If you look on the emo Wikipedia page, that issue gets addressed. So-called "emo" bands deny that they glamorize self-harm, self-injury, and suicidal behavior. But what speaks louder? A band offering a quick ditty of a PSA regarding these topics, or the just as disturbing glamorization of emo girls and bloody wrists, suicide girls, and the page references one web page having "pink teddybears hanging themselves." My little sister is into this type of music, and young teens really try to emulate the styles. She's got a wardrobe built from Hot Topic and writes shiht about "You'll never forget me." Come on... what reasonable 13-year-old actually talks and feels that way about love?
I don't like the style or the music, but I know all I have to do is just turn it off. Until bands start exploring ways that they're contributing to the style or examining how their lyrics and song messages make an impression, emo bands who hate that classification are just going to be perpetually crying "bullshit."
