Saturday, March 19, 2011

Guest post: Essay by Older Daughter

So yesterday Older Daughter made some astute remarks on a teen phenomenon called "Emo" which apparently evolved from the "Gothic" trend a few years ago. I thought her observations were sound and I made a passing comment about how she ought to write down what she just said and post it on my blog. Then it occurred to me: Hey, I have the power to make her do just that! So it became a school assignment. Poor kid.

The following is Older Daughter's commentary totally and completely uncorrected by me.
__________________________

Okay, first off, this wasn't my idea. I was just complaining, as I do everyday, about my generation, and mother gets the 'I'm-going-to-assign-my-kid-a-ridiculously-hard-assignment!' look in her eyes. I tried to run for cover but she was too quick for me. "I know what you can do," she exclaimed as she handcuffed me to a chair, "you can write a piece for my blog on why your generation is failing!!!"

In desperation I dragged the chair to my father's side. "I think that's a wonderful idea! You could even start writing a book about it!" was his helpful reaction. Great.

So here I am, staring at the computer screen, trying to think of something to complain about. Isn't it amazing how any good ideas you may have had at one time instantly disappear the moment you start to write them out? Scientists should really look into that.

Alright then, I've chosen my topic, and I've got a question for you readers. What happens to Emo/Gothic people when they reach, say, forty? How many people continue to dress in black and dye their hair purple after the teenage years? When do they realize they need to stop whining and grow up?


I get on many different online games and forums, and throughout all of them, no matter what, you always find someone who considers themselves Emo. 'Emo' is the new Gothic, apparently, although no one can give me an exact description of what 'Emo' really is. I guess 'Emo' is short for 'emotional', and that it used to be a type of music. Since then it's morphed into yet another way for teenagers to rebel. From what I can figure out, there are two types of Emo...


Type a) Emo people who have such horrible lives that they hide their face from the world and cut their arms so that the physical pain takes their minds away from the emotional pain. These people need professional help, or they might kill themselves.

Type b) Emo people who dress Emo and call themselves Emo because it involves lots of black and purple and long hair.

...and I really can't stand either of them. (Now, before anyone jumps on me and starts telling me how insensitive I am, remember: I'm Patrice's daughter. Insensitivity is in my blood.)


See, these people go on and on about how miserable their lives are. They pay money for stupid haircuts and black clothing and piercings. And they constantly think me, me, me. "My life is horrible, why doesn't anyone understand me?" "Why must people judge me by my appearance?"

I'll tell you why, mister: Because you look stupid. You're being childish and immature. You think you'll be young forever. I can see this, why can't you?

So eventually, around the time they run out of money to buy hair dye, they'll have to grow up and get a job. But who's going to hire them? I as a customer wouldn't want to buy my groceries from a cashier who's wearing heavy eye make-up and lip studs- especially not if it's a guy.


At what age, my lovely reader-people, will they grow up? You never see any grandparents with torn black jeans and lip studs. When is the actual transition stage? Do any of you know? Please tell me- the sooner you do this, the sooner I can escape to my bedroom for the rest of the day so my dear mother doesn't assign me anything else.

- Older Daughter

54 comments:

  1. Love it! I can see she has the same sense of humor as her parents! I do happen to know a couple of emo/goths in their 30's or 40's. They work for an online business or at a customer call-in center. Not where you would interact with them face-to-face. Just voice-to-voice. But the times they have had to go interview for jobs that require face-time, they dress "more" normally.

    Andrea S

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  2. This is a constant worry for me because my niece is hell bent on home education. The problem is that she is undisciplined and I cannot see her being able to pull it off. She will not make even a token attempt at discipling her kids. It is embarassing to be out in public with them. It is one thing to talk the talk but when the rubber hits the road you have to be ABLE to DO it!

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  3. Older Daughter - great story! I laughed out loud, not easy for me to do when my mouth is usually full of food. Anyhow...every generation has a segment that likes to draw attention through odd clothing and weird hairdos. They usually grow out of it when they become parents and need to raise their children. Notice I used the word "usually," because there will always be a few who don't grow out of it. Those people become politicians (Nancy Pelosi, Lynn Woolsey, and Barney Frank to name just three.)

