Emo Culture: Invading the PUP Campus

By Mary Shayne J. Infantado

Are you tired of the word "emo" you hear in every classroom here in PUP? when your sad and you have puffy eyes due to crying, you will hear the question: Are you emo? Have you noticed some students who are wearing vintage shirts, long sleeves, fitting sweaters, tight jeans, converse or canvas sneakers, scarves, studded belts, thin-black horn-rimmed glasses with their long straight black tsunami-cut hair covering their one eye tha proliferates on the corridors, classrooms, and anywhere here in our university? Have you read those emotional writings on arm chairs, walls and comfort rooms? If you had experienced and noticed this manifestation of emo culture you would probably ask what does "emo" is really all about and how it started to penetrate here in our campus. Let's find answers.

Clear History

From the basic style of hardcore music and increasing violent scenes, two veterans of the Washington D.C. hard core music scene exhibited a less musically restrictive style of punk rock. In 1985 Ian Mackaye started Embrace and Guy Piciotto had his Rites of Spring.

In an interview, Rite of Spring mentioned that some of their fans have started to use the term "emo" to describe their music. the term derived from the tendency of some of these bands' members to become strongly emotional during performances. By the early 90's, the Washington D.C. scene was referred to as emocore, or emotional hardcore, although it is not clear when the term changed.

Within a short time, the D.C. emo sound had already spread across other scenes and influenced other bands this is the first wave of emo. In the San Diego scene bands began to shift to more chaotic and aggresive form of emo, nicknamed screamo, because it has more screams than the usual emo.

The second wave of emo started when fans shifted the tag from the hardcore style to the more indie rock style of bands Like Sunny Day Real Estate; thus the term indie emo. At the end of 1990's, the underground emo scene began to fade. However , the term emo was still bandied about in the mainstream media, attached to remaining emo acts as Jimmy Eats World, although the band was turned pop.

Chris Carraba, former singer of emo band Further Seems Forever, is said to be a part of the emerging "popular" emo scene. His new band Dashboard Confessionals featured lyrics of 'deep diary-like outpouring of emotions'. As the third wave, this modern emo had a greater impact among adolescents.

Through the internet, this wave influenced other countries including Philippines through Youtube, a video mainstream site. The first band who gained the prominence and recognition of an emo band here in the Philippines is the Typecast with Steve Badiolla as the lead vocals. With their album the Infatuation is Always There, they become popular because of Media exposure through Myx and MTV cable channels, Radio airings and concerts. Filipino adolescents began to respond positively to the introduction of the new genre and explore the world of emo through popular sites in the net and now reaching our university.

One-on-One Talk

We began to interview some emo proclaimed students around the university and we found out interesting but yet alarming status quo of emo culture and perceptions.

"Emo is a kind of music where in you can put all your emotions in different style. Even if A was fond of different bands such as typecast, Dashboard, and YellowCard, it was my own will to become emo. I've experience hurting myself because of my hatred, anger, misery and depression that on things happened in my life.
-Worthless, CA Student-

"Being emo doesn't seen on your looks, it's in your personality."
-Cris, BS Management-

"Emo is an emotional expression of feelings to different media and ways of life. I show it whenever I play the guitar and sing songs that can take out the pain inside. I've become emo when my boyfriend and I broke-up.
-Eternal Bliss, Broadcasting student-

"Emo is not a trend, its actually a feeling wherein you're sad and you express it thru music. it becomes a trend when people become emo just to say that they are "astig" or attractive.
-Jeng, BS Political Economy-

Based on the interviews, we noticed that the term "emo" has reached its extents in terms of meaning. From music genre, it became a lifestyle among students and now a fashion statement. As we observed, lots of the students wearing the typical emo look which we have described in the previous statements. But far beyond their fashion is the masked reality that was covered by their hair and appearance.

Unveiling the Gloomy Culture
Sadness, hatred, confusion, pain, rage are some elements of emo culture. Based on our conducted study, one genuine emo lives by the rule of depression, agony, distortion, self-destruction, anxiety, frustration, worthlessness and even suicide. This manifestation may caused by their environmental interventions such as family, school and lovelife problems that would lead to the conditioning of their sensitivity and can cause suicidal attempts.

With PUP students who are emo, they have this authentic sign that cause them to slit their wrists due to the overflowing and unmanaged emotions. this is an alarming situation wherein young Pupians are involve. Instead of having a positive outlook in life, they resort to hurt themselves because of the violent scenes of emo as well as the existing problems that they are facing. With this, there is no clear future for emo students but still we have a choice to choose what road are we going to take. As maturity takes place, they will learn to take things without depriving themselves instead strongly facing the problem along the way.

Emo Icons


Credits: Wikipedia and Dakom