Is the trends of today getting to out of control?

[Confession]

As I was searching upon 4chan looking up pointless banter as you do. I actually stumbled upon something quite serious

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...e-cult%27.html

After reading this horiffic article. I thought. Is what people follow today getting ahead of themselves and out of control?

It seems that everyone has A different view on exactly what "emo" is. My Idea is that it is a genre of music, that was dirived from punk, that has become out of hand with teenagers adults and children alike taking the lyrics that are in these songs to heart.

I'm completely fine with "emo's" being all cranky and dressing in black and being seemingly unaware of the people around them. (I Know it's a sterotype there, but I have many "emo" friends. I do not mean to offend)

But it seems to me that from this article. In Britian. it is becoming more then it should be.

She had secretly chatted to “emo” followers online all over the world, talking about death and the glamorisation of hanging and speaking about “the black parade” - a place where “emos” believe they go after they die.

She had even scratched her wrists in a form of self-harm often seen as a form of initiation into the popular fashion and lifestyle fad followed by young people who dress in black like their older “Goth” crowd.

Has "Emo" overstepped the label "scene" or "fad" and is on it's way to becoming a modern day mainstream religion?

[Lucid]

When I think emo, I think of really annoying and whiny kids who complain that their life is so horrible and cut themselves because their boyfriend broke up with them. Oh boo hoo.

Sure it's sad that kids are taking this emo thing too far and killing themselves because of it, but they're a little stupid if you ask me. Reminds me of the Suicide Club. The "black parade"? Give me a break.

To me, emo is just an annoying trend. You can be emotional about things without having to wear all black, thick eyeliner, write obnoxious poetry about dying, and/or cut yourself to prove how depressed you are.

Geez, get a hobby or play some video games. Eat some ice cream. I hear that's good for depression...or something.
How about getting a pet?

I hope I don't offend any emos. Oh wait...I don't care. Get a life.

[Doc Rocco]

Emo is now a subculture, and is well on its way to becoming a cult or religion. The number of people who are part of it is getting bigger by the day. It seems that by joining the subculture, you are almost signing your life away. It would be interesting to see what percentages of emos self harm and suicide. It would be quite interesting, methinks.

I have no problem with the fashion, and, to a degree, the attitude towards life. But seriously, if life is so bad, get help! In this day and age, there are so many resources available to help you, why not use them? Rather than top yourself, get on the phone and talk to a professional. I've been depressed before, but rather than go hang myself, I talked it out and felt a hell of a lot better.

In short, emos need to get over themselves and get some help. Killing yourself may solve your problems, but creates so many more for everyone else.

[Unknown Entity]

I just read the whole thing, and was shocked. I have been told by people at school before that people thought I was emo, but I never really understood them - I know what emo is, but I wouldn't class myself as emo because... thats not me.

What I don't get is WHY people would want to go down that road - the dark music, dark clothes, and attitude are kind of normal, but what could bring you to press a blade into your own flesh? I know people who have done it, and they did tell me they knew it was wrong after they had.

I just think that some people look up to their peers - and I guess in this case, its My Chemical Romance - and want to be just like them, even BETTER than them. I don't think that this is an attension seeking thing - just a way of trying to get into the crowd which you would adore.

I have nothing against emos, but wish that they... would just get a life. You can act depressed all the time, but it won't take your problems away. Stand up to your problems, and banish them - NOT yourself! Peers seem to be cool, but they aren't as cool as you think when your parents discover the scars, and send you to some psycologist! WAKE UP!!! If you end your life because its so really sh*t for you, you won't live to see the best parts! Your going to miss EVERYTHING that life has to offer.

Sure, there have been time when I have been down and depressed, but my mates WILL slap me back into my huggable, laughable ways! I don't look at my friends as peers, and I never have. I'm just me, and the way I turn out isn't because of my crowd; its because I pick my path, and be myself - not COPYING some STUPID cult who have NO idea what they are ON ABOUT!!! Say you did kill yourself? Say there is NO such thing as the 'black parade'? What you going to do now you chucked your life away? THINK ABOUT IT!!!

[Joe]

While I disagree with you in the idea that Emo is becoming a mainstream religion, I could be easily persuaded to believe that it's becoming more and more like a cult. "Emo" to me is what I notice to be a way of life for those who fit the classification. While i haven't heard anyone talk about joining the Black Parade, I have heard various people speak about the gratification tehy recieve from causing self-harm. I am of the opinion that self-harm is ludicrous, as there are a myriad of other ways to relieve such emotions, such as merely talking, or playing a favorite game. While personally I dislike emo music in general, there have been a few songs that I enjoy listening to, simply because they sound good, not because I believe in any of the messages.

It does scare me that emo is becomign more and more mainstream, and I think that there's nothing wrong with being classified as "emo", so long as the self-harm stays out of it all. Very little of the previous paragraph probably made sense, as i'm a bit tired. Oh well.


Regards,
Steel

[Halie]

*Sigh* Another emo arguement...

