This afternoon I borrowed out the book Everybody Hurts - An Essential Guide to Emo Culture by Leslie Simon (the managing editor at Alternative Press) and Trevor Kelley (a leading contributor to AP).
From my initial skimming through of the earlier chapters, this book looks like an entertaining and insightful read, with particular emphasis about what Emo means to teenagers in today's society.
One chapter of great interest to my assignment is focussed on the Internet - an accessible place where Emos can hang out if they feel exiled out in the suburbs, according to the authors.
Of the activities Emos enjoy online, posting journal entries on their blogs, logging onto online community websites, checking out their own and other people's profiles, viewing the "Suicide Girls" for adult entertainment and conversing on instant messengers are listed.
The section on a History of Emo Online Communities describes the progression of five main sites that emos visit - Friendster, Myspace, Flickr, Buzznet and FriendsOrEnemies.
These sites provide various means of entertainment and are ways to communicate not only with their peers, but their favourite bands also.
Listening to music on Myspace, promoting themselves through constructing online profiles, sharing photos and reading exclusive journals by promient bands from the scene are all possible.
The authors believe that blogs have been embraced in a huge way by Emos over the past five years.
Livejournal.com is where "everyday emotional purging is not only encouraged, but also embraced." Everything from insignificant details about their lives to deeply personal ones are recorded. Livejournal appears to the more popular site on which Emos blog (compared to Myspace, Blogspot and Xanga), and had enormous social networking capabilties.
An interesting point made by the authors when discussing AOL Instant Messenger is that "Much like the number of friends you accumulate on Myspace, Emo followers are often judged by the size of their Buddy Lists. Your Buddy List could be a collection of message board friends, Myspace friends, or Livejournal friends; in other words, they are virtual friends that you have not, nor ever will have a face-to-face conversation with."
First of all, it implies that socialising and being seen as having lots of friends is something highly valued by Emos. Secondly, it raises the question of whether relationships formed online are meaningless or not.
The T-Mobile Sidekick is a hand-held device which combines a phone, web browser, camera and email server, which Emos apparently addicted to, because it is "an outlet for well-nurtured neuroses like obsessive-compulsivenes, insecurity and paranoia."
According to the authors, Sidekicks are so important in the lives of Emos because they allow the user to be constantly available, and are a means of telling others how they are feeling and doing almost instantaneously. These devices, much like the other websites and blogging platforms mentioned, appear to be popular among members of this subculture because they are easy and accessible ways to express themselves and keep in contact socially with other subcultural members.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
What's New about 'New Media'?
The book chapter What's New about 'New Media'? by Terry Flew, which is one of the final readings for this semester, proved to be useful in my assignment research.
It addresses some important points about the social and cultural context of technology use and its impact; something I believe is crucial to consider when writing about how my chosen subculture engages with digital media.
Digital media is defined as "forms of media content that combine and integrate data, text, sound and images of all kinds; are stored in digital formats; and are increasingly distributed through networks such as those based upon broadband fibre-optic cables, satellites, and microwaves transmission systems." (p. 10).
This definition illustrates the incredible range of opportunities to communicate with one another and exchange information. On the internet for example, subcultural members can interact via message forums, video channels like youtube and social networking and media sharing sites like Myspace.
Given that groups of Emos enjoy socialising in public areas (e.g. the Queen Street Mall), the Internet provides an alternative environment where they can interact not only with local subcultural members, but on a global level also.
Flew's chaper cites the results of a study by Ryder and Wilson (1995) which found a range of affoardances of the Internet, which I believe allows the Emo subculture to thrive online (p 16):
1. Freedom and personal control: unprecedented access to information from multiple sources, and opportunities for free expression.
2. Cultural forms and status: possible barriers to participation based upon gender, age, race, nationality disability or economic status being less relevant in online environments.
4. Hypertext web structure: ability to access multiple and interconnected information sources.
6. Dynamic information: online information sources are current and timely.
7. Intimacy and locality: possiblity of 'safe' communicative and other relationships conducted online and over distances.
I have been exploring several websites that are centred on the Emo subculture, and in a future entry I will provide examples from these sites which relate to the above points.
Other key issues discussed in this chapter are 'virtual reality', virtual communities and virtual identities.
