Tribes

I just read an article in Blender magazine about how emo kids are basically the most hated form of life in Mexico. The article mentioned that acts of violence against "Los Emos" were practically state sanctioned, and how they were frequently attacked "by everyone-an ad hoc collection of punks, skaters, gangsters, metalheads and goths." Whaaaaaat? Goths are beating up emos? I thought emos were just goth kids with no sense of history.

Violence based on music and style preference is pretty ludicrous to me. The article says that many who attack "Los Emos" do so in the mistaken belief that all emos are gay, which is equally disturbing.

I can remember some music culture clashes in my own youth. I can remember going to a Metallica concert where the Cult were the opening act, and a bunch of Metallicaheads started beating on some Cult fans under the then popular rallying cry of "Death to False Metal!". I listened to a lot of metal, but I loved the Cult and all sorts of other music. I still like a lot of "false metal".

My favorite bands at the time were Iron Maiden and the Smiths, so, keeping in the spirit of things, every so often I'd punch myself in the face for liking the Smiths. But because I liked the Smiths, I'd always follow this with a cutting remark to myself that would make me question the very nature of human interaction while laying my soul open to the very world that did not understand me.

Seriously though, folks--does initiating a beat-down on someone because of a haircut, a musical preference, or a fondness for guyliner seem like a reasonable response?

I thought the zombies had it bad.