What is Emo?
I hear this question all of the time. Most of the time it’s people who are 30+ that don’t know the answer. So, for those of you who are still in the dark about what the word ‘emo’ means, I’ll shed some light on the subject.
The word ‘emo’ is short for emotion. Basically, emo people consider themselves to be more in tune or expressive of their emotions than normal people. Typically, emo people are perceived to be angsty or depressed, but this isn’t always the case, and unfortunately this perception has led to one of the many bad stereotypes that emos have been branded with over the years.
Emo started to become a trend in the early 2000s. Emo is a meshing of the punk and goth cultures with a twist, gathering its music influences more from the punk side of things and the fashion style more from the gothic side of things. In the beginning, it’s believed that many of the first emos were originally gothic (including myself).
Emo Music
Emo music hits a wide spectrum of different sounds, from soft pop sounding music to hardcore screamo. Some of the most popular emo bands of all time include Hawthone Heights, My Chemical Romance, and The Dashboard Confessional. Emo music is primarily known for having highly emotional lyrics that typically address the issues of lifelong love, heart break, and suicidal thoughts.
Emo Fashion
Emo fashion plays a huge part in the emo culture. One of the most recognizable symbols of emo fashion is the side swooping bang that covers one eye. Skinny jeans also play a huge role in the emo wardrobe. The rest of the dress style is typically vintage looking. Other popular emo fashion trends include: messenger bags, eyeliner on guys, lip piercings, hip piercings, generally skin tight clothing, Converse All Stars, and flat ironed hair.
Emo Stereotypes
Unfortunately, emos have gotten a really bad rap in the past which has greatly contributed to the style’s decline. Some of the most popular stereotypes associated with the culture are discussed below.
- Being overly emotional - Teenage hormones ablaze, being ‘emo’ gave boys the excuss to cry around their peers, a form of emotional expression for males that’s typically been looked down upon throughout human history. While some looked at this as an advantage, other outsiders saw this as a weakness. And of course, there are a few drama kinds/queens that killed it for everyone.
- Always being depressed or suicidal - This kind of ties in with being overly emotional. Emos have a pretty bad stigma for being depressed for no good reason. This is another thing that I think was largely brought on by over active teenage hormones and dealing with the struggles of finding a place in life. In my opinion, society does a poor job of teaching parents how to cope with their childrens changing bodies. A lack of understanding of the physiological and psychological changes in the human body has given a lot of emos a good reason to be depressed as their parents push pills down their throats or send them to psychiatrists in an attempt to get out of their parental duties of handling emotional changes in their children as they grow and develop from adolescence into adulthood. It also doesn’t help that a lot emo kids, like many other smaller niches, tend to get bullied at school. This has led to an uprise in teenage suicide over the years as many children and teens are unable to find a way to cope. Serious stuff, and if you couldn’t tell by how long this paragraph is, something that I could easily turn into a blog post all on its own. Anyway, moving on . . .
- Self harming – Self harming is definitely the most negative emo stereotype that has helped to cut back on the masses of people referring to themselves as emo. Unfortunately, when the emo style first emerged, self harming seemed to be part of the trend, raising concern for parents all over the world. While not every emo was/is a self harmer, there were enough who were that caused this horribly negative stereotype to stick.
- Writing poetry - Emo people are thought of to be of the artsy type. Many emos have been know to express their emotions, both positive and negative, through writing poetry.
- Tight pants – The big negative with this one was when guys started wearing girls jeans because there weren’t many manufacturers of skinny jeans when the trend first emerged. Now a days, however, skinny jeans are the in thing for quite a few fashion trends, so there are now less emo guys raiding their sister’s closets. lol
- Guys wearing make up – So damn sexy, I think. While some people who believe in the negativity of this stereotype believe that emo guys go full blown with the make up, the truth is that most emo guys (the ones who wear make up, most don’t wear make up at all) typically only wear eye liner and occasionally eye shadow. I don’t care who you are, eye liner makes the eyes stand out. So if a guy has beautiful eyes (I can think of quite a few that do), why not accentuat them.
- Bisexuality – For a long time, being emo almost always meant being bisexual. The emo culture promotes open sexual expression and provides many people with an outlet to test their sexual preferences.
