Eyes painted with black pencil, covered with fringes, props like big-buckled belts and colorful sneakers, as well as piercings on the face and predominantly dark colored clothes (although there are those who prefer other colors) are some of the elements used by emos, who try to express their own style that has become common in urban centers in the last decade. Obviously, such a group was not born just as a style or a certain fad. Originally, they emerged in the 1980s, in the United States, having in their roots a taste for rock and punk, but more precisely by the so-called emocore, a music genre that mixes hardcore (more aggressive tone) with lyrics romantic.
Until you get to the kind of music that really characterizes the emos taste today, several transformations have taken place, moving them further and further away from the rock and punk of thirty years ago. Among the first bands that would produce an emocore sound would be Rites of Spring and Embrace, passing in the decade from 1990 by bands like Jimmy Eat World and Dashboard Confessional, to more recently Fall Out Boy, Panic! at the Disco and My Chemical Romance. In Brazil, bands like NXZero, Fresno and Restart would be some examples of this genre, which would have arrived here after the year 2000. However, it's worth noting that many of these bands, it seems, would not necessarily self-referred to as part of the emo genre, since there would be something pejorative in such a rating or label, misrepresenting what such bands would really believe to be their style musical.
Roughly speaking, emos are a type of informal social group (these are made up of individuals who somehow share a worldview, a taste for an alternative behavior). They are considered highly emotional people and sensitive to the lyrics of the songs of their choice, which have as thematic melancholy, sadness, problems involving the theme of love, the rejection of the other (as well as the family). However, it is valid to say that many among those who join this group do not only do so because of their common musical taste, but in largely because of the identity or empathy for this way of life, of behavior, in short, for the fashion itself with regard to clothing.
Almost absolutely, these are groups composed of adolescents and, thus, it can be understood that adherence and search for a "style" are certainly linked to the moment in life when one seeks to build an identity, fighting for the self-affirmation. In this sense, perhaps this aspect of the transition in personality formation (between childhood and adulthood) can explain the mixture of style symbols punk with others with a certain childish aspect, as seen in the mix between dark clothes and prints of children's characters, as well as colorful bead necklaces, From buttons, key chains and backpacks, stuffed animals, etc.
Another curious aspect in the behavior of emos is the issue of sexuality, which within these groups can manifest itself in various ways beyond heterosexuality. In fact, part of the prejudice they suffer is due to the already existing prejudice against homosexuals and bisexuals, since these types of sexuality are quite common among emos. The very emotionality and sensitivity that are so characteristic of this group goes against a social expectation, for example, in relation to a male behavior of a male adolescent, which, by common sense, should be more aggressive and not emotional. Thus, there are conditions to create stereotypes, which certainly only serve to corroborate prejudices of all kinds.
Seeking here to translate an impartial reading, it is not about criticizing or apology for this urban tribe, but rather to understand that we, as a group, they see in their behavior – as in other times other young people also did – a way of “transgressing” a norm or expectation constructed by society. Therefore, when talking about new urban tribes or groups in general that constitute minorities, it is necessary to consider that the society's intolerance towards the “different” is expressed in acts of violence, whether in physical or psychological. Thus, a curious social phenomenon can be seen in the fact that this same urban/industrial society, step that creates the most different social groups - such as the emos -, it does not show itself sufficiently capable of dealing with they.
Paulo Silvino Ribeiro
Brazil School Collaborator
Bachelor in Social Sciences from UNICAMP - State University of Campinas
Master in Sociology from UNESP - São Paulo State University "Júlio de Mesquita Filho"
Doctoral Student in Sociology at UNICAMP - State University of Campinas
