51 replies to this topic

[Chastangela]

This is just a theory that popped into my head the other night but it makes an incredible amount of sense, to me.

Emo's started popping up in numbers about 2001...the year the movie Donnie Darko was released and Jake Gyllenhaal's carreer began to rise.

Now, Donnie was a dark, messy haired, depressing individual obsessed with idea that everything was somehow his fault. He was the ultimate emo and anyone who dresses like an emo looks a lot like Jake/Donnie.



So I blame Jake for the creation of emo-ism.

[MachV]

Bwahahahahaha
Nothing short of Pure Gunius !!!

[Last_Chael]

Wow! It all makes perfect sense now....You, my dear, are nothing short of a genius!!

[~Desert Rose~]

aww thats the sweet guy from "Moonlight Mile"!! I love that movie!

The origins of "Emo" culture extend back to a music sub-group in the 80's. Though it was probably something like a movie, which made it catch on in recent years. You should also take into consideration the challenges young people face today, -high school can have a quite considerable impact psychologically, some people like to express their problems with what they wear, -the "gothic" culture for example. -i think punk elements have kinda mixed together with that, to create the "emo" fashion. -and some people are just try-hards following a trend.

[Cat M]

You should also take into consideration the challenges young people face today, -high school can have a quite considerable impact psychologically, some people like to express their problems with what they wear, -the "gothic" culture for example. -i think punk elements have kinda mixed together with that, to create the "emo" fashion. -and some people are just try-hards following a trend.

sorry but I had to giggle at this... I managed to get through the pychological challenges of high school with just some angsty poetry - stuff certainly worthy of an emo. I went through my fashion rebellion phase a good 10 years after leaving high school. Oh... I sadded myself by remembering how old I am

[cyan_witch]

Ahhh....we are all emo to some extent, whether currently or in our embarrassing past somewhere........*cue the angsty teenage poetry and journal writings*
This comes from Wikipedia: "By almost all current definitions, Emo clothing is characterized by tight jeans on males and females alike, long fringe (bangs) brushed to one side of the face or over one or both eyes, dyed black, straightened hair, tight t-shirts which often bear the names of rock bands (or other designed shirts), studded belts, belt buckles, canvas sneakers or skate shoes or other black shoes (often old and beaten up) and thick, black horn-rimmed glasses. Emo fashion has changed with time; early trends included haircuts similar to those worn by the Romulans and Vulcans in Star Trek, tightly fitting sweaters, button-down shirts, and work jackets (often called gas station jackets)." See....maybe it was Star Trek that began the emo "look"!!! Hahaha

[fairyprincess]

I think I missed this sub-chapter in my life! Unless you count the 'Legally Blonde look phase'? I just made that up, I spent most of my money during that time on my clothing and accessories....... my bag and shoe collection will prove that!

My younger sister went through that whole punk phase! It was great watching her rebel to being a 'conformist' to...well...a punk conformist! Then she went through a pirate phase?

That girl cacks me up! To rebel further against my parents she has had numerous tattoos..... some are really nice others just make me wonder about her sanity

The whole tattoo thing seams to have past me, and numerous piercings.......I remeber the pain when i got my ears pierced.....that was enough to scar me for life!

God, I hope sewing and costuming are not a phase! I have too much fabric for that!!!!!!

[Starfire Phoenix]

From what I have seen, costumers are usually addicts for life! Lol I dont think its just a phase.

[Chastangela]

You should also take into consideration the challenges young people face today, -high school can have a quite considerable impact psychologically, some people like to express their problems with what they wear, -the "gothic" culture for example.

Pardon me while I laugh my @$$ off. Yes, teenagers are angsty and we all go through it at some point and often use clothes to express our disatisfaction in life but the kids now have no worse pressures to deal with than myself and my peers or even those earlier and most of us got through without wearing jeans three sizes too small and cutting outselves to 'deal with our pain'. I have no sympathy for much of the current batch of teens who say life is SO difficult. (I can share some wonderful stories of teenage pain but there's no point cause I got over it and it helped form who I am...plus I'm sure many others can too.) The current generation actually has it easiest of all of them, so far. Most are just too busy wondering why mommy and daddy can't just give them everything in life and are too busy making dumb choices even though they have all the information in the world at their fingertips. *ahem, pardon the rant*

Personally, I find emo as a style silly at best and ridiculous at worst...and very unimaginative. As an 'attitude' I find it sad and annoying.