- Flat ironed hair with a side swooping bang – Another popular emo stereotype is the hair style. This really hasn’t changed too much, though there are now a variety of other hairstyles that are also considered to be emo.
- Dying your hair black – In the beginning, if you were emo, you dyed your hair black. That was pretty much all there was to it. Now a days, emo hair styles come in all flavors of colors, though black is still widely popular.
Unfortunately, the negative stereotypes associated with being emo have caused many people to shun the word. Today, many emo people have switched over to calling themselves ‘scene’. However, some would debate that emo is now the clothing style and scene is what the culture itself is actually called.
This theory has changed and evolved over time. For example, a few years ago, ‘scene’ was a different breed on its own. Scene kids were basically emo kids who dyed their hair platinum blonde instead of black and were a large part of the local music scene, which is where the term ‘scene’ originated from. Today, both styles have migrated into being called the same thing.
Many believe that the emo culture is on its way out the door. As more and more abandon the label, the rapid decline indicates that emo may be coming to an end. However, punks and goths have been around for quite a long time and I don’t forsee those trends ever going away. Hopefully this one will linger around as well, no matter what name it turns into.
If you have a question you would like to Ask an Emo, please post it below. I will be answering questions in the order that they are received.

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How would you get the female hair style?
The easiest way is to print a picture and take it to your hair stylist. When they cut and style your hair they should teach you how to style it at the same time and tell you what products these use.
The style consists of layering the hair with lots of razoring up top. I will do a post on the website explaining it in detail later on.
i want to do the hairstyle to but i dont have thick hair i have very fine hair ive tried styling it but i falls back down and yes im using root lifter
well i have the same problem so i bougt a backcombing brush and some leave in conditioner and it works really well but it dosent last as long as i would like so i use a bunch of hairspray
I actually have the opposite problem. My hair is really thick, so when I tease my layers, I have to use a TON of hairspray to make sure the “poof” doesn’t sink down by the end of the day. Anyway, this is a technique I’ve found useful for BOTH thin AND thick-haired ppl (this is what I do when I know imma be out a long time and want my hair to stay in place through it all xD). After u wash ur hair, u can use one of those cylindrical brushes and blow dry ur layers (from underneath) while u take the brush and roll it underneath. Then u can go ahead and iron ur hair (but try 2 be careful on the layers), and jus spray on some hairspray. Works like a charm :3
How would you explain this to your parents without them freaking out or doing something completely unnecessary and stupid?
As horrible as it would probably make you feel, you could always tell them that being emo is your form of self expression and that they shouldn’t worry because it’s just a phase. It might not feel true at the time, but it’s pretty likely. Most people grow out of the more eccentric high school type trends by their mid twenties.
Then again, there are a lot of parents out there who would still do something completely unnecessary and stupid. For example, mine sent me to a mental hospital. T_T
How do you stop your brothers from freaking out because you are changing to an emo look. I have always loved emo music but in the past months the clothes style has appealed to me and my four brothers noticed and are freaking out. What do I do and say??
Just say this is who i am and it shouldnt matter what i dress like im not gunna change in personalittly and your family should take you for who you are and hopefully they will understand.. <3hope mai advice helps .. <3
My mom is having a big problem with my being emo. I try to tell her that i won’t harm myself but i did once or twice when my parents got a divorce but i haven’t lately. Im always getting teased at school and i already got in a bunch of trouble for skipping classes repeatedly due to this, i don’t have friends right now. do you think this is bad? not good for a person like me?
that sucks sammi people can be so cruel..even when they dont know whats going on in your life…
it’s understandable that you always skip…..because you dont want to be make fun of or be called names….and maybe you shpuld make friends but it’s up to you if you wanna put yourself out there…….
im 12 and listen only to screamo ive changed my look to skinny jeans and band tees and wear eyeliner and made my mom take me to get my hair shredded and my family always gives me stupid lectures about why the music is wrong and literally pushing me down into the ground im called stupid emo kid at school and most my friends have become distant and my chances of killing myself are high im always hiding out in my room bc im never in the mood to see my parents how do i get them to except me??
