MALKIN ON EMO AND CUTTING
You know, I really want to like Michelle Malkin but the most affectionate term I can come up with in association with her is “sympathy.” Everytime I see her on TV she’s usually espousing a position I agree with, but she always just seems out of her league. Today she has a piece on self-mutilation which she refers to as a “new craze.” Quite hip that Michelle Malkin. She even manages to connect emo music to cutting. Umm, yeah. She obviously doesn’t know what she’s talking about, but here’s the quote:
There is even a new genre of music—“emo”—associated with promoting the cutting culture.
-MichelleMalkin.com
This sort of mischaracterization I would find understandable from an old-time Conservative like say, Bill Buckley or Fred Barnes, but Malkin is young enough to know that neither cutting nor emo is new (nor have I ever heard an emo song that explicitly promotes cutting yourself). This is exactly the kind of comment that will send the Focus on the Family crowd irrationally throwing out their kid’s Jimmy Eat World albums. I’m not sure why this comment irritated me so much, although it reminds me of a video I had to watch in high school called “Highway to Hell” which discussed why rock music was the root of all evil in American society (a movie as ideal for MST3K as anything I’ve ever seen).
Speaking of cutting, that activity elicits absolutely no sympathy from me. I’m probably just callous at this point, but when I was a teenager I got sick of people telling me they cut or used to cut themselves. If this came up in conversation, it always came up within the first couple of conversations after meeting a person.
Perhaps if someone is cutting themselves in private and not telling anyone, then I feel some sympathy for them because they probably have some serious problems, but when you go around telling people that you do it, then you’re just looking for attention. Guess what? You won’t get it from me. Especially since in most cases when this happened I barely knew the person. If you truly realize you have a problem with something and need to confide in someone then you aren’t gonna tell a person you just met. So that’s why I’m an insensitive jerk about this particular topic – I associate it with a bunch of insecure, disingenuous teenagers from high school.
-MPAW
UPDATE: In case you missed it in the comments, Mike F shares my antipathy towards the cutters.
February 23rd, 2005 at 9:43 pm
Malkin tries so hard to come across as young and hip, and ends up just looking clueless. I think the fact that she’s constantly smirking might have a lot to do with my dislike of her, even though as you said, she’s usually presenting a viewpoint that I share.
And calling emo new… man, I thought I missed the boat when I started getting into it in ‘98.
Ditto about being annoyed at cutters. When someone essentially says “look, feel bad for me because I intentionally cut myself,” I just can’t manage to feel any sympathy whatsoever. My reaction tends to be either “no” or “grow up and deal with your problems, like the rest of the world does.”
February 23rd, 2005 at 11:53 pm
Since you’re not accepting trackbacks, I thought I should point out you have a link here.
February 24th, 2005 at 12:45 am
{{{{And calling emo new… man, I thought I missed the boat when I started getting into it in ‘98.}}}}
Let’s hope she doesn’t find something insidious with kids wearing poodle skirts. In a couple of months she may have to discover what all this talk about a “swing revival” is all about. That will lead her directly to Swingers (one of my favorite movies I might add). I can only imagine her reaction. Mmmmm, 1996 was a good year.
February 24th, 2005 at 1:09 pm
Finally, it’s been proven that i’m not the only one who cuts themselves after listening to Thursday.
I remember one particular episode of “7th Heaven” in which one of mary’s friend cut themselves, the dad had this brilliant line to say “mary, jenny has a problem, she cuts herself. It’s called cutting” I laughed so hard after that becase, no lie, that’s a direct quote.
Oh yeah, and Hell’s Bells is hilarious, i have it on a 2 tape VHS set. Got it for free at the church library give away.
February 24th, 2005 at 1:10 pm
Wow, disagreeing on Mike’s blog, I really never thought the day would come. Got a few comments, first off which is worse: making a stupid post (as you claim Malkin did), or wasting all the space on your first blog in a week on telling someone they made a stupid post. You don’t even discuss the issue (a rare thing here on the Mike blog), you just make criticize her for not being as up to speed on culture as you. I have to admit this isn’t a topic I am terribly interested in, and it seems you agree, so why take the time to even bring it up then? Lastly, I’ve read Malkin’s book “Invasion” and it was an excellent read, maybe you should try it out before making a judgement purely on 90 second TV spots. Hope there’s no love lost, later.
February 24th, 2005 at 4:37 pm
Joel: That’s awesome that you got Hell’s Bells. If you come down to Maryland to visit you gotta bring that so that I can relive the ol’ UTT memories with Schwartzy. I could be wrong, but I think they actually made a Hell’s Bells II: Full Throttle (subtitle added).
Gordo: No love lost bro, BUT DON’T YOU EVER RAISE YOUR VOICE TO ME AGAIN!! Haha. Kidding. First off, this is not the first time you disagreed with me because you took me to task for excluding Shrek 2 on my favorite movies list from last year (which I have since seen and was impressed with).
