Dear Clueless Parent:

Congratulations! It takes guts to admit you have no idea what your teenage child is talking about. Hopefully we can help.
Our first stop in our quest for knowledge was the aptly named What the heck is emo, anyway? site. Run by Andy Radin, it answers questions in a... MORE

Dear Clueless Parent:

Congratulations! It takes guts to admit you have no idea what your teenage child is talking about. Hopefully we can help.
Our first stop in our quest for knowledge was the aptly named What the heck is emo, anyway? site. Run by Andy Radin, it answers questions in a straightforward, "don't feel stupid for asking" type of way. To summarize, emo (short for "emotional") is a rock genre. However, it's often used to refer to a style of dress, a kind of (usually bad) poetry, etc.

Emo music started in the '80s. The vocals range from "normal singing ... to a kind of pleading howl to gut-wrenching screams to actual sobbing and crying." Typical lyrics "tend toward abstract poetry" and are usually difficult to decipher. During live shows, emo bands tend to turn their backs to the audience during the quiet parts. They're very emotional, you see.

In recent years, the definition of emo has broadened. Today, some mainstream musical acts like Fall Out Boy are considered to be (at least partly) emo. Many teens and young adults have taken to dressing in an emo fashion. This includes (but is not limited to) sporting tight T-shirts, crusty hair brushed to one side, horn-rimmed glasses, and eyeliner (or "guyliner" as the case may be). Basically, anything that suggests an air of vulnerability.

Hopefully, that answers your question. Or at least explains why your eyeliner is missing