Most of you came to this thread thinking I am to rant about the mass of "emo" kids, and that you, too, can put your input in on how much you hate them. You were wrong, and I suggest you turn back now if you want to continue with the same mindset about emo kids that you currently have.
Emo is a term coined from the original phrase, Emotive Hardcore. It started out as a branch from the hardcore punk genre, beginning with the bands Rites of Spring and Embrace. The band Rites of Spring surprisingly sounds nothing as most of the bands of this day do which are also coined with the term emo. Why is this? Because this is REAL emo, not this neo-emo stuff that really is nothing more than a form of pop-punk music.
Most people also relate emo music with being really whiney and crying about one's problems. Yes, this can be an element of emo music, but think about all the other bands out there that also have lyrics based on a depressing time in their life. Most bands have emotive lyrics, but they are not all emo.
Read the following lyrics:
"The razor caressed my flesh and my arms turned red,
I feel a vast desire.
Years of pain are flowing down my arms.
Sweet, red, warm stream you drink, make me released.
Give me your hand, let me make you feel the ease,
in the bed of razors we bleed together."
How many of you think those are really emo lyrics? Those of you who said yes, tell me, do you think the metal band Children of Bodom is emo? Neither do I, yet those lyrics came from their song "Bed of Razors". Therefore, as I said, having "emo" lyrics does not make the band emo.
Moving on! The kids you see with the multi-coloured hair, pink eyeshadow, tight pants, etc. are also not emo. There's this thing called "scene," which basically means that these people try to fit into a particular group, but fail. But of course, society doesn't acknowledge this fact and automatically calls them the term which they have used, and in this case, it is "emo". Real emo kids dress normally, because they don't need a specific style to show who they are to the world, and because the emo genre branched from the hardcore genre anyway (much like how the gothic style now was once the punk style). Emo boys don't have the stereotypical emo haircuts, they don't wear makeup, they don't wear girl clothing, et al. They dress normally.
So, please, the next time you see a kid who looks like
this
this
or God forbid even
this
please realize that these are not true emo kids, and if they feel the need to call themselves such, backhand them and give them a lesson about who they are.