Thursday, March 15, 2007

Emo Style


There is a HUGE discrimination against Emos in my school! If you don't know, Emo is short for emotionals, and the kids listen to "hard core punk music," wear a lot of black eyeliner, orange eyeshadow--even the boys, and are commonly confused with Goths, which they are NOT. Anyway, its this huge saga, where the police were brought into our school because of a "war" for the jock hallway between obviously--the jocks and the Emos. Then, boys in my 3A class were making fun of an Emo girl in my class, and she made the counselor call all the boys in the class into his office one-by-one to talk to them about the discrimination that is making my female student feel unsafe in our classroom. They honestly, are just boys, they think the are funny and even flirting? and she sadly, feels like it is an unsafe learning environment. Then, my journalism students want to publish an "opinion" peice in our paper about how Emos, "need to get lives," I don't let them print it of course, and then a few girls print some off and slip them in the paper as "flyers." I got most of them out, but of course, administration finds out about it when some Emo parents call into the school upset. I tell on the girl in my class, but I feel awful! I feel more awful about my journalism student who is going to hate me, than I do about the few students who saw the flyer, but I am also livid about the student! Anway, Emo kids are NOT Gothic, do not worship the devil, just listen to punk music and dress hard-core 80's, i.e. good kids for the most part with identity crises like the rest of the bunch, but they choose to show it in their style. Anway, I asked my students why there was so much prejudice about it and they said, I don't know, they are just "new" and "different" I guess. WOW. Difference? There have been major battles in our country over the difference and our right to be different. What is it about difference that inherently causes discrimination?

7 comments:

Panini said...

I think it's terrible. Good for that girl for getting all the guys called in. "Just being a Boy" is no longer a good defense for inapproriate, immature, mean behavior. If they're giving her crap, I think it's great they got called in.
I didn't even know there were Emos until you told me about this. And good on you for "telling" on that girl, because her behavior was awful. And any student that goes behind your back like that does not deserve your good opinion.

Are you going to put up your celeb picture pics?

Joy said...

Not cool at all. Emo's being "new" though? Only in Payson. Did you know the "emo" movement basically started out here in DC?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emo_%28music%29

I don't know..Emo's aren't goth...but they have clearly been influenced by the Goths.

Scully said...

It isn't the Emo kids who need to get a life, it is the students who are threatened by someone who is different. Also, as proved by Johnny Depp, Jared Leto, Robert Smith, and Johnny Reznick, boys who wear eyeliner are hot. Discrimination is discrimination regardless of where or how it happens. Also, who knows what was said to that girl outside the classroom that coloured what was said in front of you. And you had every right to turn in the girl that self-published. It is hate-mongering. Don't worry about what she thinks about you. You were doing the right thing and she is a reactionary snot face.

Unknown said...

good for you K. There just seems to be this group-think that takes people over. Like some survival mechanism that makes them question difference and band together against it. So many great minds have bucked the trend to bring us some of our most enlightened truths, yet the group mentality still exists.

I'm really proud of that girl for sticking up for herself and not letting "boys just be boys". boys in a group can become a vicious, unthinking pack of bullies. and when you ask them why they do what they do, none of them seem to know. It can turn really bad.

Unknown said...

And Scully, Brandon Flowers, head singer of the Killers (even if their new album sucks, he's still really beautiful-eyeliner and all)

Scully said...

I knew there was someone I forgot, SJ. Thanks!

Unknown said...

Yeah, J. Depp in eyeliner is hot. Its true emos have been around for quite a while but they are "new" to Payson, a lot of things take a lot of time to get to Payson! Thanks for all the support guys! :) Down with close-mindedness! This small Utah town just seriously appals me in some ways!