Emo vs. Goth
You are walking down the street when you see someone that just sticks out of the crowd. This person is dressed in all black with extravagant makeup and huge hair, what do you do? Do you stare, scream, or yell ‘Emo!’ at them? Well if you chose the third option I would question your reasoning but not just due to your behavior, but due to your misunderstanding of what a Goth is and what an Emo is.
Although many often defend the distinction between the two subcultures, there are still many people who don’t care to know the difference or just believe they’re actually the same thing. In the very well known animated comedy series “South Park,” there is an episode in season seventeen titled “Goth Kids 3: Dawn of the Posers” where the writers suggest that Emo and Goth are the same thing, perhaps in a lighthearted way. The script even suggests it here; “Host: And you didn’t suspect anything when we had the plants tell you to turn Goth and Vamp kids into Emos when really they’re exactly the same thing?” (South Park Archives)
The episode could be up for interpretation since they do make an effort to distinguish the different subcultures in the episode through visuals, yet, outright saying that Emos and Goths are the same thing reinforces the idea in people that hold that belief.
South Park is not the only media outlet to suggest Emo and Goth may be the same thing. BBC’s article; “How are goths and emos defined?” , Mark Sedgwick explains the questions that arise when Manchester starts to classify attacks of members of such subcultures as hate crimes. Although this was not a problem that arose in the United States, the line between the two often gets blurred. “They [Emos] often dress similarly to goths, but the emo fashion for spikey, coloured hair, and studded clothing seems to show punk influences,” (Sedgwick, Mark). This statement has truth to it when stating that it shows punk influences. Emo (Short for Emotional Hardcore) music was born from the genre post-hardcore in the mid-eighties with bands such as Rites of Spring and Embrace (King, Isaiah). Goth music, also known as post-punk, also originated in the late seventies and early eighties shortly after old school punk had burnt out. Examples of post-punk music include Joy Division and The Cure (Metcalf, Stephen).
From my reasoning here, you may wonder how you can see someone’s taste in music while they’re being beat up on the street for the way they look. In most cases, a person’s taste in music usually aligns with the subculture they take part in, so it is paramount in deciding whether that weirdo on the street is an Emo or a Goth. But how do we determine based on style? Well, there are several differences to look for. DifferenceBetween.net’s article, “Difference between Emo and Goth” states,
“As mentioned earlier, the one color that they have in common is black. But the similarities stop there. For goth, it’s black all the way except for those who belong to the raver or glitter-goth categories. Aside from an all-black ensemble, they also have black nail polish, lipstick and eyeliner. They also go all-out in the accessories department, using leather chokers, corsets, lace, frills or dangling jewelry. For emo, black is still a dominant color but they also like band t-shirts, tight jeans, scarves, hoodies and layered clothing.”
Adding to DifferenceBetween’s argument, I would point out that the Emo style is far more casual using your basic band tee, skinny jeans, a scarf or beanie, and shoes like Converse. A more Gothic style is far more DIY and extravagant, with lots of fishnets, homemade clothes, and accessories. As far as hair, the more Emo type will rock a layered hairstyle that covers their face at least partially. When you see a Goth, it’s easy to identify the deathhawk, the dreadlocks, or perhaps the traditional eighties bird’s nest. This makes BBC’s Mark Sedgwick’s claim that they often dress similar very broad considering the only similarity is piercings and the color black.
All and all, Goth and Emo definitely have similar origins, so it is fair to suggest they are siblings born from the Punk movement. But saying Emo and Goth are the same when they’re two different subcultures is an uneducated claim to make. When you are so involved in the different alternative subcultures, it becomes very easy to tell the difference, and my stance is obviously that they are not the same thing. So when it comes to the claim that you have to be part of a certain label when being classified in a hate crime, it’s fair to say it’s a very situational judgment to make, it’s easy to classify anyone with an unusual style as alternative. In conclusion, when you see an alternative person standing out in a crowd, treat them like any other person.
Works Cited:
King, Isaiah. “The History Of Emo.” The Odyssey Online, 28 Aug. 2017, www.theodysseyonline.com/the-history-of-emo.
Mabelle. “Difference Between.” Difference Between Similar Terms and Objects, 20 Feb. 2011, www.differencebetween.net/miscellaneous/difference-between-emo-and-goth/.
Metcalf, Stephen. “The Messy History of Postpunk.” Slate Magazine, 6 Mar. 2006, www.slate.com/articles/arts/the_book_club/features/2006/rip_it_up_and_start_again/the_messy_history_of_postpunk.html.
Sedgwick, Mark. “How Are Goths and Emos Defined?” BBC News, BBC, 4 Apr. 2013, www.bbc.com/news/magazine-22026044.
“Goth Kids 3: Dawn of the Posers/Script.” South Park Archives, southpark.wikia.com/wiki/Goth_Kids_3:_Dawn_of_the_Posers/Script.
