Goth, punk, emo? Whats the difference?6 comments

I have been called Emo, Punk and even Goth, and when asked what I am my response is “I am myself”. I personally don’t belong to any sub-culture, but I have been categorised many times by people who are not sure what the difference between the three sub-cultures are.

In today’s world, all people care about is what’s hip and happening, making trends out of lifestyles, not knowing their history or what they’re really about.

I was sitting in the cafeteria with one of my friends the other day when we overheard a girl who was much younger than us claim that people who paint their nails black are Satanists. We couldn’t help but find it amusing so we listened a little closer and heard one of the other girls saying that people who paint their nails black are Goth, and another said that they’re emo.

They asked someone what Goth was and as he was explaining I realized that he was totally off and had no clue what he was talking about. When someone asked what emo was, a little girl shouted out that emos are a bunch of wanna-be’s. This got me thinking, people all have their own views and opinions on sub-cultures, but they don’t even know what they are about.

So, I’ve thrown a few facts together about the emo, punk and Goth sub-cultures to help people recognise the differences, and learn a little more about them, and maybe even change their views.

You get three categories when it comes to Emo. Firstly, the anti-emo or so-called “normal” people – these are the people who usually make fun of Emos and stereotype them as freaks who slit their wrists. Secondly, you get the “Wanna-be Emos”, these are the people who claim to be Emo by dressing black and try to give people that impression. Today the Emo fashion is said to be just a fad, a temporary thing. In the earlier days, Emo was a clean cut look, but teenagers have made the style darker and more morbid.

Finally, you get your real Emo people; the ones who know the history behind it, the ones who choose it as a lifestyle and not just a fashion trend. The truth is, some Emo people don’t even look Emo at all, they look like “normal” everyday people, and not all Emo people are depressed and trying to kill themselves.

“True Emo’s are probably the one’s that keep to themselves and the ones that are seen as freaks. Then you get the wanna-be/posers. They just dress in black and look all mopey, and stick to their own groups. But honestly it’s hard to say, because everyone’s perception of an Emo is different. Nowadays it’s such a trend anyway” says Robyn, a girl who seems familiar with the term.

Emo is said to have originated in 1984, when a punk rock band called Rites of Spring started to perform in D.C. The lead singer of this band differed from other punk music by writing and producing songs that consisted of many emotional words and feelings. This type of music really reached out to the youth, because they saw that it was acceptable to be open about their feelings.  They became very fond of the performers dress styles and also the way they were so open in exposing the emotions they really felt. People really started responding to this type of music in a positive way and this emotional punk music soon became known as “Emotionals” or “Emotives” and of course “Emo” for short. Quite interesting eh?

Emo is usually stereotyped with tight jeans; a long fringe that is brushed to one side of the face covering one, or both of the eyes; dyed black, straightened hair; tight tees with Emo band names; studded belts; belt buckles and canvas sneakers. These attributes are mostly true, but then again maybe it’s just true because so many “wanna-be” Emo’s go along with these stereotypes to try get some attention or to keep up with the “trend”.

Other stereotypes include Emo’s being shy, sensitive, introverts, and also being associated with depression, self-injury and suicide.

“Emo is just being emotional. Having strong feelings towards something, usually angry, sad or depressed. That’s the cliche’ and normally the correct definition of Emo” Says Louis, another person who is familiar with the sub-culture. So for those of you who were wondering what being Emo is really all about, there’s your answer.

Punk is a subculture that is based around punk rock. It is usually made up of the youth group, just like Emo. The punk scene is composed of many different subcultures. Punks tend to live a certain lifestyle and share a sense of community with one another.  In other words they like to stick together. The Stereotypes for Punks are mohawks, spikes, chains, menace to society, always getting in trouble etc.

Punk is said to have originated in New York in the very late 1960’s and early 1970’s, when bands such as the Ramones and Blondie came hit the scene. Punk music became a strong way in which Punks could get rid of their frustration and anger and they could identify themselves as a culture on their own. Punk can be identified as a culture which speaks up about what they are against. If you want to hear some home-brewed local talent, be sure to check out Pirate Punx, a Punjk band that’ll show you what it’s all about.

