it's the end of the world as we know it...

...because this is happening.

'emo' kids in mexico are being targeted in acts of violence. the violence has gotten so bad, in fact, that the 'emo' kids protested in front of a local police station for increased protection from the punks, rockabillies and regular teens and middle-aged men perpetrating the acts.

the protests are reminiscent of some kind of civil rights struggle, but they shouldn't be. the emo kids are choosing this lifestyle, and in turn, this persecution. just like their attackers are human beings making decisions (albeit good or bad ones), emo kids are in no way forced to endure the physical pain and humiliation, for they are making decisions to identify with the popular clothing and music trend.

but as a self-admitted fan of real emo, i am enraged at the mis-use of the word. emo began as a legitimate form of music almost 30 years ago. fourfa.com adheres to the traditional use of the word and is a good read for people unaware of emo aside from bands like fall out boy and panic at the disco and swooping haircuts.

basically my complaint is that the word 'emo' should not be used interchangeably to describe then and now. though the societal trend claims roots to the music, real emo music with integrity is still being made in the same punk, DIY mentality it was 30 years ago. yet bands who identify with the genre are painted into false corners when people associate them with over-privileged kids whose main paradigm is under-appreciating everything. these emo kids aren't about 'emotionally-charged punk-rock' (fourfa.com).

if nothing else, emo should be used only to describe that time 3 decades ago when punk was undergoing a major shift that would eventually lead to the pop-punk bands of the 90s, because it technically could be used to describe a far larger genre of music than it intends to. ac/dc could be considered emo. lord knows brian johnson could match the intensity of any *screamo lead singer.

educate yourselves people. ignorant people don't use words properly. take back 'emo,' and put a stop to the negative association it places on one of the early derivative waves of punk-rock.

*(a sub-genre which includes vocals comprised of not a classic rock and roll yell, but exaggerated and often times ridiculous growl. it's very angry, and angering, because of how bad it sucks.)


this is an emo band. they were called jets to brazil, technically a post-emo indie rock band, and they we're one of the best bands ever. the lead singer blake schwarzenbach (left) was in jawbreaker, one of the earliest pop-punk bands. he's an emo king, and my hero.


this has nothing to do with emo. it's a fashion style, a societal trend, a catalyst for shitty music all over the world. lets find a new word.