Why We Hate Emo Kids (Apparently)
I’ve long been a little shamefaced that this mean-spirited tirade is the most-read thing I’ve ever written (co-written to be exact): not that it wasn’t a true reflection of what I felt but I’d prefer it if one of my more, er, generous pieces was the one that hooked the punters in.
BUT the new look comments function means that the article has been given a second life with the addition of - mostly spluttering and hostile - reader feedback. And it’s turned up something interesting - a sociological fact that I had got too old and out of touch to realise. The description of indie kids in the piece was US-centric anyway, and is out of date now: we had in mind Death Cab fans conducting secret feuds on artofthemix.com, not Kaiser Chiefs-loving Brits. But the traits are clearly still recognisable to googling readers, and recognisable as “emos”. And some apparently “indies” hate “emos”, quite passionately.
“OI YOUR GETTING INDIE KIDS MIXED UP WITH EMOS IN SOME OF YOUR POINTS… 1) indie kids do NOT wear black rimmed glasses… emo DO!
2) indie kids are not all bis, emos are!” (”Becka”)
and
“i think yu should get ur fuckin facts straight before u make urself look even worse. u dont have it right.
emo= (ex.) Where’s my mascara? and i’m a man. (or) i wear size one jeans and i have a penis. (or) hey do you want to come over so we can cut eachother’s wrists!?!? sounds like great fun!
like someone said before (and they’re one of the smart ones - a REAL indie) indie kids aren’t mainstream and dress different and in my opinion better than otyher people. they don’t do what everyone else in the world is doing and dont give a shit what other people think.
(plus they listen to the best music - all alt. and indie)” (”Wtf!?!?!?”)
Parsing the comments I can theorise that indie stands for what it always has - a defensive sense of individuality with no real fixed values. The despised emos, through an indie lens, are hateful wrist-slashers. Of course we don’t know where the commenters are coming from, or how recent this opposition is, or the relative size of the warring camps, or what they might or might not unite against (aside from me getting things wrong). But I’m finding it pretty fascinating to read.
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Al Ewing on May 19th, 2007
Without EMO all you have is VN.
who gives a fuck? on May 21st, 2007
ooo gocha (sorry, i am realllllllllly slow)
who gives a fuck? on May 23rd, 2007
ok, so there’s this self labeled “indie” girl in my class (her name is Shleby, but that’s besides the point) and she likes to sit there slicing up her arms with rusty nails
Al Ewing on May 23rd, 2007
Fuck her and her tetanus - what about my Spider-Man question?
who gives a fuck? on May 23rd, 2007
i say this to make on point: stereotype emo = stereotype indie there is no, or hardly any difference, if you can prove me wrong then by all means do so
who gives a fuck? on May 23rd, 2007
Spider-Man rox (ok, maybe i’m a nerd, but it’s true) and fuck emo=evil, 99% of emos make the rest of us look bad
Lanie on May 24th, 2007
Hi,
i’m writting a peice on what “emo” really is. I would appreciate if those of you who consider yourselfs “emo” would contact me at:
lanie_lv@yahoo.com
who gives a fuck? on May 26th, 2007
wow, expect hate mail, that’s all i can really say to Lanie ^^
Emilie Emo\PunK ! on May 27th, 2007
EmO Punk rules !
i Cutt myself.. It’s Emo..
And i really hate myself..
That’s Punk
who gives a fuck? on May 30th, 2007
^^ thank God for a person who shares my sentiments
Lucy Hudson on May 30th, 2007
Im an emo and im proud 2 b emo so if has got anythin 2 say, say it 2 my face. Just becuz im emo duznt mean im depressed, it duznt mean i cut myself becuz i dont. I dont judge people 4 th way they r or 4 th way they luk.
FT's Tom on May 30th, 2007
Can we say it to your typeface?
who gives a fuck? on May 31st, 2007
lol, i lov you Lucy Hudson
strange people on June 6th, 2007
why do u give a shit? u say emos have no lives when u come on here trashing them dumb arses
strange people on June 7th, 2007
nvm, i get ya now
who gives a fuck? on June 7th, 2007
hmm? o…k… in answer to your question:
i ‘give a shit’ because she does not (or claims that she does not) “judge people 4 th way they r or 4 th way they luk”
if there were more people in this world like her i might not want to leave it quite so badly
who gives a fuck? on June 18th, 2007
it’s weird, my bf has been labeled “emo” but he doesn’t fit any part of stereotype “emo” behavior, so it goes to show you how easily people mislabel us
emo kid on June 27th, 2007
emo kids are just the same as any other kids part from they just dress diffrent am n emo n i dont see the point of this page its up to people if they want to h8t emo kids but then agian its up to them if they dont for instants my big brother h8tz emo kids but he does not mind them some times it just depends on what way you like to call your self an emo xxxxxxxxxxx
ashleigh on July 8th, 2007
awsome emo
i am an emo and think lhat others should have a cow and piss of because i we are what we are i know we are different but i dont care !!!! (i am only 13 and enjoy my chemical romance)
I'm emo, and i smile on July 19th, 2007
hey, i’m 13 too, and My Chemical Romance rocks (and so do a crap load of other emo bands)
random on August 11th, 2007
christ.