    Older Daughter, I'd love to read more of your opinion pieces because you provide a teen perspective on society which is lacking elsewhere.

    Great job!

    Anonymous Patriot
    USA

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  4. Uh oh! Older daughter has done it now. She's just proved she has a sense of humor, a touch of sarcasm, and a load of writing talent. Therefore, she might just have to do a few more of these "assignments". I thoroughly enjoyed this piece. She has come by her talent honestly...I can see both her parents in it. Good job! When will we see more?

    Linda in Ohio

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  5. Great job, I can see myself making my daughter do that. Often times she sticks her foot in her mouth and gives me a GREAT IDEA! And us homeschooling moms are always looking for fun, new, exciting ways for our kids to learn.(Yesterday I made her serch the bible for what it said on dicipline because she "hated" my dicipline, gahh!)

    I'd love to read more also, great job, Patrice!

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  6. Love it! Two stories (not as well written) if I may. I have a daughter who is now 32. When she graduated from high school she got two tattoos. She started peircing. I put my foot down and made her remove her tongue ring or out of my house. (too long of a story how we got to this point) We had tongue checks daily. I found a card in the college book store that says it all. On the front were a young man and woman with loads of tattoos and piercings. It said, "have you thought this all the way through?". Open it up and it shows the same couple old, wrinkled, saggy, stretched out tattoos and peircings. Not a pretty picture. I sent it to her. She did not appreciate it. She is now a trauma ICU nurse with only two peircing in each ear and her two small tattoos are well hidden. (good now but bad when you think about the original procedure). The other story involves a stranger. A teenage boy was manning the cash register when we were purchacing hunting tags at a sporting goods store in California. He had a nasty lip ring and I said, in my most concerned voice, "Fishing accident?" He did not appreciate it either.

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  7. I have to agree w/ AP-USA.
    There will always be a segment of youth who will go on to maturity and contribute to society. On the flipside, there is always the segment that refuses to grow up and they become a drain on society. I wish I could give you an exact age on when the maturity kicks in, but sadly, it is different w/ each individual. Great job on the essay. I hope to read more from you.

    Judy

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  8. I'm pretty sure you don't see Emo types out there as adults yet because the 'trend' is too new. I work in an office with mostly middle age folks and we actually have a Goth woman in there. Give it a few years. Real life weeds out a lot of this stuff but some make it through the filter. On the plus side it makes for interesting conversations!

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  9. Awesome! Patrice, I hope you gave your daughter an A for her assignment. Older daughter, you rock!

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  10. I agree that in a lot of cases this description is accurate but there are a lot of people who identify as goths who are not at all miserable, they just have a different aesthetic.

    In those cases, yes, they still do wear black and whatnot into their old age because they like to. It has nothing to do with misery or rebellion.

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  11. Displaying emotion? is that what those things in their lips and navel are for?
    I thought they were Lightning Arrestors!

    Thank you for sharing your perspective on this
    "cult".

    notutopia

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  12. A+ on the article. Thank you for sharing your perspective on this "cult".

    Emotional display eh? I thought those pins and needles in their lips and navels were Lightning Arrestors!


    notutopia

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  13. I went through a "creative" stage with my make-up that was similar to the style you are describing. I enjoyed the artistry of it. I couldn't, however deal with the back-lash. People were asking me if I was a Satan-worshipper. I was a christian in love with Jesus, and this perception bothered me, so I stopped doing it. I decided to express my creativity in other ways, that met with equal loathing from my community, but with different assumptions. I'm pretty sure most people wanted to keep their kids away from me. The shift to dressing "normal" came after I met my husband who really liked me in a dress and looking like a nice girl. He thought I was a freak when he first met me in youth group. Everyone who judged this book by its cover, judged it wrong. It's possible that other "books" could be equally mis-judged. It bummed me out that I was judged that way and didn't have the freedom to try things out without it, but, unfortunately, that's the way that humans are hardwired. You gain information about people first by sight. It may later be proven differently, but sight is our first perception. People still mis-judge me, it's just differnt now. Now they think I'm normal. Or that I'm a saint. Or that I'm some kind of super-woman. Or that I'm crazy (okay, they may be right on that one.)