The way they dress also became a way in which they could identify themselves. People say that Punk reflects attitude. Jeans, red laces, studded jackets, and items of clothing that are associated with the Punk-look are worn to show that they refuse to do things that they are against. The fashion is basically the way that Punks show their individualism. “Punk is more than just the way you dress, it’s a lifestyle. Punk is for people with confidence who are not scared to stick out in a crowd. Punk is being what you want it to be, not a mishap but a legacy. It’s about keeping it real, about being an individual, and not going with the crowd” Says Etienne, a South African Punk.

The Punk culture has changed drastically from what it used to be like, there’s no doubt about that. But this definitely doesn’t mean that punk is dead, it has just evolved with the times. In South Africa, you’ll find punk among many teenagers, especially among the skateboarders. Over the years punk has changed, and it will change further on in years to come. But punk will never be dead.

Goth is an existing sub-culture that is found in many countries. It began in the U.K. during the early 1980s in the gothic rock scene, which is the “offshoot” of the post-punk scene. The Goth sub-culture has survived much longer than others of the same era, and it is still growing and changing.

Its scene and culture is influenced from 19th century Gothic literature and horror movies. The gothic fascination with the horror has raised public concerns regarding the well-being of Goths. The media has made the public believe that Goths or people associated with the sub-culture are evil; but this is disagreed with and the Goth subculture is usually said to be non-violent.

Some people who have either said themselves to be or been seen by others as Goth, whether correctly or incorrectly, have committed high profile violent crimes, including several school shootings. These incidents and their attribution to the Goth scene have helped to propagate a wary perception of Goth in the public eye. Goths are also stereotyped as depressed, violent, suicidal, sado-masochists, and people believing that they’re vampires (whoa!). But nobody can say for sure, because many people view this sub-culture in different ways. We all have our own opinions.

The Goth subculture has connected tastes in music and fashion. Gothic music includes a number of different styles. Common to all is a tendency towards a gloomy, mystical sound and outlook. Styles of dress within the subculture range from death-rock, punk, Victorian, and Medieval styled clothes, or combinations of these styles – mostly with black clothes, makeup and hair.

If you are interested in hearing what Goth music is all about, you should check out an awesome local South African band called Perennial Darkness. They’ll knock you off your feet with their talent and prove all the bad stereotypes against Goth wrong.

“I don’t actually view myself as a Goth, but because I am a free spirit, artistist/musician and don’t obey society’s norm’s, I find myself more accepted in the Gothic subculture and it’s comforting to be around people who think the way I do.  So, I stay and ignore the sarcasm and prejudice offered by the lesser thinkers of the world and revel in being an individual. Me. Our music connects to everybody, whether they realise it or not, but because it is the free-thinking Goth that connects to our lyrics, we are considered Gothic Metal” – Angelica (Perennial Darkness)

Although these sub-cultures share things in common such as dressing in black and expressing their feelings, they are not the same. If they were, they wouldn’t be classed separately now would they? Now that you know the meaning and history behind these sub-cultures you can decide whether or not you belong to one, are you the real deal, or have you been faking it all along?

I’ll leave it to you to decide.

CELEBRITY QUOTE
“Fashion fads are always tricky because you want your child to fit in with her friends, but you also want to teach her that she doesn’t have to follow every trend that comes along. So when there’s something new she wants to try, let her experiment, but if you think she’s spending too much time or money on it, then you might want to step in.” ~ Mary Giles

THANK-YOU’S

I’d like to say thank-you to the following people who helped me out with this artice:
Emo Pictures: Louis Mahlerbe, Nikki Hulster and Braam van der Merwe
Punk Pictures: Rudi Engelbrecht, Casper Odendaal and JD Odendaal (Pirate Punx)
Goth Pictures: Ladeamon, Lillith, Angelica and Zamiel (Perennial Darkness)
Quotes: Robyn-Lee tapson, Etienne jansen van Vuuren and Angelica

YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME!!!

* Main photo courtesy PhotoXpress

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