The War On Emo Continues...
Forgive the sudden lapse from light-hearted buffoonery to more serious matters, but something happened last week, and in all the fizz and frill of the Big Weekend, I couldn't really get around to having a good hard think about it until now. That's not because I'm particularly slow - although, like any grown-up, I can become addled by loud noise, bright light, or seeing young men in hooded tops off in the middle distance - but because it took a while for the whole story to really sink in, and a little longer to work out if there was any point in saying something about it.
The bare facts are these, the Daily Mail recently ran a story about a 13-year-old girl called . Their version of her story is that Hannah had become involved in a terrifying worldwide cult called 'emo', and that she had been brainwashed into joining by listening to nothing but My Chemical Romance, had cut herself as part of the initiation ceremony, and had dreamed of going to a place called the black parade, which is where - and I'm quoting - "all emos believe they will go when they die".
It's an awful tale, isn't it? That poor girl, and her poor family, devastated, and it seems that music, or, more correctly, music-based tribalism is somehow to blame.
And despite the fact that the Mail got all of their facts wrong (again), it's hard to work out whether it wouldn't be better to let Hannah rest, and leave her family alone in their grief.
But then, reading on, the sheer weight of nonsense in the editorial starts to become hard to ignore. The fact that it suits their argument to say that the black parade is some kind of emo equivalent to heaven, one which people actually really believe in, is a deliberate provocation of nervous parents.
So, what I suggest we all do, in the name of harmony and keeping a clear head in troubled times is have a quiet word with any Daily Mail-reading person in our immediate circle, and possibly explain a few things about this evil cult.
Emo, that is, not reading the Daily Mail.
Here's a handy ChartBlog Cut-Out-And-Keep examination of all of the things the Daily Mail said. You may find it useful when discussing the situation:
1: It's important to get cause and effect the right way around. People who are sad gravitate to music which reflects that sadness, in the same way that people who just want to party the night away tend to want to hear upbeat, happy songs. Music doesn't create emotions, it reflects them.
2: The Black Parade is part of a fiction. It IS concerned with death, but only exists because a father is trying to tell his son about dying in a non-threatening or scary way. People do not believe it is real, any more than they believe Quidditch is real.
3: The term 'emo' does not derive from 'emotional'. It derives from 'emotional hardcore', a term used to describe different types of hardcore punk rock in the '80s.
4: You've got to love the fact that Blink 182 are listed as a favourite among emos. I mean, if you teenagers are as open to suggestion as the Mail claims, what kind of depraved, messy antics are you going to get up to if you're listening to Blink all day long? Second thoughts, don't answer that...
5: Emo does NOT have an initiation ceremony which demands that people cut themselves. To suggest that emo is a cult which is organised enough to even have meetings, let along a ceremony, is ridiculous.
6: Teenagers do talk to other teenagers online, and because they are feeling very extreme, a lot of what they talk about is very extreme too. They also write ridiculous poetry, and draw a lot of monsters. Adolescence is a white-knuckle ride, and not in a rude way.
7: The Mail rightly points out that some of the contributory factors in current cases of self-harm include bullying and exam-related stress. Would it be too fanciful to suggest that listening to dark, scary rock music might be a part of the same emotional landscape? If you're stressed to hell, and Alphabeat don't do it for you, where else is there to go?
8: "Inevitably, criticisms of emo culture are laughed off by those who consider themselves to be at the heart of it." They might just be laughing because your criticisms are laughable, did you think of that? Ask them about everyone dressing the same in order to reflect their feelings of being different, see if they laugh then.
9: This is how you win an argument. First make a claim about teenagers, then examine what other people say about that claim. Agree with the people who say that your claim is rubbish, and then, the coupe de grace, say something like this "as any parent will tell you, adolescent children can be highly irrational". This basically says that even though everyone knows your claim is rubbish, those mad teenagers can't be trusted not to equate Gerard Way with self-harm. Or whippets with wearing a hat. Or biscuits with spam. They are crackers!
10: Sadly, the most dangerous thing about emo these days is the press coverage. The whole emo thing is pretty old now, even in grown-up terms, so people are behaving in a way they believe you are supposed to behave if you are an emo, and that comes from reports like this one. It's a hysteria which is feeding itself.
The thing everyone should be in agreement on is that suicide is a rotten thing to happen to everyone in your life, friend or foe. And that locking yourself away in your room and only talking to people online is a poor substitute for actual human interaction.
Oh, and that this report is the kind of thing that just makes grown-ups even more scared of teenagers, something else which Gerard Way has addressed in his lyrics, and something which is a damn sight more real than any amount of guff about there being an actual black parade...
