinny jeans and band tees. I have the best of friends: most of htem emo. Yes, some of them cut themselves, but all emos cutting htemselves? really? I dont htink so. I can't say to my mom "hey I'm emo" without her checking my wrists. Its annoying. Its just a stupid stereotype. GET OVER IT xD lol

[ALittleMental]

Being emo is not cutting. It is either the music they listen to, the problems they have (wether it be mental or physical), Or even just the way they dress. Yes soe people cut that are labeled emo but I was there once. Im still there. I dont wear skiny jeans or black. i wear aropostal and hollister. Nobody has seen my cuts and scars for over a year. You may think that all "emo's" cut but have you ever seen other people cut? yes. half the time you cant see the cuts. Lay off the people who cut. its an addiction. Its like meth or some other type of drug. Its hard to stop once it become an addiction.

[Zombiegrrl]

I just have to say this: Emo kids are stupid. They're a sucky imitation of goth and punk culture. I hate how people think emo has anything to do with goths, IT DOESN'T. Emo is just short for emotional, can't people realize that?

[Libido Food]

That label is a little hard, but I'm agree with you, is the true.

[Generic Viagra]

VioletzandHeartzLOL let me tell you something, begging emo is not the grates deal, and if you want your friends back, just talk to them!
be a bit more happy, even if problems surround you!
LOVE
tatiana
:)

[RocknRose]

My friend thinks she's emo just cause she wears stuff thats black & has skulls on it. She thinks she knows everything about being Emo from the clothing to the music and etc. She doesn't even look Emo she looks more punk than anything. She's basically doing this just to blend in with her neighbor who she has a crush on.

[VioletzandHeartzLOL]

I USED TO BE EMO I KINDA STILL AM.BUT IT'S REALLY CONFUSING AND STUFF.AND IT MAKES YOU FEEL LIKE LIFE REALLY IS HORIBLE AND LIKE THE WORLD IS OUT TO GET YOU BUT IT'S NOT REALLY! (IT JUST SEEMS LIKE IT IS!)THATS HOW I AM GOING THROUGH 6th GRADE RITE NOW. I HAD A FEW FRIEND AT THE BEGINING BUT THEY THOUGHT I WAS TO DEPRESSING TO BE AROUND AND THEY DON'T HANG OUT WITH ME ANYMORE...T-T!

[Harriet]

Being emo doesn't mean you cut yourself, and cutting yourself doesn't mean you are emo.

I used to cut myself, but I was never emo. I don't dress like an emo, so how can I be one.

And all you people on here claiming that you cut yourself: stop doing it. I've been there and, seriously, it sucks. The scars last for ages, and although it may be making you feel better now it's really bad for your mental health in the long term.
And if you're one of those people who cuts because you think it makes you hardcore and emo, you're an idiot. Self harm is not good.

[Alia]

i dont get it why do people have to be soo mean about this mostly the preps emos are people ok and some people say that emo is just a style of music. sure they wear black and cut themselves but its only cause every frickin day they feel emotional pain and the preps STOP picking on them ok they don't ever do anything to you

[Bri]

Blondes, Red -heads, Brunnettes, everybody goes through tough things in there lives. Sometimes so tough it makes them have to go to therapy(me for an example) or get speacial help.
I think it's really stupid and shocking of how some of you guys are so closed minded and so sterotypic. Not all blondes are pretty,dumb,loud, noisy and snobby. Not everyone who wears black and listens to metal, worships the devil(lucifer, Satan). I REALLY hate when people lable themselves. I was really depressed at one point and on the line of commiting suicide. I never ever lable myself as "emo". Emo to me is a fashion trend and music. Never who someone was. Everybody is the same and everybody is totally different. You never know the Noisy, snobby, preppy blonde, sterotypic -mean girl, probably got sexually assaulted when she was younger, has an abusive mother/father/parents. You should never "lable" or "judge" somebody on how they look. To me they should be only jude by their character; who they are. The people who call other people posers, please do me a favor and stick it up your ass. To me you are a poser; it's really pathetic to lable yourself. We are all human and some of us have walk the same shoes as other and, some have not and that's ok. Before you jude someone walk in there shoes. Instead of seeing the clothes they wear and the things they own. Look beyond those material things, look beyond the make-up, look inside and see their soul and heart.
that's all
~Bri~

[melody]

everyone has emotional bullshit they deal with but when you go overboard is when someone is emo

fucking emos
woop woop juggalo pride

[Leahh]

hello? not all emo people cut themselves u idiots!

[Demonica]

Uh.. I hate people who cut em self just caus they think its emo!!!! Its NOT emo! Its all about emotions and expresing em, and not to wear skinny jeans & cut your self!! stupid...

[Maddie]

a cutter is an emo...

[Sara.Star.]

emo is a lifestyle. it's music, fashion, and kind of a state of mind to some people. you DO NOT have to cut yourself to be emo...cutting makes you a cutter though.

[Madeline]

umm...cutting is what makes emos emo..and its also a type of music representing emotion so..whoever said emos dont cut..wow..thts like saying "i wannabe emo cause i just do, i dont need to cut, i just want to be."

[porqoui]

emo shoudn't even be label to anyone i mean it whould make better scense if someone just call you emo just cause your felling emotional at the moment cause your stress or you just saw a tearjerker movie or you just lost someone or ect.. not cause you dress some way

[catelyn]

I think everyone of us has its own personality and just bcuz we're sad or lonely or we wear in a certain way and we cut or whatever doesnt mean anything. Its the way we are and if ppl dont like us and start putting stupid labels on us well FUCK them!!! who cares!! i think labels are really stupid and useless. emo is not about cutting or the way you dress..its about music. if u dont feel or understand the music than whats the point??!!! i hate ppl who call themselves emo just to be noticed by others. thats pretty stupid and lame. if u feel and like the music..fine whatever...but if u dont stop trying to be sm1 ur not!!!

[ashley]

i hate this term. labels are stupid. people are people. everyones an individual. we all like different things thats what makes the world so great. if everyone were the same it'd be boring. i think labels should just disappear let people be who they are and accept them for them

[xXmikiXx]

wow u guys r fighting over this i personaly lyk this article because it explains wat it really means to b emo right down to the tip and there also different types of emos lyk the genre of music and then ppl that do hurt themselfs by self mutilation are called emo too. i know what its lyk to b called emo im called that every day emo and goth which i hate the stereotype its horrible ppl take 1 look at me and they think i worship the devil i dont im wiccan not a satanist i think every1 should read this article soo that they can c wat an emo really is. thank you for making this article it really helped me feel lyk im not that stereotype.

[Ellen]

Just to make sure this is clarified, "emo" does NOT mean you cut. That is a stereotype that is really cruel and just stupid. Not all emos cut. And not all "normal people" DON'T cut!!!!!

[FoolForYou]

I cannot believe youre actually saying that someone can't have problems, or get depressed, or self-harm, simply because theyre' blonde.
Thats utterly ridiculous and you sound completely ignorant.

Like I said earlier, we're all emo. We all get emotional, we're all fricking humans.

[WDZ]

get over urselves guys emo doesnt exist in ppl form its a type of music ITSA STUPID STEREOTYPE like everythin else, we r who we r labels gets the world very fucked up that keeps the world divided so plz stop the labels plz

[Madeline]

that recent post was to bella btw