well you see jade im 12 too and i told my mom about a month ago. she kinda freaked out and started crying and saying this isnt me but then she said i could when ima little older like 2 more years when im in high school so maybe u should wait till then coz then its easier for them to understand. also its a good idea to ask ur parents to go to a preforming arts school because there are lots of emo/scene kids in thoses types of schools ex. guys wif makeup,skinny jeans,hot emo hair ect same for girls so thats also a good idea i asked my mom and she said sure. hope i helped u, jakey:)
good idea thx jakey!
personally i dont think you should wait….be yourself sooner or later your family will understand that this is how your gunna dress…..its your style dont change it because other people dont like it its not upto them how youu dress…..i think jakeys idea to go to a drama school is good because i go to one and there are lots of people like me…hope mai advice helps <33
ty :] now only if i can convince my parents great…-.- but seriously ty <33
Its okay <3
I’m 13 and I agree, when I was 12 and emo I wore jackets all of the time because I was so ashamed, Jade just wait a year or two I’m turning 14 and am now getting more physically emo and my mother and family except it. I might warn you because I did loose every single one of my friends except one, you could be different but I made tons more and all of them except me. You’ll get there dont worry
ITS ACCEPT. NOT EXCEPT FOR FUCK SAKES.
don’t listen to them cos im the same even though im 13 i just got into this stuff i liked the music anyway and stuff but even then i dont think it should matter and if anyone takes the p*** just say well its me its my chice wether you like it or not and you never know there might be other ppl in your school how consider themselves scene or emo (or both) and there you will have some friends and even then at my school its seen normal to be a mosher/emo anyway you could even start a trend x lol
There are always gonna be people that dont like you. And as you’ve become attracted to the emo style, they see it as somethiing else to tease you about. Stick up for yourself, be proud of who you are, and, show it loud and proud!!
ok i’m 12 and my friends all say i’m emo even at church (is it even possible to be emo and christian???) and taekwondo my boyfriend is emo and i act the same way , i wear tight jeans and black tees my hair is the style and i keep wondering am i emo or is everyone over exagerating ?????
your most likely emo
you can be emo and christain at the same time, what you wear has absolutly nothing to do with religion ( like I know that much about christianity… lol)
Maybe you are, only you can decide that, but, beware,
Take the plunge, but only if you’re sure you can tke the icy waters!! xx
in labeling yourself emo you will most probably get a lot of stick for it. I am cristian, and possibly emo, I havent quite decided for myself yet. Everything is a voyage of descovery.
im catholic so yes i think it is possible and it sounds like your almost naturally becoming more like an emo xx no need to worry
im 12 and i have alot of responsibility but i dont know if i should just walk into a girl store and buy the makeup or nail polish. coues people might laugh or i might be embarrased WHAT DO I DO????
being yourself isn’t a crime. I’m 13 and people are always like “EMO!” and im like “I know you’re jealous” if you wanna wear make-up who gives a fuck? Being embarrassed is a sign that you’re not like everyone else. Non-conforming is always something i enjoy! Hope i helped you!, Marilyn B. Rose
It doesnt matter…what other people think i am always shoutted at calling me names like “emo” and “cutter” but i dont care coz atleast i dont follow the crowd and am brave enough to show i have a different style….you will go into that store and buy maakeup coz you can show them your not like everyone else and you not afraid to show it <33 luv ya hope it helped and good luck C:
If you’re really that afraid to get it then pretend you’re getting it for your girlfriend or sister or something like that. ^_^
If you’re embarrased say its a gift for someone else. We all get nervous about buying some things, but the easiest thing to do is just to say it’s for someone else if you get funny looks. lol x
I just used to listen to emo type of music but recently I have been changing the way I dress and buying band tees and skinny jeans, and my friends are avoiding me because of it, and I want to get the emo hairstyle but im worried that I will loose my friends.
