Emo translated from English means emotional. Now the emo subculture is heard by every teenager and young people. This movement is widespread in different countries.
The emo youth subculture has appeared relatively recently. Sometimes on the street or on public transport you can meet interesting young people dressed in all black, talking about completely mysterious things. The movement also has peculiar symbols and distinctive features that distinguish this movement from other subcultures.
The appearance of emo kid
The clothes of representatives of the emo subculture are characterized by dark and pink shades. Numerous piercings, large grinders, the eternal theme of death and suicide. In this, the emo subculture is somewhat reminiscent of the ready. But there are also some differences here. Emo are distinguished by increased sensitivity, emotionality. Some emo kids also prefer pink with black.
Representatives of this subculture dress quite peculiarly for ordinary townspeople. These are teenagers and young people with black hair falling over their foreheads. Girls often prefer to wear funny, children's hairstyles, bright hairpins, several ponytails.
Both girls and boys paint their lips in a light color, use various powders and foundations to give the skin a deathly pale look. They prefer to paint their eyes with dark shadows, eyeliner. Skinny jeans with various patches, a T-shirt with the image of your favorite group, bright makeup, as well as bangs to one side - all these are attributes of this subculture.
T-shirts with children's drawings in combination with black clothes look pretty funny. They wear sneakers on their feet, and on their hands there are various bracelets made of beads of different shades. There is usually pink or black varnish on the nails, in the ears there are headphones with emo music turned on. Adolescents of this course often have suicidal tendencies.
Features of the emo subculture
A fairly common phenomenon among emo is bisexuality. Teens often form couples with same-sex partners. Which often shocks society. But they live by their own special rules.
Emo kid often adhere to the principles of a flow called a stretch. It is a movement that promotes a healthy lifestyle. Many of the representatives of this subculture are quite anxious and vulnerable people who usually live in their own fictional world. They suffer from depression, fenced off from the outside world and its aggression, hide their faces under long bangs. Sometimes you may come across a large cluster emo kid ... This usually happens before the performance of some famous musical group.
Subculture (youth) is a fairly common cultural phenomenon that has its own characteristic features. Most often, its participants are young people who are distinguished by an unbalanced emotional state with unstable personality parameters. Having studied in detail the phenomenon of a subculture, we can conclude that its adherents see it as a way of self-expression, and the fact that most species focus on external attributes most likely means a shallow understanding of their participants' own mental needs. Therefore, they find clothing and style in a suitable way to express themselves in society.
Subculture?
First of all, it is the subject of study of cultural studies, sociology and anthropology. Let us turn to the definition of David Risman, who was the first to deduce the concept of subculture, where it is understood as a group of people who deliberately choose certain values and style of dress, behavior and thinking that a social minority resorts to.
Hence, we can assume that this category is not satisfied with social norms and values, therefore, in the subculture, people with rebellious behavior are more common, which is associated with internal aggression, since they intend to clearly declare about themselves with their behavior, clothes and thinking in society.
The youth subculture is, first of all, a certain cultural niche, the adherents of which are determined by age: from 14 to 30 years old. The specificity of youth psychology also determines the nature of most types of youth subcultures: radical values, vivid self-expression with the help of attributes and high emotionality, the division of the world into “black” and “white” and society into a “gray mass” and bright individuals.
Fashion subculture
The fifties of the twentieth century were marked by the emergence of one of the most widespread subcultures, which then spawned several others. They were fashions - young British people who placed great emphasis on their distinctive appearance. One of the most radical subcultures that emerged as an offshoot of Modism are skinheads.
The style attribute of mods was originally narrow Italian suits. They were distinguished by their love of music: rock and roll, jazz, ska, soul and rhythm and blues. The attitude of society towards this direction was mostly negative: this can be seen in the reviews of the film "Quadrofenia", the plot of which tells about the life of a mod - a simple courier who wastes his life on drugs, pills and parties. Nevertheless, in 2004 one of the rating magazines included the film in the list of the greatest British films.
The main transport of the mods were scooters, they spent time with like-minded people at seaside resorts and in nightclubs, where clashes often occurred between them and representatives of another subculture - rockers.
10 years after its inception, this movement became less popular.
Emo subculture
This subculture was formed from the musical style. The society reacted ambiguously to the emergence of this movement, in Russia the boom occurred in the early 2000s, and this phenomenon was often discussed in the media, and then at the state level.