With respect to your comments, your criticism of not addressing the core issue has some merit. As you mentioned, the issue of cutting is not my top interest, but I did comment on the aspects of it that interested me – namely, mischaracterizing emo and my past experiences with people who craved my attention for whatever reason. I actually didn’t address either to the extent I wanted to because I was at work so it was a bit of a rush job. Perhaps I will expound some more later tonight on the main page.
I confess to not having read any of Malkin’s books, so my impressions of her are not based on her entire body of work. My point is that I have seen her on TV for more than 90 seconds, and she is generally not that impressive. I don’t think she is a dullard. It could just be that verbal debate isn’t her thing (it’s not my favorite forum either). She often argues a position I share but in a way that either makes it the least convincing or in a way which I flat out disagree with (in this instance, I obviously agree that cutting is bad, but I certainly don’t think that Taking Back Sunday and Christina Ricci are the root cause of it).
I probably would have ignored it if it were an isolated incident. I probably would have ignored it if was just a post and not a syndicated column (God knows I’ve made my share of stupid posts here). In honesty, I would have even ignored it if it was written by a liberal. I wrote it because Michelle Malkin is a fairly recognizable figure in the Conservative movement and making mischaracterizing statements like the emo comment is embarassing. Be honest, would you be taking issue with this if I were criticizing Al Franken for making a similar comment?
Finally, if making a post about a stupid post is worse than the stupid post itself, where would commenting on a stupid post about a stupid post rank? Hmmmmmm.
February 24th, 2005 at 6:58 pm
If commenting on stupid things —things that really aren’t worth your time in the first place—isn’t the heart and soul of personal blogging, then it’s at least close to it.
And were it not for this post, I would never have heard the line: “mary, jenny has a problem, she cuts herself. It’s called cutting,” which is priceless.
And since the central issue here is cutting, the OP did spend the last two paragraphs (two out of five, in fact) discussing it.
February 24th, 2005 at 9:23 pm
It’s my understanding that the tagline for “Hells Bells II” is “the toll continues.”
February 26th, 2005 at 1:01 pm
I haven’t read Malkin’s book either- reason being I have read her columns. I fully agree with the sentiment that even when she seems to be making a point I agree with she often seems out of her league. Though her position may at times be correct- it is rarely her argument that convinces me of such. Malkin is a columnist who more often than others makes me think “you’re discrediting your argument by the way you are arguing.”
With her book I think that I wouldn’t be able to stomach it. I can read defenses of positions with which I disagree when they are done well. I don’t mind when the person is a bit sarcastic, condescending, or mocking. (I love reading Scalia’s opinions in Supreme Court decisions. I often disagree, but I think they are wonderful. They make me understand why some of his colleagues on the bench don’t like him. Despite his criticism of others and their reasoning, his arguments are well written and well made, I can’t help but respect him.) But if the argument starts out being a stretch, makes assumptions and then misinterprets info in a way that seems to be out of laziness and a lack of fact checking to support them it is hard to swallow. If the author then doggedly defends the false interpretation of that info or slightly changes the interpretation but claims it still supports the end result when challenged (“emo” being new and based on cutting) it makes it even worse. Malkin seems to do these things in her columns and on her blog and because of it I don’t think that I would like her book. But maybe I’m wrong. If I continue to hear good things about it I may have to give it a chance.
February 27th, 2005 at 1:47 pm
Whenever I see cutting dismissed as some sort of bizzare self-indulgence, or as a way of getting attention, I think, these people just have no idea what they’re talking about. If you had the slightest conception of what it means to have a serious emotional disorder, you would have sympathy. You might still disapprove, you might think they need to admit they have a problem and get help, but you would without question have sympathy.
April 11th, 2005 at 8:54 pm
I think it’s bullshit when people talk bad about cutters. I know a few people at my school who think that cutting is a “cool” thing to do. Its not. It causes a whole lot of crap in your life. When people start to find out they do hate you. I used to cut, but not for attention. My best friend was the first to find out. After that she started cutting too. And I have quit for my boyfriend cause he is all I have. It is really great to have someone who is there to help. The only reason everyone knows about me doing it is because of my friend. But I don’t care who knows cause now I could really care because now I help other people who do cut. So people who cut because of pain aren’t suicidal or stupid. Some do need sympathy but some don’t,
April 19th, 2005 at 2:19 pm
So if Michelle blames emo music for kids cutting themself.I’d like to know what kind of music she blames for kids having sex and other kids doing drugs.
If you are going to talk about the reason why kids are doing silly trends don’t try and turn a stereo type into a fact.
“oh emo kids are so sad all the time, they sit in corners and cut their wrist.”
