Emo Scene Community

1000's of emo guys & girls!

Search soEmo

Top Emo Bands View All

8.4

Emo Lyrics View All

Is it enough to love? Is it enough to breathe? Somebody rip my heart out and leave me here to bleed. Is it enough to die? Somebody save my life. I'd rather be anything but ordinary please anything but ordinary, by Avril Lavigne

What is Emo - Introduction to the Emo Scene Community

Emo Scene Intro | Emo Music | Emo Fashion & Style | Emo Lifestyle & Culture | Scene Kids

EMO means "emotional"...

Emo is a slang term known to be short for emotional, but that doesn't make much sense really. If you claim "emo" were to mean "emotional" it then becomes an all encompassing word. It becomes extremely vague and it has no limit as to what it can describe. Emo when wrongfully used to mean "emotional" describes every living thing, every song, every word, every breath, every statement.

EMO is a subculture...

The term emo is used to describe a subculture which has evolved dramatically over time so the emo of yesterday and today will be discussed.

Emo of yesterday...

Emo was created as a shortened term to describe a specific thing, in this case "emotive hardcore" developed out of the D.C. punk scene in the 80s. In its original incarnation, emo was short for emocore, or emotional-hardcore. The name was applied to hardcore punk rock bands who distinguished themselves from their peers by adding an emotional element to their music. Themes of sadness, love and angst were dealt with in their lyrics. The music was also characterised by particularly dramatic vocals which left the audience in an emotionally charged state, crying or screaming. Real Emo was manly and hard. It was fast and thrashy sung in a way that wasn't pretencious and whiney. This genre is still alive today, although very obscure and unknown to most.

The history of emo is somewhat less ambiguous than its current meaning which is detailed next.

Emo of today...

Emo Girl, Emo Rangers

Emo Guy

The emo culture continued to develop through the 90's and into the new millennium really kicking off around 2003 and reaching the height of its popularity to date. The word has been adopted by a whole generation of teenage music lovers for whom a melodramatic attitude and style of dress is just as important as musical taste. It's now seen as one of the more consumer-driven subcultures, and one of the most brand-obsessed.

Initially defined as a genre of music, nowadays the cultural phenomenon that is Emo is much more than that encompassing its own set of fashion, style, behavior, and perspectives on life within the definition. The music is also significantly different to what was once classed as emo. These changes/evolution obviously are the subject of debate and anger "yesterdays true" emos. At the end of the day its just a word that has horned its way into popular usage while shedding many of the qualities that originally defined it.

Punk which can be described as Emo's predecessor also evolved to encompass a diversified set of lifestyle suggestions above and beyond the kind of music, including certain behaviors, fashion imperatives and identity traits which are indicative of an emerging new culture. Emo still has its roots firmly planted in music with "emotion" is at its core though.

The behaviors, attitudes, and values expressed through the music involve emotionally turbulent themes often associated with adolescence such as despair, nostalgia, heartbreak, hope, and self-loathing. The various and sometimes conflicting social practices associated with Emo subculture contain valuable insights into what it means to be an adolescent today. For many youth, Emo subculture facilitates identity formation, social interactions and emotional involvement. It is a place where many adolescents share their experiences about the world and express their feelings about life through music.

Emo Music [read more]

By the millennium arguably "emo" bands were garnering regular rotation on MTV, Kerrang, etc and radio stations nationwide. These days, emo (inc. screamo, etc) music has been popularised and sent into the mainstream through bands like Dashboard Confessional, Taking Back Sunday, Fall Out Boy, MCR, Aiden, Atreyu, Hawthorne Heights, Silverstein, Funeral For A Friend, etc...(see emo bands)

Bless The Fall Panic At The Disco
Bless The Fall & Panic At The Disco

Emo Fashion [read more]

Pretty Emo Girl

Emo Guy - Sonny Moore

Emo Girl - Blonde

Emo Guy Boy - White Hoody

Emo Scene Girl

Probably nothing characterises the Emo look more than the Emo hairstyle - long fringe (bangs) brushed to one side of the face or over one or both eyes, dyed black (or other colors), straightened and layered... Spikes are occasionally accentuated at certain angles of the hair.

