Finding Emo

There's only so many funny Japanese clips on the internet... just kidding! There are endless amounts of funny Japanese clips! I will never, ever run out! The day I run out of hilarious, awkward and nightmare-inducing clips from Japanese commercials, game shows, or whatever the fuck this is, I will personally fly to Tokyo and take some home movies of dogs riding bikes and english teachers exercising while teaching you about the finer points of rape prevention (as I assume will be on every street corner).

But maybe Japanese video clips aren't enough for you. Maybe you're in the mood for something darker, something more emotional, something more, I don't know, Fall Out Boy-ish.

You're in luck! Bex has a new feature called Finding Emo - because I find emo culture mesmerizing and hilarious, and there's tons of emo things wandering around on the web.

I was goth for my entire 9th grade and the beginning of 10th grade. No, I didn't wear white face makeup or commit suicide (uh, obviously). I never even referred to myself as "goth" or "freak", if by those terms you mean "Every Other Day I Wore Black Lipstick and Thick Black Eyeliner and Okay Sometimes an Entire Outfit Made of Pressed Black Velvet (No Joke, I Totally Had This In My Wardrobe For An Entire Year With No Shame) Unless I Felt Like Phoning In My Outfit and Instead Wore Old Navy". I did write a lot of bad mature poetry and the Lost Highway sountrack was in my CD collection.

As far as turn ons of the opposite sex go, I have always been into the "bad" boys - goth boys, boys who wore eyeliner and hair in front of their face, boys who played guitar regardless if they were any good at it or not. My last boyfriend was one of these types of boys, and it was major swoon! I guess he would be considered more "emo" than "goth", though (although he wouldn't seriously label himself as anything, just like I never called myself "freak" in high school, but that's what I was called by others).

What exactly is the difference between "goth" and "emo"? Emo is goth with a sense of humor. I think when most people define themselves as being "emo", they're really in on the joke - the whole entire culture can make fun of itself, while goth kids are really just moping around, trying to get attention. Emo kids blast their iPods and wear ripped up, tight, black clothes like a faux-rockstar to get attention - but have fun in the meantime.

I don't think the local news team reporting on emo culture are in the joke, though:



Watch out! Emo could happen to you or somebody you love.

And just because I am a shameless self-promoter, check out one of my favorite songs I've ever written about my love for boys who know how to cry - Tongue Ring in Chic. Who doesn't love a good song title pun?