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  14. Nice article Older Daughter...=) You made me LOL.

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  15. you mean they actually live to be in their 30's and 40's? wow...guess it is sorta like the hippies...i graduated from a class of 68 students in 1971 and my best friend and next door neighbor was gonna be hippie..she is now at age of 58 the same hippie chick she was then.. ask anyone from that class if they have seen or heard fromthe hippie and they all know who we are speaking of. so maybe hippies, emo/gothic all have something in common. theycling to the things they know best and are afraid of changing/growing up. your article is very good. if you get any sure fire answers to your question please clue the rest of us in.

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  16. sorry, but off the subject patrice- the delemma you had with refried beans and the canner. i too like refried beans and have had the same problem. this is what works for me: soak beans 12-18 hrs. drain off soaking water, and add fresh water to beans..about two inches above the beans in pot. cook until tender. do not mash or mix...put beans in jars, and enough bean liquid to be able to leave 1/2-1 inch headspace. cap and process the usual way. mash or mix your beans when you get ready to use them. this works for me every time!

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  17. Ah-ha! Now I know how to get my daughter (10) to write my next newspaper column for AYSO (soccer). Off to Ebay for some handcuffs. Well done eldest daughter, well done. I had dear daughter read it and she was laughing out loud at your witty writing style.

    Just one word of caution. Folks of the 1st type should be pointed out to a responsible adult. Clinical depression runs genetically in my family and tends to start at a young age. The second type? I don't get them either. :o)

    Becky

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  18. I've thought about this essay a lot since I first read it and commented. I realized how nice it is for you that you have no idea how painful life can be. I'm sure you don't understand what it would be like to live where neither of your parents are home, or are too screwed up to care about what is going on in your world. You have both your parents home, they know how you feel about things and respect you. You don't go to school where you are ridiculed for everything about you that is different from other kids. I grew up with a girl who was abused in multiple ways by her dad who she lived with because her mom was a crack addict. She didn't have anyone to talk to about what she was going through and noone to help her interpret her world and who she is in it. Her only option to getting out of that situation would have been to turn her dad into the police, and have her brother and herself sent to a foster home. Not great options. She didn't go goth, but she found plenty of other ways to try to escape her pain. I'm glad you don't understand that kind of emotional suffering. Hopefully, though, maturity will help you to see others pain through less critical eyes. There really are people out there who don't have anyone thinking about them (except as a nuisance) other than themselves. They have never experienced the nurturing love of parents who put them first and are almost always available to them that you have.

    Just something to think about.

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  19. Great article Older Daughter. Those hours spent studying grammar and literature were not wasted. Loved you humor. You "get it."

    Looking forward to reading more posts from you.

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  20. Now that there's some fancy writin'! No corrections from mom? I'm doubly impressed. Nice op-ed piece, Older Daughter! You had me hanging on every word.

    Just Me

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  21. Good job oldest daughter

    Miss Calamity

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  22. Nicely done, Oldest Daughter....you made it your own....and look at all the age groups who understood it :D....

    I don't think many of the emo kids have gotten "that old" yet, maybe in another decade or two....but the ones who do grow up usually end up as fashion designers, actors, artists, musicians, writers - something creative....something insightful....something that gets them some attention.....something they can make a statement with.....

    Until they find their place in the creative world, they're likely to show up with many different styles of expressing their uniqueness.....But the pain and emotions never really go away for the ones who are "really emo".....

    No, I'm not "one of them".....my online name is to happy for emo.....

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  23. Don't worry, some of those Emo kids will grow up to be regular Joes. My husband was Emo before Emo was cool. He had long hair, wore black eyeliner, black (and sometimes bright red) lipstick, and LOVED The Cure. But when Emo started to become popular he got over it. After High School he went on a mission for our church to Brazil. Right before we got married he joined the Army to be an intelligence analyst, and has been doing that ever since. We have been married 8 years, have two beautiful children and are very happy.
    Aside from him still loving The Cure, you'd never know he was an Emo kid in High School.
    See? There is hope for your generation.

