By Sarah Sands_ Published in the Daily Mail August 17. 2006
Flicking through the autumn glossy fashion magazines, I noticed that some of the models did not look very well.
A few of them appeared to be dead. This is because one of the key looks, especially at the younger end of the fashion spectrum, is Goth.
Faces are chalky white, eyes and lips black. You can wear any colour you like so long as it's black.
To achieve that just-got-out-of-a coffin look, you need corsets, capes, Celtic crosses, an unseeing stare and a prop such as a slightly mutilated china doll dragged along in one hand.
For those of us who have lived through Siouxsie And The Banshees and the Rocky Horror Show, the look is depressingly retro.
Fashion acknowledges those of us who lived through it first time round - Elder Goths, as opposed to Baby Bats, who are the under-30s.
It even nods to a working population, permitting Corporate Goths, who wear black trouser suits.
There is a also a term which is new to me and amounts to a much more dangerous teenage cult.
The Emos - short for Emotional - regard themselves as a cool, young sub-set of the Goths.
Although the look is similar, the point of distinction, frightening for schools and parents, is a celebration of self harm.
Emos exchange competitive messages on their teenage websites about the scars on their wrists and how best to display them. Girls' secondary schools have for some time been concerned about the increase in self harm.
One governor of a famous boarding school told me that it was as serious a problem as binge drinking, but rarely discussed for fear of encouraging more girls to do it.
Although it is invariably described as a 'secret shame', there is actually a streak of exhibitionism about it.
The internet has many sites dedicated to Emo fashion (dyed black hair brushed over your face, layering, black, black, black), Emo bands (Green Day, My Chemical Romance), Emo conversation (sighing, wailing, poetry).
The Instant Emo Kit site gives advice on identity. Wear a child's T-shirt with a slogan such as 'Unhappy Chick' and drive a Vespa. Above all, 'show your inner despair by looking like you are too sad to eat. Obesity and emocity do not mix.'
Adult Goths refer to the Emos disdainfully as 'the spooky kids' or 'moshers'.
The Emo song, by the American band Adam And Andrew, has cult status on the internet, appearing on many personal websites. It is called Dear Diary and is both witty and alarming.
The chorus goes: 'Stop my breathing and slit my throat, I must be an Emo.
I don't jump around when I go to shows, I must be an Emo.
Dye in my hair and polish on my toes, I must be an Emo. I play guitar and write suicide notes, I must be an Emo.'
The courting of misery and death is a long-established teenage tradition. How many bedroom walls have been plastered with posters of drippy pre-Raphaelite heroines, or Marc Bolan or Kurt Curbain?
When death is a long way off, you can afford to be more morbid about it.
Film-makers note that horror films are now more popular than romance among young women.
In particular, Goths and Emos are a rebellion against sporty, manly cultures - which is perhaps why they flourish particularly in North European countries or North America.
The androgynous nature of the Goths is appealing to the young because it is sexually unthreatening.
Teenage girls are frightened of manliness: they like boys who look like girls. Kate Moss, the girl who never grows old, understands youthful taste completely.
There is also a deadly glamour about the Goths. The word femme-fatale is Goth based.
Many of the alluring women of our time - Nigella Lawson, Debbie Harry, Chrissie Hynde, Sophie Ellis Bextor, Lily Allen - have a touch of the Goth about them.
They have a sophistication and depth lacking in the blonde, bouncy chav faces which dominate our television screens and nightclubs.
Who are the male pin-ups for young girls? Johnny Depp and the comedian Russell Brand, who is about 90 per cent Goth. Lord Byron, of course, was the greatest Goth of all time.
Emos have a strong arts graduate bias and are among the few that read poetry (if only of the romantic, morbid kind).
Some pretty terrible Emo poetry is offered on websites. A cartoon of two Emos has a bubble which says: 'What rhymes with razor blade?'
But compared to the music, the poetry is positively cheerful. The Gothic bands have names such as Bloody, Dead And Sexy or Colder Than Death.
There is a genre, popular in Germany, known as Death Pop. Bands include The Knives In The Attic and Love Equals Death.
Although Goths are from the same family tree as punks, they are a lot less fun to be with. While I loved punk for its energy, Goths were too bloodless to lift a finger.
One of the most annoying characteristics of teenagers is their refusal to open their curtains. Their world is dark and airless.
If this environment is coupled with the psychological traits of self-pity, introspection, self-dramatisation and hormone imbalance, you have a fully-fledged Emo, even without the small Tshirt and black hair.
The wondrous thing about being an adult is that you have so much more to worry about that you stop striking poses and get on with it.
Unless you are an Elder Goth - in which case you have fashion on your side and everybody else against you.
What worries me is that teenagers are less equipped to manage strong emotions and a cult of suicide could have real and horrible consequences.
It is irresponsible for the fashion and music cultures to encourage it. If you want retro style, I recommend Ian Dury's song Reasons To Be Cheerful.
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Below is what I Wrote and intended to post as a comment in response to the article by sarah Sands on the Daily Mails Website. HOWEVER, unfortunitly the responses are restricted to 1000 words, so still looking for an alternative!