Hello. i am a listener of this EMO music everyone is talking about. MY WRIST ARE CLEAN. and i happen to hang out and spend all my time with a LARGE crowd of kids who again listen to emo music. NO CUTTING here!?
so where are you getting your facts? something you once heard? So people say emo music is depressing? that makes it a fact? have you ever listened to an emo song? by an emo band? heard them say “CUT YOUR WRIST , DO IT NOW” i know you havn’t . emo music doesn’t talk about things like that . and even if it day say something about being sad. since when is being sad a bad thing? since when do people do everything they hear in a song? i think your crazy.
and i don’t think you know what your talking about.
“There is even a new genre of music — “emo” — associated with promoting the cutting culture.”
thats bullshit. Do so research . find stuff out. before you go and make another artical about something you know nothing about.
thanks
April 19th, 2005 at 3:45 pm
Amanda – I’m not sure if you’re yelling at me or Malkin. If you’re yelling at me, then I don’t think you even read what I wrote because I was rebutting what she said. I myself and most of my friends are emo listeners and non-cutters. If you’re yelling at Malkin, preach on, but you should probably direct that tirade at her because unfortunately I don’t think she reads this site.
April 19th, 2005 at 7:43 pm
ok i agree with her that self mutilation is the new craze because it has been lately, everyone seems to be cutting themselves, im not trying to diss anyone if your a cutter but truly there’s no need to hurt yourself we all have problems but we cant resort to cutting to make things better because how is cuttig yourself making everything in your lfe better, it causes attention towards you then people think differently about you, the one thing i don’t agree about that michelle said is that theres ” a new genre of music – emo associated with cutting” we all have our opinions but this one is a huge stereotype and offending so many people who make emo music, who spend their lives to writing and getting there music out there, im sorry but i listen to emo and all my friends do and i dont know any of them that cut themselves not one, one of my friends do but not because of the music, how can you relate cuttig to music, you really can’t cause every type of msuic has emo in it because emo stands for emotion, not once do i hear in there lyrics” go take a blade cut your wrists do it now” if people take it the wrong way and potray there emotions diefferently and turn there lyrics all around then thats there probably and they must have emotional problems but emo has beeen around forever, you cant just bash a type of music because your kid cuts and you try to blams it on something. does anybody else somewhat agree with me?
May 26th, 2005 at 3:11 pm
hey k…i know you people all think that emo people cut and you don’t feel bad for them ..but what about those people who are not emo and cut…ok i admit it i have but i stopped now and i coverd them up i didnt go around telling people i cut my slef and feel sorry for me! i was depressed majorly..i lost my dad. who was addicted to crack and some other drugs..my sister moved out, everyone in my family fights i was stuggling in school and didnt know what to do ..im am the kind of person who keeps things hidden inside as in i dont show emotions on the out side and it hard to let it out ..so i resorted to cutting….emo???
September 27th, 2005 at 8:06 pm
good
October 1st, 2005 at 10:55 pm
i agree with emo?? i used to cut myself i lost someone to suicide and i didn’t have friends i still don’t my mom told me she hates me you shouldn’t talk about it but i don’t think it’s bad to do at home alone
February 12th, 2006 at 2:29 am
well I don’t think emo music has to do with cutting. Depends how you look at it. I used to be a cutter but I’m trying to stop, I used to cut because I was very depressed and didn’t have anybody to talk to and because I was just going through an extremley hard time. Never because I wanted attention. In fact I would hide it at all costs. I would put make-up over fresh cuts even if they got infected, I would prefer them get infected than people to find out, I would wear sweatbands or whatever I could do to cover it up. Cutting isn’t a good idea because then people you really care about look at you diffrently,it just fucks everything up.
February 12th, 2006 at 2:41 am
hey its me sara again, as i was saying I think that its how you look at it. People that stereotype emo music are retarded. It just depends on how you want to look at it. I think that music is open to interpretation. Like there is this Hawthorne Heights song that says “Cut my wrists and black my eyes” Its not like they are telling you go and cut your fucken wrists right now.I really like emo music, but the emo music isn’t to blame. Sometimes it would feel like I could Kind of relate when I was cutting but that doesn’t mean that its the music’s fault.
February 12th, 2006 at 2:51 am
Its me sara again, N-E-WAYZ The fucken lady that said that stupid shit about how emo music is related to cutting is retarded. Like I said cutters may be able to relate but the music isn’t the reason. yeah it is not a good idea because then people find out and they think your weird and soon nobody wants to be your friend. It may feel good but it comes at a very high price, just trust me, I lost somebody I really cared about over this shit(cutting). He meant alot to me but now he won’t even talk to me. It sucks ass. Just sayin’.
February 14th, 2006 at 11:11 pm
Its me again, yeah well I know some of you think cutters are crazy but you guys don’t have the slightest idea of what it is to be a cutter. I know its bad and that its not emotionally good for you but its really hard to quit. The people that cut go through alot. They start cutting because they have no other way out. It comes at a high price but you don’t really think about that when your cutting all your thinking about is your depression and your problems and letting all of it out. If you see a cutter that really is actually going through arough time,try to help out,don’t tell them they are weird.