i have black and blue hair, several piercings, a couple of tattoos.
i like dark clothes and make up.
i listen mainly to metal and grunge.
i’ve been depressed for 4 years and self-harmed for 2.
but i had never been suicidal until i read these posts.
thanks for help me become a complete and utter stereotype, it’s much appreciated
i’m now off to pinch my skin, then grind my nails together til the skin breaks and the blood flows nicely
oh what fun
katie on October 2nd, 2007
with age comes realisation that the over-looked intensity of this matter is futile, with first hand experience you may realise, later on in life that all sub-cultures such as emos, chavs, indies etc are primarily the same. Dont think of me as an adult with a wisdom to judge this matter, i’m 15 and it was only probably this time last year that i was dating my first emo, i loved it, i thought he was gorgous and cool and all that but i grew out of it and in hinesight its stupid. i skipped from clique to clique and now im in the situation where i get all of them, my friends consist of mature… well i say that, mostly boys, some are chavs, some are skater, indie, emo and goth. and we all get on perfectly fine, its how we were meant to exist among each other.
i can understand that each want to justify there own clique because i’ve been there, but what you have to realise is that what these people are saying is purely a small minded stereotype, and by retaliating your the same. i love breaking the mold; im a drum n bassing ‘grunger’. apparently.
ovalliack on October 5th, 2007
Привет.
Продаю персональный сертификат WebMoney за $99.
Можете проверить: WMID 322973398779 Redfern
Всё чисто, не одной жалоб. Сделан на утерянные документы. Всё законно.
Если нужно, то есть сертификаты ещё.
Стучацо в личную почту на Вебмани.
Это не спам. Не пишите на мой WMID жалобы в арбитраж Вебмани.
ovalliack on October 8th, 2007
Привет.
Продаю персональный сертификат WebMoney за $99.
Можете проверить: WMID 322973398779 Redfern
Всё чисто, не одной жалоб. Сделан на утерянные документы. Всё законно.
Если нужно, то есть сертификаты ещё.
Стучацо в личную почту на Вебмани.
Это не спам. Не пишите на мой WMID жалобы в арбитраж Вебмани.
MaudKip on October 26th, 2007
Why we should love emo kids - By an emo kid
tasha on November 5th, 2007
COOL! like the pic!
xxscene_girlxx on November 11th, 2007
OMG i was just looking for a website to get my haircut and i found this YOU ARE ALL freakin stupid to be labbaling ppl like this.OH and the ppl that said scene kids were the ones to cut themselfs and are the posers are TOTTALY wrong scene means to follow music go to shows have the “emo” hairstyle and to be your own persom i am a scene girl i go to shows i have scene.emo friends WE ARE NOT POSERS AND DO NOT CUT ARE WRIST!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU SHOUILD ALL FUCKIN FUCK OFF. PLEASE!!!
Al Ewing on November 11th, 2007
http://www.myhaircuts.com/emo-haircuts.shtml
FT's CarsmileSteve on November 12th, 2007
hehehe, although surely only 2.5 of those are even vaguely emo…
Balder (A Concerned DAD) on November 23rd, 2007
What give you EMO’s the right to destroy?
I am a dad to 5 kids and we are now close to lose them all, becourse 1 did turn self-harm emo!!
My youngest is 1 and the oldest is 15 years.
How do i and my wife stop this?
We did never do things wrong, also we are not even the mittle class, we can’t afford a card becourse all of his stealing and destroying things!!
Tell me the good part of being a selfharm EMO? please i would like to know how they/you think! as i want to keep the fam!!
Lee on November 25th, 2007
I get the sense that people in Scotland really despise emos, just by reading some of these comments, and by things Scottish friends have told me.
Pardon me if this will offend, but I think “indies” and “emos” are equally despised, for some of the same reasons. Both seem to want to prove how far removed they are from mainstream culture, and yet both conform to the standards of their respective inner circles, from what they wear to what they listen to, to their views and opinions (or so it seems, anyway). And the unique culture they put so much pride in has now become a mainstream culture (at least in urban communities). Once you know how you can package and sell an image and lifestyle, you know it has hit the mainstream at least in a small way.
Feel free to disagree, feel free to slag me off - I don’t have a personal vendetta against indies or emos, I am just commenting on what I see (which is what I presume the author of Why We Hate Indie (now Emo) Kids was doing too). Appearances can decieve, and I may be misinformed.
Sarahjane on January 1st, 2008
Your a fucking guy thats been sad enough to slag off emos ? I think you are probably some guy wearing a reebok trackie drinking cheap booze with your burbary scarf and hat on [ned] only thing is, i dont know where you woudl get a computer from if your a ned, so here comes the conclustion that your a cheap free loader just out there to slag other people off, get this fucking removed off this site, or it will be reported!!!!!!!!!!!