- Emo subculture and attitude. First of all, emo kids focused on the fact that they express emotions. The positions taken by emo are a struggle for justice and a sensual attitude. Most people formed the opinion that these are psychologically weak, whiny young people who romanticize death: it is difficult to say whether this assessment is correct, but the number of suicides among the young population increased at that time, and this fact does not contradict this idea of emo kid. Representatives of the subculture are introverted, immersed in depressive states, or, conversely, in unjustified joy. This is clear evidence of mental instability and it is not surprising that the public was negative about the development of emo culture. They were often associated with the Goths, which is not true: on one of the sites dedicated to emo, they summed up the line: "emo hate themselves, goths hate everyone."
- Emo subculture: clothing and image. Emo kid wore slanting torn bangs that covered half of their face, dyed their hair black, made tunnels in their ears. Both sexes were applied to the face: the face and lips were tinted with a light color. The nails were covered with black varnish. The main combination of colors in clothes: pink, white, black.
- Emo subculture: paraphernalia. A large number of multi-colored badges attached to clothes and mail bags, large glasses with dark lenses, bright bracelets and wristbands.
You have probably met guys and girls, or even teenagers, on the streets of big cities, dressed in strange black and pink clothes, with numerous piercings, with black, often dyed hair and long oblique bangs. They are called emo. Often this youth is confused with other subcultures (first of all, with the Goths), ridiculed. And in some countries they are even persecuted. Many people unknowingly believe that emo is just a style of clothing: thick baubles on a patched shoulder bag.
Others believe that these guys love to gather in cemeteries and read tearful poems about death, that this is a phenomenon close to the decadence of the early twentieth century. There are those who identify these difficult teenagers as the first candidates for suicide. So who are emo? How did they arise, how do they differ from representatives of other related subcultures? Read everything about them in this article.
History of origin
If you asked who emo were in the 1980s, most of the inhabitants of our planet would shrug their shoulders in bewilderment, and the inhabitants of the District of Columbia (USA) would tell you that they are fans of a certain musical style. Indeed, the spiritual ancestors of modern girls and boys with slanting bangs were called punks. They also listened to hard rock, adorned their bodies with tattoos and piercings, and had an addiction to noose around their necks. But emo core, which had spun off from punk rock, was too peculiar, specific. And fans of these two styles professed different life foundations, felt the world in a completely different way, to be different. And therefore, in the style of clothing, slender young men with black hair began to move away from the pumped up, shaved guys. A little later, they were separated from the Goth environment.
World perception
With the flourishing of a new subculture and its penetration into the countries of the Old World, many people began to be interested in who the emo are. The main distinguishing feature of the adherents of this youth movement is expressiveness, a bright and open expression of their feelings. Therefore, among the masses, far from subcultures, there is an opinion that emo are whiny, not wanting to grow up, prone to depression and even suicide. Yes, the romanticization of death is present in them, however, in the same way as in the Goths. But what gave the name to the current is called not a thirst for suicide, but a desire to express emotions - no matter what, sad or funny. It's just that our world gives more reasons to cry than to laugh ... They themselves call themselves emo-kid (from the English words emotional and kid (child), thereby emphasizing their desire to remain childishly spontaneous, refusal to wear social masks that society imposes on people.
Emo core music
Of course, the subculture is determined by a certain ideology, lifestyle and attitude, but do not forget that it was born in the bowels of music lovers. The first creators of emo-core were punks from Washington, who brought a certain harmony and musicality to the mainstream cacophony. In the years that followed, the musical style was influenced by movements such as grunge and Hindi rock. The lyrics of emo-core songs are distinguished by their lyricism, and their performance - by excessive emotionality, expansiveness. The long ballads are mostly about broken heart, longing and suffering. Singers should have a high-pitched, strong voice capable of transitioning abruptly from a whisper to a squeal. The modern emo style in music has split into several trends. One of them is the classic "core", close to hard rock, but softened by lyric notes. Vaolens (from violence, violence) is distinguished by cruel texts, splashing out aggression. Emo-punk is not devoid of gaiety and self-irony. But screamo is hard for unprepared people to withstand, but this style also has its fans.
Famous emo bands
Many musical groups that are worshiped by emo all over the world deny belonging to this subculture or use different styles in their work. In Russia, the most popular is the German group "Tokio Hotel". Her album "Room 483" received platinum status with us. The musicians of "Fall Out Boy" call themselves pop-punks, although experts consider their work to be a classic emo style. The compositions "30 Seconds To Mars" merged alternative, space and prog rock. Since the early 2000s, various emo groups have appeared in Russia. "Monalisa" is very popular. She appeared in Moscow in 2001 under the original name "The Day After Tomorrow", and six months later she gave her first solo concert. Also, one cannot ignore the “Ocean of My Hope”, whose album “What You Don't Know About” is very popular.
