Does anyone else think that the label "emo" is a bit silly?!
Question: Let's face it, these so-called "emo" bands aren't doing anything different musically than Counting Crows, REM, Pearl Jam, and Hootie & the Blowfish were doing ten years ago.
Answers: Let's face it, these so-called "emo" bands aren't doing anything different musically than Counting Crows, REM, Pearl Jam, and Hootie & the Blowfish were doing ten years ago.
Lovn nailed it. Although I don't think the quality of music has gone downhill (or gotten better for that matter), I do agree that people use the term "emo" too much. It's just a buzz word these days. It's only used as a derogatory term to show ones disdain for a band regardless of whether they are in fact, emo. I remember using that term 15 years ago and nobody knew what it was....now nobody can stop saying it. Give me a break.
Suzanna: The emo you are talking about, suicide songs, lifestyle etc go back at least 10 years. It's not new. The examples of REM, Pearl Jam, etc are pretty poor, but valid. Emo started in the mid 80s. It's just popular now. The next big one is going to be Hardline music. Then Anti-Flag will be considered genius having released the song "Indie Sux, Hardline Sux, Emo Sux, You Suck!" on the album Their System Does Not Work For You back in '98 (about 10 years ago lol).
and they're doing it less skillfully!
wow. ur telling me that my chemical romance and all these other scremo bands are like REM and hootie? have you even heard any of those bands? thats like saying dont hate george jones, its just like nirvana.
This question really puts things in perspective. I was never a huge fan of Counting Crows nor Hootie back in the 90's. Little did I realize how much worse music could get with the pre-fabricated, boy-band-rocker, emo bands. But yes, the label is beyond silly and considering how much it's changed in such a short time, it has lost all relevance and meaning.
no offense to the people who call themselves EMO, but yeah, its a lil silly, everytime i hear emo, i think of elmo. The music isnt that different either..
I do think coming up with a new label for any music is totally silly!!!
I did see a saying that I thought was humorous, though. It said, "I wish my lawn was emo so it would cut itself."
Yeah, I know, it's kind of funny, stupid and sad. But, then again, aren't the people who do that stuff to themselves just as stupid and sad?
All labels are silly. Why do we feel the need to categorize everyone and everything? Why can't it just be?
Yes, that is a rather silly label. But I know why people use it. Music has to have some feeling in it, otherwise it isn't music, but a lot of people don't like it when music shows too much emotion and too little musicianship.
I personally like for a singer to be able to sing first--using the voice to make a melody or at least recite some lyrics well--and be emotional as a secondary concern. And I don't like for every song to be a "sad" song.
I never really got into Hootie or Counting Crows because the singers always sound sad. There's plenty of sad in normal life. I want music to pick me up.
I don't mean to put your point-of-view down, only to answer your question and try to help you understand how these labels get started.
yeah but it's what they like to call it. but the term "emo" is just the way they can make money.
I see your point, however you can't compare today's "emo" bands with what happened 10 years ago. These are different times, different bands...it's not exactly the same thing.
In other words, I don't think the "emo" label itself is silly, but what the term now defines it is silly. Nevertheless I'm not saying that that I'm against those who don't like, or label emo bands. But the truth is that what MCR, Fall out boy and others like them are doing does seem silly from the perspective of a normal person; I preety much reckon that what REM, Pearl Jam etc were doing ten years ago doesn't match today's emo bands who are singing about suicide, how sad is life and mostly about noy enjoying life. The emo style itself it's not very appreciated by normal people, which is perfectly understandable because it's quite disturbing to have to deal with person who, not only are dogmatically dressed, but they act like life's no good, they have no pleasure of living and besides that, they listen to those bands, which musically-wise have no value what-so-ever, no matter what others might say.
In the end, not the label "emo" is silly, but the emo people and bands are silly themselves, therefore is normal that other people tend to dislike them. Besides that, they seem to enjoy being called emos.
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The main difference between now and 10 years ago is that EMO IS NOW A LIFESTYLE. Unlike the emotional music 10 years ago. Which was just sad, but did not deny the pleasure of living your life.
I think the whole emo scene, kids or adults, is just dumb.
It makes it even dumber because they're ROCK STARS making MILLIONS of dollars and they're depressed, emo.
Hopefully this whole fad will be gone soon
But i have to admit, Fall Out Boy grew on me
The whole emo thing is pathetic.
Bands like My Chemical Romance have said a million times THEY ARE NOT EMO. yet people continue to dump this pathetic label on them.
You know whats more silly than "emo"? The so called "bands" that are making the so called "emo music".
Emo is silly too use as a putdown. I mean I don't see the big deal..but maybe it's because I have mental problems oh well
Short and sweet: Comparing it to 90s alternative isn't quite correct in this case.
It's not the slightly depressing and somber nature of Emo music, but the lifestyle that goes with it.
I'm not an encyclopedia of the all things Emo, but basically our tenets are:
Life sucks.
Nobody understands us.
Love is BS, and it always breaks your heart.
Life isn't worth living, or if it is, it's a dark parade of misery.
Depression is inevitable.
Now, as for the people who sit around cutting themselves, I look upon them with disdain, for it gives us a bad name.
Also, contrary to what you see in the media, we're not all suicidal either. We're just going through a few rough spots in life and this is one way that we deal with it.
Our subculture is picked on and criticized more than many others these days, and to the older adults out there reading...didn't any of you participate in a non-mainstream sub-culture 'back in the day'?
If I hopped into my time machine, would I see you at an early grunge show? Or maybe listening to some new wave, way back when? Or even as a hippie?
So we're just people who are disgusted with the mainstream and live our lives the way it is best for us at the moment. Nothing new.
I think the genre is a bit silly.
You just summed it all up right there because the whole genre is silly,the people are silly,and so is everything about it
the only difference emo music is totally sH**
No but the music is.