Gothic culture does not demand that you be depressed to be a part of it. Most goths I know are actually quite cheerful people...could be because they feel free to express themselves and enjoy their assorted hobbies without worrying about societal opinion. The few kids that do turn to 'gothic' culture during their depressing teen years often grow out of it...and at least it has way better fashion sense as a whole.

I am a clothing rebel, have always been a clothing rebel and always intend to BE a clothing rebel. That's kinda part of why I like costumes.

Damn you Spock and Donnie Darko!!! *lol*

[sad frog]

I have as much sympathy for the "current batch" of teens as I have for anyone else feeling hardly done by, which is "some". Having things easy in many aspects of your life rarely makes you feel any better. I went through depression at a phase of life when not a lot bad was happening to me. People will feel what they feel, and react how they want. I think the self-harm is the only part of it that I find worrying. Kids can dress how they want and do their hair how they want. As long as they are clean

I stopped reading the other thread on this forum that turned into making fun of another group for their clothing choices. It seems a bit rich coming from us.

Also... Jake Gyllenhaal is hot.

[morgan-aleghieri]

You raise a good point, Sad Frog.

I was going to state my position on the emo pseudo-culture, but after re-writing my comment several times it just ended up being a statement on the downward spiralling of today's society.

Basically - I'm not a fan of emos, but I feel very rationally about that sentiment. (Well, except the part of me that says I wish they'd stop hanging out in front of HJs... Friday arvo in Queen Street can be scary...)

[wenz]

Well said Sad Frog.

It's only too easy to mock or look down on another subgroup; punks, goths got dissed by mainstream and other subgroups at the time too.

[Chastangela]

Well, this thread DID start out as a joke and an amusement...and not even a putting down one, but one pointing out a possible connection with modern pop culture.

But trying to make it a philosophical discussion on the origin of the fad and saying I should take current teens psycho issues into consideration kinda puts my back up. *lol*

Personal opinion, I think the fashion among emo's is silly looking and unimaginative. Am I being judgemental? No because they can really wear whatever they want for all I truly care. They probably think most of what I wear is silly too, bugs me not. The self harming and thinking they are original in being a depressed teenager is somewhat ridiculous but that's their parent's issues, not mine. Dealing with HUGE packs of them loitering around areas like Town Hall and what not can some times be a real pain in the rump.

So, that being said...now that this thread has been completely depressed and made pointless...perhaps it should be closed.

[wenz]

internet/email medium makes it too easy to misinterpret what's intended at light hearted and what isn't - my comment was definitely not at dig at you chastangela. I just didn't want this thread to become an emo-bashing one.

I'm old enough to remember the same attitude towards punks and goths - that pods of them hanging around public places was annoying, irritating and scary. That the resentment and frustration they had (most were under 20) was pointless and stupid and no different to what everyone else had had to deal with.

The piercings, ripped/slashed clothes and the superglued hair (no rock-set hairgel in those days) was met with a 'why don't you get a haircut and a job'.

Personally I felt the same way about grunge - brush your hair and wear some clean clothes - but the internet wasn't there to share my irritation with. In the end the fad passed for 99% of grungers, and so too will 99% of emos end up like the majority.

I had no idea emo had been around for so long ... how did I miss it and miss Lolita and anime too. I really must be the getting old

See, in my inarticulate way I was trying to express a similar view to yours.

How I'm different is that I'm willing to ignore them cos in the end they'll be a blip in history, and to me a less interesting one than punk.

[erinc]

The original photo reminded me of an album cover back when I was at high school in 1980, it was Dexys Midnight Runners and Searching for the young soul rebels, and that sent us reading Brendan Behan (Borstal Boy) and led to lots of posing and postulating....

but the quote I most remember is

'P.S. Old clothes do not make a tortured artist'

I guess it is always best to never take yourself, or others, too seriously.
In the immortal words of Brendan Behan - "I have a total irreverence for anything connected with society except that which makes the roads safer, the beer stronger, the food cheaper and the old men and old women warmer in the winter and happier in the summer. "

Edited by erinc, 19 September 2007 - 04:29 PM.

[Metanoia]

cheer up emo kids!!



ahh well... at least this year I can find many nice skully t-shirts that look great with my regular fit black jeans which i can now get in a "short" length from target no less all thanks to the emos. Time to meld it all into my own style cause I got no time to look angsty. lol

The whole tattoo thing seams to have past me, and numerous piercings.......I remeber the pain when i got my ears pierced.....that was enough to scar me for life!

lol. I still have phases where I consider a tattoo, but I'm scared of the pain... piercings on the other hand... hmm what else can I get pierced... I've got 10 and I'm considering getting at least 4 more at the moment. I just like them. Sparkle, sparkle!

