I'm trying to understand what type of music falls into the "emo" category. My young'en cousins were discussing this with me and I'm just not getting it. They told me it's emotional, boys liking girls, stuff like that. But lots of songs are like that, though not considered emo.

So what makes emo different from anything else?

What bands are emo bands? Or songs are emo songs?

Would Snow Patrol's "Run" be emo?

I asked my sister's 13yo step-son about this Emo stuff. He was a bit odd about it at first, then confessed he never thought he'd be having this conversation with me. So, thanks for the info. I cut a corner off this kid's world and made him open up! :heh:

We are in NC, and according to him, Emo's are into their feelings (emotions) but he didn't confess to any cutting that he knows about. They are just "deep" (my word). He has a friend who is Goth/Emo (his words) and I concluded that she dressed Goth but was "really" Emo. He said "yeah". Interesting conversation, lol. I don't "talk" teenager anymore, I guess, but he was impressed that I tried to understand.

I asked him about the suicide stuff and he said "they are just 'suicides'" and I said "so they just say they want to be dead but they don't, they just want to go around saying they want to be dead, right?" and he said "yeah" in a way that told me they are off the map and dumb.

I asked him what he is, and he said "Prep", which is just happy, "happy being...me, I guess"

Oh, and Goths, Emos and Preps shop at different stores. ??? That seemed to be an important distinction to him. *shrug*

He's in the 9th grade, so I don't think this stuff goes any deeper for him than finding a place to fit in socially, as the world starts to make shape in a different way at this age. I hope his friends don't move into the darker side of this Emo thing. Sounds kinda scary. I have my eyes open to him a bit more, and it's good! Thanks for the info!!!!

What a great compliment to both of you! You were able to get him to talk to you and you were able to try to understand "his world" !! Do you know that there are people that NEVER make that kind of connection to a teen! You are great!! COngrats!

Wow, I'm go and obviously not with it. I had no clue.

I was downtown (Denver) Friday night with some friends for dinner. After dinner we walked the mall a bit. It's a wonderful outside, open mall with tons of people around. I was telling my girlfriend about this thread and that I learned what "Emo" meant and pointed out some kids that had that look. The first time I said it though I said "Emu", my hubby laughed at me and told me to rethink that a bit. Ahyway, now my girlfriend uses the word Emo CONSTANTLY... maybe I shouldn't have clued her in!

Holy shit it happened - I've become that old person who doesn't get it.

Cliques are really changing. When I was in school (I graduated HS a year early in 93) "prep" was what you called the rich/popular kids. It had to do with anything BUT being happy with yourself. The clothing was all about the brands and price tag, the friends were all about status & what car they drove.

Major culture shock when we moved.

My eight year old told me the other day that he was thinking about becoming an emo (someone at his school who has a high school brother is already wearing the hair and clothes). When I explained it to him he decided he would be a jock like his brothers instead. The cliques are starting early!

My 5 year old has a girl in her class that is already telling the other kids that they aren't cool enough and they don't wear the right kind of clothes. The teacher and I were talking about the class and what is going on with the kids and she says it starts younger and younger every year. She also said she has had to make them stop holding hands, and she has heard them talking about who wants to kiss who.....they are 5. ~Mandy

Last year I was shopping for one of my younger cousins - she wanted some outfits for her birthday. We were in a store similar to Jones/Macy's, in the CHILDREN'S department (cousin was about 8 at the time) and -- well, you know the underwear with the days of the week on it? They had those, in straight up g-string thongs. In the CHILDREN'S department.

I don't consider myself old fashioned at all, but that really disturbs me. Just who are those underwear intended for?

I have an aunt (long-time obgyn nurse) who put both of her daughters on the pill as soon as they started their periods. Preventatively. Didn't work.

But that's another thread.

I remember when I was in school the cliques started in middle school, which on the coast was 6th - 8th. But even then they didn't really matter because there was still a lot of bleed over. In hishschool in California they were more exclusive, but still very open. Then we moved to MO and seriously - people from one clique wouldn't even talk to anyone else.

I'm trying to understand what type of music falls into the "emo" category. My young'en cousins were discussing this with me and I'm just not getting it. They told me it's emotional, boys liking girls, stuff like that. But lots of songs are like that, though not considered emo.

So what makes emo different from anything else?

What bands are emo bands? Or songs are emo songs?

Would Snow Patrol's "Run" be emo?

EMO is what those of us who are kids of the 80's would call goth or punk. Emo stands for emotional. It is just a nice extension of goth I believe. They dress alot like we did as Goth kids. I still stop at Hot Topic b/c they have all of my favorite bands clothes from the 80's. Not that I am dating myself or anything....lol..

EMO bands AFI, Fall Out Boy, Coheed and Cambria, Hawthorne Heights,

Jimmy Eat World....are jsut a few.

(And BTW I am a studying to be a sociologist, I need to know this....lol... I am not teen stalker!)

I have been wondering this same thing for a yr or so I am so glad I clicked on this thread tonight. I feel so old school now

I'm a 56 year old Nana, imagine my 13 year old grandson's surprise when I told him we needed to talk about this "emo" stuff. Then I said show me your arms, he said..."NANA!". Then I told him what a wonderful person he was and I told him how important he was, but most of all how loved by so many people. He said, "Nana, I know that"!

(One of my workers had to leave work to take her daughter to the doctor because of cutting herself then went on to explain the emo theory)

Don't let your guard down, these kids are pretty good actors, we all want to believe they're happy, but stay in tune with your kids, you just never know.

Remember The Cure? TOTALLY Emo. Just before their time, I guess.

screamO is exactly what is sounds like it is....bands that scream

ExtemeO is really really hardcore what used to be called death metal, still screaming but the people in the audience fight.....

This is a sorta combo of screamO and extremeO, I know some of the kids in this video, they are my nieces friends. The "dance" that the boys are doing is called two-steppin' cowboys would roll over in their graves.....

Oh to be a teen again. ~Mandy

LOL:pound: :pound: They all look like they are having some sort of "FIT"!!!! :pound: :pound: :pound: :pound:

The funny thing is, they just start to randomly dance. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to it. My niece was at a concert a few weeks ago and was talking to a guy, she turned around to see if he was still there and he was dancing. Like I said totally random. ~Mandy