By Depro Boy
Do you wake up thinking that you’re blind in one eye? Does your whole family sit and have talks with you concerning suicidal motives? And do you dress as though you were invited to Ozzy’s funeral? Guess what mate, you must be an Emo. THAT’S RIGHT AN EMO!

I’m emotional ok!
The term "Emo" is used as counterculture; it is an abbreviation of the word "emotional". Emo it's defining not only an attitude, but also a fashion that’s coming from emocore (emo music WTF!). Emocore is a combination between hardcore and punk music which was very popular in Washington DC in the late 80's. The emo culture continued to develop between '90’s and beyond reaching the height of its popularity today.

The culture
The emo culture now invades the underground punk scene here in South Africa and in overseas countries. It’s has fought long and hard to become a recognised genre in music, but rather more effectively as a fashion statement worldwide. Bands like ‘My Chemical Romance’, ‘Panic at the Disco’ and ‘Paramore’ are described or seen as being emo bands, with the dark clothing, long fringe in the front with the added bed head look, but we’ll get to their ideas of fashion in a moment. With this group, piercings, tattoos and a slapped on morbid look as though someone stole their favourite baby blanket are a sure giveaway. Young emo’s are placed into a category of their own not to hinder the ideals of the elders and are named emo kids. Emo kids are generally seen as failures, as the part of society that has given up on everything including them selves. These kids have come to build up a life of depression excluding them selves from daily life with the kids of the light (goodie goodies). You won’t find these kids playing sport or any form of physical activity in the sun. The one’s who have a pigmentation problem are more likely to become an emo. Why you ask? In high school would you have been the cool kid for hanging out with ‘Powder’, I think not.

The creative side
Emo followers like every other creative spirit on this rock are expressive through writing their poems deep, dark and depressive with painful expressions of pain and hurt. With most in the emo culture ‘Cutting’ is their way of expressing themselves by inflicting pain upon themselves. Self harming has always been connected with most emo followers, but has never been condoned or suggested by those in the media. This is more of a condition that is still undefined with a particular social group. In most cases those of whom who inflict pain upon themselves are more likely to have been involved in a traumatic experience or have been shunned by society for being different in many ways not recognised by others. Emo art is in someway truly self absorbed and self obsessive in itself with the majority of the art work done based on their on personal being, with a lot of self portraits done in sketchy art work. If you sit and take a look at how most of these artworks are done you’ll see there to be a lot of mythical and somewhat demonic drawings.

In particular pictures with skulls, demonic angels tied down in S&M positions expose the artists to be a mind held back or stomped upon by the ideals and structures of society all around us. “Give them cake and let them eat” and she who said those words lost her head. They put a lot of symbolism into daggers, skulls, angels, and in some cases demonic inclinations, but they are not satanistic.

I’m a black EMO so fuckin what!?
Being emo has normally or mainly been seen to come from white Caucasian teenagers and even Asian teenagers, but never really the black African. Reason being that these kids have the hair and have been born into a world of rock music since the 60’s starting as far as their parents from Woodstock. Black kids on the other hand were brought up not to follow in the direction of most white suburbia children and so lived with hip hop in their faces and accepted it, but there has always been that curiosity to step out of the black African norm and explore. Apparently in African culture there is no such thing as depression that only happens to white kids (one word…BULLSHIT!) and in this day and age depression is expressed universally instead of being seen as a taboo. The black emo, that my friend is just funny shit!

Emo fashion (Non mainstream of course!)
Emo fashion is one that won’t be found in Milan or even the shores of Monaco because it’s very simplistic in many ways. Basically emos wear a lot of black, but unlike goths this is usually paired up with some bright and funky colours. For example if you were wearing dark jeans and a black shirt, you might wear a bright crimson red tie and white jacket with matching or contrasting accessories. Emos never wear sports logos such as Adidas or Nike - way too mainstream, but the odd article of designer clothing is acceptable, such as a really nice pair of tight jeans or a super stylish black shirt, as long as it doesn't have the label in a really obvious place. Jeans of course as mentioned should be tight for an emo look, and also well cut. Makeup is a key part of the emo fashion. The emphasis is on the eyes, maybe because these are said to be the windows to the soul, and emos love to delve into the human psyche and express their emotions. Watch your mind because they just might have a look see.

Now taking into account that we have now delved into the depths of the Emo psyche, all that needs to be asked is whether or not you might be one. Only you can answer that question because one thing is for sure, if you have any friends who aren’t involved in these types of things….wait hold on you wouldn’t really have any friends because everyone else around you would be trying to avoid you without trying to inflict verbal or physical abuse upon you. So if you want to be seen and heard by others take your head out of your ass and be yourself, there is really nothing wrong with being as freaky as it may turn out. Don’t be a lemming be an individual before the future is engulfed in Emo faeces, then there will be something to be Emo(tional) about.