What IS the definition of "Emo"??

ryanspeer · 11-30-2004, 08:19 PM

I hear lots of people I know throw around the term "Emo", but not a single person has yet to give me a definition for it other than: "Ummmmmmmmm, ehhhhhhhhhh, well it's kind of like, uhhhhhhhhhhhh..."

Get the drift? What IS the definition of "Emo"? I'd hate to go to my grave some day without actually knowing what this oh-so-popular phenomenon is.

simple servant · 11-30-2004, 08:40 PM

Well, I think emo can be hard to explain because everybody will have a different view of it. The way I see it.....emo is a style that has strong punk influences as well as alternative, and kind of fused together the 2 styles, and they don't use very heavy guitars. That's just the way I see it though.

Laia · 11-30-2004, 08:42 PM

okay, i've wondered about that too, but this is what i heard...

emo (short for emotional) covers a lot of different style of emotionally-charged punk-rock.

i think it has to do with the band...it's such a broad term that i really don't use it to describe anything.

**Sean** · 11-30-2004, 08:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ryanspeer

I hear lots of people I know throw around the term "Emo", but not a single person has yet to give me a definition for it other than: "Ummmmmmmmm, ehhhhhhhhhh, well it's kind of like, uhhhhhhhhhhhh..."

Get the drift? What IS the definition of "Emo"? I'd hate to go to my grave some day without actually knowing what this oh-so-popular phenomenon is.

What is the definition of "rock?"
What is the definition of "metal?"

Genres aren't really easy to give definitions to.

Relayer · 11-30-2004, 08:50 PM

lol, I was wondering the same thing (referring to initial question). I always thought "emo" was short for "emotional" also. I remember when I sold some cds to a used cd place, the guy I sold them to was making fum of my Paul Simon stuff, calling it "Emo." This guy was about 32 at the time it seemed, and this was about 1998. I think he was some leftover from the post-hippy generation-- this took placein pot(and shroom)-lovin' vermont.

Nate · 11-30-2004, 10:20 PM

"Emo" = "music that generally sucks, or sounds a lot like other music that also generally sucks"

So, if what you're listening to sucks or bears a striking resemblance to something else that sucks... chances are it's emo.

DreamChaser · 11-30-2004, 11:04 PM

Heya,

In that case, Plus One and Michael W Smith are TOTALLY EMO!!!!!!11!!1!

Nate · 11-30-2004, 11:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreamChaser

In that case, Plus One and Michael W Smith are TOTALLY EMO!!!!!!11!!1!

Indeed. Blech. I hate Emo.

Relayer · 11-30-2004, 11:11 PM

ok, so we have established that several of you hate it, but what is it?

Nate · 11-30-2004, 11:14 PM

Like Sean said, genres are not easy to give definitions to. The best thing to do is simply to give examples of bands that epitomize the genre. Since I hate emo, I don't listen to much of it, so I can't really provide any information of that sort.

In His love,
Nate

Relayer · 11-30-2004, 11:24 PM

What it sounds liek is that emo isn't a genre at all but just a term to describe certain groups within varying genres. It is a bit tricky to define a genre, but not so that it would take more than 7 minutes worth of effort

Nate · 11-30-2004, 11:26 PM

Wha? huh? who?

BurntHombre · 11-30-2004, 11:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Relayer

the guy I sold them to was making fum of my Paul Simon stuff, calling it "Emo."

He should be slain. Doubly. First for making fun of Paul Simon, and second for classifying Simon as emo.

**Skeeter** · 12-01-2004, 02:44 AM

Emo, as far as I can recall from my tiny brain, came out of hardcore and was initially called post-hardcore. Someone with more knowledge can correct me on that. The music often contained screaming and other emotional outbursts and so got the name "emo" short for emotional. This unfortunately led to any "emotional" band being labelled as emo. Thus you get Dashboard Confessional, where Chris Carabba sings very passionately and emotionally, being described as emo when DC doesn't really have much in common with a band like Fugazi.

And Paul Simon isn't emo. What the crap was that guy on?

**thesteve** · 12-01-2004, 11:14 AM

emo was (originally) short for emotional hardcore. there's a long thread on this subject in the secular music forum.

it's changed definitions over time though as the term became broadly applied.

I think Relayer pretty much said it right though...emo isn't really a singular sound...or even close to a genre of related sounds. emo is like a roller paintbrush, it covers alot of territory.