If You Like Mexican Emo Wars, You Will Also Like…
by Jaden
The strangest news I have read this year was about the emo riots and protests in Mexico.
Who knew emo existed in Mexico? And why would anyone care enough to fight over it?
Metalheads, punkrockers, rockabillies, any group who considers themselves über-tough and virile, join forces to battle the nice skinny-pant emo.
When you speak the same language and have the same color skin, I guess you have to find other things about which to fight, like hairstyles, fabric colors, and music.
You can read more about emo violence in Mexico on Time or Wired.
What is emo?
Six years ago, my little brother called me emo, which I didn’t understand, nor did he, really, because he couldn’t explain it.
Looking up emo online, every website had different unrelated definitions and mentioned a smattering of bands whose music was definitely not in my iTunes library.
Since then, emo has refined its look, its sound, and its mood.
Wikipedia starts its emo profile by saying it is a “style of hardcore punk.” Ha! Please! Emo is not hardcore punk, nor is it independent, considering that major labels are putting out this conformist formulaic music. Emo is widespread and international. Way down on the Wikipedia page, in the “Third Wave (2000- present)” and “Fashion and Stereotype” sections, there is a proper description of today’s emo.
Emo looks like a retrofitted gothic glam rocker wearing a sad emotional face expression ’cause life sucks.
Emosexuals are not as clean, aged, or affluent as metrosexuals, but due to their attention to fashion and sensitive nature, they are just as ambiguously straight, wherein lies the social conflict.
Being fashion conscious is nothing new for men and it by no means signals homosexuality.
Take our first president of the United States, George Washington, he was a pretty fashion-savvy guy. Bet he had manicures and curled his hair.
Macho Mexico could resolve the effeminate problem in a non-violent way by doing what England did in 1795 to those big white curly hair powdered wigs that were so popular — tax them! That’s a sure way to kill a trend. Look at what taxing cigarettes did for smoking. Or how about those taxes on the sex industry? Just put an extra tax on tight pants and black hair dye.
If Mexico takes it too far and makes emo illegal, the emo underground market would explode to huge proportions. Americans would sneak sad songs across the border to fulfill the need.
If you are into good ol’ fashion gang rivalry, here are some classic movies to watch:
The Outsiders (1983)
West Side Story (1961)
Crybaby (1990)
Revenge of the Nerds (1984)
Grease (1978)
.
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[Please read in the comments section from Shaner an excellent explanation of emo: existentialism, suicide, and how it developed to be so absurd and bleak today.]
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9 Responses to “If You Like Mexican Emo Wars, You Will Also Like…”
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I watched “The Outsiders” last week. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen it. I went to Blockbuster on the weekend looking for “West Side Story” and “American Graffiti” but no luck! (not that it was out, but they don’t carry them at all!)
If you wanna get real deep and philosophical; emo is basically a modern, glam version of existentialism. Basically deeming life as without purpose other than what you make it, which gives the emo kid a justification in his mind to do whatever he wants to do (drinking, drugs, sexual confusion, etc) even in excess. It was a lifestyle, but not what it currently means today. Old school emo’s viewed suicide not as an answer but as an inspiration - or a will to live. Back then we’d say “yeah I could kill myself, but that’s the easy way out.”
Life was hard and pointless but you had to find a reason to make it beautiful.
This was back when myspace first first getting around and everyone was either one friendster or makeoutclub.com. Those were my first experiences with the entire emo “thing”. I met quite a lot of interesting people and found the depths of my heart, I suppose, as I now can appreciate movies like the Notebook without being all “dude that’s for chicks” about it.
Movies like Fight Club helped fuel the emo “thing” for the characters in that movie basically modeled the way most of the kids acted. My god, how many Marla Singers I ran into at punk rock shows.
Don’t even get me started on the whole Bright Eyes, Conor Oberst portion of the emo crowd. I can only wallow in self-pity for so long.
However, this isn’t what has become of emo. Contemporary emo is now just a fad. MTV glams it up with bands like Falloutboy and Panic @ the disco and it is the current fashion of people like Ashlee Simpson.
It is basically meaningless, absurd and bleak (much like existentialism) only it’s not a way of life… it’s simply a persona the person chooses to wear. It’s cool, it is hip and even hip-hop has taken on bits from the image (you’ll notice skulls, microphones, guitars, lots of pink/black on the more urban styles).
Emo seems to be something that the moody, social outcast big brother was into so the little brother imitated the look and told all his friends about it so it suddenly becomes popular in high school. That’s where it seems to be most popular anymore, anyways, is in the preteen department. Those who are in their late 20’s and still doing this are probably hanging by a thread…
Like my Suicide Girl ex g/f!
It’s just what’s cool right now and it will eventually pass just as grunge did. Although I do miss grunge… before it got cool.
You can mos def delete that; citing spelling errors and length as a good reason.
SizzlyP — Was Outsiders still good? I haven’t seen it since I was a kid, loved it then. Have to watch it again, all of these, it has been too long.
Shaner — Please don’t make me delete that! It is a fantastic definition. I appreciate that you wrote it and want to keep it. It’s perfect.
I guess I am a little emo guilty then (definitely mentally). I have Bright Eyes in my music collection. I have to say, some of his music is amazing, some of it is super annoying. You gotta take risks with your art to do something different, Bright Eyes did.
Mos Def was with LL Cool J at The Newsroom for breakfast a while back… so was what’s her name… Sk8r girl too, uh, with hair extensions… um… shoot…Avril Lavigne at that joint. Good fresh fruit juices there. I get the grasshopper.
I just realized that you wrote:
“Americans will sneak sad songs across the border to fulfill the need.”
That was HILARIOUS. I can totally envision a truck full of My Chemical Romance cd’s being confiscated at the border. You’re funny.
Okay, last post.
You said grasshopper and I couldn’t resist… I read about this in national Geo.
Emo grasshoppers:
http://hoovaloo.com/2007/12/08/grasshoppers-turned-emo-by-parasite-worms-driven-to-suicide/
ch-ch-check it out!
Shaner — Ok. I read that grasshopper emo post, very funny. It is true. Who knows what parasites and microscopic weird things are in us causing depression or other hormonal or nervous dysfunctions? Gluten was the root of my emoism, it severely messed up my whole system, mentally and physically. Some day soon, I have to do a health post. People don’t realize how badly they treat their body.
The Outsiders was still good! I’ve published my review in the “Classics” category.
http://www.sizzlingpopcorn.com/wordpress/2008/06/06/the-outsiders-a-francis-ford-coppola-classic/
SizzlyP — Cool. Thanks for providing a link for us.