fett on 7/12/2007 at 02:51
Here's The Thing T13x. I just don't buy it. The whole "I'm so emo, and I hate life, and I'm going to kill myself" bit seems to be an overworked internet stereotype embraced only by the people who perpetuate it.
I played in a band for about 5 years in the early 00's that did tons of high-school proms, birthday parties, beach gigs, etc. and was around high school kids every night, every weekend for most of those five years. I also work with a 30+ teen writers group at the local library here (y'know - the pensive, literary types) twice a month. I've got 5 different girls that babysit for me and we know their families. I can honestly say that in all of that, I've met maybe 2 REAL 'emo' types. Most of the teenagers I know, when you really get down to it, want to do well in school, love their parents (though they're honest and sometimes overly critical about the parent's shortcomings), and in general, care about their friends and their future.
There are always the oddball depressed, reclusive ones - that's not something new 'these days.' Most kids that actually listen to emo hate the cultural associations that the older generation and the media have tied to it. They neither act or dress 'emo' and think those who do are ridiculous. Hell, I listen to metal stuff that I would consider 'emo' and I look like an accountant right now. I'm not saying there aren't little pocket groups of kids that fit the stereotype. I'm just saying if all the kids you know act and talk like that, it's time to take a hard look at where you're life is going and find some normal people to associate with.
fett on 7/12/2007 at 02:55
Quote Posted by AR Master
Emos kill themselves in a bathroom and post about it on myspace, not wipe out a mall.
That's punk territory
Thank you.
BlackCapedManX on 7/12/2007 at 03:12
Quote Posted by fett
I played in a band for about 5 years in the early 00's that did tons of high-school proms, birthday parties, beach gigs, etc... ...Most of the teenagers I know, when you really get down to it, want to do well in school, love their parents and in general, care about their friends and their future.
You have to think about territory though. Where I went to (public) high school the graduation rate was well above 90% and probably 90% of that went on to college. The average grade was probably an 89, and if your GPA hung between 93.1 and 93.2 it could mean a twenty person jump in your class rank (out of 350 students.) Since going to college I've met people who've come from schools that put less than half in college, and know a number of people under 20 who've had unwanted children. If I were to list all of my friends now (where I'm at school) about 70% of them have divorced or unmarried parents (infact, thinking about it now, the only girl I've dated whose parents have been married was from the "poor" part of my hometown,) and back home that number is probably under 20% (the more time I've spent at college the more I've realized how stupidly well off the people I lived around are.)
I'm definitely not agreeing to the "emo music makes kids crazy" trash, but I am saying that you can't use your immediate surroundings to make a sweeping understanding of current culture. You may simply be in a well to do area (as I was growing up, suburban Vermont vs. drugtopia Utica NY is a radical difference.)
Scots Taffer on 7/12/2007 at 04:12
Ah, sorry, just picked up on the topic of conversation - feel free to disregard my last comment, though I think it's culturally relevant. I actually agree to a certain extent that the messages being delivered to the youth of today are particularly corrupted. Most songs centre around complete selfishness, doing what you want, disregarding societies rules and laws, making yourself happy at the expense of others, fuck your parents, fuck the police, fuck the pope. Many of these sentiments were expressed before, but typically in a more subversive and subtle sense, like everything nowadays, it is overt, blatant and lacking in any tact. I think bands years ago were trying to make statements about society and influencing people to think about individuality (songs like Rock the Casbah, for example), but today's are simply about selling units and popular shite like Pink's most recent that I heard on the radio is all about doing things to please yourself etc and some other shit by some girlband is all about speeding, running through red lights in order to pick up a slag and an std. I don't know, I mean, I think given the assumption that kids are probably less parented than before and less disclipined at school, this stuff is probably having more of an influence than we think. And the problem with a lot of subversive material out there such as South Park is that a lot of kids are seeing it without the understanding of irony or sarcasm or satire, and so they take a lot of shit they see at face value and completely miss the point, walking around with a head full of antidisestablishmentarianism, selfishness and no fucking common sense.
Fingernail on 7/12/2007 at 11:21
Quote Posted by Scots Taffer
antidisestablishmentarianism
shit guys he must be serious, he used
the wordcatbarf on 7/12/2007 at 11:45
Quote Posted by Fingernail
shit guys he must be serious, he used
the wordSo, what, you can't figure out what a simple word means? Come on, just look at the syllables.
Anti- against
Disestablishment- the act of destroying or attacking society
-arianism- following that idea
Simple enough?
And Scots- funny point about South Park. I do enjoy that show, and your post somewhat baffled me until you got to that '...without the understanding of irony or sarcasm or satire'. And I realized that you're completely correct.
Matthew on 7/12/2007 at 11:50
Quote Posted by catbarf
So, what, you can't figure out what a simple word means?
Context is everything.
SubJeff on 7/12/2007 at 12:11
Quote Posted by catbarf
And I realized that you're completely correct.
Given your failure to understand Fingernail's post I highly doubt this.
Fingernail on 7/12/2007 at 12:24
that fingernail dude sure is dumb though
