Throughout history, music has been dominated by male writers and performers. Rock and roll has generally been a genre for and by men, with women more often the theme rather than the performer. Emo music has added to the music-gender discussion immensely by being completely dominated by men. Bands such as Fall Out Boy, Dashboard Confessional, and Brand New write lyrics about struggle, the self, and most often about women. Females who have betrayed them, entranced them, toyed with them. Yet emo has not been thought to be a particularly masculine genre. These men are stepping outside the social norms of being macho and hiding their feelings, by expressing them fully through song. They are willing to admit that they are sad, hurt, or unsure of themselves and offer other people the chance to identify with them.
The people who are identifying with emo music, though, are not all boys who understand what it is like to have a girl break up with them. Emo music is incredibly popular with girls as well, even though they are often the targets of criticism and stereotyping. On the surface, it would almost seem as if emo music is mostly mid-20s males performing for females and males younger than themselves. Another interesting interplay between genders in emo can be seen in the style. Emo boys and girls seem to dress very similarly and wear very similar haircuts, usually only differentiated by the difference in length in the back, but the same in the front. Both girls and boys wear make up, which is another less masculine quality about the male artists in this genre.
Some questions I am considering looking into further on this topic are:
- Is there a place for women in creating emo music? Is that place be similar to that of male song writers and performers or will it be a different thematic angle within the genre? It would be useful to analyze women currently in the emo scene on the performance side.
- What attracts women to emo music? Do they notice the gender differences? Do they feel that emo is actually less gendered than I am speculating? Then what would they say about the violence against emo people mostly because the men are perceived as gay and feminine based on the dress and emotional content of emo?
- I would possibly compare and contrast the themes of two popular, more mainstream emo bands: Fall Out Boy and Paramore. Fall Out Boy consists of four men and Paramore consists of four men and one woman. Whether or not her influence as part of the band changes themes or music would have to be considered.
Some links to idea sources:
Analyzing Gender in Emo Music
Emo: Where the Girls Aren't
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I think this is an awesome topic idea with a lot of information to explore. I listen to a good amount of emo music (my favorite band is Brand New)and I've found myself asking many of the questions you've raised in this post. I like the idea of comparing Fall Out Boy and Paramore. I think that would yield some interesting results. Looking forward to seeing where you go with this!
ReplyDeleteLooks like Alexyse could be someone for you to interview! I think you've made a lot of progress in focusing your topic since we talked about it originally, and I look forward to seeing where you go with it. This week's readings should be useful for you (and remember to check those authors' bibliographies for other relevant stuff). It's worth thinking about how gender performances (and gendered reception) play out in emo as opposed to riot grrrl.
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ReplyDeleteThis is a fascinating topic. I have recently found that I almost prefer to exclusively listen to emo/alternative bands. Before coming to college, I don't think I ever really understood the attraction to this type of music. When I started listening to it, however, after being introduced to these bands by friends, I realized that it was very easy to relate to the lyrics and found myself practically seduced by the emotion displayed by the singers. The other day, I actually had a conversation with a friend about why I've recently stopped listening to female artists. Although I couldn't pinpoint a reason, I think it might have something to do with the sincerity with which guys seem to sing. Perhaps it is because of gender roles that women are so much more attracted to emo music: they are willing to express their emotions and find that a certain song perfectly describes their emotional state. Maybe its just because women hope that a boy will sing to them someday...
This is a really interesting topic, and I can't wait to see what you discover!
Ok, let me break this down for you:
ReplyDelete-All the girls pose the same for pictures.
-All the boys wear the same girl's hair.
In all seriousness, this topic is really interesting, but threateningly large in scope. One aspect to consider is "the music itself" and the aesthetics of emo - mainly I'm referring to the vocal style, which in many cases is shockingly feminine, even when the singer is male. The high vocal range, pure vocal timbre, and sometimes effeminate accentuation of the notes could help explain why emo is not perceived as very masculine. And why, when I heard Paramore for the first time 4 years ago, my first thought was "Oh my god. Instead of a guy that sounds like a girl, it's actually just a girl!"
I say this topic is threateningly large in scope because it's going to be difficult to define emo as a genre, especially if you're not focusing on a single geographical area. Also, when you start drifting towards offshoots of emo, it could potentially get more complicated (i.e. How is masculinity different in emocore?)
In response to shorneff's comment, I remember reading an article a while back about how a lot of the vocal style of emo is based on untrained musicians thinking "pitch = emotional intensity," that the best way to channel emotion was to sing higher. This could relate to that percieved "sincerity." I've also had the opposite experience, where, after my above Paramore revelation, I've been more open to female artists because, as vocalists, they are naturally made for the genre - hence opening the door for me to the Meg and Dia's of the world.
This topic seems very interesting. I like the idea you pose about women and men who listen to this genre of music dressing the same and having generally similar styles. It's also interesting that you bring up the fact that women are not as much in the 'emo' music scene as men are. In your research I think it would be cool to find a band that is female dominated that fits in with this genre (i'm sure there is one out there) and compare/contrast them with the more popular all malle groups.
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