Emo clothing is characteristed by skinny jeans (usually black), tight band or vintage looking t-shirts or zip- hoodies, studded belts, converse or skate shoes, black nail polish and eye liner on both genders. Black thick-rimmed glasses are another popular feature.

Today's emo fashion derives its influence from the gothic subculture as well as from punk.

Emo Lifestyle [read more]

When referring to a person's personality and attitude, most definitions of emo include a number of the following terms: shy, quiet, mysterious, introvert, angst ridden and sensitive often identified by his/her music and fashion. (generalising here). Artist talent is known to be associated with the emo culture along with a degree of sophistication and depth. Emos can feel they are misunderstood by society.

Emo's like to go to gigs, write poetry (of the romantic and morbid kind), gather on online communities such as soEmo.co.uk, Myspace, etc. They are like any normal person really!

Self-harm is wrongly associated with the emo culture and the media has played a large part in this describing the emo scene as dangerous for example!

Confusion and Criticism

The term's definition is still the subject of debate, with some question as to whether it can even be defined. There is no one definition of emo, nowadays it is seemed to describe anything that's a little bit different from the social 'norms' if you will.

Many other music-centered cultural movements are difficult to define. Meanings evolve, replicate, and recombine so that Emo, which started as a somewhat "agreed-upon" collective subculture, has become a highly contested set of meanings and collective practices. "Emo" will just get harder and harder to define as time goes on...You can get into a hundred pointless debates about the definition and origin of emo.

In the years since emo music's rise in popularity, it has attracted criticism, often severe.

Society sometimes considers emos as failures; they are not strong enough to hide their emotions, they're sensitive, shy, introverted, and often quiet. The outward expression of feelings makes them a target for ridicule. Usually, Emo kids like to express their feelings writing poems about their problems with depression, confusion, and anger; all because the world fails to understand them.

Emo has been characterised as a fad that will be discarded and forgotten in the near future. Critics cast the emo music as lacking any artistic merit and/or musical skill, the emo fashion as embarrassing and the emo people as imagining or pretending that they lead harsh, painful lives when they actually live in comfortable, middle- to upper-class homes.

The ones who are emo not because they feel it, but because they like to be trendy are named 'posers'. Apparently a big percent of the current emo subculture is formed by posers.

The emo subculture is accused that it is celebrating self-harm. I think you'll agree this is pretty stupid though! A lot of the pathethic anti-emo quotes shown below link emo to self harm:

"It's like the Emo culture has taken Punk and sprayed it with girly deoderant."
"I'm so Emo, even surgeons are impressed with my skills with a blade."
"I'm so emo, its a lucky day if I get a papercut."
"I'm so emo, i'm changing my name to Gillette."
"I wish my lawn were emo...then it would cut itself."
"I'm so emo, i attempted to drown myself... in my own tears."
"Im so emo, id cut my wrists and hope to die with tears of blood running from my eye."

MCR (My Chemical Romance) / Emo Fans even staged a protest against The Daily Mail's false "suicide cult" claims in London, UK

Future

The themes underpinning the Emo revolution will never go away. They will always be prominant feature of mainstream youth culture. Emo, as a catch-all phrase, will eventually phase out and be replaced by a new word-of-the-day befitting the emotional character of the times.

The term "scene" has become popular since the emo subculture kicked off. Scene kids or scenesters I believe are more about the style and looking like an emo without the personality of it all. In other words, scene kids are the ones that dress emo, but only because it's a trend or you could say Scene is Emo without the emotion. The term is subject to a significant debate like emo though.

Emo Videos

Emo Quizzes

Emo Books

References

Last revision 05.01.2024

Add Comment

  • Please note: Comments soEmo.co.uk considers to be totally unrelated spam will be removed.

