Everybody Hurts: An Essential Guide to Emo Culture [Paperback]

Trevor Kelley (Author), Leslie Simon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 24, 2007

What is emo? For starters it's a form of melodic, confessional, or EMOtional punk rock. But emo is more than a genre of music–it's the defining counterculture movement of the '00s. EVERYBODY HURTS is a reference book for emo, tracing its angsty roots all the way from Shakespeare to Holden Caufield to today's most popular bands.

There's nothing new about that perfect chocolate and peanut butter combination––teenagers and angst. What is new is that emo is the first cultural movement born on the internet. With the development of early social networking sites like Make Out Club (whose mission is to unite "like–minded nerds, loners, indie rockers, record collectors, video gamers, hardcore kids, and artists through friendship, music, and sometimes even love") outcast teens had a place to find each other and share their pain, their opinions, and above all, their music–which wasn't available for sale at the local record store.

Authors Leslie Simon and Trevor Kelley lead the reader through the world of emo including its ideology, music, and fashion, as well as its influences on film, television, and literature. With a healthy dose of snark and sarcasm, EVERYBODY HURTS uses diagrams, illustrations, timelines, and step–by–step instructions to help the reader successfully achieve the ultimate emo lifestyle. Or, alternately, teach him to spot an emo kid across the mall in order to mock him mercilessly.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

For those who equate "emo" with lonely, malnourished rock bands, Alternative Press vets Simon and Kelley provide a vivisection of this deceptively large slice of the American pop culture pie: "it's a state of mind...a place for people who don't fit in-but who long to fit in with other people who don't fit in." With casual prose and unflagging energy, the authors look at a laundry list of emo affairs: fashion, internet, film, literature and music among them. Simon and Kelley know the territory inside and out, profiling ten emo types ("Trustafarian," "Christian," "Ex-Hardcore"), "emo ancestors" (including Emily Dickinson and Cameron Crowe), a detailed timeline and a comparative " 'Emo' vs. 'So Not Emo' " list-and that's just the first chapter. Unexpected resources and sarcastic swipes abound: record store recommendations segue into clever, cutting guidelines for naming your band. Readers will be reminded of Robert Lanham's The Hipster Handbook (right down to Rob Dobi's detailed, comic-realist illustrations), but like that title, Simon and Kelley's may not appeal to its subjects (emo fans read books primarily "to brag about them in social situations"). On the other hand, would-be scenesters will pick up plenty of tips-though there's a significant possibility that the info here will be dated in six months.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Simon and Kelley describe emo culture slyly in this perky lifestyle guide. Basically, emo is music made by "a bunch of guys barely out of high school" who are concerned "with decidedly high school problems" (heartbreak, friendship, etc.) more than with "approachable hooks." Growing out of and away from increasingly insular punk rock, emo sets lyrics that are very often introspective and achey. Self-centered, whiny songs and introspective posing have been part of rock from the beginning (e.g., "Tell Laura I Love Her," Jim Morrison's tortured-artist act), but with emo they are the center of a packaged subculture pitched to "the preppiest of preps" being "punkish," "lacrosse jocks" who sing along to "weepy acoustic anthems," and "Long Island dudes" who "keep journals, cry in front of girls, and write the word art with a capital A." Simon and Kelley list movies, songs, fashions, and even eating habits to reveal what is and isn't emo. There's a hint of satire in all this, which seems right, given the arch irony of the emo mind-set. Mike Tribby
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: It Books (April 24, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061195391
• ISBN-13: 978-0061195396
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #695,728 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Leslie Simon lives in Los Angeles, isn't a fan of hot weather, and loves her parents, "Gilmore Girls" and French bulldog puppies. She's the author of "Geek Girls Unite: How Fangirls, Bookworms, Indie Chicks and Other Misfits Are Taking Over The World," "Wish You Were Here: An Essential Guide To Your Favorite Music Scenes" and co-author of "Everybody Hurts: An Essential Guide to Emo Culture." She is currently the Senior Creative Director at Warner Bros. Records.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb, May 5, 2009

By 

B. Bickel - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Everybody Hurts: An Essential Guide to Emo Culture (Paperback)

This really is the perfect book for anyone looking to know a little more about what it means "to be emo" but its even better for people who already know the scene and just want a good chuckle. The book is a perfect blend of information and comedy, making a nice satirical music book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So Funny!, July 29, 2008

By 

G. Morgan (USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Everybody Hurts: An Essential Guide to Emo Culture (Paperback)

(daughter of user)

I finished this book in 3-4 hours. Totally hilarious! It had me cracking up every couple of pages, and I totally agree with the thing about wearing belts so that the buckle is on the side, rather than the front of your pants. AWESOME!!!

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars sometimes witty, but ultimately too smug, May 27, 2008

By 

Mark Oestreicher (La Mesa, CA USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Everybody Hurts: An Essential Guide to Emo Culture (Paperback)

ok, short review. i've been amazed by how the almost-impossible-to-define music genre of emo has proliferated and splintered into dozens of even-more-impossible-to-define subsets and nuances over the past few years. and how emo has become more mainstream, and -- surely -- the haven of the hip white kids. let the truly mainstream have their r&b and hip-hop and top-40. emo, like it's "alternative rock" predecessor, is in the midst of an identity crisis as it's growing popularity is antithetical to its "we're the forgotten" anti-conformity soul.

i admit, i'm a 45 year old dude. i am not allowed to be emo (though it is hilarious that my 14 year-old daughter has recently moved beyond her hip-hop and r&b only musical tastes and raided most of the emo from my itunes, causing a shudder in the generation gap of our household).

i bought this book because i wanted to understand more, and because i thought it looked like fun. and in some ways it provided both. in other ways, it was just too self-effacing and "i'm more hip than you because i make fun of the very affinity group i am part of". a few insights; too many lists of "the right record stores", "the right clothing stores" and such. worth a skim if you're interested in the subject; but not a high recommendation.