Of particular relevance to my assignment is virtual communities. Howard Rheingld is cited as defining these communities as 'social aggregations that emerge from the Net when enough people carry on those public discussions [using the Internet] long enough, with sufficient human feeling to form webs of personal relationships in cyberspace' (p. 26).
These virtual spaces and their modes of participation are thought to reinvigorate sense of community-building and citizen participation in public life. This statement reinforces my argument that the Emo subculture has crossed the boundary from 'real life' into cybespace, as subcultural members are able to freely interact with eachother through online networks as well as face-to-face.
It addresses some important points about the social and cultural context of technology use and its impact; something I believe is crucial to consider when writing about how my chosen subculture engages with digital media.
Digital media is defined as "forms of media content that combine and integrate data, text, sound and images of all kinds; are stored in digital formats; and are increasingly distributed through networks such as those based upon broadband fibre-optic cables, satellites, and microwaves transmission systems." (p. 10).
This definition illustrates the incredible range of opportunities to communicate with one another and exchange information. On the internet for example, subcultural members can interact via message forums, video channels like youtube and social networking and media sharing sites like Myspace.
Given that groups of Emos enjoy socialising in public areas (e.g. the Queen Street Mall), the Internet provides an alternative environment where they can interact not only with local subcultural members, but on a global level also.
Flew's chaper cites the results of a study by Ryder and Wilson (1995) which found a range of affoardances of the Internet, which I believe allows the Emo subculture to thrive online (p 16):
1. Freedom and personal control: unprecedented access to information from multiple sources, and opportunities for free expression.
2. Cultural forms and status: possible barriers to participation based upon gender, age, race, nationality disability or economic status being less relevant in online environments.
4. Hypertext web structure: ability to access multiple and interconnected information sources.
6. Dynamic information: online information sources are current and timely.
7. Intimacy and locality: possiblity of 'safe' communicative and other relationships conducted online and over distances.
I have been exploring several websites that are centred on the Emo subculture, and in a future entry I will provide examples from these sites which relate to the above points.
Other key issues discussed in this chapter are 'virtual reality', virtual communities and virtual identities.
Of particular relevance to my assignment is virtual communities. Howard Rheingld is cited as defining these communities as 'social aggregations that emerge from the Net when enough people carry on those public discussions [using the Internet] long enough, with sufficient human feeling to form webs of personal relationships in cyberspace' (p. 26).
These virtual spaces and their modes of participation are thought to reinvigorate sense of community-building and citizen participation in public life. This statement reinforces my argument that the Emo subculture has crossed the boundary from 'real life' into cybespace, as subcultural members are able to freely interact with eachother through online networks as well as face-to-face.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Research Topic
A couple of weeks ago we recieved our assignment task sheet for our final assignment (however, I have been thinking about the essay and doing some research since I last blogged). We have to:
Develop an original research question that examines the relationship between one of three topics and a specific subculture or scene. The topic I have chosen is:
1. New Media and/or Digital Technologies
(E.g. you might investigate how file sharing is affecting a particular subculture or how the emergence of online technologies changed a particular culture or helped another to flourish.)
I am interested in researching what motivated members of the Emo subculture to engage in online interactions in virtual communities and forums. Issues such as identity expression and socialisation are sure to be explored.
Develop an original research question that examines the relationship between one of three topics and a specific subculture or scene. The topic I have chosen is:
1. New Media and/or Digital Technologies
(E.g. you might investigate how file sharing is affecting a particular subculture or how the emergence of online technologies changed a particular culture or helped another to flourish.)
I am interested in researching what motivated members of the Emo subculture to engage in online interactions in virtual communities and forums. Issues such as identity expression and socialisation are sure to be explored.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Our children were indeed something to fear. They had turned into little monsters. But who was to blame?
This Youtube video is an interview with Marilyn Manson from the acclaimed documentary Bowling For Columbine. Although it doesn't discuss the Emo subculture, it provides an insight into why Mason believes his music was blamed for the shootings (amongst violent video games, South Park, Satan and toy guns).
He talks about music be an escape from judgement for teenagers, which is ultimately a positive thing. According to him, he is a "poster boy for fear" because he does and says what he wants, which is what everyone fears. He finds it ironic that the media calls him a bad person despite on the morning of the shootings, the US dropped more bombs on Kosovo than any other time during that war. He believes that a campaign of fear is being created by the media to keep everyone afraid and thus consuming products to solve their problems, but in doing so causes people to feel insecure which may drive people to act out like Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold did.