Varieties in the environment of the subculture
Emo is, first of all, a lifestyle. You don't have to dress in black and wear long black bangs to be a member of this subculture. For example, tru-emo (from English tru - real), who consider themselves to be true exponents of the views and life position of this youth movement, dress in retro-style plaid clothes. They also listen to music only on vinyl, reel and cassette recorders. "Real emo" do not smoke or drink alcohol, avoid drugs. Vegetarianism and even veganism are characteristic of the entire youth movement. The new emo - with black hair, long bangs hanging down to the tip of the nose, wristbands and piercings - are very recognizable.
Image
A special feature of this subculture that distinguishes it from the Goths is clothing. The emo boy often wears a tight T-shirt and jeans in black or navy blue with patches and holes. A bag is slung over the shoulder, like a postman's, where badges and emblems are densely attached. The emo girl is adorned with a black short skirt with torn tights sticking out from under it. Plush toys are attached to the backpack or bag, with which the hostess rips open the stomachs, and then sews them up with harsh threads. Representatives of both sexes are betrayed by a belt - black or pink - with chains, a huge plaque. T-shirts are decorated with either the names of musical groups, or very characteristic prints: broken hearts, crossed pistols, and other cemetery paraphernalia. Wristbands, heavy collars and piercings (on the left nostril, as well as the lips, eyebrows and bridge of the nose) complete the look.
Emo makeup
Both girls and boys who adhere to this style apply white powder to their face to emphasize the contrast with black hair. Lips are painted with flesh-colored lipstick. Their eyes are thickly drawn with a dark pencil. Emo kids cover their nails with black varnish. Everything in their appearance should speak of a gloomy rejection of this cruel world, of their own resentment and defenselessness. Emo makeup creates a certain image - a sweet vulnerable child, whom you so want to protect. On a bloodless face (this effect is achieved with a light foundation and white powder), the eyes stand out. The upper eyelid is painted with a pencil, the lower eyelid is painted with eyeliner. Apply shadows generously and shade them. Mascara is passed through the eyelashes twice. Lipstick in emo make-up (as opposed to ready-made ones) should be light pastel colors.
Hairstyle
Representatives of this subculture are distinguished by a long oblique bang that completely covers one eye. Emo for a haircut turn to specialized salons, because it is required to thin the ends of the hair with a razor, to make the hairstyle seem to be prickly. Owners of wavy curls should first straighten the strands with an iron. Emo hair is dyed black or dark red. Girls often wear a lot of accessories - bows, bright hairpins, elastic bands. They often braid the ends of their hair in ponytails or pigtails. Emo lacquer or wax is used to fix short hair on top of the head so that it stands upright.
Subculture in Russia
How did they come about? Many music critics argue that Russian emo are "punky punks." Nevertheless, there are such creative groups that try to completely copy the classic Western core. The fans themselves try to follow emo fashion down to the smallest detail. Despite the absence of specialized clothing and footwear stores in most cities, young men and women try to completely resemble their American and European "colleagues". Despite the obvious apolitical nature of the representatives of this subculture, the Russian authorities do not particularly favor them. In 2008, the State Duma even considered the "Concept on State Intervention in the Spiritual Education of Children." This bill indicated that it promotes suicide and cultivates depression. In 2010, a wave of repressions against representatives of this youth movement swept through Armenia. The country's authorities spoke in a very peculiar way on the topic of who the emo are: they say, foreign influence spoils the youth, and instead of being filled with a national-patriotic spirit, they resort to suicide attempts.
Anything can be found in life, and various representatives of youth subcultures are not the most surprising. But there are many strange moments in their behavior:
- Why do they like the same clothes?
- What attracts them to the chosen movement?
- How do they live like this?
Most often, these questions in our country are raised in relation to those who like the "emo" subculture. It is worth noting the fact that in our country this direction has literally mutated and changed greatly compared to its original character. Many emo do not even realize how far they are from the pioneers, and continue to live with false ideas about their movement.
Where does the wind blow from?
The previous century turned out to be rich in the discovery of fundamentally new cultures (although the phrases that everything new is well forgotten old remain relevant). The etymology of the word "emo" is very simple and accessible even for a person with complete ignorance of foreign languages.
Emo subculture in English sounds like "emotional", which means "emotional" in translation. In sociology and cultural studies, this is a certain part of social culture that has fundamental differences from the prevailing one. In fact, it is a small world with its own values, demeanor, style and even language. Of course, it is worth noting the fact that such communities are distinguished by many basic factors, for example, by national, demographic, professional or geographic.
