Is the term "emo" changing?

[Isbjørn]

Hey.
I searched up emo, and found out that it was a genre originated in the mid-80s hardcore punk.
Now, people are using the term emo for ANYTHING that's related to emotion. They're calling bands like My Chemical Romance, Panic! At The Disco and Dashboard Confessional emo, even though they don't fit into the genre. But why is it so? That people (even the producers and the people working in MTV) keep calling bands "emo", though they're not part of the genre, when they even reject it? Is it because that the word "emo" is becoming a more generic term, or is it just misunderstanding?

[Janszoon]

I'd say it changed quite some time ago.

[Isbjørn]

Ok, but excactly WHEN did it change, and why? I wanna know the reason My Chemical Romance is an "emo band" when they're not part of the emo genre.

[LoathsomePete]

Given that I'm a complete outsider to this genre (never could get into the old stuff or the new stuff), I don't know how much mileage my opinion gets, but here's my observations. I'd say the changes came around the early '00's when the style was being integrated with several other remaining popular genres of the '90's, namely alternative rock, post-grunge, and pop-punk. From what I've seen and heard, what was considered emo in the early '00's wasn't very similar to the genre of the late '80's and early '90's except the emotionally charged lyrics. One thing that is noticeably different is the sense of style, if you google image search bands like Rites of Spring or Sunny Day Real Estate, you see they don't look like this. I think that's where most of the disdain comes from, not the music, I'm sure most people that look down upon it have never heard a song, but they see people that fit the stereotype all over the place and then make their assumptions on the music by that.

[Janszoon]

Originally Posted by Briks

Ok, but excactly WHEN did it change, and why? I wanna know the reason My Chemical Romance is an "emo band" when they're not part of the emo genre.

It seemed like it changed in the mid 00s, when the bands you mentioned got got popular. As to why it happened, I'm not sure. But it seems like just part of the larger pattern of pop music co-opting non-mainstream genre tags.

[Isbjørn]

Yeah, but Dashboard Confessional and My Chemical Romance are not part of the genre, old style or new style. It's just the labels, MTV and society that calls them emo.
(basically, the band is not emo, but the audience is)

[bob.]

i just googled pics of My Chemical Romance and they look exactly like the "generic emo boy" that Pete posted

honestly i think most of society does not give two shits about them....

why are you so concerned with what they are labeled as?

[Isbjørn]

Originally Posted by bob.

i just googled pics of My Chemical Romance and they look exactly like the "generic emo boy" that Pete posted

honestly i think most of society does not give two shits about them....

why are you so concerned with what they are labeled as?

Interest.
I think emo culture and music is interesting, and I want to get into it. I also want to learn the difference between the old emo music and the modern rock music with emo audience.

[Scarlett O'Hara]

Originally Posted by Briks

Interest.
I think emo culture and music is interesting, and I want to get into it. I also want to learn the difference between the old emo music and the modern rock music with emo audience.

Really? I find it seriously irritating and contrived. It's the one sub-genre of music that I refuse to listen to.

[Neapolitan]

Originally Posted by Briks

Interest.
I think emo culture and music is interesting, and I want to get into it. I also want to learn the difference between the old emo music and the modern rock music with emo audience.

Briks,

Why did you audience - do you mean influence or audience? What bands do you think have emo influences, what Rock bands attract an emo audience and what bans do you think are pure emo?