What exactly is EMO and how do they dress?

Question

My son says he is EMO because of his appearance, but he is not a cutter. Is this possible?

Answer 1

Emo is a stereotype. You don't have to be a cutter, thats part of the whole stupid stereotype along with the black hair with the big fringe, tight jeans black clothing, are mopey, write poerty etc. all that sort of thing. but as i said, that's just a stupid stereotype.

to me emo is the music, forget the look, it's just more "non-conformist" way of conforming... if that makes sense. But emo music is stuff like Dashboard confessional.

This is the only decent definition on the urban dictionary site, the others are totally ridiculous:
6. emo 7182 up, 4237 down

"Emo" is not short for "Emotional." "Emo" does not mean Taking Back Sunday and Dashboard Confessional, despite what MTV has lead you to believe in the last few years. "Emo" is not sidebangs, tight pants, and male vocalists who sing like little girls about their failed relationships. "Emo" is not the use of diluted, meaningless metaphors and similes such as "My arms are like pinecones," and most definitely is not the rampant use of words such as "autumn," "heart," "knife," "bleeding," "leaves," and "razorblade."

I just thought I'd clear that up after all of these "definitions" in which I have encountered an unbelievable amount of people who try to pass off their blatantly false pretenses as fact, and are slowly infecting others with their high-horse, holier-than-thou bullshit. Because honestly, with your ridiculous definitions, Beethoven, George Gershwin, and Britney Spears are/was "emo bands."

Now, onto the real definition.

In the early 90s there was a movement in the hardcore genre that came to be known as "Emotive Hardcore," spearheaded by Rites Of Spring. Harder-core-than-thou kids, who swore by Dischord Records a la Minor Threat, actually coined the term "Emo" as something of a put-down for the kids who really liked Rites Of Spring, Indian Summer and this new wave of "Emotive" Hardcore bands. That's right, "Emo" was once not something kids called themselves. The field exploded outwards from there - Level-Plane Records has always been the most famous Emo label. Acts like Yaphet Kotto, I Hate Myself, Saetia, Hot Cross, A Day In Black And White, Funeral Diner, I Would Set Myself On Fire For You, You And I, and hosts of others came in the next decade. Most emo bands have since broken up, but there's still the occasional hold-out (again, the majority of Level-Plane Records' roster has been a procession of emo acts). Like most DIY hardcore/punk of the time, a majority found its way onto vinyl and not much else. Some people consider bands like Fugazi, and later Sunny Day Real Estate, a progression of emo, but personally, I don't quite follow that philosophy.

Often, more recently, this gets intertwined with post-hardcore, and understandably so - that's nothing to make an issue of, since well ****, at least it's close.

Since the late 90s, though, bands have been emerging in the vein of Taking Back Sunday, Dashboard Confessional, and the thousands of their clones. As far as I can tell, some lazy journalist somewhere, writing an article about them, decided "Well, ****, no one knows what emo is anyways, so I'll call these bands "emo" - sounds more appealing than bubblegum pop rock..." and the spiral continued downwards into the current amalgomation of bands MTV has told everyone is "emo."

Somehow, people decided that "emo" meant "emotional," which is obviously bullshit, as 99% of bands make music to illicit emotion, which would make "emotional" a completely all-encompassing genre from classical to opera to pop to rap.


Hope that helps.

Taking Back Sunday, Senses Fail, and My Chemical Romance falls under the "horrible pop rock" genre, not the emo genre.

Rites of Spring is emo.

Answer 2

The term emo is derived from the word emotional which can be classified as a type of music. Typically a softer type of music with some screaming. It is possible to not be cutter and be emo. Most emo boys dress with tight pants tapering at the bottom and Converse for shoes. If he is wearing two belts but not through the belt loops that is part of it too. Really tight shirts are popular with emo guys too. If you see a bandana either around his neck or wrist that is part of it too. And if he has his hair parted far over to one side then flipped in front of an eye or two OR has his hair completely over his eyes that is part of it. And if he mentions anything about snake bites or flesh tunnels(lip piercings) that is another sign. And if he is wearing a lot of jewelery that is a sign as well. Well I think that is all I know and I hope I helped at least a little but I am a little bit emo so yeah I kind of know what we dress like.

Answer 3

Your personal info for me suits to be that of an emo but some characteristics of emo you are missing is that emos tend to be silent type, seem to think a lot in their minds and some are what you can say suicidal that's why thin bladed razors have been linked as emo merchandise.

Answer 4

emos dress with these colors like black, red, and white. some may or may not cut. go to urbandictionary.com and type in 'emo'. theres a lot of results on what it is. it is possible that he can dress emo-ish, but not cut. although most emos cut. theyre depressed and wanna kill/hurt themselves. if ur son doesnt cut, hes probably not depressed 24/7. im not emo, its just that a lotta emo's go to my school. i hoped this helped!

Answer 5

emo like punk is kinda like a life style but u dont have to cut emo is short for emotional and if hes not rly deep and sensitive then hes just what ppl like me call a poser but if he looks emo and doesnt cut or write or draw or just feel more thab others do then hes "seen" its like emo but u only dress emo not act like it and sry for all the grammer mistakes

Answer 6

Kinda like greenday. I'm not really sure though. I graduated from high school a long time ago, so I'm not up on it. I would guess that self mutilation is not a necessary prerequisite though.

Answer 7

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=emo

Answer 8

http://emosong.ytmnd.com
this will give you an idea.

Answer 9

he's a fake