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Emo (slang)

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See Emo (disambiguation) for other uses of the term Emo

You must add a |reason= parameter to this Cleanup template – replace it with {{Cleanup|January 2006|reason=<Fill reason here>}}, or remove the Cleanup template.
 Template:Totally disputed "Emo" (from "emotional") is a slang term used to describe a wide range of fashion styles and attitudes somewhat affiliated with Emo music and its related scenes.

History

Origins

Main article: Emo (music)

For more than a decade, the term "emo" was used almost exclusively to describe the genre of music that spawned from the 1980s DC scene and all of the bands inspired by it. However, during the late 1990s, as emo music began to emerge from the underground into popular consciousness, the term began to be used as a reference for more than just the music.

1990s

With the advent of the late 90s indie emo scene, some sense of commonality began to emerge. For example, it became increasingly common to see males wearing the "nerd" style of dress popularized by bands like Weezer, including thick black glasses, straight-legged khaki pants, and v-neck sweaters, accessorized with a chain wallet. While the style was not particularly prevalent, people aware of the scene began associating those common styles with the emo bands of the period, and began describing the wearers as "dressing emo".

While it contained some of the elements of passion and emotion that earned the moniker "emo" in the first place, the indie emo of the 90s was often seen as simply an offshoot of indie rock. Some rock scenes saw indie emo as "hardcore music for nerds", where it was okay to play loud and fast, but without the more "macho" elements sometimes found in hard rock. While it was a marginal viewpoint at the time, it began the trend of people using the word "emo" as a term of derision.

2000s

Bands like Dashboard Confessional began to popularize a more dramatic and personal style of "emo", which contained lyrics that had a far greater appeal amongst teenagers experiencing life and love for the first time. As the lyrical content shifted and as the sound began to enter the mainstream, the term "emo" started to be used more often to describe what was perceived by those outside the scene as the overwrought melodrama of the music. Popular comments such as "don't be so emo" and "cheer up, emo kid" drove home the belief among deriders that fans of emo music took themselves too seriously and were simply looking for drama where it didn't exist.

As major labels began pushing more bands under the "emo" umbrella, varying styles of music and dress began to be lumped in as well. The style of bands like My Chemical Romance, including their use of makeup (particularly black eyeliner) and longish hair covering the face, began to be associated with "emo".

Some of the stereotypical fashion trends associated with emo include the wearing of tight jeans, black clothing, All-Stars shoes, and used T-shirts with random prints. Piercings and tattoos are also popular, especially labret piercings.

Though the original emo scenes were not exclusionary, the modern "emo" scene has developed into a "gay friendly" scene. However, some people outside of the movement criticize its participants for faking bisexuality to fit into the trend. Though it's unclear whether it's related to the diminished "macho" elements of emo music or the "gay friendly" nature of the scene, it has become commonplace for detractors to use "emo" in combination with popular gay slurs, such as "emo fag".

While use of the term "emo" to describe the dress and attitudes of some fans of emo music, it should be noted that use of "emo" as a musical genre and "emo" as a slang term are largely separate. "Emo" as a musical genre long pre-dated the use of "emo" as a slang term, while most modern bands labelled "emo" are done so unwillingly, and largely because they share some of the fashion trends and attitude associated with "emo" as a slang term.

Common Misunderstandings

Despite the fact that members of the emo subculture wear dark clothing, akin to punks and goths, these groups should not be confused.

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