What do the terms 'emo' and 'goth' mean?

Answer 1

Goth:

Is a lifestyle, it's a state of mind. It's a way of life for people who think outside the box, and love the darker side of life. It's about being a free thinker and not caring about what other people think. It's about love, romance, beauty and living in that dark areas that everyone else is so afraid of. Now I know people say that it came from the 80's but if you do some research there have always been groups of people who dress in dark colors and put themselves outside of normal society. For a good example look at Theda Bara labeled "the initial Goth Girl" (website name thedabara - no URLs in answer) and to those that think goth is dead, well just remember that history always repeats it's self.

Emo:

It is a label people give themselves for being apathetic and emotional to an extreme (usually miserable), but wallowing in it and not wanting it to change. They tend to feel they are misunderstood and that life is not fair to them in specific. In fact "emo" is short for emotionally troubled or disturbed. It is in fashion with some of the group to cut themselves and wear heavy eye make-up. The hair cuts tend to have awkward sharp angles and are often glossed. Many of the guys wear very tight jeans, often women's. The girls tend to lean more towards late 70's to early 80's fashion.

__________________________

They are the names of two subcultures, both originated in the 70's subculture called punk.

Goth: A subculture consisting of gothic clothing, music and literature. The clothing is inspired by industrial, victorian and early 1900's english clothing, all mixed with dark. The music is inspired by industrial and german music, but is considered much darker. Gothic literature is basically a mix between Horror and Romantic literature. No, you don't need to smoke or do drugs to be goth.

Emo: Originally a style of music originated in the 80's hardcore punk. Around 2003 it became a more generic term as the major record labels labeled bands like Dashboard Confessional and My Chemical Romance emo. Then it became a bigger subculture consisting of a specific taste of music, a style of clothing, and of course, the emotional lifestyle. The latter is really misunderstood. It has nothing to do with self-injury and depression, but is more about getting in touch with your emotions. Writing songs and poems is a common thing in the emo lifestyle.

____________________________

Goth:

It's many things but the term has been around for years. It was originally a Germanic tribe then a type of building, a genre of book and eventually a subculture which holds fashion, music and aesthetics. It's more than just a subculture but it's what people can call home and a place of acceptance - we do not judge. It's about showing appreciation and beauty in the darker side of life - not evil. A typical trad(itional) Goth would wear darker colours, possibly some accessories of chains, spikes and studs. They also listen to a certain genre of rock called Gothic rock. That's what defines us as a Goth (physically, apart from the darker personality) anyone can wear black and spikes and call themselves Goth.

Emo:

A sub genre of hardcore punk formed in 1984-5 in Washington D.C. A band called Minor Threat had an idea, their idea was carried out by a Minor Threat fan called Guy Picciotto with his band (or he joined) Rites of Sping. Rites of Spring officially became the first emo band. Their fans portrayed their music as 'emo' and the RoS members mentioned this in a 1985 Flipsize magazine. Emo also has its roots in indie rock and many bands who are emo are also indie too. Emo isn't mainstream and you won't be able to hear any emo or screamo bands on the TV or radio.