I think that emo culture needs to be placed within its context as a new form of an old trend. Although ’emo’s’ have developed as a mass force in many parts of the UK at least - and I am sure elsewhere, they merely represent the mainstream group of popular, strong and independent young people, who have changed the music they listen to, the way they communicate and the places that support such culture. The threat of emo culture is not in its ‘depressing’ music but its change in attitudes to what is cool and uncool. Alternative is cool; and unsurprisingly emo’s have sourced clothes and geographies that support this idea. Ironically, the emo trend is a substantial proportion of young people and in carving out there identity as alternative - they subsequently bring it in to the mainstream. I am not pro emo but i see them as nothing more than what they are a re branding of an old group.
I also find it unsurprising that this new young trend has manifested itself in to this alternative craving form.

In a world of mass produced brands, and an increasing awareness of sweatshops and the way in which large companies exploit customers, this next generation has grown up with a way to disregard these major brands for unbranded or small brands such as Converse. Alternatively retro shopping has challenged this idea, and we can see it as an alternative. Has this been successful? unlikely, as these commodities become popular inevitably they get attacked by the mainstream - where new clothing by Adidas or Nike for example are produced on ‘retro’ designs. The unbranded goods are most likely made in as bad or worse conditions than the branded goods and the small brands are bought out - e.g. Converse by Nike in order to consolidate the ‘alternative’ market.

However one of my fellow writers in this topic has made particular reference to Camden town, a new space that supports this MySpace loving, self advertising emo subculture. He speaks of this alternative area that is constantly under attack from the mainstream. I would question whether this alternative really exists, or is it an imagined alternative that no sooner is it there than it has been absorbed in to popular culture. Camden has a niche market, and in order to sustain that market it heavily controls who sells, what they sell, whether they fit in to the atmosphere and in this respect this alternative is as controlled, regulated and mainstream as a shopping mall. A way in which under a capitalist system it can gain profit from a group in society that is not willing to provide it.

The emo subculture is defining the new mainstream behind and alternative facade.