I think this is a highly relevant argument to the long-running debate about whether or not depressing and/violent themes in Emo music causes members of this subculture to become suicidal and self-harming.
He talks about music be an escape from judgement for teenagers, which is ultimately a positive thing. According to him, he is a "poster boy for fear" because he does and says what he wants, which is what everyone fears. He finds it ironic that the media calls him a bad person despite on the morning of the shootings, the US dropped more bombs on Kosovo than any other time during that war. He believes that a campaign of fear is being created by the media to keep everyone afraid and thus consuming products to solve their problems, but in doing so causes people to feel insecure which may drive people to act out like Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold did.
I think this is a highly relevant argument to the long-running debate about whether or not depressing and/violent themes in Emo music causes members of this subculture to become suicidal and self-harming.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Why kids today feel so 'emo'
In this article written by Federal MP Lindsay Tanner, he provides his thoughts about some causes of emotional harm among teenagers.
Since the suicides of two teenagers in Melbourne who were part of the Emo subculture, some people have been quick to point the finger at this group as one which they believe "celebrates self-harm and glorifies suicide".
Tanner believes that it is difficult to know whether being part of the Emo subculture influences teens to commit these acts, and that greater attention should be paid to the underlying causes of teen depression such as bullying and exclusion from others.
He says that "kids choosing an odd subculture just to be different is one thing, but if it is an escape from an unhappy world of bullying and humiliation it's an entirely different thing."
I think that this is a very valid point, because it can be too easy for groups such as the media to blame a music subculture on the actions of teens, when the real root of the problem isn't investigated. I question how many people gravitate towards being part of the Emo subculture because they are unhappy, as opposed to those who are part of this group because of its accessibility and to be among like-minded people who enjoy similar music tastes.
Another issue that Tanner raises is that society places too much importance on individual success, which can cause many teens to feel inadequate.
He believes that parents should take a greater role in being responsible for the behaviour of their children, as schools can only do so much to prevent bullying.
Source: http://www.lindsaytanner.com/articles/070612_HS_Emo.pdf
Since the suicides of two teenagers in Melbourne who were part of the Emo subculture, some people have been quick to point the finger at this group as one which they believe "celebrates self-harm and glorifies suicide".
Tanner believes that it is difficult to know whether being part of the Emo subculture influences teens to commit these acts, and that greater attention should be paid to the underlying causes of teen depression such as bullying and exclusion from others.
He says that "kids choosing an odd subculture just to be different is one thing, but if it is an escape from an unhappy world of bullying and humiliation it's an entirely different thing."
I think that this is a very valid point, because it can be too easy for groups such as the media to blame a music subculture on the actions of teens, when the real root of the problem isn't investigated. I question how many people gravitate towards being part of the Emo subculture because they are unhappy, as opposed to those who are part of this group because of its accessibility and to be among like-minded people who enjoy similar music tastes.
Another issue that Tanner raises is that society places too much importance on individual success, which can cause many teens to feel inadequate.
He believes that parents should take a greater role in being responsible for the behaviour of their children, as schools can only do so much to prevent bullying.
Source: http://www.lindsaytanner.com/articles/070612_HS_Emo.pdf
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Troubled band put out of self-harm's way
I decided to start my research on the topic of Emo by re-reading an article that I saved from the Sydney Morning Herald's weekend Arts & Entertainment section, Spectrum, written by Alexis Petridis in 2006. Yes, I am that big of a nerd that I save newspaper clippings about my favourite bands :P
I think that this article presents a well-researched examination of Emo (albeit relatively brief), and about how the band's image and music have become synonymous with this subculture, despite them wanting to distance themselves as far from the Emo label as possible.
Petridis notes that several teenage Emo girls that she observes appear to be harmless, which is a far cry from the Dangerous Teen Cult of Self-Harm that one British tabloid described Emo as being.
She suggests that the appearance of two of the band members - Mikey Way and Frank Iero - may contribute to the band's threatening image, with Frank wearing typical emo attire (tight black jeans, dyed black hair, piercings and tattoos) whilst Mikey "looks every inch the stuff of middle America's post-Columbine nightmares".
Iero suggests that fans may identify with the band members' personal histories and image because "They're not f---ing ashamed of who they are any more because this cool band came out that is f---ing retarded and ashamed and awkward like me, so maybe being retarded and ashamed and awkward is not a bad thing".