===================================
The Surgery offers advice on self-harm...
...and bullying...
...and exam stress...
...and even not getting on with your parents.
And if you're unsure as to what teen tribes are all about, go and have a shufty at Them...
Comment number 1.
At 19th May 2008, HG wrote:Well said. Thank you (I'm not labelled emo, but the whole thing bugs me).
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Comment number 2.
At 20th May 2008, ShineyMcShine wrote:Thoug I like MCR, I'm not particularly emo orientated myself, but I too find this sort of ill informed scaremongering
It's not exactly a new phenomenon though. Since pop began tightly laced types have started spitting feathers everytime an even vaguely threatening act came on the scene - Elvis and his pneumatic hips, Rolling Stones, Sex Pistols, The Beastie Boys, ad infinitum. - it's a bit like Morrissey's career post Smiths - surfaces very now and again, is quickly forgotten about and sinks again without trace
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Comment number 3.
At 20th May 2008, katstevens wrote:I think the Mail is always searching for the next thing for parents to be terrified of - a computer game about MMR that causes obesity etc. As ShineyMcShine says, parents have been throwing up their arms about the demonic beats of rock and roll for at least 50 years now so the Mail is telling them what they want to hear, and will soon move on to the next terrifying topic du jour, and the next, until the entire Mail readership is too scared of the world to even go down the newsagents and pick up their paper.
Unfortunately none of this is going to help the poor girl's parents.
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Comment number 4.
At 21st May 2008, Kat wrote:heh i just read that mcr fans are marching to protest how the media depicts the band or something?
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Comment number 5.
At 22nd May 2008, ShineyMcShine wrote:How brilliant would that be? The Mail going on about how emo music itself being the catalyst for 'inappropriate' behaviour, when it is the actual reports of this fictional threat that is causing the emo kids to mobilise themselves - it doesn't get any better than that!
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Comment number 6.
At 22nd May 2008, KerriC wrote:Just to say - I have twice commented on this blog (third time lucky), neither of which have ended up here, so I'm not ignoring CB or anything, you know how much this topic means to me, the commenting system is just being a pain. Both previous times were essays, I'm not writing one again.
Thanks for this Fraser :) means alot to know that not all adults have been brainswashed
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Comment number 7.
At 22nd May 2008, Fraser McAlpine - wrote:Bah! Sorry to hear the comments thing has let you down, Kerri. I would love to know your thoughts.
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Comment number 8.
At 23rd May 2008, KerriC wrote:Well I save a link to this page and at a better time I'll write you another essay. Been a bit of a tough day today as I left sixth form for the final time, and have now got thrilling A2 exams coming up.. boohoo
:(
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Comment number 9.
At 23rd May 2008, Kat wrote:ooh good luck with exams! and everyone else that's got em atm :P
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Comment number 10.
At 24th May 2008, Fraser McAlpine - wrote:Yep, best of luck, Kerri!
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Comment number 11.
At 24th May 2008, KerriC wrote:Thanks :)
Making the most of half term next week though, going up to Manchester on the monday and then Wembly for England v USA on the wednesday :D
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Comment number 12.
At 27th May 2008, lectrospin wrote:What was written was based on testimony given at the inquest into her death. This makes them legal facts. The fact that she was part of an internet cult that glamourised suicide and believed that suicide victims join the 'black parade' was based on evidence given by friends and posts taken from the internet group, it wasnt made up or fabricated by the Daily Mail, in fact it was report in several different newspapers. Sounds like someone needs to actually read the facts before accusing the daily mail of not doing so. This ignorant writing actually makes the daily mail's article look good in comparision. In my experience 'People who are sad' reject such superficial commercial music and it seems plain if you look at the evidence that this girl was not depressed just became obsessed with a dangerous fashion. Whether you like it or not or are in plain denial, the emo fashion glamourises suicide and the coroner was correct to express concerns about it, as is the Daily Mail and all decent parents.
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Comment number 13.
At 28th May 2008, Kat wrote:You talk nonsense. Even before this everyone knew that the Daily Mail was a filthy rag. It is overly dramatic in nearly all stories and if it doesn't break the facts (which it has done several times, see lawsuits against it) it does its best to stretch them.
As for this case, just assuming that everything went as as you say, it doesn't sound like emo to me. It sounds more like a severely confused and ill young girl. Mentally healthy people, even young people, are much less likely to be sucked into that kind of situation.
"In my experience 'People who are sad' reject such superficial commercial music"
I don't know what music you're talking about here?