I think I'll quote myself on this.

emos will eventually grow out of it, and the trend will fade.

Not all emos self-harm, not all of them want to commit suicide.

It's a trend much like any other. It won't become a cult or a religion, however serious it's becoming. The kids into the emo scene who claim they want to die, don't even really want to kill themselves, they just want people to believe they do - for attention. I'm not saying it out of spite, but those kids are really all just a bunch of pathetic attention seeking idiots.

But, even so, my best friend is an emo. She doesn't wear all black, she doesn't go moping around saying "OMG, PEEPS. I JUST WANNA DIE. SCREW THIS CRUEL WORLD YOUR ALL FACKIN BITCHES I HATE YOU I HATE MY LIFE EVERYTHING SHIT". But she did used to be like that, and now she's grown out of it. And so will most of these kids. The majority of them will come to realise that they're still young, that life has much to give, and that it's only a bloody trend - nothing to put their lives on the fence for.


Labels are lame anyway. I mean, it's nice to be in a circle with people who enjoy the same things as you, but geebs, there's no need to put a label on that circle. Just because I ate Peanut Butter yesterday and loved it doesn't mean I'm gonna go out searching for others who also love it, form a group with them and call us the PB-Nutters, does it?

[Bleachfangirl]

That's stupid. Emo kids are killing themselves now? I personally don't think that "emo" is anything more that a fashion/fad now. There are some people that take it too the extreme and end up pulling stupid stunts like that, but that happens all around the world for all sorts of different reasons. Not just emo people do wild things. There are crazy fanatics that do other outrageous things too.

There are just some people that take things to the extreme. Everyone else I know that are emo don't even think of things like that. They enjoy the styles and just want to keep in with the rest of the teens that are emo. It's not TOO serious for now, so unless a giant group of people pop up to kill themselves for no reason, it's not too bad.

She was young too. Younger teens are more easily swayed and influenced, so some are more willing to do idiotic things like that without thinking to gain some sort of recognition. I'm sad the girl died, but I'm pretty sure there is a very small likelihood of this happening again.

[Halie]

so unless a giant group of people pop up to kill themselves for no reason, it's not too bad.

Now that you mention it, a few months ago there were loads of reportings of teenagers killing themselves around where I live (Wales). It was all happening in the Bridgend area. I think the number of suicides went up to about fifteen or seventeen. The peculiar thing was that they were all happening so fast, though the police couldn't find any links between the suicides. I don't particularly know whether these teens were into the emo scene or not, but it's still something to consider...

[Pete]

I agree with everything Brett/ kilo said. If kids don't understand the value of life, then let them off themselves until someone wakes up, realizes that it's retarded, and fiiiiinally ends the emo movement once and for all. It's also up to the record labels and radio stations to take a stand and realize that for some reason, kids are killing themselves to look cool. I don't understand how people want to kill themselves, but hey, if MCR wants you to kill yourself, then by all means do it. The world needs less sheep.



And of course MCR is from Jersey, everything from Jersey sucks ass.


and how is this intellectual?

[Storm]

I've never understood why people label themselves into a specific trend- but have always seen it as a tribute to a particular genre of music and various bands. I have no issue with that. For a year or two I thought that emo was one of these, and in most cases it is- but it's people who are following it like a cult that are giving themselves a hated stereotype. Lots of people listen to "dark music" but don't do daft things like create suicide pacs and harm groups. In my oppinion emo lyrics aren't exactly dark either. What do they actually harm over? I have a friend who self-harms but not due to some poxy little fad, the thought of people doing this as a form of a pact ritual annoys her as she knows it's wrong even though she has a liable reason in the odd case she will harm.

If they actually believe "The Black Parade" is a place they go when they die then maybe I should form my own daft belief that when I die I will go to "The Magic Postition". Afterall that is a lyric, song title and album I listen to. Stupid little children will believe anything.

[Chez Daja]

I've moved this. I just can't keep it in Intellectual Discussion. Whilst I could let it go if trends were more of a serious thing or if it were about gang violence, I can't really let a thread about emo's stay in ID.

In short, emos? The only thing I can type to represent my feelings on them is this: "...ugh."

[You]

First of all the article is absolout crap. Who ever wrote it should be shot.
Ill quote my girlfriend on this one just because it sums everything i would say about this pretty nicely.

"A girl of 13 killed herself after becoming obsessed with a fashion which links death with glamour, an inquest heard.
Hannah Bond hanged herself from her bunk bed with a tie after becoming an 'Emo'."

someone should give this dude a lesson in how to be a journalist.

rule number one... DO BACKGROUND RESEARCH AND KNOW WHAT YOURE WRITING ABOUT!!

its just ridiculus to call MCR a "suicide cult" band...

And hanging yourself from a tie to your bunk bed when your parents dont let you stay the night at a friends house has nothing to do with the fact that the girl had "been an emo for 2 weeks..." and was listening to MCR...

"She had been angry when she was told she was not allowed to sleep over and when she got home in East Peckham she went straight to her room, saying: "I want to kill myself.""

