Alternative subgenres or cultures within society have always acted as needed counterbalance to the mainstream for decades. Think about it for a second: we had greasers in the 50s, punks in the 70s, and metalheads in the 80s and 90s. With the rise of emo music in the early 2000s, due in large part to the political turmoil of the time, we were given the privilege of experiencing two new subcultures, emo and its slightly happier sister named scene.
When looking into what I would describe as the “core tenants” of the culture, I found that, oddly enough, the only hard rules were these: love the music and be yourself. Proposing this question to my own scene queen friend, she told me, “Scene is something meant for you to express yourself creatively; it’s not a set genre, and no two looks are the same. Everyone has their own twist on it.” That being said, I’m more than certain you have a clear idea of the emo/scene stereotypes in your head: straightened, swooped hair held up by cans and cans of hairspray and brightly colored in order to contrast with the jet-black skinny jeans its enthusiasts tend to wear. You’ll more than likely see band tees from beloved groups like Korn or Panic at the Disco too. All of these things, as I see it, personify the sense of independence found within the subculture, a DIY attitude mixed with a hint of extravagance meant to foster inclusivity rather than hiding the fashion behind a steep designer paywall.
Another iconic feature of scene culture that’d be a sin not to mention is its music, arguably the aspect that connects people on a far more substantial level than any form of fashion. Despite being formed out of late 90s and early 00s rave culture, scene also adapts a wide variety of genres, ranging from things closer to home like Emo and punk. Hard and fast methods of music with blunt expressions of emotion, or more distant relatives musically like nu metal with the aforementioned Korn. These genres expressed feelings bottled up by a huge population of teens, and scene culture gave them the chance to let the emotions unabashedly flow.
Some call into question the integrity of the modern scene movement given its revival through TikTok. People became disillusioned by the number of influencers utilizing the fashion style while foregoing the messages that come along with them. When asking my friend, she said, “Though there has been a comeback with TikTok and the like, it’s undoubtedly become deluded, and the original stances it’s held have become pretty dormant, and with the changing landscapes of social media, it’s just not going to have the same impact that it once had.” Ultimately, I'm inclined to agree. Subcultures are infinitely more than how you dress or what music you like; those are all superficial in comparison to the messages they hope to convey.
So that's it. That's all there is to it. I think a lot of people tend to look at those within subgenres, those who express themselves in this eccentric way as odd or non-conforming, and I suppose in some cases that's just the message the community was going for. In others, though, it's nothing more complex than just a way to have a fun time. Maybe this inspired you a little bit—not to be scene kid exactly, but to spice up your wardrobe and listen to loud, screechy music—just have a little bit of a shakeup.
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