Comments

Tryptin-bor Jun 19 2023, 11:34 PM
Hi would you mind letting me know which web host you're utilizing? I've loaded your blog in 3 different internet browsers and I must say this blog loads a lot faster then most. Can you recommend a good web hosting provider at a fair price? Thank you, I appreciate it!
Stephadilat-S Dec 21 2022, 09:55 PM
Your style is really unique in comparison to other people I have read stuff from. Thank you for posting when you've got the opportunity, Guess I'll just bookmark this blog.
MalcolmCoody Jan 19 2022, 05:25 AM
Hello. And Bye.
Glenngob Nov 25 2021, 01:56 AM
hi
Deidre Jan 27 2015, 06:06 PM
Hey there! This post couldn't be written any better! Reading this post reminds me of my old room mate! He always kept chatting about this. I will forward this page to him. Fairly certain he will have a good read. Many thanks for sharing!
Anonymous Dec 22 2014, 11:35 PM
also F@CK THE EMO QUIZZES ITS SO F***ING STEREOTYPICAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Anonymous Dec 22 2014, 11:29 PM
Yes most Emo's don't cut themselves and others do it for attention but some do cut and it isn't for attention. I use to cut and this was before I categorized myself as "EMO" I had been going through a lot of things in my life and I hadn't had many things to distract me because it was over summer break and i didn't have homework or anything to worry about. I would get so overwhelmed with my thoughts about my life that i would cut, not deep but just a scratch that i would clean and wrap up afterwards I didn't want people to know so i would do it on my upper thigh so i could keep it hidden. It wasn't so I could kill myself, you might think it's stupid or crazy for me to do this but it actually helped me to calm down and forget what i was feeling emotionally,I stopped shorty after things started to get better bit by bit and I found my first best friend that I can talk to but i still suffer from a lot of depression in my life. what im trying to say is you shouldn't call all cutters stupid or dumb because it just makes it worse for them when they see comments like that and if your one of the people to say dumb stuff like "you just became "Emo" cus you cut!" that's not true at all and you shouldn't think those things of other people either.
Karissa Dec 06 2014, 07:12 PM
If Emo wants to hurt themselves to get attention from a break up or being depressed, then he or she should get some help. Emo girls or boys are just hurting themselves to get attention. Sometime they don't eat food by getting attention. All i heard that emo girls or boys can be really happy, looking up google images online watching TV shows or movies and just not to be hurt. If you're in a break up from your boyfriend or he's cheating, find a new single free girl or boy online dating sites. Emos shouldn't really play dumb by writing on their bodies unless they're in a relationship. Sometimes they can post up weird nasty pictures that are not allowed online and their pictures can be banned from any websites. I always ignore the weird pics and I will report the pic and the picture will be banned. No one needs a drama queen from a little emo kid or teenager who likes to use swear words, starting a drama or fighting. If I wasn't emo right now, then I would be a regaler person online. Please tell these emo to stop hurting themselves
Marwa Hussain Oct 14 2014, 08:18 AM
"EMO" it's a great thing... It is not what people think... People think tht Emo is all of cutting ur self or remaining sad.. It's not Emo, Emo is a different thing.. and usually people can't understand itt.. and the 1 who are EMO they should be proud.. If we became EMo it does not mean we are something or different n0w.. n0 we r same we r just changed because r cl0thing and thinking is somehow changed... We r still human...We should be proud on which we r.. :D :)
anonymous Oct 08 2014, 07:23 PM
Just because society thinks we are all middle to upper class posers doesnt mean shit. Something jad to have happened to us to make us like this. Sure my life looks fine now. Only a month ago I was bounced from home to home. Countless houses and new schools, and just about as many "father figures to match" but that wasnt the worste part. But I'm not gonna get into that cause its personal but I truly thought anything was better tha. This hell hole.
Kristyn Jul 24 2014, 02:47 PM
Be careful how you act, be careful what you write. Realize that teens of all of these ages are kids, they are trying to find out who they are, because they are reaching the age of finding their "true" identities as becoming an adult; which holds more accountable and responsibilities for oneself. Therefore, it is NORMAL to try to find oneself at this age. But what is not normal is the mindset which is set by the EMO culture that there is a specific identity of these types of feelings limitedly meaning that they are of this type of culture, being different. It is confusion that you are expressing to these teens, making the most impressionable believe that ohh, well I must be different because I'm like them, meaning EMO. ALL Teens feel misguided and confused at times, especially those who do not fit in as easily as some do (shy, bigger, not as much money as some, ect.) You are instead giving