Emo Stuff. Nothing Feels Good: Punk Rock, Teenagers, And Goth.

Question: What is the difference between "emo" and "goth?"?

(Posted by: A p on 2010-03-07 10:34:19)

Posted by: Red Doll Shoes on 2010-03-09, 02:25:13

Basically, Goth is a subculture of people who are identified in terms of their fashion, music tastes and lifestyle. Although there are many variations on the theme of Goth, most Goths can be identified by the following: 1. Prevalence of black. This is probably the single most common feature to all Goths. Although there are exceptions, many Goths wear an unusually large amount of black clothing, dye their hair black, wear black eyeliner, and choose black personal items. Even those Goths such as Cyber Goths who wear extremely bright colors tend to combine them with black. 2. A fascination with "the dark. " In other words, the Gothic aesthetic is generally about finding beauty or interest in things that are "dark. " This could be manifested in a love of Gothic or horror literature, an appreciation of old "spooky " houses, churches and graveyards, finding inspiration from films and art depicting dark visions of the future, and, of course, a fascination with death. 3. A love of "Goth " music. Many Goths would argue that this is the most important factor that determines whether one is a Goth or not. However, what music can be classified as "Goth " is an incredibly difficult issue. It is generally accepted that certain post-punk bands from the 80s such as Bauhaus, Sisters of Mercy and Siouxsie and the Banshees are definitely Goth, but outside these the boundaries begin to wane. There are particular music genres that are often considered to be "Goth, " such as Darkwave, Ethereal, Death Rock, Industrial and EBM, but even many of these are not considered Goth by purists. And in the modern era there are even more bands whose "Goth or Not " status is always under review, especially those in the Metal genre. To make matters even more complex, these different "Goth " music genres frequently don't even sound like each other - Death Rock and EBM are like chalk and cheese. However, they do all tend to have one point in common - darkness. Almost all Gothic music can be described as "dark, " be it in terms of sound or lyrics. 4. An "alternative " lifestyle. By "alternative, " I mean "doing things that most people don't usually do. " Goths, in general, go to different bars and clubs to socialize than non-Goths, have different hobbies from non-Goths, wear fashion that is different to non-Goths, and may often have different occupations to non-Goths. This of course could apply to any subculture, particularly those that are linked to music scenes such as the Punk or Hippie subcultures. But there is an incredible amount of overlap between Goth and other subcultures, which is why such a diversity of Goths exists. Very often, where Goth ends and another subculture begins can be impossible to identify. These four points hopefully summarize what Goth is all about. If one tends to dress in weird, predominantly black clothing, likes things that are dark, enjoys listening to dark music and simply lives in a way that is somewhat unusual, they are probably going to be called a Goth by someone at some point. If you still want to know more about Goth, check out the works by Mick Mercer, Voltaire and Paul Hodkinson, who have far more authority than me to go around saying what is and isn't Goth. Now about Emos.... Although the term “Emo� has been around for over a decade or so to describe a particular genre of Punk, it has recently become a buzzword of the 21st century to describe the features of the contemporary youth fashion movement. Visually a hodgepodge of many different styles including Punk, Retro, a touch of urban Japanese and Goth, it was inevitable that Emo would start demonstrating crossovers with Goth at some point. Those Emos who cross over more than most into the Goth spectrum can be identified by their dyed black hair, black nail varnish, black eyeliner and a love of skulls and piercings. They will blend all these elements with other “typical� emo elements, such as Converses, horn-rimmed glasses, stripe and star patterns, and accents of bright colour (very often pink). Emos, like Goths, enjoy their music, and Emo Goths (or Gothy Emos) may listen to My Chemical Romance, The Rasmus or Funeral for a Friend (great Gothy name after all). Emos have a reputation for being rather moody, as do Goths, so one would expect an Emo Goth to be ultra-moody. This may be true of some, but many are too fond of children’s cartoons, old computer games, cute accessories and Tim Burton films to really be considered uber-dark.

Posted by: Mort on 2010-03-07, 10:45:54

Emo: Emotional teenager who is looking for attention and dresses in a way that shows how depressed they are. They are know to cut themselves, cry for no reason, and dress in the latest style out of hot topic. Goth: A person who dresses alternatively, perhaps strangely, who, in most cases, likes things that are more macabre. They aspire to be individuals outside of the normal. I am told that Emos evolved out of the Gothic scene. I was kinda gothic. I guess i still am a little. I love sunlight, smile all the time, volunteer at church and dont like it when people hurt animals. However, i like macabre things, Dexter the tv show and real life bones. It takes all kinds, man.

Posted by: Harriet T. Skitch on 2010-03-07, 10:47:21

According to wikipedia: Today emo is commonly tied to both music and fashion as well as the emo subculture.[98] Usually among teens, the term "emo " is stereotyped with wearing skinny jeans, sometimes in bright colors, and tight t-shirts (usually short-sleeved) which often bear the names of emo bands. Studded belts and black wristbands are common accessories in emo fashion. Black Converse sneakers and skate shoes, such as Vans, are popularly worn among people of the emo fashion. Some males also wear thick, black horn-rimmed glasses.[99][100][101] The emo fashion is also recognized for its hairstyles. Popular looks include long side-swept bangs, sometimes covering one or both eyes. Also popular is hair that is straightened and dyed black. Bright colors, such as blue, pink, red, or bleached blond, are also typical as highlights in emo hairstyles. Short, choppy layers of hair are also common. This fashion has at times been characterized as a fad.[102] In the early 2000s, emo fashion was associated with a clean cut look[103] but as the style spread to younger teenagers, the style has become darker, with long bangs and emphasis on the color black replacing sweater vests. Emo has been associated with a stereotype that includes being particularly emotional, sensitive, shy, introverted, or angst-ridden.[104][105][106] It has also been associated with depression, self-injury, and suicide And The goth subculture is a contemporary subculture found in many countries. It began in the United Kingdom during the early 1980s in the gothic rock scene, an offshoot of the punk genre. The goth subculture has survived much longer than others of the same era, and has continued to diversify. Its imagery and cultural proclivities indicate influences from nineteenth century Gothic literature along with horror films and to a lesser extent the BDSM culture.[1][2][3] The goth subculture has associated tastes in music, aesthetics, and fashion, whether or not all individuals who share those tastes are in fact members of the goth subculture. Gothic music encompasses a number of different styles. Styles of dress within the subculture range from deathrock, punk, androgynous, Victorian, some Renaissance and Medieval style attire, or combinations of the above, most often with black attire, makeup and hair.

Posted by: Dark Romantic on 2010-03-08, 14:19:12

Emo's listen to Punk-Pop and wear bright hoodies, skinny jeans, converse. They like stripe and star patterns, cartoons, having childish fun etc. Goths listen to gothic rock (suprise suprise) and wear all black (Emo's will inject colour into their outfits). They like the occult, romanticism, horror media products. Personality-wise an Emo is 'depressed' because of teenage angst, a goth is 'depressed' because of the futility of existence and its lack of purpose. Or, according to a Mr Fry's sources, Emo's want to kill themselves, Goths want to kill everyone else lol