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Exclusive: Emo March Organiser And More Stars Speak Out

added 30 May 2008 at 11.29

16-year-old student Anni Smith from Hampshire was prompted to organise tomorrow's (May 31) protest march against The Daily Mail after the paper published a feature that effectively tarred emo as suicide-worshipping cult.

Speaking of her decision to organise the march, Anni told Xfm: "The Daily Mail have targeted My Chemical Romance repeatedly over the past few years and it's gotten to the point where we just wanted to stand back and have our say because what they're printing is completely untrue and we just want to set the record straight."

She denied that emo is the cause of teen suicides or self-harm, explaining: "The main point of the protest is to get the truth out there and to spread the word that if you're feeling depressed or suicidal to get help whether it's from a teacher or a parent or a friend or a phone line and to go and seek out help."

It's a view shared by Nev Curbishley, a Manchester-based promoter who puts on a number of under-age events across the city. He said: "I don't the music itself is anything to be worried about. I think that if your child is worried or depressed or anxious is any way that's a completely separate issue."

As the debate rages on, more musicians have spoken to Xfm against the scapegoating of emo. Maximo Park's Paul Smith was adamant that music wasn't to blame for the suicide of 13-year-old emo fan Hannah Smith:

"When you bring a number of factors together that's what makes up somebody's life but I can't see that music has the decisive role in [a suicide]."

Smith continued by endorse and live-and-let-live philosophy: "People should be allowed to wear what they want and to a certain extent behave in the way they want so long as it doesn't get in anybody else's way. People's lifestyle choices are often picked up upon because they deviate from the norm."

He also believes that people should look beyond the scare-mongering of tabloids: "I think if you read in a certain newspaper and dress in a certain way and you see loads of kids with eye-liner on and their hoods up and listening to music that you don't associate with then you're going to react against that and for me that's a purely reactionary misunderstanding"

Bob Mould, arguably one of the founding fathers of emo as singer-guitarist with 80s hardcore band Husker Du and 90s post-grungers Sugar, believes that the positive effects are frequently overlooked by the tabloids. 

He said: "Why don't the papers talk about all the lives that get enriched and the people who get uplifted by music as well? That's like blaming the peanut butter companies on the morbidly obese."

Of Hannah's suicide, Mould said: "It's a sad thing. It's sad when anybody chooses to leave sooner than they should but to blame that on music in particular is easy."   

Are you going on the march tomorrow? Do you think that scapegoating emo is an easy option or do The Daily Mail have a point?

Leave your thoughts and messages on our dedicated board. 

 

Tagged as My Chemical Romance, Exclusive

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comments

1. i am sick and tierd of all this bullshit that the newspapers and certain groups on social networking sites stir. They cast a steriotypical outlook on people who listen and ENJOY listening to the genre and the stems of the genre. the scene that comes along with it is not suicidal but is glamorous and very entertaining.
   
   I for one enjoy having big hair, skinny jeans and make up to keep the 80s influence in the way i dress and live.
   
   also whats pissed me off is the fact the tabloids pick on the fact that some of the songs use suicidal lyrics...come on some of the biggest bands use them ie the smiths, morriesy, the cure bauhaus, the melvins.
   
   the press, social networking sites and word of mouth need to stop. as this brings unwanted harrasment and violence to our lives.
   
   also stop using the term "emo" to put us in boxes, you wouldnt call a someone that listens to hip hop, hip hop would you.
   
   thanks for reading this and i hope i made sence
   
   x

   Posted by s.d lovecraft on 05/08/2008 13:26:52 | report abuse

2. It's indeed sad what happened, it feels a bit like Ozzy all over again.
   
   The use of the 'emo' tag, however is getting way out of hand ... if you trace it back far enough you could link emo to Joy Division, one of the greatest bands of all time, supported by Mr. Curtis' bravery to inject his life into his music on a very emotional level. But calling Bob a founding father of emo? Maybe. Except back when he was being 'emo' he was really being alternative, which before that was being college rock, which before that was being postpunk, which before that was actual punk ...

   Posted by Paul Stinson on 30/06/2008 13:22:22 | report abuse

3. this is ssoooo stupid. how can you blame a band for someone's death?? and calling mcr fans a 'cult' - erm... it is not a religion, and it is not a small group of people, therefore not a cult.
   i wish newspapers would not write about stuff they don't understand. They;ve just taken a group of stereo types, bunged them together, and now everone that reads the article will think that kids who are wearing skinnyz and have eyeliner on and are listening to rock/emo are unbalanced and are self-harmers and believe that they are going to the 'black parade' when they die.... i mean, come on.... this type of stuff has gone too far, it's beyond a joke.

   Posted by Eilidh on 31/05/2008 12:50:29 | report abuse

4. They're taking this too far. Any teenage sub-group is badly stereotyped by today's mass media, and it's something people should learn to live with.
   
   Simply calling it a 'Suicide cult' is not that bad compared to the hail of abuse and clichés thrown at todays 'Chavs'. Some of which, you can admit although often true to an extent, are blown completely out of proportion.
   
   Once again the minority are making others think they are the majority. Arrogance and ignorance in one lovely bundle.
   
   Anyway, no one will really care, they're wasting their time. It's not a movement large enough for people to take real notice: Not published enough, not feared/respected enough, and hardly a noteworthy cause.
   
   Another story for Wikipedia that you will randomly stumble across on a strange night clicking 'Random page' until something fun comes up.
   
   Deep joy....

   Posted by Angst McAngstface on 31/05/2008 12:07:38 | report abuse

5. How wrong we were to think
   That immortality meant never dying
   
   http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=3J_8eHeMWUc&fmt=18

   Posted by Claire on 31/05/2008 05:23:27 | report abuse