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  24. What she forgot to mention was that before Mum cuffed her to the chair, she ran into my bedroom and begged to hide under my bed, then when I said no, she called me a traitor, hit me, threatened me, and when I still said no, she ran off to go beg from Dad. I suppose I should be grateful Mom hasn't tried to do the same thing to me. Yet. And no, Mom, that was so not a hint.

    -Younger Daughter

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  25. Give the older one a pat on the back form me. I love her forwardness! Melissa

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  26. the first post on your blog under the 'category' of "Emo". I bet you never thought that would come to pass.

    v/r

    Rob
    aka
    PACNW Righty

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  27. Nice work! I enjoyed reading that. All of my Goth friends grew out of the stage during or shortly after college. Around the same time they started interviewing for jobs to start a career. Interesting huh? ;) LOL

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  28. Ah! So THAT'S where it came from!!!
    (**WARNING** I am about to make generalizations about the locals where I currently live and some of the other service wives. Please chill out as I know most locals/family members are not like this! **)
    Here in our part of Germany, many of the adult women have short, spiked hair that is punctuated by purple, bright pink, and maroon. It's really odd for me to see so many GROWN women with hair like this! I understand it when you are in your teens or 20s, but 40s? 50? Even though I'm no beauty, I get looks from many local men - and I attribute it to my long, curly, totally brown hair.
    As for the piercings, I have never talked to so many women with piercings as I have since joining the Army and moving here. As in Gracie Wray's experience, I definitely stayed away from these "odd" (to me) wives. Luckily, I had to mix with some of them on sports teams and have found them to be nice and normal! I know that sounds silly to be surprised, but at the age of 44, I've not had to deal with too many pierced people.

    I'm certainly more willing to put aside first impressions than I was before, but my children will NOT be some of those permitted to do things.

    KatieJ
    Germany

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  29. On a more serious note...I know two goth type women in their 30s. When they were younger it was always "Me,me,me". Now that they have kids and responsibilities...it is STILL "Me, me, me". Both still dye their hair in bizarre colors, both have visible tattoos and piercings--one even has brandings (ewwww!).
    I know two men that were goth/emo when younger. Both are now employed, responsible and tossed away their piercing stuff and hair dye by the time they were 24 or 25.
    Maybe there is some gender related thing?

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  30. Great article! I can't stand goth/emo hair, makeup, and clothing. I don't find it attractive or eye-pleasing in anyway.

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  31. I loved reading this-very well done! My youngest daughter went through the black stage and the men's pj stage, the shave the back of her head stage,the tatoo stage,smoking etc. Now at 33 she is a first time mom. The fun truly begins as I watch this wondrful young woman go through all the stages of parenthood. Being a grandparent is my reward for raising three teenagers!!!

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  32. Very good post! I think to answer your question what happens to emos, this generation's sad sacks is 1, they wake up one day and realize what a fool they are and decide to become part of the real world. 2. Always stay that way and never realize their potential. Here in north Florida all a person has to do is head over to Gainesville along University Ave down by the University of Florida and see my generations form of emo's the hippies. they will be out on the corner panhandling, a great way to see what happens when you never grow up.They never take a bath either, you can smell em a block away. Just remember time may change, but people always stay the same in one form or another. I think your mom has hit on a great idea to get you to post and hope to see more.

    Had Enuff

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  33. Excellent job! Emo is a strange thing. Your views on attitudes changing about the time they have a job interview is right on. I have had a fear for several years now, that a newly elected president will place his right hand on the bible, while holding up his pants with the left!

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  34. I've known several people as really good, close friends who were emo or goth. I was interested in it, and they told me a lot about their past.

    Emo and Goth are actually quite different cultures, and the worldviews that they each have are dissimilar as well. Emo is slightly more hard-core because it is more a religion than a clothing style (though it isn't quite a religion entirely).

