What is "emo"????

Question

I'm not even 30 yet and I feel like I'm living under a rock, but I have to know. This stupid word is everywhere all of a sudden (within the last year) and I have no idea what it means. I'm too embarrassed to ask my 19 yo sister...

My god, when I was in school, those were just called goths. They all listened to way too much of The Cure and something called Darkwave. This whole clique thing is getting really complicated...

Ladylawyer-- I have always FELT old. But until recently I never thought that I was actually GETTING old...

Answer 1

Emo started out as the term for socially aware hardcore punk.

Sometime over the last few years though it's been hijacked to market a watered-down "goth" aesthetic to teenagers who think that listening to Evanescence, wearing black, writing bad poetry and hanging out at the mall makes them seem intriguing and slightly sinister.

Emo sounds less derogatory (and thus easier to sell) than "Mallgoth" which the term replaced. Basically it's kids who have adopted the superficial aspects of Goth without any of it's deeper aspects.

There's nothing wrong with it, of course (I think it's kind of fun, myself) but there are those who take themselves FAR too seriously (like any subculture)

Answer 2

Yes, I definitely had to read to find out what the heck it was too. I am 36 and hahaha, I went through a "dark" stage when I was a teen. I wore all black, I listened to The Cure, Physcedelic Furs, The Cult etc., but I didn't want to cut myself and wasn't overly EMOtional. Thank Goodness!! LOL Then we just called it "punk" or it was all the Skater peeps that were into it. Then it turned to the "Goth" thing. It's funny how each generation has their own thing, their own labels, similiar to generations before, but always taking it one step further.

Answer 3

I don't know and I'm 47, so don't feel bad.

I put the word "emo" in the web search and I found the Wikipedia encyclopedia has the word meaning .
according to Wikipedia Emo is a slang term used to describe a range of fashion styles and attitudes.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emo_
Good Luck with what ever
Take care

Answer 4

Well can mean,I seen many different things.Its base on what you are talking about.Sex,being a hottie ,ive seen it on chat site where some were fighting, it was get the emo out of here.Its like the Smurf thing.Its a short cut of chat talking,or lang.From Daddydog

Answer 5

short for "emotional"...You know, the kids that wear black, dye there hair black, cut themselves etc.. I think almost every teenager goes through a time where they get depressed, but some kids are much darker than others. These are the really dark, and I hate to say it, but attention starved kids....they need attention whether positive or negative. I know there are people that will not agree with me, but I know because I used to be that way somewhat.

Answer 6

Don't worry about not knowing the answer kids. I'm 52 and I always thought EMO was one of those little critters from Sesame Street.

Answer 7

emo is short for emotional. an emo is someone who cuts themself and listens to deppresing music. they're always deppresed, hince the name emo. answered by a 16 high school student who, up till a month ago didnt know what it was either

Answer 8

emo is a style of music. Like the band format

Answer 9

An emo is a hard-core goth. They slit their wrists. In my opinion, i don't suggest you become one. No offense to emos.

Answer 10

emo is a label like "goth" "jock" or "prep"
its basically the next thing under transfestite