What exactly is emo?

[Mr.Domo]

I know it's like something wrong with the person but what?

[Leonri]

I know it's like something wrong with the person but what?

Heh heh, emo is not some kind of disease, and whether it's bad is a matter of opinion. Emo is short for emotional, a guy who has a bleak world view, wears black clothes with black striped red or white acessories, frequently has a fringe covering one eye, wears Converse or Vans  shoes and listens to Emo bands (MyChemicalRomance the biggest one).

I like to think of them as Goth-lite.

[Mr.Domo]

Holy fude I wear converse And Im not an emo or goth AHHH I'M INFECTED SLOWLEY BECOMEING EMO

[ikes hero]

Umm, no. Wearing a particular brand of shoe does not make you emo. Its a lifestyle.

[Mr.Domo]

Speaking of emo I see the"take the emo quiz" advert.

[Anima Sage Erk]

I know it's like something wrong with the person but what?

Heh heh, emo is not some kind of disease, and whether it's bad is a matter of opinion. Emo is short for emotional, a guy who has a bleak world view, wears black clothes with black striped red or white acessories, frequently has a fringe covering one eye, wears Converse or Vans  shoes and listens to Emo bands (MyChemicalRomance the biggest one).

I like to think of them as Goth-lite.

There are a lot of problems with that. Emo is someone who feels worthless and hates themselves. They dress like how Leonri described them. However, common Emo traits include cutting your wrists and commiting suicide. MCR is NOT an Emo band, they just have an obsession with singing about death. They have anti-suicide songs though.

[Mr.Domo]

iFirst I just saw a realy creepy emo advert and Why do they cut there wrists? and not there finger or head or butt or *****

[ikes hero]

Because its right there. How should I know. It's irrevelent.

[Mr.Domo]

It is. Oh well They deserve it.

[PhoenixTears]

It is. Oh well They deserve it.

And those sort of statements cause emo kids to arise.

Emo just describes a person who is very emotional. They view the world in a negative manner, and may have the traits that ASE and Leonri described.
YES, MCR is anti emo, I don't know why people keep saying they are emo. (Their music denotation is even alternative rock.)

And they cut their wrists because they want to die (either that, or they're just following the trend.)
You can go down the highway or across the road. ^_^

[Leonri]

iFirst I just saw a realy creepy emo advert and Why do they cut there wrists? and not there finger or head or butt or *****

Cutting your wrists is a traditional method of suicide. The arteries come very close to your skin on your wrists, so it's easier to cut one there than anywhere else. Obviously not all of them do it, otherwise there would be none left...

YES, MCR is anti emo, I don't know why people keep saying they are emo. (Their music denotation is even alternative rock.)

All the Emo kids I know listen to MCR, but whatever. I've always thought of them as Emo....

[Mr.Domo]

I get the point.Well not every one who is emo is bad because some people are emotional in a good way. As in, hey cry at saddening books and stuffz.

[PhoenixTears]

YES, MCR is anti emo, I don't know why people keep saying they are emo. (Their music denotation is even alternative rock.)

All the Emo kids I know listen to MCR, but whatever. I've always thought of them as Emo....

Huh... well, if people bothered listening to the lyrics and tried to interpret them a bit, you'd understand that it is anti-emo.

Helena
Long ago
Just like the hearse you die to get in again
We are so far from you

Burning on just like a match you strike to incinerate
The lives of everyone you know
And what's the worst you take (worst you take)
from every heart you break (heart you break)
And like the blade you stain (blade you stain)
Well I've been holding on tonight

What's the worst that I can say?
Things are better if I stay
So long and goodnight
So long and not goodnight

Came a time
When every star fall brought you to tears again
We are the very hurt you sold
And what's the worst you take (worst you take)
from every heart you break (heart you break)
And like the blade you stain (blade you stain)
Well I've been holding on tonight

What's the worst that I can say?
Things are better if I stay
So long and goodnight
So long and goodnight
And if you carry on this way
Things are better if I stay
So long and goodnight
So long and not goodnight

Can you hear me?
Are you near me?
Can we pretend to leave and then
We'll meet again
When both our cars collide?

What's the worst that I can say?
Things are better if I stay
So long and goodnight
So long and not goodnight
And if you carry on this way
Things are better if I stay
So long and goodnight
So long and not goodnight

Famous Last Words
Now I know
That I can't make you stay
But where's your heart?
But where's your heart?
But where's your...

And I know
There's nothing I can say
To change that part
To change that part
To change...