    Anyways, sadly, a lot don't survive to grow up. Suicide, drug overdoses, imprisonment, and things like that are common in that culture (from what I remember). And those who do survive either come to their senses, go under cover (only dress and act like that at home and on the weekends), or become rock music players. * chuckles *

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  35. Just wanted to say I loved your blog on emo. My younger children have asked me exactly what and why it is. I really couldn't tell them. I'll just direct them to your post.

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  36. Great post, I enjoyed it. :)

    I wanted to comment because I spent a solid 10+ yrs in Goth dance clubs in San Francisco more than weekly. And now I'm a perfectly traditional, church going, happy housewife but still look pretty weird. :) In my experience, most all the goths I knew were not depressed or whiny. I've always been an extremely happy & optimistic person and found it pretty easy to surround myself with similar types that I met in the goth scene. We all just loved the music (a genre called "industrial" music), and the style. I still love the music, I listen to it between bouts of listening to the Christian music station. :p

    Emo on the other hand, I've always felt was something much different. I don't care for the goofy, depressing music, and can't stand the whole whiny "waah me" self absorption thing that the scene seems to emanate. Just the name itself, emo, short for "emotional", is just so irritating! Why would someone feel the need to advertise how moody they are instead of just dealing with their problems in private? At least, that's my personal opinion.

    My gothy friends almost all held regular grown up jobs, were friendly & smiley, & functioned fine in society. We all just looked wierd & danced in loud, dark clubs at night. We didn't do drugs, but beer was plentiful. I actually had a full & busy child day care business throughout that time. :) Since I lived just outside San Francisco folks didn't think it worrisome to send their kids to the daycare lady with blue dreads and piercings. I really enjoyed my job. And now I have red dreads & piercings, and am pregnant with my 6th baby. :) I don't really have any goth friends anymore because we moved away from CA, and I'm way too old for the club scene (37). :) I had a wonderful, fun time during those years, BUT, would I embrace any of my kids following in my footsteps? Absolutely not!! LOL My husband & I agree that those years for us were filled with total immorality and, though fun, was a total waste of time. We have plans to get as far away from big cities as possible so our kids will be raised with better values than we were raised with.

    So, there is my mini-novel. I apologize for typing on & on! :) It's a fun topic for me.

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  37. They will grow up when they need a job that pays more than the one where they can dress this way...

    Kind of like college kids who "know it all" and how wrong their parent's conservative values are... I just wait until they get out on their own, get their own job and pay their own taxes and medical insurance... How quickly they change "parties".

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  38. Ah, thank you for that. I laughed my head off. "Because you look stupid." ROTFL. I had just been perusing the news, and thought I'd stop by for my dose of visual Valium before my blood pressure got too high. That bit dropped it a few points. I'd say to consider that assignment a rousing success, from my point of view.

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  39. I belive you did a nice job explaining this stereotype very well i myself started ro be emo in fifth grade i was a type a emo there was alot of family tenson going on when i took on this "style" from 6h grade up until this year (freshman year) i was cutting my arms, shoulders, legs, chest. and i was very depressed and attempted suicide 5 times i was sent to residential treatment for five months and i learned to cope with my depression i still dress and do my hair and make up the same way but im growing out of it mostly and thank god i did or who knows how i would have been like now if i were even alive.

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  40. So, I read this. I enjoyed it...for the most part. Well written and humorous...for the most part. However, I sort of take offense to some of Oldest Daughter's implications and those implications by the readers that commented. I didn't start coloring my hair colors of the rainbow until I was 30. I'm now 32. I love it and consider it an accessory...more or less. I want more tattoos and piercings. Not because I'm goth or emo or sad and depressed. But because I like it. My husband has tattoos and gauges. Just got his gauges last year at 39. Does all of this mean we are irresponsible, sad, depressed people? No, it doesn't. It means we are comfortable with ourselves. We dress normally. Like any other person walking down the street. I wear florals and bright colors; pearls and diamonds. We both were raised in families with loving parents and siblings. Attended church regularly. Were popular in school, played sports and excelled in academics. We are both college educated and successful business owners. We have six (6) children between the two of us. Coach little league, volunteer at school and are members of the PTA. I would much rather look like this than one of the country club women in the area we live in. Stuck up bitches that they actually are. Perfectly coifed people are the real ones we should all be worried about. Those are the ones hiding something...dirty little secrets, abuse, depression, etc.

