To the Editor:
Opera, country
music, and rock have embraced sad songs so why pick on Emo? Emo
is just a term used by marketing researchers and industry hounds
to create a product for market consumption. No artist refers to
himself or herself as Emo. Groups in the nineties didn’t refer
to themselves as grunge; however, someone said it and the media
pounced.
Market researchers spend a lot of money searching for trend setting
individuals, a certain kind of kid, forward in their thinking, who
looks outside their own backyard for inspiration. If companies can
get in on a trend or subculture while it is still underground, they
can be the first ones to bring it to market. As soon as marketers
discover cool, it stops being cool?
The interesting thing is that most of these people dress this way
so that you will not. Some people go to outrageous lengths so that
their style is not imitated and mass-produced in some outlet store
for $40 and up.
You spoke of arrogance unequaled in today’s youth. Have you
heard of the Beat generation? Music is the outlet for emotions.
To suppress them all into “happy” is denying the artist
the full spectrum of the human experience. You don’t have to
be happy all the time. Don’t let others call you a grouch because
you don’t care how to get to Sesame Street.
Write a song. Create art. It’s not bad to be sad!
|
Robert
Burke
ASU Box 6342 |
