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Because it's histrionic junk associated with some  of the most absurdly pretentious stylings since grunge? Because of the hilariously pretentious fans? Seriously, go to Teens With Macs and look at the "emo discussions" thread. At least half of it is devoted to "smurf you man, that isn't emo! They used to be emo but they sold out/they're not emo, they're <insert ridiculously specific category of music>" pissing contests.


In short, it's self-consciously pretentious and self-important.

You can get away with that smurf if you really rock, but emo emphatically does not rock. Rocking would be selling out.

Last edited by Tallgeese (2006-08-20 12:41 am)

Aqua OS X wrote:

I would argue that the root of this "hate" stems from two things.

1) the fact that the insanely vague and ever changing definition of the "emo" genera is, and always has been, smurfing retarded.

2) The fact that the genre's label was once used as a synonym for post punk hardcore bands that actually rock. However now the genre's name is now commonly (and arguably incorrectly) associated with wus pop bands and or personal characteristics of lame hipster kids.

Very excellent points.

Aqua OS X wrote:

I hope this thread doesn't keep going on like this one:
http://www.macaddict.com/forums/topic/62198

Personally, I would tend to agree with Mark Prindle from Fugazi.
"I've never recognized 'emo' as a genre of music. I always thought it was the most retarded term ever"

Yeah. Early on, it contains an example of what I referred to in my first post:
"On one hand, Underoath is NOT emo. They are most certainly new wave Hardcore(what some people call 'fashioncore'). And I'm guessing that you only have They're Only chasing Safety mainly because on that album they are a little less hardcore and a little more screamo."

I never thought of emo as a genre of music - just people who were into a lot of emotional drama smurf banding together with other kids who were into emotional drama smurf.

But the kids I knew (who were only a few years younger than me) who called themselves emo - they were OK kids, they could just be a little weird. Musically they were primarily into techno. But they dressed like Goths and did Goth like stuff - such as Magic The Gathering.

Last edited by resedit (2006-08-20 2:59 am)

resedit wrote:

I never thought of emo as a genre of music - just people who were into a lot of emotional drama smurf banding together with other kids who were into emotional drama smurf.

But the kids I knew (who were only a few years younger than me) who called themselves emo - they were OK kids, they could just be a little weird. Musically they were primarily into techno. But they dressed like Goths and did Goth like stuff - such as Magic The Gathering.

hehe, sounds like high school / junior high. correct?

I think their use of the term has more to do with a need to have an identity and the inevitable teenage desire to place every little social group in a superficial box.

Aqua OS X wrote:

resedit wrote:

I never thought of emo as a genre of music - just people who were into a lot of emotional drama smurf banding together with other kids who were into emotional drama smurf.

But the kids I knew (who were only a few years younger than me) who called themselves emo - they were OK kids, they could just be a little weird. Musically they were primarily into techno. But they dressed like Goths and did Goth like stuff - such as Magic The Gathering.

hehe, sounds like high school / junior high. correct?

I think their use of the term has more to do with a need to have an identity and the inevitable teenage desire to place every little social group in a superficial box.

No - they were recent high school graduates - back in the 90s.
They hung out at the same all night diner I did.

I've always thought that if one of your band mates has their hair styled with those huge bangs that cover half his face, then the band is almost certainly (trying to be) emo.

Man, I can't tell you how great it suddenly feels to be over 40.  I don't have to care about how the youth of America, or anywhere else for that matter, labels themselves nor how they are labeled by others.

:: Does a little dance ::

resedit wrote:

I never thought of emo as a genre of music - just people who were into a lot of emotional drama smurf banding together with other kids who were into emotional drama smurf.

But the kids I knew (who were only a few years younger than me) who called themselves emo - they were OK kids, they could just be a little weird. Musically they were primarily into techno. But they dressed like Goths and did Goth like stuff - such as Magic The Gathering.

Magic: The Gathering is goth?

I played and I sure as hell wasn't goth. I was total nerd.

Case in point, post #10

Phydeaux wrote:

Aqua Man wrote:

I can see this thread going places.

Boy, he wasn't kidding.

I love it when I'm right.

Many of my friends' friends are in this indy/emo grouping.  Since I go to a number of parties with my close friends I undoubtedly run into the indy & emo crowd everywhere.  Best I can tell anyone is that there are a number of good kids in both groupings, many are just lonely and just fell into the group since it was easy.  But a lot of them are pretentious douchebags.  They listen to music that "is cooler than yours" because nobody knows about it and when people start to like it they call the musicians sellouts.  They wear clothing that is meant for kids in middle school, and say it fits good.  They regurgitate lines from books like these because they think reading them makes them intellectual superiors.  When they go to concerts they just stand there because they're "too cool" for the scene.

Above all, they claim they're "not emo" and they're just into the stuff they're into because it's their "style."

But it's all a bunch of bullsmurf really.

This video sums things up pretty good.  A number of the points are a bit off, but you'll get the idea.

All labels and stereotypes suck