To a normal person, emo music consists of bands such as My Chemical Romance, The Used, Jimmy Eat World and Paramore. However, an Emo Gatekeeper would claim that it’s “too melodramatic and staged!!!!!” They say emo is not supposed to be mainstream (which is a dumb thought in itself, because these bands are helping out your emo concept, but whatever).
They always go on rants that usually consists of something similar to this:
“Real emo sounds ENERGETIC, POWERFUL and somewhat HATEFUL. Fake emo is weak, self pity and a failed attempt to direct energy and emotion into music. “ They never stop to realize that literally no one gives a shit.
Their examples of “Real Emo” always consists of like the same five bands: Rites of Spring, Embrace, Cap n Jazz, Embrace, and Loma Prieta.
The first Rites of Spring album (who they usually call the first emo band) was released in 1985. This fits in with their age (usually around 50) because it’s proves they probably have an emotional attachment to their childhood emo bands and are scared of change. You kinda gotta feel bad for them.
People who listen to normal emo (shit like mcr) don’t really at all about what music is or isn’t, they just like the music. Emo Gatekeepers seem to be the only ones who push their beliefs so hard.
Dude 1: Hey, dude 2! Wanna listen to some emo?
Dude 2: Sure! I love MCR and Paramore
Emo Gatekeeper; *busts through wall* “LISTEN HERE KID YOU CLEARLY DONT UNDERSTAND WHAT EMO MEANS! EMO DERIVES FROM THE DC EMOTIONAL HARDC-“
Dudes 1 & 2: Bro, no one gives a shit
12👍 2👎
Someone who doesn't consider the nuances of emo music as a genre, and always try to shut down the conversation about what bands are considered part of the genre or not. They always refer bands like American Football, The Promise Ring, The Get Up Kids, and other midwest emo bands as "true emo", and anything mainstream like My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy, and Paramore as "fake emo".
They also like using the excuse "Gerard Way hates MCR being called emo" and completely ignoring that Rites of Spring and Jawbreaker also hated being called emo, but they proceed to insist their emo title anyways. It's the same thing that happened with Grunge and Nu Metal before where people used the excuse that bands hated labels, thus they aren't part of it.
Their primary source for this information comes from isthisbandemo.com which 1. Is an extremely contradictory website (stating bands like Senses Fail and Pierce the Veil aren't emo, but bands similar to them like Silverstein and Coheed and Cambria are) 2. They change emo rulings all the time (they used to consider The Used emo, but not anymore, or when they used to not consider Paramore emo, but now they do, etc.) and 3. The website owner came out and said that it shouldn't even be taken seriously back in 2019.
Obviously, there are some bands that aren't emo that people can clear the waters about like Panic! at the Disco or Twenty One Pilots, but to gatekeep what is "real and fake emo" is ridiculous.
Emo Gatekeeper Copypasta: "Real Emo" only consists of the dc Emotional Hardcore scene and the late 90's Screamo scene...