Are these people really your friends if they are running from you at the first sign of change? Friends are supposed to stick with you. Prahaps they are worried about losing you, maybe they think this new style wil change who youy are. You just need to reassure them that you are still the same persn underneath, its not fair for them to be so stereotypical. xx
simple if they are your friends then it shouldn’t matter to them
if they will stop being your friends because of what you are, then they are not ur friends. plunge into this social disaster head-first and realize that you’ve gotten nothing to lose, because if they stop being ur friends, then you can’t lose what you never had…
ok, fer everyone who’s havin troubles in life, jus remember there are people that WILL accept you for who u are no matter what, it’s all just a matter of finding them. I found my supports, with my fair share of heart break, but i did find the ones who whud support me being transgender, bisexual, and emo. And i also used to be suicidal, and used to cut. I have alot of baggage that i dont want any of you to have to go through, so my advice is to pick your friends wisely and always remember, the true friends will stand by ur side through anything. I luv u guys <3
-GAY RIGHTS IS HOW I FIGHT-
You seem so lovely i look up to you x
Karly (a.k.a Seth):
It seems that we may be a couple of the lucky ones, since we do have a bit of support, At least, we are not alone.
No matter how “different” you think you are, or that you feel, you don’t “fit”, you have to realise that you aren’t the first person who is different or feels that they don’t fit. Somehow, we all try to survive everything–including parents notions and friends who don’t understand. I think it can be tough for lads who are gay as there appears to be a huge shortage of “people like me” when, in reality, they are around, but hiding a bit. I would guess I am a bit older since I am 16, gay, and no one’s role model. I left home because my parents were always arguing, and whatever I did, caused a “problem” whethere it was hair or clothes or friends, it was never okay. A mate’s parents took me in, and have been more family than my family–even with being gay, there is support. Life isn’t totally perfect, but, at least, it is better.
I’m 13 and my name is Leah, I am fully emo but I am afraid to actually say that because I have before and when I did I lost every one of my friends. Teachers ask me left and right to show them my arms (which I didn’t cut until they started asking) ive told my mother and she has threatened to send me to phyciastrists or cousiling and I really don’t want to do that. People on here say, “just tell them it’s a style” and stuff but sometimes it’s not that easy and I just wanted to know if anyone could give me inspiration. My sister verbally (and sometimes physically) attacks me and she is the fuel that makes me scratch (a less severe way of cutting) I fear it will get progssivley worse and I might start actually cutting. If anyone on here can give me an advisory of a way that I can help myself mentally that so my emo can just be a “style”.
I can understand that. Prahaps the reasons people are treating you like this is because they are worried about you cutting. Most of these peole are probably to stupid and naieve to see past the stereotypical emo. You need to let them know, that, you arent hurting yourself because the emo style is telling you to do so, more because they are hurting you by what they are doing. I know talking is the hardest part, but, afterwards, you’ll wonder what you were so nervous about! xxx Much love Hope this helps! x
well sorry to hear that but just a tip if you are going to self harm do it on your legs less noticible xx
Lately I’ve started listening to a lot more stereotipically ‘emo’ bands, like bvb and mcr. I love theses bands but everytime I listen to their music or watch their videos my own mother looks at me like I am a freak. She once just came up to me while listening to mcr, and said: ‘thats a row’ then on a later occasion said ‘what are you watching those freaks for?’ How can I explain to her that these bands arent ‘bad’ or promote ‘bad’ things, so she can stop worrying?
When i first started listening to them my mum thought they were promoting bad things, i kept telling her they wern’t so i got her to listen to a couple of their songs and now she believes me, so maybe try and get her to liten to some of their songs. I hope it helps
im 12 and i used to be emo, but now im Satinist, although when i was emo i did cut miself and theres scars on mi arms, and i don’t want to go to school so that some moriotts can insult me because they really have nothing better to do, and they might tel mi mother, and mi mother is under the idea that we all cut ourselves for the same reason (to kill ourselves)and i asked her randomly what she would do if i were emo and she threatened to beat me until i coulden’t walk…. i really don’t know who threatenes their child like that but thats mi problem, and i really don’t want that to happen because of mi past, so please tell me a way to hide it…. but now that im Satinist, i have the ability to take out all of mi anger at other ppl by hexing instead of taking all the anger i have for other ppl out on miself. har har
Woah! For a start you shouldnt hex people. Hexes always come back and bite you in the arse 3X as bad, didnt you know that?
