Stereotypically...what?

As I said in a previous post, I am quite tolerant of fashion. Goth, Emo, Punk, Indie, whatever. SO long as a person is actually happy with what they do, I see no problem. It's when they take part to be 'cool' or to just try and be like their friends that I get pissed off.

But what REALLY pisses me off is when they get all up in your face should you even look at them funny. Case in point. Last Saturday, St Stephen's Green shopping center. I'm sitting down, drawing my little comic strips and nightmarish dream people when I look up. Sitting at the same cafe and about two tables away is one of what I call "Over The Top Emos". Personally I think the stereotypical Emo clothing looks pretty good on some people and on this guy it did. However, he had overdone it with the makeup and had used so much gel in his hair I'm certain he could have shattered rocks.

Anyway, I look up, comment on his jacket (which I thought looked particularly neat) and then have my head back down to do more drawing. Thirty seconds later this guy comes over.
"Is there something wrong with the way I look?"
I reply honestly: "Nope. In fact I quite like your clothes, though you could use less gel in your hair." When I'm particularly sleep-deprived (and at this point I had gone about 20 hours since I last slept), I tend to say too much, á la the gel comment. I also think he heard a non-existenet hint of sarcasm.
"Well, next time I'll try and impress you huh?"

Eager to avoid a scene, I apologise, but already my head is starting to hurt. Not a good sign. Headaches for me usually lead up to bouts of unneeded aggression culminating in me screaming at a person for pretty much no reason.
"I am sorry. I genuinely mean what I say and I meant no offense."
He actually accepted this which I wasn't expecting. Here's where things get odd. He then sat down.

"Oh, no worries. I'm just pretty miserable and a bit snappy."
Oh great. Now I have to entertain him. I take a drink of Coke to try and calm my head. Anyway, long story short we got into a discussion about Goths, Emos and Industrialists/Rivetheads. I explain the differences, which he found entertaining for some odd reason. He asked me which I identified with. I said none. He asked what I was drawing, I replied that it was personal. Then I make the mistake of scratching my two month old acid burn scar. He sees it.

"Hmm. Hurt yourself did you?"
"Not for any particular reason, I was just curious what a Sulfuric Acid burn felt like." (True. I'm odd).
He then recommends I should write some poetry. Oh God. Here it is. He's trying to make me into him. I politely decline, and getting rather aggravated and now having a raging static sound in my ears as well as the headache go on the offensive. I ask him why he's Emo, and why he so willingly defines himself as such.

"Well, you know. I wanted to fit in."
Bam.
"So you don't enjoy dressing as you do? Do you act stereotypically Emo?"
"Well, duh. I don't really enjoy it, but everyone's doing it. And if by 'stereotypically Emo' you mean depressed and cut myself, yeah I do."
"Why? I mean, if you enjoyed doing it then by all means. But if it's just a fashion thing and not your actual preffered lifestyle, and you dislike it, why do you identify as one?"

He's speechless. I think I actually managed to make him think. While he's trying to think up a response, I pack up. I have to go meet my cousin. I look at him and give him some advice.
"Just be you. Nothing pisses me off more than people being part of a group that they don't like being part of. Look at me. I've been called Goth, because I like black clothing. But It's just the clothing, the lifestyle doesn't appeal to me, nor the makeup or any other steretypical part of it."

Finally the static is gone and my head is calming down. He looks up and says one more thing.
"I would have called you Goth up until about five minutes ago. But your clothing's more industrialist and you certainly don't act like any Goth I've ever known."

I smile and walk away. I think I've gotten through to him. And if not, well at least now he knows the difference between Goth, Emo and Rivethead.

He's right too. I wear combats, which are (stereotypically) associated with Industrialists. Anyway, maybe some day when I'm not so tired and I'm bored I'll make a post outlining the diffrences between the three for you guys.