Emo - Not A Word
Emo. When asked to define it, even the most learned etymologists stutter and stumble. More often than not, the word is nothing more than a convenient label to slap onto any number of things people simply can’t be bothered to explore. Whether it’s music or clothing, attitude or “that kid who sits behind me in Spanish,” emo is never seen as good.
Emo is most commonly used in reference to a supposed scene in music. This scene is said to be characterized by depressing lyrics, self-harm, and black black black. But where on earth does a tragic affair such as this exist?
Because yes, one does see teenagers slouching around in dark skinny jeans and studded belts, but most of the time their playlists include classic punk and rock bands like the Misfits or AC/DC. And it’s true, people do actually grasp razors between trembling fingers full of malicious intent, but to be blunt, most people desperate enough to practice self-harm are not going to parade their depression in eyeliner and metal cuffs.
So from where does this fantastical image of straightened, dyed-black hair and bare-faced depression come? Surely the inspiration wasn’t drawn from reality, because with a single panoramic view of the surrounding world and its people, it becomes immediately apparent that the epitome of such despair has never ever walked the face of this earth.
Though no one person is said to have invented the term “emo”, it perseveres on the lips of thousands who use it every day. They consider it little more than a convenient label to describe all things unfamiliar, or worse, different. These people haven’t the slightest idea of what emo means - does anyone? - but they certainly aren’t making any effort to find out before they attach it like a label to everything from music to living, breathing human beings.
It’s so very disheartening to see and hear people judging each other based on little more than their taste in clothes or music, but by far the most disappointing aspect of this newfound adjective is that its connotations are always so negative. It’s incredibly irritating to tell a friend about a favorite band and have them say “Oh, that’s so emo”. There is nearly always a mocking, superior note in the way it’s said that makes one want to slap the speaker.
So what are people implying anyway? It is a mark of the stupidity of the human race that an adjective like emo even exists, and an even larger mark of the bigotry of the human race that such an adjective not only exists, but is now a popular addition to the modern lexicon.
What it really comes down to is this - emo isn’t a real word. Get a better vocabulary.