I hate my life :/ everyone calls me a fag and stuff
hopefully at my new school there are emo ppl there
Don’t worry, hon; I know what you’re going through. Just stay true to who you are at this time of your life and the right kind of people will gravitate towards you
Remember: Never Give In! – Black Veil Brides
Umm..I’m having trouble with telling my grandparents about me turning emo.
I really want my hair black. But they wanna keep putting blonde in my hair. Which,my hair is light brown. But it used to be dark brown before they put blonde in it. What should I do? I need help! I REALLY wanna dye my hair black with a light green highlight on the side. My hair’s down to my collar-bone. I just really need you to reply back. I need your help!
um… telling ur grandparents are a whole level then telling ur parents. But i guess u could try to change ur own style but while ur doing tht try to be nice to them and tell them ur situaion about why u want to change ur looks. but dnt be to mean to them. sometimes grandparents cn be alittle hard to talk to. And if u wnt black hair but ur grandparents are keep on putting blonde to it, tell them why they dnt want u to have black hair. But im sure u will have the guts to tell ur grandparents tht ur emo cause alot of other ppl dnt have the guts like me
By the way, where have all the emos gone? They seem to have fallen off the face of the earth!
I miss the days when you would see cute, pale-faced, raven-haired guys with shy smiles everywhere. I guess the trend-followers have moved on to ‘indie’ or whatever. But I can’t get over emo! I think even when I’m old, I’ll still listen to emo bands! (I won’t dress like a teenager though lol!)
i agree i want more emo guys my age im 14 and all of them are like 16 D:
I KNOW! i just want a really cute emo boyfriend who’s my age. (13-16) i’m 13 and i cant find any emo guys
they like disappeared.
I know!! I’m the ONLY emo person in our entire school. And apparently I’m the only one whos ever been to our school. :/
k ive heard allot of people talk about drama school and stuff and how the typical stereotype there is emo..and i was wondering if that were true cause if it is that is defiinatly where i waant to go, but i dont know anything about these schools…
if i tell my parents im emo should i tell them about cutting and if i should how should i tell them without them freaking out thinking i should be in a mental hospital?
truthfully i wouldn’t tell them if i were you. i did that and my parents sent me to a phycologist. and the whole school found out. i still have friends but people still say stuff like “go die emo” “go cut yourself bitch.” blah blah blah…TRY to stop. if you cant at least talk to someone you trust. (if you trust ur parents enough tell them)
I wear band tees, skinny jeans and hoodies most of the time and my friends and brother all say im turning into an emo because of what i dress like and the music i listen to e.g mcr, bvb. Are they right?
well if u have emo looks then u might be emo, but if not dnt listen to them and tell them tht ur not and tell them tht u juss like there style. My friend is not a rocker but alot of ur thinks tht she is. But she juss says she likes the style so basically ur not a emo if u think ur not.
IS the dating section closed?
Ok, i was just wondering. I think i MIGHT be emo…except for the fact that i hate skinny jeans (im too tall, looks horrible lol), i dont have a single piercing (hate needles, no way in hell im letting one go THROUGH me), and i dont fit in with the other “emos” at my school. Im wondering because i have severe anger/depression problems, and i am way more emotional than, well just about everyone else ive met.
P.S. Mudvayne, Slipknot, Tool, bands like them. Are they considered “emo” too?
Am I the only one who noticed how many 12 year olds are asking if there emo? Anyway Can you be emo and not cut your self? I call my self emo but ive not cut for like a month. m(-_-)m
cutting ur selve is like self harm and emo is being emotionally but u dnt have to cut urself to be emo. Most emos dnt cut themselve and juss be emo.
Okay, here’s the thing… I want some help and really killer advice. I’m Emo, Punk, and Goth, but I’m not an athiest. My boyfriend is Emo, too. My grandparents are utterly against the Emo culture, and I want to help them understand that I’m not always depressed…that I’m happy sometimes. too. Please, I need dead serious help! -HaleyBear VanDaele Future POet and Singer
Im asian, and I dnt think my parents know the concept of emo.
And Im having a real hard time telling them because Im suddenly changing my looks. Well i dnt really have long hair like emo guys usually have but im starting to. My friends are bad giving advices to me. Can u help me?
I swear I am the only emo at my school and I get made fun of so much more than anyone else because I’m the only one. What do I do??