So many
Bright lights, they cast a shadow
But can I speak?
Well is it hard understanding
I'm incomplete
A life that's so demanding
I get so weak
A love that's so demanding
I can't speak

I am not afraid to keep on living
I am not afraid to walk this world alone
Honey if you stay, I'll be forgiven
Nothing you can say can stop me going home

Can you see
My eyes are shining bright
'Cause I'm out here
On the other side
Of a jet black hotel mirror
And I'm so weak
Is it hard understanding
I'm incomplete
A love that's so demanding
I get weak

I am not afraid to keep on living
I am not afraid to walk this world alone
Honey if you stay, I'll be forgiven
Nothing you can say can stop me going home

I am not afraid to keep on living
I am not afraid to walk this world alone
Honey if you stay, I'll be forgiven
Nothing you can say can stop me going home

These bright lights have always blinded me
These bright lights have always blinded me
I say

I see you lying next to me
With words I thought I'd never speak
Awake and unafraid
Asleep or dead

(How can I see, I see you lying) 'Cause I see you lying next to me
(How can I see, I see you lying) With words I thought I'd never speak
(How can I see, I see you lying) Awake and unafraid
(How can I see, I see you lying) Asleep or dead

'Cause I see you lying next to me
With words I thought I'd never speak
Awake and unafraid
Asleep or dead

'Cause I see you lying next to me
With words I thought I'd never speak
Awake and unafraid
Asleep or dead

I am not afraid to keep on living
I am not afraid to walk this world alone
(Or dead)
Honey if you stay, I'll be forgiven
Nothing you can say can stop me going home
(Or dead)
I am not afraid to keep on living
I am not afraid to walk this world alone
(Or dead)
Honey if you stay, I'll be forgiven
Nothing you can say can stop me going home

Welcome to the Black parade.
When I was a young boy,
My father took me into the city
To see a marching band.

He said, "Son when you grow up,
would you be the savior of the broken,
the beaten and the damned?"
He said "Will you defeat them,
your demons, and all the non-believers,
the plans that they have made?"
"Because one day I'll leave you,
A phantom to lead you in the summer,
To join The Black Parade."

When I was a young boy,
My father took me into the city
To see a marching band.
He said, "Son when you grow up,
would you be the savior of the broken,
the beaten and the damned?"

Sometimes I get the feeling she's watching over me.
And other times I feel like I should go.
And through it all, the rise and fall, the bodies in the streets.
And when you're gone we want you all to know.

We'll carry on,
We'll carry on
And though you're dead and gone believe me
Your memory will carry on
We'll carry on
And in my heart I can't contain it
The anthem won't explain it.

A world that sends you reeling from decimated dreams
Your misery and hate will kill us all.
So paint it black and take it back
Let's shout it loud and clear
Defiant to the end we hear the call

To carry on
We'll carry on
And though you're dead and gone believe me
Your memory will carry on
We'll carry on
And though you're broken and defeated
Your weary widow marches

On and on we carry through the fears
Ooh oh ohhhh
Disappointed faces of your peers
Ooh oh ohhhh
Take a look at me cause I could not care at all

Do or die, you'll never make me
Because the world will never take my heart
Go and try, you'll never break me
We want it all, we wanna play this part
I won't explain or say I'm sorry
I'm unashamed, I'm gonna show my scar
Give a cheer for all the broken
Listen here, because it's who we are
I'm just a man, I'm not a hero
Just a boy, who had to sing this song
I'm just a man, I'm not a hero
I! don't! care!

We'll carry on
We'll carry on
And though you're dead and gone believe me
Your memory will carry on
We'll carry on
And though you're broken and defeated
Your weary widow marches on

Do or die, you'll never make me
Because the world will never take my heart
Go and try, you'll never break me
We want it all, we wanna play this part (We'll carry on)

Do or die, you'll never make me (We'll carry on)
Because the world will never take my heart (We'll carry on)
Go and try, you'll never break me (We'll carry)
We want it all, we wanna play this part (We'll carry on)

I get the point.Well not every one who is emo is bad because some people are emotional in a good way. As in, hey cry at saddening books and stuffz.

Uh. Well, that's not the kind of people we describe though... It's more extreme than to that extent.

Also, Emo is more of a genre of MUSIC.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emo

[Stefan the SwordSaint]

*sigh* Domo, don't listen to PT, Leonri, or anyone else who has answered so far. The do know that Emo means emotional, but the rest of their posts are extremely misleading. Its like tying to explain Jock or Prep, while at first glance it seems easy, it is, by far not.
From the top:
Emo means emotional, the person is most likely going to have a woe is me outlook, but to say they where all black, is completely incorrect. I've seen Emo kids dye their hand blond (well, poorly dye). If you ever see someone whereing all black, have their hair dyed a dark color, they're most likely goth not emo.
When an Emo person cuts their wrists, its not because they're trying to die. Thats called being suicidical, and affects all social groupings, not just emos. When an Emo person cuts their wrists, they're tying to feel pain to know they're still alive. If you watch Heroes, Claire has been acting fairly emo lately. Also, Romeo from Romeo and Juliet is pretty much completely Emo.
Patterns in Emo "society"
*Black clothes, not always true
*dyed hair, not always true
*drama club, not always true, not everyone in drama is emo
*hair in bangs covering an eye, not always true
Are you seeing a pattern?  Just because someone is emo, does not mean they are suicidal, depressed, where dark clothes, ect. When someone is Emo, they overplay emotions, particullary negative ones, and they have a tendicy towards bleak views on life.

