Are You Stupid? Then You Blame “Emo” For Suicide

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Because it couldn’t be anything like clinical depression or untreated mental illness… it must be music or a scene….

Here’s the thing. A 13-year-old girl told her parents she was going to kill herself, and then she did. She hung herself, and died. Her mother insists she was a “normal girl” [because that’s what normal girls do] and the person investigating the suicide said he found”elements of the emo movement very disturbing.”

So how did they determine this girl was “emo”?
-She liked My Chemical Romance. Yeah, her and millions of other people.
-She talked about The Black Parade a lot. Again, her and millions of other people who bought the album.

The worst thing the coroner investigating could find was someone writing, “I hope you like the black parade” in a tribute book. Gasp. Horror. Someone evoked music to express an emotion? It must be evil!

For some reason, the original article opened with this:

A teenage girl committed suicide because she thought the act would impress fans of emo music, an inquest has been told.

Accepting that it’s been a few years since I took a journalism class, I still have to ask: shouldn’t you have to support that with something more than “she told her parents she was going to kill herself and then she did. And she really liked My Chemical Romance”?  I’m pretty sure that’s the case. Ultimately, this article fails on so many levels, it hurts my head.

The worst thing is, they always pick one particular thing that it’s popular to turn into a villain when they cover stories like this. Nobody ever says, “she ate Pop Tarts… she clearly wanted to die” or “She washed her hair with Herbal Essences, a clear sign of suicide.”  I’m sure anyone reading this would say, “but that’s absurd!”  My point exactly. If My Chemical Romance fans were all suicidal and/or killing themselves, the band would have a slightly more difficult time selling out arenas, wouldn’t they?

I’m not denying she liked the band. Clearly, she did. But it’s one facet of a multi-faceted person who obviously had more issues than anyone wanted to believe she did.  Bands don’t kill people, or make them kill themselves. Not even Dethkok on “Metalocalypse” has those powers….

It’s tragic that a 13-year-old killed herself, but I’d be quicker to put the blame — if blame should even be assigned — on people who missed the signs that something was terribly wrong, rather than on a band.

By the way, the article went on to point out other bands “associated” with emo:
-Taking Back Sunday
-Fall Out Boy
-Panic At The Disco
-Paramore

*sigh* Shoddy journalism, no real story, and then a list of bands who had nothing to do with the original story being attached to it somehow. Welcome to the Internet, where this passes for news coverage.  Articles like the original are exactly why I opted out of journalism and went for a major in fiction and screenwriting.

My Chemical Romance Masks Revealed

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They don’t say who did which one… I’m going to guess Mikey, Bob, Ray, Frank, Gerard, though I have no real way to tell. I want to get #3 in my box set, but I don’t know if I will. Because it’s random. They also cost $60, by the way… Pre-orders are here.

Pardon me while I jump up and down and scream and whinge and then later ask for validation from people as to whether or not I, girl with plans to move to California, really needs another thing of this size, or to spend the money. But… pretty Dia De Los Muertes masks!!

And those are the details on that.

These are Words that Make pixie’s Head Go Explody

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Fine, I’m just quoting a press release here, but… holy crap:

My Chemical Romance will release a live CD/DVD called “The Black Parade Is Dead!” on June 24th on Reprise Records.

The package captures different sides of My Chemical Romance by spotlighting two very different shows. The CD and DVD feature concert highlights from the huge Palacio de los Deportes sports arena in Mexico City on October 7th, 2007 and the intimate Maxwell’s club in Hoboken, NJ, on October 24th, 2007. Both shows demonstrate why critics have raved about The Black Parade World Tour, which began on February 22nd, 2007, and will conclude with a triumphant sold out hometown headlining show at New York City’s fabled Madison Square Garden on May 9th, 2008.

Beginning on May 5th when the website goes live, fans will be able to pre-order “The Black Parade is Dead!” by visiting www.theblackparadeisdead.com, where they can also view a trailer for the DVD. Anyone who pre-orders the album from this special website will also gain access to downloads of three DRM-free tracks from the Mexico City show: “Welcome to the Black Parade,” “Mama,” and “Dead!”.

“The Black Parade is Dead!” will also be released in a collectible, limited-edition version, which will feature the CD and DVD, plus a mask designed by one of the band members, in a pine box coffin. (Each band member has designed one mask, which has been selected for inclusion in each box at random.) Another CD/DVD bundle also includes an exclusively designed t-shirt. All special editions are available only online at TheBlackParadeIsDead.com.

Okay, here’s the thing. I’m kind of an obsessive person, and I’m kind of a collector of things. I really, really like limited things, and I like artsy things like, I don’t know… masks. This set, which will surely cost a ton [I know the limited version of the album, which just had a fancy book and some art cards was $50 in most places], is going to make me lose my mind.

Obviously, I want a Gerard mask. But I’d kind of like them all. And I do have a raging crush on Frankie.  Uggggh.  Looks like I’ll need to start taking up a My Chemical Romance mask collection… so I can collect them… in addition to my moving collection.

I can’t wait for the DVD, though. I was at that show at Maxwell’s. I hope to hell I’m not on there, because I was a sweaty, crying* mess who was just trying not to pass out and make sure I stole a setlist. Which I did. Oh, and I hope they kept the part in where I decided I had to fling my scarf on stage and Gerard picked it up and noted it “looked homemade.” Which it was. Mindless acts of clothing flinging… that’s me for you.

*It is important to note that I only cried during “Cancer,” and I feel, having had it, I’m allowed to do so.