I think that this article presents a well-researched examination of Emo (albeit relatively brief), and about how the band's image and music have become synonymous with this subculture, despite them wanting to distance themselves as far from the Emo label as possible.
Petridis notes that several teenage Emo girls that she observes appear to be harmless, which is a far cry from the Dangerous Teen Cult of Self-Harm that one British tabloid described Emo as being.
She suggests that the appearance of two of the band members - Mikey Way and Frank Iero - may contribute to the band's threatening image, with Frank wearing typical emo attire (tight black jeans, dyed black hair, piercings and tattoos) whilst Mikey "looks every inch the stuff of middle America's post-Columbine nightmares".
Iero suggests that fans may identify with the band members' personal histories and image because "They're not f---ing ashamed of who they are any more because this cool band came out that is f---ing retarded and ashamed and awkward like me, so maybe being retarded and ashamed and awkward is not a bad thing".
This quote suggests that many MCR fans may find their self-esteem being improved by positively identifying with a band that encourages their fans to accept their flaws and be okay with who they are.
Petridis gives a short summary of Emo's history:
The "emo" name has been lurking in the US punk underground for 20 years. First, it was shorthand for "emotional hardcore’" plied by mid-1980s Washington DC combos Rites of Spring and Embrace. A decade on, it was used to describe the tuneful, angst-ridden pop-punk of Sunny Day Real Estate, Thursday and Jimmy Eat World.
Those who have labelled My Chemical Romance as Emo may reference their dark clothing, the morbid themes within some of their music, their debut album being produced by a member of Thursday and their openess about their past mental-health problems, such Gerard Way's former drug and alcohol addiction.
However, My Chemical Romance claim not to be part of the Emo scene at all. When the band started off, they were surrounded by emo bands which MCR distinguished themselves apart from. Thus, they couldn't get booked for gigs and only Christian metal bands would take them on tour. Furthermore, their lastest album, The Black Parade, "has absolutely nothing to do musically with Rites of Spring or Sunny Day Real Estate", according to Petridis.
--
At this point in my research, I plan to investigate the history of the Emo subculture more thoroughly, summarise texts which contain insights into the lives of Emos, and explore further how this music genre is portrayed in the media.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Greetings!
Welcome to my blog that I created for Music Subcultures and the Media; a course that I am studying this semester at the University of Queensland.
I will be posting my thoughts on a variety of texts which I come across as I conduct research for an essay I am writing on the Emo subculture.
My initial interest in what I want to write about is how the Emo subculture has become a part of mainstream society, and the new meaning and accessibility that has been created due to commercialisation (e.g. fashion trends) and technology (myspace, forums etc.)
I also note that the media have labelled certain bands such as My Chemical Romance as poster boys for teen suicide, which I believe is a grossly inaccurate claim. Hence, it is worthwhile examining why these so-called Emo bands are supposedly the leaders of a "Dangerous Suicide Cult", and the real motives for self-harming behaviour among teenagers.
Finally, after some initial research I noticed that there is a significant gap in the academic literature concerning the Emo. Because this subculture is undoubtedly a large part of popular culture, it is useful to examine its origins and what influenced its mainstream transition.
Afterwards, I hope to have significantly expanded my knowledge about "those kids that hang outside Hungry Jacks", learn some music history and the interaction between this subculture and the media.
I will be posting my thoughts on a variety of texts which I come across as I conduct research for an essay I am writing on the Emo subculture.
My initial interest in what I want to write about is how the Emo subculture has become a part of mainstream society, and the new meaning and accessibility that has been created due to commercialisation (e.g. fashion trends) and technology (myspace, forums etc.)
I also note that the media have labelled certain bands such as My Chemical Romance as poster boys for teen suicide, which I believe is a grossly inaccurate claim. Hence, it is worthwhile examining why these so-called Emo bands are supposedly the leaders of a "Dangerous Suicide Cult", and the real motives for self-harming behaviour among teenagers.
Finally, after some initial research I noticed that there is a significant gap in the academic literature concerning the Emo. Because this subculture is undoubtedly a large part of popular culture, it is useful to examine its origins and what influenced its mainstream transition.
Afterwards, I hope to have significantly expanded my knowledge about "those kids that hang outside Hungry Jacks", learn some music history and the interaction between this subculture and the media.
A long-lost relative of the Care Bears that they'd rather forget.
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