way to making these teens feel as though they have good reasoning for not fitting in, when in fact you create and breed this type of environment of implicit living; which in fact is not. Where do you come off thinking that you are doing good when you are only causing chaos, and confusion in what you represent. Instead you should be telling these teens that this is something we all go through at this age, you are normal, you just feel different because you feel like an alien has invaded your body, and this happens to EVERYONE, not just you!!! Why verify their worst fears that they are different, when they are not! We yes, are all unique as a person, with are own talents and fears, but we are all human, we make mistakes, we learn as we go along in life, we love, we hurt, and we bleed.....SO stop pretending behind the phi ad and instead breath realize this time will pass and you'll look back and see yeah, you made it through a pearling times, through those teen years.....You need to be careful with teens, for some take the lyrics seriously, they want to commit suicide, they want to cut themselves, my daughter did, and it started with the mindset that she too may be EMO.
TydeReilyDomain Jun 14 2014, 03:44 AM
Dresses emo does not make you emo its based on your childhood therfore im suffering from seeing things and byw dont be stupid emo dosent mean evey freakin emo is depressed bitch listen Emo=emotion
Rae May 11 2014, 06:57 PM
All I have to say is WTF !!??? no not all emos self harm. I mean I am emo and I do, but tht does NOT mean everyone does...what is up with people being so stereotypical?
soEmo.co.uk May 03 2014, 01:31 AM
Please check out the emo forums if you haven't already. It's a great place for help and advice.
Ai May 02 2014, 05:01 PM
I need help ( I hate my psychiatrist so don't mention that) I don't eat breakfast or lunch and if I eat to much dinner I make myself sick because I feel bad. I also hurt myself I feel that It helps to let out bottled up emotions but I want to stop. I don't want my parents finding out so I need a new way of dealing with the intense loathing I feel for myself and pretty much everyone around me, can anyone suggest something? Thank x
Abi May 02 2014, 04:35 PM
I totally agree with rose I just took the emo quiz and at the end it told me a whole load of bullshit about myself how the f@ck would they know. I'm a 13 year old girl with a f@cking shit life and they're trying to say that I whine about getting a wii instead of a ps3( my mum got me a wii and then sold it without my permission when I was at school) and that I go on my space and talk about how depressed I am( I'm not allowed on social networking sites) why would I tell the public ? To see if THAT helps me deal with my emotions? I'm sure if it did help then I wouldn't have scars all up my arms and anti depressant pills lying around my room. F@CK THE EMO QUIZ!!!!! The people who created it would get 100% in the f@cking stupid dickhead quiz.
Abi May 02 2014, 04:17 PM
Whats with the whole self harming bit about the surgeons and paper cut ect. I was deeply offended f*ck whoever said that. F*ck their lives. Forever Frerard x
arick aka mayhem Apr 14 2011, 07:08 PM
THANK YOU MAN NO BODY UNDERSTANDS THAT THEY JUST MAKE FUN OF ME CALL ME A FAGET AND THINK I CUT MYSELF BUT NOW IMA TELL THEM TO LOOK THIS UP AND ON HERE I HAVE SO MANY GOOD FRENDS THANKS !
soEmo.co.uk Jul 11 2008, 01:49 PM
Like most stereotypes, emo is difficult and confusing to describe so generalisations have had to be made in this text. If your personality matches all the things described it doesn't necessarily mean your 'emo'. If youre into the 'emo scene' including the music and fashion as well as then you are likely to be referred to an 'emo'.
Raine Jun 10 2008, 08:54 AM
I have never been one for stereotypes... but sometimes you have to stereotype to find people like yourself... "emos" are just people who are misunderstood by the happier end of society and generally are the people who have gone through terrible things; people who have been exposed to life. They are true people because they aren't as afraid. "Preps" and others like that... they're afraid that if they do something they'll be disgarded from everyone else... "emos" already are... they are people too... it's just disgusting that people have changed "emo" so much... such as the whole cutting thing... I find it very offensive when people say "emo's cut". Because not all of them do. Some people say that "emos" are gay. And, yea, some of them are... But just as many other stereotypes have gay people in them, they are just afraid to show anything... As you can see, I scattered my ideas all over the place... but you can see what I'm getting at. I don't beleive there can be a true definition of "emo," because everyone is different... but the general definition could be what the website is... but that doesn't mean you have to be like that to be emo... and true "emo"s don't call themselves "emo"... that's why when you search "emo" you get strange things and not quite what you wanted... But that's the way the corrupted world is.... I'm sorry that this is such a long post... please forgive me, I don't mean to sound rude... I just get angered by thingss easily... sorry.

Featured Users View More