Gen Emo

Well it seems that I am much too old to be Emo and way too happy! Apparently, however, I have received Emo points for using blogger. This coming under the header, "Blogging For Dummies." Hmmm. It's all here in the book (published by two kids in their early 20's) called Everybody Hurts: An Essential Guide to Emo Culture.

Here's the definition of Emo as suggested by authors Leslie Simon and Trevor Kelley: "Emo is still a kind of music, sure, but more than anything it's a state of mind. It's a place where people who don't fit in--but who long to fit in with other people who don't fit in--come to find solace, and its resident ideology is something that those within the scene take very seriously."

I thought I better get myself acquainted with the Emo culture since well . . . apparently my kids are a part of this world, and they didn't even try to be.

Having a MySpace -- very Emo.
MySpace name: "Tragic Heroine" very Emo.
MySpace Sub Heading: "I would save the world . . . but you wouldn't care if I died." Uwww, totally Emo.
Mom finding out you have a MySpace--soooo NOT Emo!

Reading through the pages of "Everybody Hurts" then, I found that it's not all that bad and rather funny. Ah yes, we must let our kids be kids and "find" themselves. Scary!! Oh, yes, and Emo says that God can still be in control, because if there are any kids that don't fit in this world it would be the Christian kids. But Emo gives them awesome and faithful Emo points.

Under the title, Christian Emo on page 21: "This particular Emo set is made up of some of the most devout fans around, many of whom continue to be huge proponents of even the most obscure bands on the Christian Indie label Tooth & Nail. By and large, the Christian Emo set is mostly a plainclothes bunch who don't dress--or often act--like many of their nonreligious counterparts. For example, Christian Emo fans do not drink. Only with rare exception do they flat-iron their hair. And, perhaps most alarming of all, their love for the modern-rock band Switchfoot is not at all ironic."

Haha, I love it! So for all my cousins up in Seattle working their patooties off to get ready for their Music Festival FreedomFest--You are EMO!! More on that later.

Emo Value System: (page 2, 3)
1. Depression (more dramatic than simply being sad)

2. Effort(lessness)When you're emo, you're constantly looking to invent unnecessary obstacles so that you can overcome them (Oy!)

3. Empathy, "Feeling other people's pain is crucial to being part of the emo community."

4. Faith, "When emo followers believe in something, they believe in it 110 percent. Anything is possbile . . . And so, through struggle, strife, and tragedy, true emo types carry on. In the end, being emo is all about having the kind of unwavering conviction that allows one to face the challenges of a new day (and then blog about them later in the evening).


Okay there's more, waaaaaaaay more. Actually let me say this, the book is absolutely a fun read, be careful of some of the language but if you want to understand your Emo kids this is the way to do it. I get it. I love my Emo kids.

Emo Everybody Hurts Emo Culture