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  41. ALERT ALERT! A teenager with common sense has been located in the wilds of Idaho. Some locals think she must have been raised by wolves, or an In-Your-Face opinionated north Idaho housewife. The elusive teen can sometimes be glimpsed doing chores and homework, actually HELPING with daily family life! Officials at Guiness are outfitting an expedition to study this rare and unusual young human, hoping for photo evidence and perhaps DNA for further study. Film at 11...

    I realize this is November, but I'm pretty new to Patrice's blog and I'm just gettin caught up!

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  42. I know this is pretty old but this is only partly right. If emos cut or not it doesn't matter its their problem. I know many NONE emo people and they cut just because. Teenagers usaully have this style until they are about 20. Most out grow this style. And one most important piece of imformation is NO ONE EVER mentions is that "Emos" are the sweetest people in the world when you get to know them. They might seem "weird" and "stupid"! But we are not! Yes I said we. I have this stle like it or not. We HATE labels. Our style is unique an different. We don't want to look like the rest of barbie and ken wanna bes. Just LEAVE US ALONE

    (Sorry if my grammer is bad. I'm from Germany still learning english here in the US)

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  43. I'm older and i have kids, i was a "goth" in school, since my parents allowed me to dress myself I have always preferred to dress myself that way. i have somewhat grown out of it.I have a good job and i finished college i still dye my hair black and wear a lot of darker clothes but emotionally i have grown up a lot i have a few small tattoos but there in easily hideable places. Now on a more serious note kids who dress emo who are doing it to fit in are annoying but another thing that is annoying is people who have a "normal" out look on life, complaining about people who chose an alternative life style. kids cry about responsibilities and adults are so close minded and set in there ways that anything different is scary. i look different but I'm a responsible adult, i have a masters degree, a high paying job and I'm a good mother to my kids. Yea some goths and emos grow up to be irresponsible adults but so do some mainstream do people too, the way a person dresses doesn't have anything to do with who they really are, bad people run in all groups

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  44. I do not see why people must always judge. If someone wants to look a certain way-who are you to say what is "ok" to look like? Just because they do not "fit society's" standards, there is no reason to judge them. And you are stereotyping everyone who considers themselves "emo." just because they express themselves differently. It does not mean you should critisicm them because they are different from you. Not everyone who is emo complains at all. You should do some research and realize you can't categorize people. No one is the same. Time to accept diversity.

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  45. I was in a city last year where there was an Iron Maiden (band from the 80s) concert. You've never seen so much long grey hair and denim in your life !
    Cracked me up, and I'm 54 - the same age as these guys.

    I cut my long hair off when I was 21, because I was tired of being treated like "some darned hippie".
    Yeah, it was cool and fun for a while, but as I grew out of my teens I knew I had things to offer, and people weren't seeing anything but the hair. So it had to go. A side benefit was that I immediately attracted a better class of girls.


    Charlie
    Still catching up - I'm only about a year behind now.

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  46. I completely disagree. You do not have to be emo to be suicidal, cut yourself for suffer from depression. You also don't have to be depressed or have a 'me me me' attitude to be emo.
    I dress emo, gothic, punk and 'normally' and I am none of those negative things associated with those cultures.
    I also have 7 piercings including stretches ears and every single one of them had a long thought process behind them. None were done on whim or because they looked cool. I had them done because I wanted them for me and intended to keep them for life.

    Please don't view these people in such a stereotypical way. How they dress, piercings and tattoos have nothing to do with their work capability or how amazing they are as a person.

    I find this post to be showing a very prejudice view of the emo culture. I'd even go as far to say it is discriminative.

    I think that everyone, yes everyone , needs to learn a little more about it because there is so much ignorance and misunderstanding here.