[laliibeans]

lol. I still have phases where I consider a tattoo, but I'm scared of the pain... piercings on the other hand... hmm what else can I get pierced... I've got 10 and I'm considering getting at least 4 more at the moment. I just like them. Sparkle, sparkle!

I'm completely the opposite way around, I've only got three piercings and until they invent painless ones that'll be the end of it. Tattoo's on the other hand, I love them to bits! My last one tickled so much that my boyfriend had to hold me still so I didn't twitch and kick the artist.

As for the emo's, I have to agree with Chastangela. I went through my goth phase because I liked the fashion, and I was the most violent and rebelious teenager I knew. However, these days kids are allowed to pass off normal problems of growing up with social disorders that get bandied around like candy, such as declaring themselves bipolar or whatever. There's far too many easy ways out of having to actually take responsability these days.
/old woman rant

I still wear a lot of goth and punk stuff, and some of them get really angry at me for wearing things with skulls on it (something about not knowing what it's like, or something like that). I can't stand the look of skinny jeans...they creep me out. How do they bend their knees in them!?! Let alone get them on and off! I can't see how they are the least bit comfortable. Even normal jeans creep me out, so skinny jeans just make my skin crawl.

I'll never betray you, my sweet and beautiful cargo's!

Other than that, I can dig some of the other bits and pieces but I do wish some of them would change it up once in a while. It's gotten very dull.

[Last_Chael]

I think the thing that facinates me about this whole 'emo' fashion culture, is that their whole 'subculture' is based around the idea that they're supposedly rebelling, and they're making a statement about being different. And yet, in the end, they all look exactly the same. And I think it's fair to say this is the first subculture that's become mainstream culture. Which kinda defeats the purpose.

I look at 'emo' as purely a fashion thing. As for all the other stuff that is associated with it, I'm of two minds.

Firstly there's the fact that I'm a social work student who in two months time will be a practicing social worker. I've already had contact with many people (none of whom I would ever consider emo) who have depression and resort to self injury. What really gets me angry is when people talk about 'oh those emo's, lets just give them razor blades so they can cut themselves and die'. That sort of attitude really trivializes something that is incredibly serious, and means that a lot of people out there with serious need feel that they can't seek help for fear of being labelled 'emo' and being told to get over it. I think you'll find that the majority of 'emos' are actually just bored kids who are just jumping on the bandwagon of teen angst.

At the same time, I do think that the youth of today are spoilt young brats. It's true that the things they are currently going through are no harder than what countless generations of young people have had to go through. But their issues are quite unique in that they're part of a huge societal trend which is quite frankly scary! They're so apathetic towards life, and I think a lot of this has to do with their parents. They're given everything they could ever want, but it's all material. PArents are working harder in order to give their children all these new fangled technologies, and yet they're missing the vital thing that all children crave - love and attention. If they spent actual time with their kids, rather than trying to buy affection with playstations and designer clothes, their children would be happier, more easily able to deal withthe stresses of their lives, more motivated, more optimistic about the future, and quite frankly, more smarter! (I used to work in an educational bookstore - it would frustrate us the number of parents who came in wanting a book that their kids could do by themselves to help them learn to read or do maths better. When we suggested that they sit down and actually read to their kids or work on homework together, they looked at us like we were crazy!!). It seems like such a simple solution, but I think our world has become so obsessed with making everything so difficult, we forgot the simple things. And no, it's not just parents, it's a societal attitude that needs to change!

Wow, what a social commentary Sorry about that - I've been writing so many assignments lately, I'm stuck in that mode!!

[Silver Moonblaze]

Personally I felt the same way about grunge - brush your hair and wear some clean clothes - but the internet wasn't there to share my irritation with. In the end the fad passed for 99% of grungers, and so too will 99% of emos end up like the majority.

Pwehehe. I went through that stage. Ahh, for the days when I spent so much less money on makeup, hair products, and clothing

[sad frog]

Well, this thread DID start out as a joke and an amusement...and not even a putting down one, but one pointing out a possible connection with modern pop culture.

Yes, sorry to be the one to get in a huff. I have no objection to the way the thread started.

I just didn't like to see it potentially going down the path of bagging people who identify as emo. Maybe that includes some of the forum members, for all we know, and it seemed like it has become unfriendly for them around here lately. Maybe we can just stick to praising what we like?

No offense intended to you, Chastangela, or anyone else.