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Comment number 14.
At 28th May 2008, stuartpaul-marylouise wrote:go emo
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Comment number 15.
At 28th May 2008, Quitch wrote:www.whatthefrank.com
I Will Be Marching but only for the morning as I refuse to let my A* slip through my fingers :D
The whole issue with this article is not just the unfair prejudices it presses against a large group of teenagers, but also the direct targeting of a band completely contrasting the message that they have previously portrayed. To quote Life On The Murder Scene "MCR Saved My Life. That's What We're Really Here For"-Gerard Way
and THAT is the poor research of a trashy article.
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Comment number 16.
At 28th May 2008, soEmo_co_uk wrote:It is a relief to at last see an unbiased reliable article in the media regarding the emo sub culture. Thanks!
The media has really caught onto the emo scene recently and as mentioned in another comment there is even a protest in London in response to The Daily Mail鈥檚 ridiculous 鈥渟uicide cult鈥 claims.
Judging by recent articles, the newspaper hasn鈥檛 learnt much at all since the joke of an article in 2006 by Sarah Sands.
Parents who previously knew nothing about the culture are getting a false impression and becoming unnecessarily worried. As a result their children may be encouraged to miss out on a perfectly harmless and interesting scene.
That brings me to a sentence that really stands out for me in this article, 鈥淪adly, the most dangerous thing about emo these days is the press coverage.鈥
I have recently setup my own online Emo community - www.soEmo.co.uk
This is a friendly and supportive community and also fully describes the emo culture in an unbiased way by someone actually part of the sub culture!
Want to learn more about 鈥淓mo鈥? Please read the information www.soEmo.co.uk rather than going round in circles with some of the poorly researched articles in the media.
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Comment number 17.
At 29th May 2008, Fraser McAlpine - wrote:Lectrospin,
You're right, it wasn't just the Mail who reported on this story, and their information is indeed taken from the inquest.
But neither the inquest nor any of the media outlets who covered the story took the time to question whether someone saying "enjoy the black parade" is just a nice tribute to pay to a lost friend, based on a fictitious idea created by a rock band, or an actual belief system.
That's why I ended up writing this thing, not because I'm such a great journalist, but because a lot of what has been said about emo has been factually inaccurate, and you have to ask yourself why these inaccuracies have been allowed to stand.
The Daily Mail takes all the heat because they've tried to write this exact story once before - see SoEmo's comment for details - and they weren't exactly toning down the fearmongering then either.
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Comment number 18.
At 29th May 2008, XxlivsxX wrote:I read this in the paper, and when I got to the Blink 182 part, I actually laughed out loud.
My only problem with SoEmo's comment.
"fully describes the emo culture in an unbiased way by someone actually part of the sub culture!"
It can't be unbiased, if whoever wrote it is part of the scene. As whether they like it or not, they will undoubtedly have a different viewpoint to somebody not in the scene.
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Comment number 19.
At 30th May 2008, soEmo_co_uk wrote:XxlivsxX I agree, but at least I am providing a more accurate view on the emo scene than a large proportion of the media who aren't part of the scene and simply research via the Internet.
I don't just describe the emo scene as happy in contrast to the media. Young people enjoy the angst that is associated with the emo scene. Some people take it too far, but that is true of any sub culture.
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Comment number 20.
At 30th May 2008, igorah wrote:meh, idk why people attack subcultures so much, we're all people, who cares what music we listen to or clothes we were or whatever?
I just don't get how people can be so judgemental and 'pigeonhole' people so easily when they don't even know them
It humours me when magazines and newspapers make assumptions like this, really shows how ignorant the world can be
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Comment number 21.
At 31st May 2008, sparkyourheels wrote:OMG THANK YOU!!!! Finally someone who can talk sense on the whole matter and who knows their facts instead of making up utter twaddle to support their argument!! It's appreciated! xxx
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Comment number 22.
At 4th Jun 2008, soEmo_co_uk wrote:I have added a write up with images and videos of the MCR (My Chemical Romance) / Emo fans protest against the
Daily Mail's 鈥渟uicide cult鈥 claims - 31st May 2008, London
See www.soEmo.co.uk for details.
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Comment number 23.
At 9th Nov 2008, LittleBlackCherry wrote:Thank you!!! Great article, cleans all the myths around Emo community, life and music. I hope people will see true thanks to more of articles like this.
Some more lifestyle and fashion guides are on Scene Emo Clothing www.littleblackcherry.co.uk where you'll find constantly updated news and views on Scene Emo lifestyle and Community
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