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Lindsay Tanner Urges The Nation To Support Emos
Posted by Jess McGuire at 1:43 PM on June 12, 2007
We can honestly say that when we woke up this morning, we were not expecting to see a headline like "Emos need our total support" anywhere in the papers. But the world is a strange and wonderful place, and we must adjust to this fact accordingly.
You see, Labor politician Lindsay Tanner has penned a moving piece published under that very compelling headline. We're sure he means well, but a grown man putting his name to an article which repeatedly makes use of the word "emos" results in a discombobulating explosion of feelings deep within us. We are amused, and yet frightened. We are touched at the effort, whilst simultaneously shuddering in vicarious embarrassment. Kind of like when your older bachelor uncle tries to hang out with the young folk at family get togethers, forever dropping archaic "groovy" lingo into conversation, his pot belly hanging awkwardly over his hipster tight black stovepipe jeans.
Emos need our total support
By Lindsay Tanner
You might not have heard of emos. Neither had I until two teenage girls from Melbourne's outer east committed suicide.
Some people blamed the emo culture.
Emos belong to a distinct youth subculture that emerged from the music and fashion of the goth and punk culture in the 1980s.
Emo is short for emotional. It now seems to reflect quite a bit more than just particular music and fashion styles.
Emos are supposedly sensitive, introverted and alienated.
Already, we're marvelling at the pace of the missive. In our heads, we are imagining Lindsay Tanner in school uniform, standing in front of the chalkboard and hastily reading his report on the phenomenon of "emos" to a mildly interested troop of classmates. Each sentence is delivered in a nervous, breathless manner, with every new paragraph giving the knee high socks-donning Lindsay a chance to quickly gasp for air.
More of Lindsay's insight into the world of "emos" after the jump.
Some claim that the emo subculture celebrates self-harm and glorifies suicide. Certainly a casual wander through an emo website can be a little confronting. You'll find plenty of comments like "I hate everything" and "people suck".
How worried should we be about this? Frankly, I'm not sure.
We've seen plenty of strange youth subcultures come and go over the years. My generation got off on flower power, peace, love and universal happiness and we seem to have survived.
I'm reluctant to get too agitated about a particular subculture, even if some connect it with teenage suicides. It's hard to know whether that link exists anyway.
There's another angle to this issue that does trouble me though.
Emos sound a lot like kids who typically get bullied and excluded by other kids. And bullying is something I do feel strongly about. Kids choosing an odd subculture just to be different is one thing, but if it's an escape from an unhappy world of bullying and humiliation it's an entirely different matter.
I'm not really in a position to know, but I can't help wondering.
There's nothing new about bullying. But the social context in which today's kids grow up is very different from when I went to school.
If you're beautiful, brainy, wealthy or sporty, you're probably OK. If you're just an ordinary kid, not outstanding at anything, the world can be a pretty unpleasant place.
We all need to be needed. Recognition of the contribution we each make is a crucial part of our individual wellbeing. In the old world, teenagers who weren't academic stars were already in the workforce and earning respect.
Childhood lasts a lot longer these days. Without the innate dignity that attaches to adult things, such as full-time work and raising a family, it can be pretty lonely for many teenagers.
The exaggerated value our society places on individual success can have a demoralising effect on many young people. Kids who feel inadequate can become bullies, or get bullied. For those who are bullied, their feelings of inadequacy are entrenched by regular humiliation.
Some cope, some adjust, some recover. But for some kids the results can be permanent, even fatal. To counteract their own insecurities, bullies home in on the weaknesses of their victims.
Schools try harder to stamp out bullying now, but it's very hard to police. I'm in favour of zero tolerance, but I realise schools can't do everything.
Parents should take more responsibility for their kids' behaviour.
We all need to pay more attention to kids, to protect them from bullying and prevent them from becoming bullies.
They all deserve a reasonable start in life.
Well done, Lindsay. A gold star for you, and you get first pick of the toys during little lunch.
A+
Comments
Taylor Loveless
Posted May 28, 2008 8:12 AM
Emo is a label, it's a stereotype made by people that can't figure others out, as are all stereotypes and labels. It's sad that our society depends so much on labels. I know that we can't stop labels in a day, but maybe we can in a few years. People that are depressed or hate life are not all "emos." Wanting to commit suicide has nothing to do with what label you belong to. It has to do with you mental state. People who are "emo" express themselves they way they feel is best. Just like people who are "preps" or "brainiacs." Parents should focus less on what clothes their kids wear and wat music they listen to and how they wear their hair. And more on how their kids grades are, and how they interact with other people. This will show parents if their kids are suicidal or not. Parents need to stop trying to mold their kids into mini-me's and focus on having a good relationship with them. My parents talk to me about everything and I know that I can tell them almost anything, if I can't tell them I can always tell my sister or friends, they are also a lot of help. Kids need to have someone they can confide in about anything and everything. This will give them an outlet for their feelings. Or if your child doesn't like talking, they can write, enroll them in poetry or writing classes, but be sure to talk to your kids about it first. If you make your child do something without their consent it can make them more isolated. And don't stop loving your kids if they become "emo," always love your kids and respect them. If you do all this you will have a good relationship with your kids and they will have them same relationship with you.