Some have named Emos Brisbane’s newest troublemakers, but it appears we need to look closer at the latest teen craze before judging.
Emos, as they are known, are the latest breed of kids to transform into Dracula-like creatures using black eye-liner hair dye and clothes to express themselves. Resembling the 1970s Punks both in style and popularity, Emos appear to be another teen rebellion. However, on closer examination some bizarre elements come to light’. Red and white polka-dots, patterned Converse sneakers, ballet slippers and bows, not a safety pin in sight.
The boys are covered in black eye-liner and piercings and look feminine in their tight skinny-leg jeans, long straightened hair and painted nails. And the girls look more like Minnie Mouse than Sex Pistol fans.
The name, Emo, is short for emotional – exactly what this group is. However they are normal teens with hormones raging through their puberty-stricken bodies. But rather than turning foul and hostile, they have decided to group together and console one another.
So how, I ask you, is sitting and talking about their feelings a bad thing? It is my understanding that adolescents are encouraged to be open about their lives. Congregating in the centre of Queen Street Mall, Emos sit and talk for hours about their feelings. Described as passive, pleasant, normal teenage kids, these teens are no bad-ass punks; they are the pussycat-punks.
Employees from the shops surrounding the Emos’ hang out support this image. One shop manager said, “I have three of them working for me. I come in every morning and they are upstairs painting their nails black and talking about their feelings!” He said they have never given him any problems and the only incident was a customer who was forced to push her way out of the shop as they had crowded around the entrance. He warned them not to let it happen again and throughout the day 10 individuals personally apologised to him.