    Please don't judge us because we are not YOUR OPINION of 'normal'. We don't jude you for being (what you call) 'normal'. Don't do it to us.

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  47. I view it as people playing dress up. Older Daughter has a point about eventually accepting responsibility. I have a friend who, while not entirely Emo, is still into the punk rock scene at 40. She is a free spirit, and if that suits you, fine. But to be 40 and have no car, sporadic work, mooch off other people, and no foreseeable change coming is sad. She has an education, but can't seem to hold a job for any length of time. Then she complains she can't find work. Hint: No one wants to hire someone with hot pink hair when they have a spotty work history.

    A lot of the Goth/Emo look is associated with drug culture as well. Not all, but a lot.

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  48. You're teaching your daughter how to be a narrow-minded judgmental conformist, well done.

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  49. Hello There,
    I just wanted to see if you were currently interested in additional guest bloggers for your blog site.
    I see that you've accepted some guest posters in the past - are there any specific guidelines you need me to follow while making submissions?
    If you're open to submissions, whom would I need to send them to?
    I'm eager to send some contributions to your blog and think that I can cover some interesting topics.
    Thanks for your time,
    Tess

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  50. I have 2 daughters that dress this way and at first I was very skeptical letting them do so but I believe that while they are not hurting others or themselves there is nothing wrong with letting them express and find themselves. Both my daughters are very hard working in their daily chores. My older one is working at a fish factory saving for the school she wants to go to and my younger one works hard at school taking extra classes outside of school. They don't do drugs, drink or smoke. They are not suicidal or angry at a crappy life. I think your mom gave you a good paper to wright and I did enjoy reading it. There is one thing that I tell my girls is never to judge a book by it's cover cause you will not know what it has to say until you open it and read. It is the same way with us people you don't know what is on the inside of a person by looking at the outside. Thank goodness we aren't all alike, can you imagine how boring life would be if everyone, everything and every day was the same. We would be living a very boring colorless life.

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  51. I think your mom gave you a good paper to write and I liked reading it. I like your humor. I have 2 daughters that dress EMO and I have to say your view of Emo doesn't describe my daughters at all. My older one is working hard at the fish factory here saving for her further education and the younger one is in school and takes extra classes after school learning Japanese and has plans of going into law-enforcement when she has reached the age to go to that school. My daughters don't do drugs, drink or smoke. They are not suicidal or angry or depressed because of a crappy life. I always tell my daughters not to judge a book by it's cover because you will never know what wonders it may have inside for you. It is the same with us people, if you judge a person from the outside you will never know what beauty the heart may hold. Can you imagine how colorless and boring the world would be if we were all the same and did the same thing day after day. I think every day has it's wonders and everyone that I meet can bring something different into my life.

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  52. So sad to see supposed Christians being so judgmental of others for their appearance. This shows downright shallowness and unwillingness to understand anyone who is not exactly the same as you. Emo's are not the downfall of our generation - our generation is no worse than those before it. I'd say the main failure within this generation and many before it is obsession with expensive status symbols like iphones and hollister clothing etc.

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  53. Funny how people gloss over the fact that people who dress and act a certain way are doing so because they want to be thought of in that way and treated that way. I had a buddy who wanted to cover his body in tattoos even a skull on top of his head that was visible when he shaved it. The funny thing about him was how he would complain about people's impressions of him and how narrow minded they were to be fearful of him before knowing him. I Finally explained to him that he was solely responsible for anybody's reaction to his appearance. Just to give you and idea of how my old buddy looked. 5'10" 300 lbs. shaved head . He wore dark terminator glasses with a scowl on his face and a challenging look whenever another big guy came into the area. He finally ended up joining a motorcycle gang to complete his look.It's sad that He never could except that he was responsible for peoples impressions of his Bad Boy appearance . I find it humorous when people refer to there so called uniqueness when dressing like 100,000s if not millions of other people but call it expressing there individuality.If it looks like a duck, Quacks like a duck.then chances are!!! Good job oldest daughter and Mom for hand cuffing her to the chair :)

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  54. Well people grow up eventually, once they have their own kids and family...

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