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"The way I dress makes everyday feel like Halloween"
Dear Sarah Sands,
I am sorry, but I must confess that I have never laughed so much in a long time. Now that could be due to my "emo" characteristics (please take careful note of inverted commas) but I myself would have to award at least 90% credibility to the content of this piece. (90% sounds like a good percentage after all doesn’t it?)
To begin with I think the very fact that this article has caused such wide spread response disproves one of your points; that of the apathetical and self loathing “style” of emos. The feedback and up roar I have read and heard proves better then anything else that people who feel affected by this article are active, intelligent and self confident individuals.
I find the accounts of “celebration of self harm” offensive and feel that this is a lazy use of a well established cliché. Black clothing, plus make up, add apathetic youths, subtract moral substance, equals: dangerous sub culture.
As someone who has “Lived through it first time round” I’m sure all this morbid arithmetic must be sounding familiar to you?
But I think there is more to this, an idea or sense of humour perhaps you cannot understand. This is unfortunate, as you write for a British paper, I would have hoped some of the fantastic British sense of irony would have been communicated to you. (Admittedly this is a lazy use of another cliché but I thought maybe we should run with the theme).
The Emo song, by the American band, Adam and Andrew
The Instant Emo Kit site.
I would encourage anybody interested in an objective view of this topic too search online for these two items, which you reference in the article. Once you do it becomes quite obvious both are satirical pieces intended as nothing more then a joke about more unsubstantiated clichés.
To use them as actual references on traits of a genre or sub culture is little short of ridiculous and is the equivalent of stating that every Goth, genuinely believes they are a vampire or every journalist is nosey, parka wearing, geek with a pen.
This irony is also self-evident in the mentioned cartoon featuring the line:
'What rhymes with razor blade?' teenagers may be guilty of pretension at times, but how many would actually have the idiocy to come out with a line like that?
On the topic of most emos reading and writing poetry and having art graduate backgrounds I don’t know exactly what this is suppose to prove, but surly as someone who writes for a well known paper you are not implying that it is a bad thing to be educated, creative and have an interest in reading?
After all I think late night reading of E.A Poe in a bedroom with curtains drawn is certainly a more desirable pastime then some others which teenagers who are “less equipped to manage strong emotions” could indulge in.
Also perhaps you should think more about making sweeping accusations about bands or artists before knowing what you are talking about.
Green day have never been associated with the “emo movement”. Further more this is a band who has encouraged active political and ethical thinking, who have been involved in charity events such as live 8 and support organisations such as green peace and the “one” aids and poverty campaign. While other bands associated with the genre like Taking Back Sunday list organisations such as the American cancer society on there site for donations.
(See these bands websites for links to the above mentioned and other sites)
As for My chemical romance, they provide an easy target, attired in black with eyeliner running amuck, what hideous role models for any teen. Surly this cannot be the same band who actively plead onstage night after night for fans that feel troubled, lost or those who might practice self harm to seek help. They promote the message that you are not alone, that no matter what, you should be able to be comfortable with who you are. The first listing under the bands friend’s links is amnesty international while under the title of enemies are the words fear and regret. Perhaps with all the darkness and gloom you couldn’t see the point.
I find it horrific to generalise the opinions in your article and use them in such a manner as you have. When the truth is that many objective music fans would tell you that strictly speaking there has been no emo scene since 1995, or indeed that there has never been an identifiable scene at all.
The true terms of the genre are legendary for being too vague to encompass any solid ideas of what an emo band or artist even is.
True there are the clichés and ideas which have already been mentioned and many more which have sprung up around the genre but they are nothing more then that.
However, the real fact is that the problems in relation to self harm, depression and various other issues for hundreds of thousands of teen’s world wide do exist. But to point the figure at the first convenient scape-goat never helps, that has been proven before. It only alienates angers and even hurts people who may be affected by these sensitive problems. It is an uncaring, lethargic way of placing blame to help ease any feeling of responsibility, and distracts from the core issue of trying to help people who are suffering from misunderstood and ill represented issues
As you so rightly say yourself there is already so much to worry about in the world without people scraping and clawing away at something that provides you with hope and allows you to feel confidence in your own skin. There are enough shallow minded people in the world to make accusations without the media jumping on the “anti-band wagon”
And as far as suggested listening goes, perhaps some of my chemical romances own “Teenagers” would help begin to illuminate the darkness, if that’s a step to far perhaps the divine comedies “The happy Goth” could provide a suitable sound track.
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AUTHORS NOTE: On rereading this piece I noticed notes of pretension in my writing and probably missed a few dozen spelling and grammar errors, but none the less I would sooner correct the former then the latter (or is that the other way round I really can never tell…).
So I would like to just state for the record, although I HAVE by no conscious decision of my own per say, been associated and linked with the much above mentioned “emo scene” in fact I would as soon wish to ignore its existence.
I have no allegiances there. It is after all only another pigeon hole to categorically shove people into; something I take immense dislike to.
I do however find it appalling such a brash, badly researched, and at times malicious article could be published in an otherwise respectable new paper. But such is the world we live in. I simply feel people (within reason…but again who’s to say what that is) should be allowed dress, act, and express themselves in whatever way they desire. The end will benefit the means, what goes around comes around etc etc… a scene is after all only part of an act.
(On further reflection I would also like to retract my statement about the daily mail being an "otherwise respectable news paper", they are not.)