Al Ewing on January 1st, 2008
Reported… to the EMO POLICE!
grncomfyconverse on January 29th, 2008
Haha very funny…NOT
You must be a prep.. right.?
Just because your emo doesn’t mean its all about cutting yourself. It gives you a sence of direction to be who you want to be. I hate to tell you but half the music you listen to would be considered “emo or scream-o.” I guess your one of those guys that go around acting like your better then everyone else.After reading this I may just have to sit in a corner and cut myself.
Al Ewing on January 29th, 2008
Examples of ’scream-o’ to thread plz. I nominate ‘How Much Is This Fish’ by Scooter.
Josh on January 30th, 2008
Can’t people accept that there’s always going to be emo’s/indie’s out there no matter how hard you try. Are they really effecting your life that badly that you feel the need to sit here and basically discriminate against them? If you left it and let them get on with life then there’d be no problem but there’s always the person who’ll sit and slag them yet aren’t able to take any stick about themselves.
Get over the fact that emo’s/indie’s are around and accept them as a different type of human than you are, after all that’s all they are.
grncomfyconverse on January 31st, 2008
If your emo it doesn’t mean your not human or different at all.
You both breath, eat, and shower.
Yeah you may have different point of views on life but who doesn’t.
No one really gives a care about what you label them as its just a name.
Im EMO are you going to do anything about that..?
Its not like when I get home from school I go cry because some kid took my lunch or knocked my books out of my hand. Or even told me that my style is shit.
IT JUST DOESN’T WORK THAT WAY..!!!!!
and one more thing just because Im emo, I don’t have a live journal.
Its all about the MYSPACE. :p
emohater on February 17th, 2008
swedish:
Alla som är emot emo’s gör en sol (#) framför sitt namn för det är typ bara ljuset som kan ta dom. De färgar tillomed håret blondt o tar över!Skicka detta till alla i din kontaktlista, till och med emo’s(om du nu har någon i din kontaktlista)!!
dom som vägrar ha en sol är EMO’s!!!
Ett exempel räcker:
1. mitt på dagen kan det bli svart som natten när det kommer ett gäng emos!
english version:
put a sun (#) in front of your msn-name if you hate emo’s, send this message to everyone! every site, every community! everywhere! make this message spread over the whole world!
triggerxr on February 29th, 2008
I am not emo. I have friends who are though. They dont cut or hate themselves and they are straight. So what they wear black. Doesnt everyone? So if i wear a black shirt once in my life im emo? Wow. what a great society. Ive been called emo because i wear black. but i also wear orange and white. What to classify me as now….so hard. We dont get on Gangstas” while they sit around and deal drugs and look like theyre going to mug someone and we dont get on preps for making everythign about them and being some type of barbie doll and seeing the world as puppys and rainbows. Get it straight. We are not all the same so stop trying to say we are.
Laura on March 8th, 2008
Haha very funny…NOT
You must be a prep…right.?
Just because your emo doesn’t mean its all about cutting yourself. It gives you a sence of direction to be who you want to be. I hate to tell you but half the music you listen to would be considered “emo or scream-o.” I guess your one of those guys that go around acting like your better then everyone else.
so get a life cuz u dont have one if ur complaining about amos.
*sighs* on March 8th, 2008
does anyone really care? why doesn’t everyone who reads this thread just decide to get on with their lives, and to hell with the sad people who feel the need to post insulting comments on the internet???
realistically, no one is going to change their opinion of emos having read this thread or any other. therefore, writing a comment on your viewpoint is completely pointless, so let’s see if we can just lay this topic to rest now
Punk ROcker on July 2nd, 2008
you guys are fucking posers
FUCK EMO
FUCK INDIE
FUCK RAP
FUCK YOUR CRY ASS SHIT
you don’t know the fuck how to be non conformist if you’re emo fuck off !
By the way PUNK RULES
And there’s a post which is
EmO Punk rules !
i Cutt myself.. It’s Emo..
And i really hate myself..
That’s Punk
YOU CAN’T BE EMO PUNK YOU SCUM and by the way i’m punk and i love myself, and if you hate yourself stop cutting, shoot the brain out of your fucking head dammit. and cutting is NOT emo, you can cut yourself without being emo. WTF!!!
Emo is only about to care for yourself, you emos are SCUM, you don’t know fuck about being different, you think, ” OH I’M DIFFERENT, I WEAR MAKE UP” fuck off and go cry in yer corner.
if you want to know about non conformist stop being emo or anything, just let the rebelion go over you, do as me, do what the fuck you want, if you wanna smoke in school DO IT stop to care about your fucking parents that don’t give a fuck about you.
bye! and hope you learn something, cunts!
Check for GG Allin to learn on what is being a non conformist.
Miles McClagan on July 2nd, 2008
if you want to know about non conformist
do as me
Somehow you’ve created one of the worlds most beautiful ever poems