Sure, parents are trying to blame it all on the music, thats understandable, but that proper newspaper articles do the same thing its unfair, ridiculus and just wrong towards the band and all emo ppl too! that article makes it sound like if youre not self-harming and suicidal youre not emo... So if ppl read this and see emo ppl after that theyre gonna think all emos are suicidal and self-harming... what a great generalisation huh?! only cos they dress differently... this is just plain stupidity...

and i dont see how the line "Although you're dead and gone, believe me your memory will go on." (which is slightly misquoted) is promoting suicide in any way! just taking out one line that contains the word "dead" from a song doesnt mean the song is promoting suicide!

Theyre just trying to make MCR into the next Marilyn manson.. they always find someone to blame when things go wrong...


im surprised a grown man, a professional journalist on top of that, can write this kinda crap... and even get it published!

People are just trying to find a scapegoat once again. Emo is not a cult and nor is it demanding suicide from people that follow it. It is a fashion that simply has a bad perception of it and this article is simply trying to make it seem as bad as possible. The language, writing and lack of research proves this. This and several other articles have just blown the whole event out of proportion. This article is just ridiculous in my opinion.

Metal Hammer magazine however had the best point ever

"My Chemical Romance and Emo being blamed for teen suicide.
Still blissfully unaware that the average emo kid is as dangerous as a banana, the nation's tabloids are up in arms and suggesting that the musical genre is promoting teen suicide."

Not all emos self-harm, not all of them want to commit suicide.

It's a trend much like any other. It won't become a cult or a religion, however serious it's becoming. The kids into the emo scene who claim they want to die, don't even really want to kill themselves, they just want people to believe they do - for attention.

Quoted for truth.

[Govinda]

It's ARE. ARE THE TRENDS OF TODAY. Are is the plural. 'Is the emo trend getting out of hand' would work as the word 'trend' is singular in that sentence. Sorry, that bugged me every time I saw this thread.

And no, I don't think it's getting out of control. Were the hippy kids in the 60's getting out of control because some of them OD'd on LSD? Were the punks out of control because they'd drink to insanity and kill one another? Humans are social creatures who do what they can to fit in. Teenagers have always done it and will probably always continue to do it.

It seems fitting that the ones who go the farthest in our generation to fit in die in the pussiest ways.

EDIT:

I had refrained from before, but just now I made the mistake of skimming through replies to this thread. It's 99% complete and utter bull. Especially that one which dismantled the article. Whoever did that needs to understand how small a story this was and how little time/effort was needed/given space/there was time for. And they should try writing. If they'd paid attention they'd have noticed how it wasn't as biased as the tripe they were coming out with. GRRRAH. Back to my exams. Quicksmart.

[You]

I had refrained from before, but just now I made the mistake of skimming through replies to this thread. It's 99% complete and utter bull.

Just to clarify what is bull?

Especially that one which dismantled the article. Whoever did that needs to understand how small a story this was and how little time/effort was needed/given space/there was time for.

I presume you are refering to me? The article was not that small considering it was in several Brittish newspapers and plastered all over the Internet.

And they should try writing. If they'd paid attention they'd have noticed how it wasn't as biased as the tripe they were coming out with.

I have tried writing and ive been rather successful, ive even had something published. And your entitled to think my "tripe" is biased, but I put it accross as my opinion, so it cannot be looked at in quite the same way.

However I admit your right when you say "Humans are social creatures who do what they can to fit in. Teenagers have always done it and will probably always continue to do it." and that the emo culture played a part in her suicide. I was just trying to say that most likely there were some other underlying problems as well. I guess i should have elaborated more before.

And if you werent refering to me then oh well I should have elaborated anyway^^

[Rocky]

As I was searching upon 4chan looking up pointless banter as you do....

Rules 1 and 2 please, and if you don't know what that means then lurk moar. With all that aside, for those that have skewed views, MCR's "The Black Parade" is about 'realizing that we all die sooner or later... we have to live life to the fullest...' (from a Rolling Stone interview) Obviously these so called "emo" kids forgot to do their music appreciation homework and didn't realize what the music actually stood for. This can be acceptable to a certain degree, since most musicans write their music one way and tell the mass media another way so they don't lose in the sales and marketing, but when a kid kills themself to make a statement over something like this... I don't know what else to say but it is kind of pethetic. My heart goes out to all the families struggling with this phenomena.

[Furore]

I think the main issue is either they're all depressed or if city emos, bored from not having to get a job and stuff.

But then that's what a lot of emo culture seems to be. Seeming mopey and depressed. Well when I look at them anyways. Hanging outside stores, talking with their faces down looking at the ground. It even makes me a touch depressed just looking at them.

Naturally I have an issue with it. If they like black and the like they should harden the **** up and go Goth. The Goths I know all being pretty cool and having an excellent taste in music...

OR they could always just act a bit happier. I know I've joked about emos killing themselves making the world a less depressed place for me to live, but honestly I think it'd be better if they just ****ing chilled out a bit and decided that there are things to be happy about.