FAQ's about EMO

What is 'emo'? First and foremost, emo is a genre of music. It's an abbreviation of 'Emotive Hardcore', a genre which reached the epitome of its popularity in the 1980s/90s. Bands such as Rites Of Spring, Fugazi and Sunny Day Real Estate played emotive hardcore music. Bands such as My Chemical Romance and Hawthorne Heights are not emo- although they're sometimes lumped in with emo because of their emotional lyrics. Most popular bands which are classified as emo are actually a type of pop punk. There's also Emo Fashion, which is currently quite popular among young teenagers, which is unrelated to emotive hardcore- it mostly stems from "emo" pop punk, if it has any association with music at all. Emo has recently acquired some negative connotations- some people associate it with self-harm, suicide, and being whiny and depressed. Some people (who usually proclaim themselves to be emos, or emo kids) are whiny, etc. because they think it's fashionable, and hence there is now an emo 'stereotype'. Stereotypical "emo kids" are generally quite obnoxious people, and more mature fans of emo music or fashion usually avoid them. In fact, most people avoid them. Help! Why am I being stereotyped? The best way to avoid being stereotyped is to simply be yourself, and don't say things like "I'm an emo!" or "I hate my life!" Don't change yourself to follow a trend- if you like emo music and emo fashion, cool. If you like rap music and emo fashion, cool. If you like classical music and punk fashion, cool. Be yourself. If you're being stereotyped because of what you wear, don't take it personally. You can't really blame people for jumping to conclusions. The best way to deal with being called an "emo fag", etc. is to simply laugh it off. If you get upset over it, it'll seem as if you're living up to the stereotype. And really. It's not anything to get upset over. Am I emo? Well, if you're a fan of emo music or fashion, you can say you're emo if you want. But really, why bother? You don't have to label yourself, so what's the point? Just be yourself. Is emo short for 'emotional'? No it's not. Emotional is short for emotional. Emo has nothing to do with being emotional, although it is a common misconception. If you are emotional, that's ok, everyone's different. Although I would suggest learning to cope with or control your emotions to some extent, because it'll make life easier. People generally become less emotional as they get older, anyway- a five year old, for example, is much more readily affected by emotions than a twenty-five year old. Why does Emo-Corner dislike emo kids? Emo Corner doesn't dislike emo kids. However, our members generally just like the fashion and music. Stereotypical, whiny emo kids are disliked by most members, as they can be rather irritating. We (the members of Emo Corner) are always happy to help anyone with a genuine problem. But 'hating your life' because you're not allowed to dye your hair by your parents, would not count as a genuine problem. And most people don't like it when others exaggerate their minor problems like that. Why does everyone hate emo kids just because we're different? Emo kids aren't 'different'. Have you considered the possibility that people dislike you because you act like you're different? Why does nobody understand me? Maybe it's because you're impossible to understand? Some stereotypical 'emo kids' just act, and think, so illogically that they're simply impossible to understand. Or perhaps, you just don't let people understand you. Nobody can read your mind. I hate chavs, why are they so mean? Maybe, if you gave them a chance, they wouldn't be so mean. I've seen "emo kids" behave disgustingly towards 'chavs'. Sometimes, you just need to give them a chance. Other times, yeah, people can be narrow-minded idiots. If it's just verbal abuse, just ignore them. If, however, it's physical abuse, tell a responsible adult who can do something about it. Why is life so unfair? Life isn't really unfair- if you're privileged enough to have internet access, then you've got it better than a lot of people. Sometimes, you just have to accept that things happen, and move on with your life. If you have a problem, you need to do something about it. Don't just mope around wondering why things don't get better- you need to put some effort into life. Your life may not be perfect, but make the best of what you have. How do I stop self-harming? There are two pinned threads about this in the Emo Talk section. Can emos go to heaven? I'm not religious myself, but yes- anyone can go to heaven. People who like emo music or fashion are no different to anyone else. I have a question which isn't answered here. What do I do? First, read all of the pinned topics in the NEWBIES section, the Emo Talk section, the Gender and Sexuality section, the Broken Hearts section, the Help and Advice section, and the Board FAQ and Suggestions section. If your question still isn't answered, make a topic about it in the section you think it fits best into. Thanks.