Prep-comes from Prepatory schools
Only the rich could afford Perpatory Schools, so the offers us insight. When someone is a prep, you'll see that they tend to where "fancier" or better looking clothes, Hell, if you watched Heroes, at first Claire was a total prep. You'll find its much easier to identify girl preps.

ugh *won't go into detail* Jocks are your more athletic kids, to sports, its very easy to be a preppy jock, and skaters, well thats damn obvious.
I'm probably a "Smart Jock" (as opposed to the commonly known "Dumb Jock")

[PhoenixTears]

XD Well, I actually went around to try and show that MCR is anti-emo too... DON'T IGNORE THAT.

-.- I don't remember saying that they wear all black. I've said that they might have the traits that ASE and Leonri described.

When an Emo person cuts their wrists, its not because they're trying to die. Thats called being suicidical, and affects all social groupings, not just emos. When an Emo person cuts their wrists, they're tying to feel pain to know they're still alive.

Oh... sure. Normal people just call it being suicidal you know. (No, don't go into a talk about normal.)And although 'emo' could mean some social group in society, it's a freaking genre of music I say. (Or wikipedia says.)

And what we see:

Fashion and stereotype
Long fringe (bangs) brushed to one side

Today emo is more commonly tied to fashion than to music,[17] and the term "emo" is sometimes stereotyped with tight jeans on males and females alike, long fringe (bangs) brushed to one side of the face or over one or both eyes, dyed black, straight hair, tight t-shirts (sometimes short sleeved) which often bear the names of emo bands (or other designer shirts), studded belts, belt buckles, canvas sneakers or skate shoes or other black shoes (often old and beaten up) and thick, black horn-rimmed glasses.[18][19][20] This fashion has at times been characterized as a fad.[21]

In recent years the popular media has associated emo with a stereotype that includes being emotional, sensitive, shy, introverted, or angsty.[22][23][24] It is also associated with depression, self-injury, and suicide.[25][26]
Criticism

In 2008, Time Magazine reported that "anti-emo" groups attacked teenagers in Mexico City, Querétaro, and Tijuana.[27][28] One of Mexico's foremost critics of emo was Kristoff, a music presenter on the popular TV channel Telehit.

Gerard Way, the lead singer of My Chemical Romance stated in an interview that "emo is a pile of ****", and that his band was never emo.[29] Panic at the Disco also stated in an interview with NME: "emo is bullshit."[30] These two bands, however, tend to be classified as emo.

Fans of emo are criticized for purported displays of emotion common in the scene. Complaints pointed to the histrionic manner in which the emotions were expressed.[31]

In October 2003, a Punk Planet contributor leveled the charge that the current era of emo was sexist. Hopper argued that where bands such as Jawbox, Jawbreaker and Sunny Day Real Estate had characterized women in such a way that they were not "exclusively defined by their absence or lensed through romantic-specter",[32] contemporary bands approached relationship issues by "damning the girl on the other side ... its woman-induced misery has gone from being descriptive to being prescriptive." Regarding the position of women listening to emo, the contributor went on to note that the music had become "just another forum where women were locked in a stasis of outside observation, observing ourselves through the eyes of others."

Critics of modern emo have argued that there is a tendency toward increasingly generic and homogenized style.[33]

Emo music has been blamed for the suicide by hanging of Hannah Bond by both the coroner at the inquest into her death and her mother, Heather Bond, after it was claimed that emo music glamorized suicide and her apparent obsession with My Chemical Romance was said to be linked to her suicide. The inquest heard that she was part of an internet "emo" cult [34] and her Bebo page contained an image of an 'emo girl' with bloody wrists.[35] It was also revealed that she had discussed "the glamour of hanging" online[34] and had explained to her parents that her self harming was an "emo initiation ceremony"[35]. Heather Bond criticised emo fashion, saying: "There are 'emo' websites that show pink teddies hanging themselves." After the verdict was reported in NME, fans of emo music contacted the magazine to defend against accusations that it promotes self harm and suicide.[36]

In Russia, a law has been presented at the Duma to regulate emo websites and forbid emo style at schools and government buildings, for fears of emo being a "dangerous teen trend" promoting anti-social behaviour, depression, social withdrawal and even suicide. [37][38]

LOL at this last part. Reminds me of the "Emo to be banned?" topic... I guess they really did ban it partially...