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"'''Emo'''" (from "emotional") is a slang term used to describe a wide range of fashion styles and attitudes somewhat affiliated with ] and its related scenes.

==History==
===Origins===
{{main|Emo (music)}}
For more than a decade, the term ''emo'' was used almost exclusively to describe the genre of music that spawned from the ] ] and all of the bands inspired by it. However, during the late 1990s, as emo music began to emerge from the underground into popular consciousness, the term began to be used as a reference for more than just the music.

The origin of the word ''emo'' itself is unclear. In a 1985 interview by ] in '']'', members of the band noted that some of their fans in DC were starting to call them "emo", arguably because of the state of emotion that the band displayed during their shows. In later years, the word ''emo'' was viewed as a contraction of "emotional hardcore" or "emocore", which was the popular designation of the music genre. (One contingent of the scene insists that ''emo'' is a contraction for "emotive hardcore". However, no primary source has been found to confirm use of that term prior to the mid-1990s.)

In recent years, as its use has come to define more than just the music, the word ''emo'' has more often been viewed as simply being short for "emotional".

===2000s===
Bands like ] began to popularize a more dramatic and personal style of "emo", which utilized lyrics that had a far greater appeal amongst teenagers experiencing life and love for the first time. As the lyrical content shifted and as the sound began to enter the mainstream, the term "emo" started to be used more often to describe what was perceived by those outside the scene as the overwrought melodrama of the music. Popular comments such as "don't be so emo" and "cheer up, emo kid" drove home the belief among deriders that fans of emo music took themselves too seriously and were simply looking for drama where it didn't exist.

As major labels began pushing more bands under the "emo" umbrella, varying styles of music and dress began to be lumped in as well. The style of bands like ], including their use of makeup (particularly black eyeliner) and longish hair covering the face, began to be associated with "emo".

==Fashion and culture==
There are two popular forms of dress associated with emo. The first is essentially what came out of the 90s "indie emo" scene, and has connections to ] and ]. It includes more vintage and ] clothing, typically for a well-worn look. Some of the clothing leans toward khaki colors. T-shirts are typically of smaller sizes and with random prints, often images from the 1980s.

The other popular style of dress focuses on darker colors. Commonly seen elements include dark colored hair (often dyed either black or an unnatural dark hue), males wearing pants tailored for females, ], ], and ] piercings, and dark make-up on males and females (most notably black eyeliner, although red eyeshadow is becoming increasingly popular). Some of these trends can be seen amongst fans of the pop rock groups who have appeared at the ] in recent years.

] style shoes are common amongst both styles of dress, as are ] shoes.

Though the original emo scenes were not exclusionary, the modern "emo" scene has developed into a "gay friendly" scene. Though it's unclear whether it's related to the diminished "macho" elements of emo music or the "gay friendly" nature of the scene, it has become commonplace for detractors to use "emo" in combination with popular gay slurs, such as "emo fag".

While "emo" is often used to describe the dress and attitudes of fans of ], it should be noted that "emo" as a musical genre and "emo" as a slang term are largely separate. "Emo" as a musical genre long pre-dated the use of "emo" as a slang term. At the same time, most current bands labeled "emo" are done so unwillingly, and largely because they share some of the fashion trends and attitude associated with "emo" as a slang term.

There is also a common stereotype that associates "emo" with ], most notably wrist slashing, though there is no evidence of any correlation between the two. The link may stem from the association of negative emotions with the emo subculture.

Emo has become very popular with much of America's youth, often finding itself at home in ]s. It has even appeared at ].

There has also been growth in the popularity of emo culture in the UK with such luminaries as Reverend ] firmly embracing this subculture.

==Alternative uses==
The term "emo" has also been used in recent years on the Internet as a form of insult, especially toward those who appear emotionally unstable, or those who rant about issues in their lives to people in public forums or chat rooms. Phrases such as "don't cry emo kid" are used frequently as a quick brush-off in this context. The term "emo" is very loose slang, and is applied liberally to differing situations. In some parts of Yorkshire the pharse 'Emo' is substituated by 'Foxy' as a form of derogatory slang.

==External links==
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* as defined by ]
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Latest revision as of 07:46, 24 April 2020

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