UNAM expert: Emos do not constitute an 'urban tribe'

* Darker than emo: A fan of Christian Death.

There was awful, sauna-style heat at the venue in Roma where L.A.-based Christian Death showed up to play on Saturday night, but that didn't stop some people from donning some impressive, full-scale goth/punk looks, like the guy above. * Read more on the show and other stuff at my new post at LA Daily.

Now, let's consider an article that I came across while looking through the anti-emo blog Movimiento Anti-Emosexual Inc., which previously disavowed responsibility for any instances of anti-emo violence. The blog links to an article in La Jornada that cites researchers who argue the emos of Mexico are not a bonafide 'tribu urbana' because they don't have a political ideology. My translation:

The specialist in urban groups Héctor Castillo Berthier indicated that to consider the emos an urban tribe is incorrect, as they do not adhere to the characteristics necessary to be one, and they only represent a fad.

[...]

The phenomenon, he said, simply obeys market interests and does not have any social sense, let alone a political one, for which it only represents a trend that [emos] will leave behind once they work or change their interests. "These showy adolescents will simply stop being emos," he said.

The article -- still maintaining a straight face -- also quotes someone who says 40 percent of emos are suicidal. I'm open to discussion on my translation, so here's the English Google version.

* MORE: Kristoff in translation.

Comments

[Gustavo Arellano]

So what group did this guy consider tribus?

[Daniel H.]

The implication is that punks and goths and skinheads have certain ideologies and social codes, and that emos do not. That's why they're so derided.

[Gustavo Arellano]

Guy's an idiot.

[richard]

That argument about emos lacking a political ideology is pretty widespread, and pretty flawed when you note the delicious irony at work.

Emos decided to take political action by demonstrating, only to get the shit kicked out of them in duly reactionary, anti-political fashion by people who supposedly hold political ideologies. Hmmmm

[kathryn garcia]

please refer to:http://journalofthieves.wordpress.com/?s=raped+me+now+im+goth

[kathryn garcia]

please refer to:http://journalofthieves.wordpress.com/?s=raped+me+now+im+goth

[Nicky]

Why not consider this 'lack' of political motive a poltical stance by itself? A rejection of the corrupted political system?

[Dego]

for explain myself better, i would do it on spanish.

Ver a los emos, punks, o metals, como tribus urbanas puede ser valido si queremos establecer metaforas, y no cuando queremos establecer categorias de analisis antropologicos o sociologicos. La enfoque de tribus urbanas reinvidica una mirada de la antropologia colonialista.

Es apropiado hablar de identidades o de estilos.

Para mas revisar el observatorio de la juventud de españa, del ministerio de la juventud, en especial los textos del antropologo Carles Feixa.

Saludos.

Dego

[emo]

Very scarry picture :|