What is Emo?

Question

I know what it is, I just want to see somone who actually knows what it is, other than a bunch of tweens listening to Hawthorne Heights and crying and all that bull sh*t.... What Is Your Definition Of Emo??
*hint* it DOES NOT stand for emotional..... look in urbandictionary.com for best definition..
COPY AND PASTERS *WILL NOT* GET BEST ANSWER!!

♥♥♥Thank You Guys For Any Answerz!!♥♥♥

Looks like Dick got it, but he copy and pasted it... if no one else puts that into THEIR OWN words, it looks like Dick's goooing to get the Best Answer.... I think..... did he copy and paste, that looks a bit familiar.. hmmm....?

Yes, I know, urbandictionary is NOT exactly true, but I think that that and Wikipedia are excedingly close, so I'm guessing that is the true meaning. My definition is alot like the chick with the "scalp disorder"....

Answer 1

Emo is a slang term used to describe a range of fashion styles and attitudes somewhat affiliated with emo music and its related scene. As an adjective, emo can describe a style of fashion or music; or a general state of unhappiness or melancholy (as in to "feel emo"). Emo is also used as a noun, often pejoratively, to identify a member of the "emo scene" or someone viewed as fitting the "emo" stereotype.

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 the bands inspired by it; however, during the late 1990s, as emo music began to emerge into popular consciousness, the term began to be used as a broader reference than its prior music denotation.

The origin of the word emo itself is unclear. In a 1985 interview by Rites of Spring in Flipside, members of the band noted that some of their fans in DC were starting to call them "emo," arguably because of the state of emotion that the band displayed during their shows. In later years, the word emo was viewed as a contraction of "emotional hardcore" or "emocore," which was the popular designation of the music genre.

A younger contingent argues that emo is a contraction for "emotive hardcore;" however, no primary source demonstrates the use of that term prior to the mid-1990s. Meanwhile, numerous sources cite the use of "emotional hardcore," dating back to the mid-to-late 1980s.

In recent years, as its use has come to define more than just the music, the word emo has often been viewed as short for "emotional."


2000s
Bands like Dashboard Confessional began to popularize a more dramatic and personal style of "emo," which used lyrics that had a far greater appeal amongst teenagers experiencing life and love for the first time. As the lyrical content shifted and the genre 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. The perception was that melodrama was feigned; an effort to display depression or dysfunction where it did not actually exist. Popular comments such as "don't be so emo" and "cheer up, emo kid" expressed the belief among detractors that fans of emo music took themselves too seriously.

As major labels began categorising more diverse bands under the "emo" label, varying styles of music and dress began to be conflated as well. The style of bands like My Chemical Romance and Panic! at the Disco, for example, began to be associated with emo despite the fact the bands specifically denounce the term emo to describe their music.

Answer 2

Emo was a music genre years ago; it has had some revivals now and then but for the most part does not exist today. What people call "emo music" today is usually some sort of pop-punk or hard rock.
The stereotypes of "emo kids" (cutting themselves, craving attention, being suicidal, writing poems/songs about how they hate life, etc) are all completely MADE UP generalizations of otherwise messed up people.
Today, people who call THEMSELVES emo are just wannabes.

Also today, there are many things referred to as "emo" that are actually what is more accurately called "scene". This includes girls with short, choppy, two-toned hairstyles, or guys wearing makeup or girl pants. "Scene kids," as opposed to "emo kids," do not share the label as being suicidal or depressed, and are actually rather cheerful and enthusiastic people. Many people do not realize, this, however, because they are either intimidated by the scene or had a bad experience with a bad scene kid.

Aside from "emo kids" and scenesters, there are many, MANY, different "scenes" (groups) of alternative music lovers, each with their own styles and fashions. Various labels include "hardcore (hxc)" or "indie" or many others.

Answer 3

Emo (an abbreviation of "emotionally-driven Hardcore punk") is a term now broadly used to describe almost any form of guitar-driven alternative rock that expresses emotions beyond traditional punk's limited emotional palette of alienation and rage. It is also used to describe fans of this genre, most commonly teenagers. (e.g., emo kid). The actual term "emo" originated in the mid-1980s D.C. scene, with the band Rites of Spring, as well as bands such as Fugazi, Moss Icon, and Antioch Arrow.

Answer 4

OK. Yes I know it does not stand for emotional. It means that though.....in a sense. Emo means that you are upset with your life and do not want to deal with it. It means you choose to show your feelings through your appearance (black clothing, sometimes piercings, thick eyeliner, and all that jazz)....
Haha yeah 'tweens listening to Hawthorne Heights' that is soooo annoying.

Answer 5

It may be that but I doubt that's where it derives from. Emo Philips, the comedian, has been around a lot longer. The haircut and general physical characteristics are classified "emo" in certain circles.

Answer 6

Emo is a personality. Many people think Emo is people who wear black and are gay and suicidal. They are wrong. Emo's are people who think in a different way. They can wear deep rich colors like purples and reds. It's basically a kind of group, like Jocks or Cheerleaders. It can be a type of music.

Answer 7

im not into this labeling business, but from what i can understand:
the people labeled "emo" are kinda stuck with the stereotype that they cut themselves out of depression or anxiety or some other painful sorta feeling. i personally dont believe all "emo" people all do it. ummmm they listen to rock harder stuff in particular
and like urbandictionary said.... sorta goth..... mix between goth and punk, but more melodramatic than punk........ despising all posers or hypocrites... call them what u will.... dark, sad, lonely.......
i like to think of emo as normal people with different ways of thinking
negative thinking didnt get anyone anywhere..... except maybe with war...... but w/e

Answer 8

i hope you know that urban dictionary is a place where people give their own definitions...so the best definition is not necessarily the correct one

Answer 9

read the book punkrock,teenagers,and emo.It explains the whole history of it and the bands and all that stuff

Answer 10

Emo is just an antonym for the following: gay, stupid, queer, bit***** loser.