The emo subculture appeared as a reaction of society to the dullness and lack of ideology of the present. Every day, most people go to their unloved work, knowing that they will spend the whole day wearing a fake smile and being targeted by security cameras (which is common nowadays). We hide our real emotions under a mask, forgetting that there is only one life, it will not be possible to repeat it. Real emotions are real life. On the basis of this thought, a whole movement arises.
From the history
It is worth noting the achievement of the American sociologist David Riseman, who in his works identified groups of people similar in style and moral values in subcultures. In turn, Dick Habdidge wrote a book on subcultures and the meaning of style, expressing his point of view on groups and deciding that the main motive for separation was dissatisfaction with generally accepted standards.
The Frenchman Michel Maffezoli began to study the topic, who called such youth movements urban tribes, but Viktor Dolnik in his book works was more delicate and used the concept of "clubs". In the USSR, subcultures were informal associations, which were also called tusovka. This attitude is understandable, because the representatives of such movements differed from the general mass.
There are only three major topics left that were not touched upon by the organizers and ideological inspirers of subcultures. This is prison, drugs and homosexuality. These areas themselves are so specific that the division within them into factions does not attract others and does not cause the desire to join. The emo youth subculture arose on the basis of fans of one musical style, which was precisely distinguished by an abundance of expressed emotions.
The main features of emo
Their first and most important difference is their general outlook and attitude to emotions: emo is not afraid to show himself real, opens his soul completely, and therefore remains in harmony with himself. Representatives of this trend love bright colors, but the stereotypical thinking, according to which the only acceptable combination for them is black and pink, is mistaken.
The emo subculture stands for the brightness and richness of colors - this is the color of the grass in spring, and bright sunlight (the more colors and shades, the better). Therefore, real emo are not at all those strange children in striped clothes, but just people who stand out from the crowd, whose outfit you want to consider and, possibly, repeat. By the way, emo can be recognized by a question and a request to tell about the ideological component of the costume - they will not remain silent or avoid answering. In communication, they are as benevolent as possible, since they fundamentally do not believe in evil, they oppose injustice.
It is possible that a representative of the emo culture will, on the contrary, be a depressed and easily injured person, since negative emotions are too acute for them. In their quest to tell grief, emo can go too far and then push people away from themselves. Stereotypes paint them as whiny and weak people, but the true representatives of the movement are completely different. The emo subculture is very deep and interesting to learn, but it requires the right approach and the desire to promote it to the masses.
About music
So, the basis for the emergence of this community was music, which is somewhat reminiscent of punk rock and, strictly speaking, is its kind. At the same time, the value orientations of these directions are absolutely polar. Probably the most romantic and empathetic people in the world are united by the emo subculture. The history of the emergence of this movement eloquently focuses on romanticism, love sublimity and emotionality of its followers. Personal experiences for them are much more important than social events. At the same time, emo are completely devoid of aggression, which is so characteristic of hardcore.
Music often makes emo even with representatives of the gothic subculture, who are "very original" in choosing the colors of their outfits (they prefer absolutely black and the most closed style, although there are exceptions to the rule). Emo's often sing about rather sad things, like Paramore or Fall Out Boy, who perform songs with anguish, telling about the problems of being and the happiness of love. Now at the peak of popularity are bands singing in the style of emo-rivival, which include Empire! Empire !, Touche Amore and many others.
About symbols
How is the emo subculture different? Briefly, you can judge about it by the clothes of the representatives: let the color be variable, but the style is always recognizable - skinny jeans (regardless of gender), a large belt with the symbols of a vegan adherent. By the way, this movement is very popular among emo, and not everyone can be a vegan.
Thus, emo are protesting against violence against animals, many of them do not eat meat and animal products. Emo are very fond of comfortable shoes, namely, sneakers. Their image can be supplemented with gaiters, mitts, checkered headscarves and multi-colored badges. The latter can be quite a lot, but you still need to know when to stop.
Image and make-up
Even a guy who loves emo style is unlikely to do without a certain amount of makeup. But only the skilled one will look stylish with her, not feminine. By the way, there are not so many homosexuals among emo, as is commonly believed. A guy can remain courageous, even wearing the traditional emo hairstyle with torn bangs. And many famous music performers set an example for them, eyeliner with a black liner. It is easier for girls in this regard, because emo approve of a bright mec-up, funny hairpins and an abundance of hearts.
