• Emo...

    Fun name, eh? Derived from the word Emotional.

    Although, to be honest, the only emotion they express in extreme abundance is sadness. That, and creepy smiles/fake laughter that scare the s**t out o' me. (A lot of the time they fake-smile and laugh at things that aren't funny at all.)

    My question is, why?

    No, seriously. I go to school and sit next to them before first period.

    Of course, you all know of the stereotypical emo.

    Wears a lot of black, dyes his/her hair a bright color, black skinny jeans, tight shirts advertising the latest punk metal band, those thick-black plastic 'geek' glasses, scarves or some sort of rainbow-colored accessory/hoodie on them at all times... that sort of thing.

    One of the main reasons people become 'emo' is because they are the social group with no standards. Namely, you can be who you want to be, when you want to be it. They generally won't judge you on that, as long as you:

    a) dress like they do
    b) have their sense of humor
    c) like 'their' bands and music taste.

    ...Does this strike you as odd? I find it... a little bit hypocritical I guess. I mean, half of the emos I know proclaim loudly that 'we are non-comformists. We're different, original, unique. We're not one of the flock of sheep walking to their doom (this last statement is an exaggeration).' Yatta yatta yatta.'

    Oh, they're conforming. They're not comforming to 'our society'... they're just conforming to a different one. Even an idiot could see that!

    Besides, as soon as you leave the group for any reason (say for example that you decide to join a sports team, which of course is against some unspoken, unwritten conformity law) they'll ostracize you, talk about you behind your back, and never let you back in. (I speak from experience.)

    And to be honest, the one they're conforming to is much worse. It's like trying to put out a fire with kerosene, you know? If you're depressed and feeling down, find people that will cheer you up! Getting together with the guys/girls who either cut wrists, do drugs, constantly listen to scream-o, or spend their free time reading Yaoi Fan-fiction on the internet isn't exactly healthy, mentally or socially.


    And for the record, being homosexual is much different than most people make it out to be. It's not 'evolution.' It's not 'genetics.' It's simple psychology.

    You'll find that people who are gay are gay for a reason. Many have changed sexual preferences because of feelings of rejection at a young age by a parental figure or feelings of self-loathing. (For example, a girl I know decided she's lesbian. There's a really good chance that this stemmed from her last boyfriend cheating on her, but I'd never say that to her face. She's pissed off enough as it is.)

    Others are abused (emotionally or even sexually as children) or are 'problem children', trying to lash out and attract attention by rebelling against whatever they have control over, namely themselves. It's in human nature to self-destruct (and to self-pity), and what better way to show it than to put yourself through a life of adversity, self-punishment, and defacement?

    Others idolize people who have claimed they are 'gay', and try to emulate the lives of their role models, which has led to many fashion designers playing on that stereotype as they make their careers. (I'm being totally serious about this. If you don't believe me, try watching a fashion show - any at all - in which at least one of the male designers DOESN'T talk in 'the voice.' You'll know what I mean when you hear it.)

    It's a relatively simple to grasp, yet not easy to understand concept. (And yes, there is a difference.) Many 'homosexuals' have been 'cured' through therapy. Try searching it on google, you'll probably find a lot of good debate articles on the subject.

    But, I digress. I'm moving a bit too far away from the main topic, mainly, emos.

    What are the main points that you should take from this?

    1) Being 'emo' doesn't mean you're different. It means that you're the same as everyone else, just MUCH less healthy. Oh, and wearing black isn't 'symbolic' anymore like it was in the mid-90's. All it means is that you're too cheap to use bleach (lol.)

    2) Cutting wrists = BAD! Using the appendages you would cut up to play an instrument = GOOD!

    3) Self-Destruction = BAD! Especially since you don't know when the 'timer on the bomb' will reach 0. Then you're screwed.

    4) Don't join em. Make your own group instead! Find friends you can trust and get along with from all walks of life, and hang out with them whenever you get the chance.